10 Rules of Web Page Design

by R.M. Schneider
Last Update: 15 Nov 2009

I can't always follow all these rules all the time, but the are good rules none-the-less

Ensure Quick Download. 

Traditional guidelines indicate 10 seconds as the maximum response time before people lose interest.  On the web, users have been trained to endure so much suffering that it may be acceptable to increase this to 15 seconds for certain pages.  Don't assume all users have broadband.

Beware of cutting edge technology. 

It's not worth the time to figure out how to work a site when there are 5 million others to go to, so avoid gratuitous graphics and plug-ins such as Java and Flash on your site.

Keep it Calm

Never include page elements that move incessantly, such as scrolling test, marquees, and constantly-running animations.   Moving images have an overpowering effect on human peripheral vision.  A web page should not emulate Times Square in New York City.

Limit Frames

Splitting up a page into frames is very confusing for most users.  It can also prevent them from emailing a recommended-URL to others.

Choose a simple address

Keep your website address (URL) simple.

Keep it up to date

So many sites are continually updated that users do not stand for stale information, and any site that is not current will lose credibility.

Keep scrolling short

Only 10% of users scroll beyond the information that is visible on the screen when the page comes up.  All critical content and navigation options should appear on the top part of the page.  Material to "read" (after you have captured their attention) can be on sections reachable by scrolling down.

Provide a Site Map

Do not assume that your web site readers know as much about the site as you.  They will always have difficulty, especially when new to the site, to find information, so add a site map and a search function.

Standardize your link colours

Links to pages that have not been seen by the user are blue; links to previously seen pages are purple or red.  Don't mess with these colours, as consistency is the key.

Brand all your pages

Make sure that every page includes a clear identification to which website they belong to, as user may access directly without coming in through your home page.  If you don't use frames (see "Limit Frames"), this is not a problem.

R.M. Schneider