There is nothing simple about designing a website. Anyone using the internet on a regular basis – whether for work or for personal matters – instinctively evaluates each website he or she navigates through, judging each page on effectiveness and style.

For whatever reason you are launching a website, the goals are going to be the same. You want to keep visitors interested and allow them to move freely from the home page without getting jammed. If at any point a visitor feels confusion, chances are they are moments away from leaving.

Any premature exit from your site will defeat its purpose and keep and cause you to weigh the viability of features you once considered essential to your presentation. The only way to avoid this catastrophe is to start with a sound plan and see it through to the end. If you find an area that needs tweaking, it can be handled much easier if the rest of the site is in great shape. Here are the five must-do points for any well-designed website.1. Navigation is easy. Your website must be easily traveled for it to be successful. Topping the list of consumer complaints is always this topic. Try to make it simple to get to different pages and, then, simple to return to from where they came. Cutting down on the amount of links on the home page is always well-advised, as more will undoubtedly pop up in the future. Use drop-down menus instead. Also, don’t be shy about adding highlight links to key features, even if they already have a standard link constructed.

2. The layout is clear and clean. Getting the spacing right is no small feat, but it is one of the ingredients of any good website. Whether your pages are content-heavy or picture-heavy, let the material breathe, with plenty of white (or whatever background color) space for it to stand out. Remember also that different fonts can be problematic on certain computers, so plan accordingly.

3. Different screen resolutions don’t pose a threat. Certain websites will naturally have long pages of content, whether it’s a news-based site, a blog or any other text-heavy portal. Remember that screen resolutions are different and that your site should be able to stretch in order to keep scrolling to a minimum.

4. Pages load without any significant delays. Flashy graphics can be thrilling for visitors to see, but if you see a “page loading” sign for over 30 seconds, the thrill most certainly will be gone. Try to manage these graphics wisely. Also, don’t let your site become bogged down with unused codes and other clutter which will cause visitors to get bored and leave.

5. The future is written into the plan. Since the materials you have used will definitely changing in the coming years – as will the internet itself – web design must include a glance into the crystal ball. Scale your codes so they hopefully need fewer changes in the coming time period. A review of the recent past will be helpful.