Web design is a lot like getting yourself presentable to the world before stepping out the front door in the morning.

When you pick out your clothing for the occasion, groom your hair, brush your teeth, and put on your face (for the ladies), you are very aware that how you look will affect how others think of you. Skip too many of these morning steps and no one will want to associate with you and the boss is not going to be too happy regardless of how good your work is.

Walk out the door in the best clothing neatly pressed and a brand new haircut and you are likely to get more smiles than scowls. You are more likely to be treated with respect rather than being mistaken for an annoying bum begging for change. You are more likely to get hired or promoted and you will undoubtedly make more sales and earn more money.

All of this is just common sense, but most people don't realize that the same standards apply to web design.

Picking the right clothing for a specific occasion is like selecting the right colors, graphics, and other embellishments for the type of website you are designing. Grooming your hair so every strand is in place is like going over every word of your content to weed out errors and making sure every link leads where it should. Brushing your teeth so you don't stink is like going over your web design to make sure it doesn't send the wrong message to your viewers.

The way your website looks on first appearances will affect how others think of you or yo
ur business. Skip too many of these basic web design steps and no one will want to stick around too long on your site. Your visitors are essentially your boss and they are not going to care how great your work is if they get a sloppy first impression.

Your website design directly effects branding for your company. For customers who find you online, it is their first impression of you. It is what they will judge the worth of your entire company on. It is what will help them decide to hang around awhile and see what you have to offer or click away immediately and find something better.

In order to effectively brand your business in a positive manner, your website design should:

1. Look attractive and professional without a lot of glittery, moving images and other embellishments. Go for something sleek and clean if you want to make a professional impression.

2. Have a basic web design which is appropriate for your niche or field. You don't want a bright pink website design if you are operating an informational site about muscle cars. Pick the colors according to your niche and your understanding of your target market.

3. Give a clear and direct understanding of what is being offered. If a visitor cannot determine what the site is about right from the moment it opens on their screen, they probably aren't going to stick around long enough to dig for that information.

Remember, your web design directly impacts your branding. It has to fall in line with the image you want to put out there for your business. Failing at this is like going to work without brushing your hair and teeth.