There are several things that, when combined together correctly, can distinguish a great website from a mediocre one. Some of these things are a little more important then others. An example of this would be fonts. The type font being used is not as important as the scalability of the text. The text needs to be readable by the user. Notice that you can use the terms user, client, surfer, reader, and customer, interchangeably throughout this article. Concentrating on the appearance and usability, not the mechanics of a website, here are some of the main components that make up a great website.

Let's begin with text. You want users to be able to read your text or you would not have wanted it published on the internet. The human eye is used to black or dark colored text on a white or light colored background. That is one of the simplest ways for your text to be read quickly and easily. Dark colored text on a dark background or light colored text on a light colored background make text hard to read. Likewise, extremely contrasting colors will make text unreadable. For style reasons you can opt for a black or dark colored background with white or light colored text. However, this does make your text harder to be read and sometimes, maybe not readable at all. Always chose common fonts for your text. Try not to use too many different, or strange fonts, it just makes it harder to read. Another important thing about text is scalability. You want readers to be able to adjust the text size to there liking. If the text is fixed, and happens to be too small for them, the text may not get read, hence the adage about not reading the fine print. When the text is adjusted larger you want to make sure everything else around the text expands with it, or you will lose text underneath other objects, like a photo, or the text may expand outside its border, like on a button or tab and it could even overlap with other text. Try to avoid text inside images, because they will not adjust their size with the other text. Lastly, check your spelling and grammar, this should be a given.

Related to text is content. You want your content to be informative and related to the website. Avoid trying to be an everything to everybody website. Users who want news will go to a news website, if they want gaming information, they will go to a gaming site. Good content may include links to other outside websites with related information, make sure that the links open a new browser page so the surfers do not have to keep using their back button, or they may never find your site again. If you are giving textual content away, they should be able to choose between different types of formatted text. Downloadable content such as files, data, media, or information should be made available with a simple link selection. Making users go through several different pages or to a different site completely to receive their selection will drive them away from your site and they may not return. Simplicity is best. Continuing to update and add new content will keep your clients interested and coming back for more.

Including some type of search ability will make it easy for users to find the content on your website. Keep in mind search engines from outside sources may provide links to pages outside your website that will draw users away from your site. A good search engine that outputs links onto a formatted page like the rest of your site looks better and keeps your site consistent. A website with good content whether it is data, articles, media, items for sale, or whatever, without the ability to search through it is worthless and the content may never be found or seen.

Navigation from the simplest to the most complex website can become a nightmare unless some type of organization is used. Each page should include a link to get back to the main index page. Lengthy pages need a link at the bottom to get back to the top or a floating menu that moves down the page as the user scrolls down. These are nice conveniences to the user. Simple data pages like photos should include backwards and forward buttons. Including a site map page is great if someone gets lost in your site and cannot remember how to get to a page they saw previously. Every site needs some type of navigational system whether it is simple buttons, a common menu, tabs, a site map, or a combination of them all.

Contact information is a must. An e-mail address is the absolute minimum. A separate page with all the contact information on it will make it easier for your customers to contact you. If you want people to contact you by mail or be able to find out where you are located include a physical address. If you want people to be able to get to your location, include a map. Be careful using outside links to maps because they may not always be correct and may mark your location in the wrong spot. Scalable maps with the ability to be printed work best because you never know how far away someone may be driving from. Of course phone numbers are needed if you want users to be able to contact you by phone, preferably including a fax and a toll free number. Another nice feature to include is a contact form that the reader can fill in and send to you. A shout box can also be set up for users to use. Large companies in the sales or service industry may want to include a live chat feature. A terrific feature to include in a website to allow users to contact you is a dedicated forum. Guest books and feedback forms also provide additional ways for customers to contact you. Do not forget to include a privacy statement declaring what you intend to do with the information received. A separate frequently asked questions page may keep users from continually contacting you concerning commonly asked questions. Great sites include several ways to be contacted.

Another feature that separates mediocre from great websites is the ability to turn off, or on, media at the users' discretion. Users must be able to turn off, or on, flash, frames, music, sound bytes, videos, or any type of streaming media. Nothing is more irritating than having to sit and listen to the same sound clip or music over and over again. Going back to the main page and having to sit through a flash introduction or a video clip over and over again is equally frustrating. Keeping these items on a separate page will also greatly speed up your main page loading time. From formatted text readers, media players, to compressed file expanders, do not forget to include links to programs that allow users to receive your media. Allow your visitors to chose what and when they want to hear or see something.

Eye appeal plays a major factor in whether a surfer will like your site or not. Choose colors that are easy on the eyes. Use a color scheme of a few coordinating colors, too many different colors can be distracting. Make the colors consistent through the entire site if possible, that way users will know they are still on your site when they click on a link. Flashing things, pop ups, floating objects, funky cursors, gimmicks, and ads can also be very distracting. Employ flash in your pages sparingly. Having too much information or choices on one page can be overwhelming, so layout is very important. The appearance and style of your page says a lot about your site. Is it serious, or comical? Are you trying to sell a product and want users to trust you but the site is disorderly and unorganized? Does it appear professional like a commercial website, or amateurish like a personal home page?

Forms are a different matter. Forms should be intelligent. They will distinguish your site between a great and a mediocre one. They should warn customers when they have not, for example, put a correct zip code with the city used. They should not have to put the same data in more then once, except to confirm passwords. Is it not stupid to ask them to input an account number after they have logged onto a password protected business site? This information should already be pre-populated. What if they go to pay a bill and it asks them the amount they want to pay? Should it not default to the amount owed and give them the option to pay a different amount? This goes for purchasing online as well. If the home or billing address has already been entered, do not ask for the shipping address again. Just ask if you want it shipped to a different address. Do not err on the opposite extreme either, give clients choices. Shipping, packaging and payment types are just some of the choices that can be given to users to make it easier for them to purchase your services or products. Large textual input areas should be equipped with spell check and maybe even formatting choices. Forms should be intuitive, indicate what information needs to be input, and have plenty of examples and help files available.

It is tough to create a great website. A great site is one which is unique, colorful, rich in content, stylish and stands out. At the same time you must balance those features with the ability to be easy enough to read and navigate and hopefully leaving a lasting impression on the user. It is hard to create an original website while maintaining user friendliness yet still not looking like every other website. The goal of every website should be to make the user want to bookmark your page. Designing your site with these goals will keep users coming back for more and drive more users to your site. This is the difference between a mediocre and a great website.