We all remember those websites from five or more years ago that relied heavily on Flash technology to give them a little extra ZING. Unfortunately, that zing will now make a website virtually invisible to search engine crawlers! Times they are a-changing all the time in the world of web design and especially SEO, and it's essential that when you consider your own website you look seriously at web design vs. usability and visibility. Putting an effective website on the net today involves so much more than just a pretty face: it has to keep the needs of the user plus SEO in mind at all times. Here are some guidelines: 1-2-3.

• It has to load fast: Besides the whole SEO thing, Flash sites are notoriously slow to load. In fact, they can be downright annoying. No one wants to wait anymore to access a site. No one. Even with a super-fast connection! So if your existing web design relies heavily on Flash, it's time to contact the Utah web design experts at WIworks and make an immediate change.

• It has to be easily navigable: Your visitors need to find what they came for NOW. They need to be able to move around your site easily and access subpages from logical places. The navigation conventions that people expect must be an automatic part of your site's architecture. If you sell products on your site, include plenty of product photographs and make your check-out system secure and simple. All the design bells and whistles in the world simply cannot make up for a lack of basic, down-to-earth usability.

• It has to be visible: SEO-rich content and an SEO-friendly layout are absolutely essential components of website design. The right keywords in the right places along with other strategies could mean the difference between ranking on Page One of search engine results pages or total failure. Most business owners haven't a clue how to use SEO to their advantage nor do they keep up with the latest changes: with the help of Utah SEO, your site will have maximum visibility. And that's the name of the game. Period.

You really can have an attractive and modern site without sacrificing that all-important usability. When you find just the right combination of both, the sky's the limit!