Seven steps to a great web site:

1. Purpose 
Websites are sales tools and need to offer value to your business. A good website offers a route to market for your information (and products) directly and quickly.

2. Usability.
A website needs to be usable, not by you, but by your customer and every visitor to your website will be different.

3. Design.
Not only design as in branding, but also design of your web interface. Your website needs to look good and be compelling.

4. Content is King.
Think about style of writing - Is it readable? Is it friendly? Does it make sense? Also, don't assume that someone understands your industry terms - it could make them feel stupid and it makes them work harder to understand your message. Write for your audience and tell them what they want to know.

5. Online Marketing & SEO.
Marketing your business using the Internet is one of the most cost-effective ways of getting your message to your audience. Niche markets are becoming more effective because they are so specific. Your potential market could be fragmented but by applying all the other rules here you have a website that is findable and worth reading with specific content.

6. Flexibility.
Your website, and your attitude towards it, needs to be flexible. A good website needs to be updated regularly to attract attention so it needs to be easy for you to manage.

7. Web Standards. 
W3C (The World-Wide Web Consortium) gives us those standards so there is no excuse. You end up with a better built website, coded correctly with relevant labelling. This helps the user and it also helps you. Devices (including search engines) are able to read your website faster and more accurately because your website speaks the same language.