Most online business owners have a delusion that once the website is designed and hosted, the business will automatically get generated on its own. This is absolutely wrong, especially with such stiff competition going around. There are several websites being put up on the internet nearly every second.
What is the mark of a successful website: A successful website is the one that besides being user-friendly and search engine friendly it converts the visitor into a buyer and maximizes the income generated through it.
What is needed to create a successful business website design: First of all, the business needs have an understanding about its goal. What is the need of the website? What is going to be the purpose of the website? If this is not clear, the website is never going to be a success. Once the goal and concept is clear, the business needs to focus upon the target audience and which market segment to target. The preferences of the prospective clients need to be studied thoroughly before designing the website. 
Always make sure that the layout is systematic and links are placed in such a way that the desired information is available as quickly as possible. Besides easy navigation, the website should be downloaded as quickly as possible. Sometimes if the browser platform is incompatible with the technology of the website, the website becomes inaccessible or the download takes a very long time.
The success of the website is dependent on its customer orientation. The more it cares for the customer the more business can be generated. The website should have a box where the visitor can enter his/her feedback regarding the website and its products/services. The website should be able to assure the visitor that the data he/she uses for the payment of bills is going to remain confidentially and never misused for other purpose. A professional web design firm make things very easy for assuring a successful website.

Basic Steps for Good Design

1. Multi-stage web design process
2. Project collaboration tools (if project has more than one person involved)
3. High-quality design
4. Attention to detail
5. Current web design technology (CSS)
6. Well written, interesting, grammatically-correct content
7. Usability
8. XHTML and CSS validation (clean code)
9. Standards-compliant
10. Abuse of Flash, Javascript, and sound effects

Here are some more:-
Accessibility
Security
statistics
design software
Planning and design

Promoting your website on the web is very important for the success of your website.

Most online business owners have a delusion that once the website is designed and hosted, the business will automatically get generated on its own. This is absolutely wrong, especially with such stiff competition going around. There are several websites being put up on the internet nearly every second.

Yeah having website is not just enough to get your business at the objectives you have think of. Business website is just the place where you provide necessary information about your business and services online by giving your visitors facility to search and inquire online. first there is a need of different promotional activities which you are suppose to perform to get traffic and then there is a need of professional website to hold those visitors and to establish relationship with them.

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