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While the idea of what makes for a “good” website is obviously subject to debate, there are five rock-solid characteristics that every good website has and every web developer can agree upon. The funny thing is, these principles can be hard to explain to people who are new to the web, potential clients who may not be 100% web savvy, business owners, etc. So, here are five analogies that explain the basics of good websites as they relate to cars.

1. A Solid, Reliable Frame. Every car, truck, and SUV owner understands the importance of frame strength. If a car or truck has a weak frame, it won’t stand the test of time, nor will it be able to stick in the corners or power down the trail. No wise car buyer would advocate cutting costs on their vehicle’s frame.

Yet for some inexplicable reason, website owners often choose cheap web hosting. Web hosting is to a website like a frame is to a car – the best designs, the best tools in the world aren’t effective if they’re stuck on some cheap “all you can eat” hosting plan that has a lower monthly cost than a good latte. A website host is the framework that the entire website rests upon – don’t go cheap.

2. A clear, direct purpose. Ask anyone what their car is supposed to do and they’ll tell you it’s supposed to get them from point A to point B. Yet ask any business owner or marketing manager what their website is to do, and very often you’ll get an answer that lists off dozens of conflicting and poorly defined goals.

A website can do a lot of different things – it can help brand your company, serve as a portal for customer contact, generate leads, share product specs, etc. – but ultimately everyone should agree that a website has one principal purpose. No one expects their car to be a great commuting tool while also having the auto parts needed to brew an espresso – so no website owner should expect their site to do everything. Pick a main task, then make everything else secondary.

3. Form Should Follow Function. No car manufacturer in their right mind would replace the steering wheel with a joystick. Consumers have all come to expect that they’ll use a wheel to steer their cars – it’s the defacto standard, and it’s been that way for nearly 100 years. It works.

However, there are perhaps thousands of websites that have attempted to throw away the standard design rules in order to be “different” or “unique.” While there are definitely benefits to being innovative, every website owner and designer should ask themselves if their innovation makes things better. If a website has a unique design or functionality, it should make things easier for the user. Otherwise, it’s like redesigning the steering wheel – no one will understand why you did it and they probably won’t like it.

4. A Powerful Engine. U.S. consumers consistently choose powerful engines in their cars. The reasons they do so are personal, but generally we could say that car buyers purchase big engines for those “just in case” driving moments where extra power is helpful, such as the highway on-ramp or the steep mountain pass.

Likewise, website buyers should always choose to purchase a website powered by a content management system. Even if the website owner has no plans to publish new content on a regular basis, using a content management system (CMS) is a wise choice for the future. A website with a CMS can be more easily updated, enhanced, and managed than a website without one. Even if a CMS doesn’t seem like a good feature in the here and now, it some point in the future it could be a lifesaver.

5. A Polished Appearance. Most people understand that, right or wrong, a car is judged as much by appearance as it is anything else. For this reason, car manufacturers spend tens of millions of dollars tweaking the design of their cars inside and out.

Most website owners understand that their site must look good, but not every website owner knows what “good” looks like. Just like car manufacturers have a whole team of designers working to create something visually pleasing, website owners should make sure that their website wasn’t designed exclusively with one person’s taste in mind. Websites should be visually appealing to all, so designers, staff, friends and family, etc. should all weigh in on the look of the site during the mock-up process.

Author Jason Lancaster is a web design and Internet marketing consultant working with Olathe Toyota Parts, a dealership that sells new auto parts online.

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