I used up several hours last week looking at websites from the third and fourth pages of some Google searches. I wanted to look at the design of some different websites in hope of getting some new ideas for my own web designing; I was really surprised at what I found.

I could tell some of this webmaster had devoted a great amount of time designing their website. I found many sites with banner ads, flashing ads, colors and more colors, bold headlines and product links everywhere. What I did not find was, content. Now I'm no design genius but I do know the basics for designing a website and that is not the way to go. I decided to write an article about what I consider is the most important first rule for website design.

The look of your website should be your first thought when designing your website. The moment a visitor arrives on your site they will immediate form an opinion of your site. As with meeting people for the first time, you want to make a good first impression. Your website should be clean, simple and show a high degree of professionalism.

Start with a simple design template. Download one of the many free pre-designed website templates and don't worry about its use by other webmasters. The chances are slim to none that your visitor has seen the template before. Keep your design clean and simple. No bells or whistles, that is, no flashing graphics or pop-ups and such. Limit your use of bold or cap fonts, save those for the most important part of your content.

Red should be a "no-no". Red is most related to sales pages and most savvy web suffers will leave your site immediately. Stick with only one or two colors throughout your site. I personally, do not place advertising on my landing page. I may include a free report, ezine subscription or free product with visitor signup but no product promotion. I save those for my inside pages. Build your visitor's confidence in your site and the information you are providing before you sell.

Make your site user friendly. A confusing and difficult navigation design can mean death to your site. The key here is to keep it simple.