photo credit: RodneyRamsey

Design is a scary word to most of us, but here’s one guideline that will make it easier for you to decide what’s right.

1. Write down the three most important actions you want someone to take on your website:

• signing up for the newsletter
• reading the blog
• requesting a quote
• buying your product
• writing a comment
• sharing a link

2. Get someone else to look at your homepage and ask them to identify the three elements they notice first.

Are they the same three things you want people to act on? If not, it’s time to tweak your design. The most important tasks should be the most obvious visual elements, and everything else should fade into the background.

Do your important tasks leap out to the eye, or do you need to redesign? Tell us in the comments!