Websites do not exist to look good, although most designers may sneer otherwise. A slight bit of reverse-engineering provides for the notion that a website’s good looks are a side-effect of their high levels of usability. New result: websites exist to be highly usable.

A quick browse of the Internet proves otherwise in that most small businesses’ homepages are an exercise in the creation of unsightly online labyrinths. Your site must help users find their way down an easy to see path to what they are looking for We want something that feels accessible, navigates well, and provides the end-user with everything they’re after with minimal interference. The result is a site that is beautiful in the sense that the browsing experience is elegant and efficient.

If you’re an architecture buff, you may realize that you’ve heard this before. Form and function; monoliths and the modern man; clean lines make for a clear conscience. I may have made that last one up, but it’s time to dispose of a disregard for good website design. Good design allows for more clients, more calls, and will show off your company’s true professionalism. But again, it’s not something that looks cool or sleek; your site will be cool and sleek because people find it useful and navigable rather than the other way around.