Rule #1 - The number one rule to good web design: keep it simple. In fact, this rule is the foundation upon which all the other good design elements are built. It may seem obvious, but many websites miss the mark when it comes down to the art of simplicity. It’s not always easy to pare down a website, especially if you want to present your visitors with a lot of information or impress them with your high-tech capabilities.

It can be tempting to fill the site with animations, sounds, pictures, video, and loads of text - but this is a bad idea if you want people to feel comfortable browsing your site. Ensure that everyone can easily and quickly navigate their way among the pages of your site without getting stuck in the proverbial mud. Specifically, 1- and 2-column designs are easy on the eyes, allowing you to read from top to bottom with ease. The user feels less frustrated reading straightforward pages without a lot of cheesy distractions and useless gobbledygook.

Rule #2 - Use 3D effects and other graphical elements, such as cute icons, in moderation. Too much stuff on a page can be overwhelming, but you don’t want a website to be stark. An added touch of artistic design here and there can be just what a boring website needs to infuse a little spice into the mix without burning your tongue off!

This also applies to the background color you choose. Most well-designed websites these days stick to soft, neutral colors. This is especially effective if you want to make brighter colors on the page really pop.

Rule # 3 - White space and large text are your friend. The eye needs room to understand all the elements on a page properly, so don’t clutter things up unnecessarily. Make room by leaving wide margins between elements and the pages of your site will have a fresh, clean look.

Secondly, make sure the text is large enough to read easily. At the same time, it is perfectly acceptable to use smaller text, but to make the most important information stand out from the crowd, ensure that it is larger than normal. People will be able to find what they’re looking for faster if they can scan the page for content.

Rule # 4 - Common sense navigation. The navigation buttons you employ should not require a degree in astrophysics to understand. Instead, navigation buttons and bars should be easy to figure out from the get-go, and easy to use. They should also be consistent throughout the whole website and let users know exactly where they are at any given time, no matter what page they’re viewing. Finally, if your site is very large, provide people with a site map to make navigating your stretch of the information superhighway a piece of cake.

Overall, the elements of good website design are achievable if you stick to a few simple, clear-cut rules. Following them will ensure that visitors to your site won’t regret stopping by, so you can sit back, relax, and reap the rewards.