Whether your site is a personal site, eCommerce, informational, or corporate it requires planning to make it successful. Every web site owner’s goal is to please their site visitors. However, there are a number of things all great web sites have in common. Included below are the 10 most important elements for a web site.

1. Regularly updated content

Your website should always be a work in progress. Visitors want to see something fresh and different. This gives them a reason to return. If they return to your web site a couple of times and nothing has changed they are likely never to return again. Add press releases, news, blog entries, and modify your content as often as possible to keep your visitors interested.

2. Support (FAQ, click to chat, etc.)

How many times have you visited a site, had a question but couldn’t find any answers. Many will become frustrated and leave a site if they can’t find what they need. This makes it important to provide users with common answers to questions they may have. There are a variety of methods you can use including FAQ’s, click to chat, or customer service number. By adding a simple FAQ you will increase the knowledge of your visitors, make them comfortable with your company, and increase their likelihood to buy.

3. Comprehensive contact information made visible

Don’t make it difficult for visitors to contact you. Put your logo and telephone number on every page of your site. In addition, have a separate “contact us” page that details your location, address, phone, email, fax and any other pertinent information a user may need to contact you.

4. Unique and Professional Design (consistent look and feel: colors, fonts)

This is a basic fundamental of web design and branding. Using the same fonts, color schemes and keeping the general look and feel consistent is vital to presenting a unified, dependable, and congruent image. If you do not have any consistency visitors will be confused and not likely to continue visiting your site or buying your products.

Going along with a consistent look and feel is selecting a unique and professional design. Many business owners choose to use an online vendor to create their website with a cookie cutter template and stock photography. As customers come to your web site they may draw inaccurate conclusions about your business. It is important to assure that the graphics and design of your web site is unique and professional because it represents your business 24/7 around the globe.

5. Easy navigation

Every web site should have a comprehensive, user-friendly navigation system. If a user visits your web site looking for specific information and can not easily find it they will move on to the next site, maybe a competitors. Make your navigation logical and consistent on every page.

6. Well organized home page

First impressions are very important. Once a visitor reaches your site you have only a few seconds to peak their interest. They need to learn what your site is about and what they can gain. If you are unable to peak interest they will move on to another site.

7. Detailed about us page

In addition to introducing your businesses mission, vision, and how to do business with you it is also important to introduce you and your staff. Pictures are worth a thousand words and users are more comfortable if they can associate names with faces. Background information is also vital. Potential customers want to know what qualifications and previous experience you and your staff have to provide superior products and services. Include this information in a short bio next to each staff picture. By compiling some simple information you will see an increase in your bottom line.

8. Site map

You may feel a site map is unnecessary if you have solid navigation. However, a site map is more than just a navigational tool. It is an outline of links with short descriptions. This allows search engines to spider your web site without missing anything.

9. Web statistics

Once your web site is up and running, you want to know key information about your visitors. By obtaining web statistics you will be able to see how many visitors you have, what pages they are visiting, if they are returning, and much more information. This will allow you to tweak your web site and increase your visitor count.

10. Publicity

No matter how wonderful your site is, if no one knows it exists you will never gain visitors. Optimizing and publishing your web site in search engines is the first step to gaining recognition and ranking. Other publicity includes: including your URL on all company materials, add your URL to your signature of all emails, and send out a press release.

Don’t be overwhelmed with this list. Take it in small pieces and implement a few things at a time. First, pick the task you feel will benefit your business the most. Set out some goals and plan its implementation. Then sit back and monitor your businesses progress and being implementing the other must have components.