First things first… visual design. If you are like me when you go to a web site that is not visually pleasing you may read a bit but you will generally not stay too long.
That’s not to say that every top website needs to look absolutely wonderful but if it looks a bit tired it’s just not going to be associated with other great websites.
A clean and simple design usually does the job best. Bells and whistles are nice but more often than not they will slow a page load down. I tend to go with the KISS theory. Keep It Sweet and Simple. You just want it to look good so it can stand out from your competitors in the minds of your potential clients.
First impressions are key. Although good design alone will not keep someone on your site, an eye-catching design will, at the very least, grab their attention long enough to take a look around.
