The web is a big business these days. In fact, if you are a company in any sort of competitive field, chances are you will need a website just to be viable. The visibility is essential for publicity, and today, even just for legitimacy. With more and more people accessing the web from mobile devices, it is also imperative that you have as many views as possible, meaning your website needs to be scalable for mobile compatibility.

What other things are important behind good, basic web design? How can we break down in a scientific way the way that good web sites are built versus bad ones? Let us take a closer look at the science behind sites that draw in maximum clicks and page views.

Stick with Simplicity

This is an old adage in design principle: less is more. Feeling the need to stuff your page with tons of text, media, and just general information can quickly get overwhelming. Avoid the temptation and you evade the pitfall of many of the biggest and best-budgeted websites design, which is over complexity.

How do you do this? Make a list of the most essential elements you will want to include on your website. If you can, try to shave down this list even more to just the bare minimal you will need, especially on your splash page (the first page that people see when they go to your homepage). If your core goals is just two to three things, then you know you are on the right track. Simplicity helps keep things organised, and good organisation is key to any successful website design.

A Directed, Clear Focus

Most websites are trying to get their users to do something. Whether that is engaging in some form of media, signing up for a paid service, or buying a product, there is typically a call to action involved. This is where you, the designer, need to be very specific and clear about what that is.

If you want people to phonebank for a specific political candidate, make clear what the importance of said action will be, and make certain that the person on the other end of the computer knows exactly how to do that (instructions should be complete with troubleshooting, for there will inevitably be tech problems around the corner). Similarly, if you are trying to sell a service like getting a user to click on affiliate sites in the gambling industry, put up bright, attractive graphics that draw in the user's eye and make them want to click on what you have up. You can further entice with amounts of money at stake to be won, by advertising free bonuses, or by showcasing new sites in the arena.

Promote an Identity

It is one thing to be a company that sells car decal designs among a sea of other people or companies that are doing the same thing, but what about your work or service is unique? What do you bring to the table that nobody else can really do? How do you sell yourself based on the niche expertise that you - and only you - have? Having a strong identity is what makes you stand out amongst the crowd. Yes, it is possible to succeed without having a super strong identity, but having one infinitely raises your value proposition. It is what makes it possible to compete as a relative small-timer in a sea of big fish. If you cannot quickly identify what makes your service or product unique in a matter of seconds, then you have failed to provide a compelling argument as to why you should continue with the service on offer.