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As businesses continue to place an emphasis on having stronger virtual presences, there is no question that the Internet has become a truly global market. As the competition grows in this global marketplace, these businesses are looking to gain an advantage any way they can. One of the most common (and practical) tactics companies are turning to is creating an edge through the use of good design. In the latest issue of the magazine Fast Company, an article entitled “The United States of Design” summed this idea up perfectly.

“Design is differentiation made visible, visceral, and experiential,” says Mark Payne, president of creative agency Fahrenheit 212. “Creativity and innovation are emerging as disciplines because we have no other choice.”

In the Internet world, a company’s website design is usually the first thing someone notices. So if having a creative and innovative website design is the key to success in the online world, then shouldn’t every business following that strategy be thriving? If only it were that easy. Of course, just having a creative and innovative design alone will not guarantee success at all; there are a variety of other factors that go into making a web design stand out in a positive light (this would also be the part of the blog article where I post a screenshot of an ugly website design, but I will refrain due to possible legal ramifications – just Google “ugly website” and you’ll get the idea).

One of the most obvious and glaring factors is the aesthetics and general layout of a website. In other words, make sure it’s not going to show up when you Google “ugly website.” Instead, focus on a design that appeals to your audience while still matching your company brand. Most often, this includes a clean layout that’s easy to read and not too crowded and overloaded with information. Think of the phrase “less is more” because believe it or not, it’s actually true and it works.

Another key factor is ease of use. Want to know the secret of how Apple, Google, and Facebook got to where they are now? Simple…they are easy to use. On the other end of the spectrum, a website such as MySpace got more convoluted and overloaded with distractions as the years went on. Now, they’re on the borderline of shutting down all together while Facebook continues to grow as the most popular social networking site. Coincidence? Hardly. With so much going on in today’s society, people do not have time to sit down and learn how to use a website. They need to be able to visit it for the first time and pick it up right away. Are visitors able to find your website and navigate throughout all of the pages quickly, or do they just give up trying to find what they’re looking for and instead head to your competitor’s site? Make sure it’s not the latter. Simple and innovative can certainly go hand-in-hand.

Here’s something else to think about: Say you have an amazing, beautiful, easy-to-use website that people really want to see, but for whatever reason it just won’t load on a visitor’s screen. Who is to blame in that situation? It’s certainly not the visitor. For example, if your website is built with Adobe Flash, you may be out of luck.  Many mobile devices such as iPhones and iPads are not compatible with Flash websites. Considering mobile Internet usage will soon outnumber standard Internet usage, those who have Flash websites may want to reconsider. Making sure the masses are able to access your website is just as important with the way it looks; you can’t have one without the other.

Having a website design that is creative and innovative while still being compatible and appealing to a large scale audience can definitely be a fine line to balance. However, if it is done properly it can prove to be highly rewarding, because as American history shows, “when innovation has been married to good design, it has yielded unprecedented growth.”