We see a lot of websites these days; some are good and some are bad.  But what separates the good from the bad?

It's actually a lot simpler than you might think.  The key thing to remember is that a good website addresses the needs of the user.  It's designed with them in mind, so that it gives people what they want in the way that they want it.  But how do you design your website so it does that?

These steps are a good starting point:

• Place yourself in the mind of the customer.  What is the most important content on your site?
• How can you make it easy for users to access this content?
• What path do you want users to take through the site?  Make it as simple as possible!
• What opportunities are there for cross-selling?  Can you promote another product that users might find interesting, alongside the ones they're actually looking at?
• How easy is it for users to contact you?
• How easy is it for users to find help if they get stuck?