It's not that challenging to design an attractive web page. But designing a page that works isn't so easy. For a page to work at all levels it needs to tick a great many boxes.

Is this the site I wanted?

When people hit your website you have a distressingly short time to persuade then they've come to the right place. If they used a search engine to get there, you typically have eight seconds before they click the back button. How clear is your offering?

Navigation

If people can't find their way around your site you're always going to be batting from behind. Forget the cryptic labels and the 3D menus. Keep it clear and you'll make it work.

Accessibility

Ignore access at your peril. You have a legal responsibility to make your site accessible to people with limited mobility or visibility difficulties. That doesn't mean you're limited to a plain, uninteresting site, but avoiding that pitfall takes experience.

Search engines can't see

If getting found on the search engines is important to you, make sure you're providing them with what they want and what they want is text. They can't look at your pictures and that Flash animation – brilliant though it may be – is a complete mystery to them. Search engine results aren't down to trickery and spam techniques, they come from sound design and readable content.