Why do people love your website? They love it because they can find it, because they can use it, because it has the content that they want, and because it works. They may also love the color scheme, the layout, and the graphics. But if they can’t find it or use it, and if the content is not fresh and good, they will not stay to admire the color scheme and the pretty pictures. W3C compliance and good design helps insure findability and usability, which puts you well on the road to a website that people will love and will return to again and again.

Search engine optimization is a combination of factors, including good design and function assured by W3C compliance. It is really the first step in having a site that people love. If people cannot find your site, it doesn’t matter how much they might love it if they did land on your page. So we must not forget about SEO in our search for pages that keep our customers happy. But, once found, the page needs to meet the other criteria as well, or the visitor may depart and not return to give you a second chance.

They want to be able to use the page, once they find it, and the customer gets to decide that, not the designer or even the buyer of designs. Usability is very personal, and only the user can say what works for them. Many things are pretty universal, though, which give us a broad base for describing usable design. Some of the oldest of mistakes are still being made, and still turn people away from a site. Links that are broken, or links that don’t look like links, or links that don’t show when they’ve been visited, all these were confusing traffic killers when they were first described years ago. And they are still traffic killers now. You need a good web designer with a fresh, sharp eye to make sure your site is usable as well as findable. That good designer will also know how to consider those with special needs as related to vision or limited mobility, and make sure your site is welcoming and usable for all types of users.

The content is important too. Fresh content is a must, as people will not keep returning to see the same thing again and again. The content must be clear and concise, as well. Studies have shown again and again that people will not read lengthy and verbose content, but will scan for highlights and items of interest. The good designer who is aware of all this will make sure the message will be where people can find it. And the people will love it, as that is why they came to your site, to find what they want.

Why do people love a website? Because they found it, in the first place. Then, once found, they found what they were looking for there. Having found what they were looking for, they were able to use the site to accomplish their goal. Whether it was entertainment, a product to purchase, or good advice to guide them toward further action, people love a site that works for them. Your dedicated professional web designer knows what it takes to deliver the goods in SEO, usability, and W3C compliance. Combined with pleasing functional design, those qualities will assure you that your visitors will love your website, return for more, and bring their friends with them.