When designing your website you need to ensure that it is user friendly, easy to manage and unique. You want a site that will grab people's attention as well as be effective. To make it easier when creating your website here are just a few simple, but important web design tips.

Although when thinking about web design many people don't think about the URL, it can be a very useful tip. This is because you want a URL that is easy for your clients and potential clients to remember. You also want to use keywords that are relevant to your website so that search engines can find it more easily, which in turn can boost your rankings on search engines and bring you more clients. Not only is this relevant in the URL but also on the main page and subsequent pages you may create as well.

When designing the home page of your site try to think as if you were a client or a potential client that has stumbled upon your site. When designing your home page put the most important information near the top of the page, users doesn't want to have to search around to find the information they are looking for. This correlates to another web design tip - ensure that your web pages load fast, in today's society we are used to getting information in an instant. If your site has too many graphics and other items that can slow down the loading time then many users will just skip it and search somewhere else. Use pictures and flair to catch their attention but be careful not to over do it at the expense of loading times.

A major tip which may sound very simple, but is often over looked is to double check your site before it goes live. You don't want users to get frustrated and leave due to mistakes you've made. Before posting your site check out any links, either to your secondary pages or to others, to make sure they work. Also look at the overall page, is everything readable? Make sure the fonts are clear and large enough to be easily read. Double check your spelling and grammar, it's a small thing but to some users this can make their decision as to whether or not they want to stay on your site. Once you have checked it, perhaps do a soft launch and ask friends and colleagues to check it as well, often many of us are not good at checking our own work!

Of course the key design ingredient 'creativity and flair' is very difficult to teach.

David Vallance is Managing Director at Kit Happens, an internet marketing business providing, search engine optimisation, graphic design, email marketing and web design Islamabad, Northampton, Luton and Bedfordshire.