The first thing… visual design. I don’t know about you, but if I go to a web site that is not visually pleasing, it's a quick turn off.
That’s not to say that every top website needs an incredible visual design — but if a site looks like it hasn’t been updated in a long time, it’s just not going to be associated with other great websites.
A clean and simple design is usually all you need. Bells and whistles are nice, but I tend to go with the “less is more” theory. Keep it simple. You just want it to look good so it can stand out from your competitors in the minds of your potential clients.
First impressions are key. Although good design alone will not keep someone on your site, an eye-catching design will, at the very least, grab their attention long enough to take a look around.
