As websites have become more popular and pervasive, conventions have developed for their design. These conventions are based on rules developed for print and also on the experience of designers working with screens.

Here are some general rules for web design:

Designing the Site

1. Limit your page to 3-5 screens, anymore is too much scrolling. Eye fatigue starts about half-way down the first screen.
2. Put your navigation and important information at the top. Users generally click more options at the top of the page than in the scrolled to areas.
3. Reduce your weight - your page should be no more than 50k for fast, efficient loading.
4. Restrict your page width - users should not have to scroll across a page. The users' screen resolution determines page size and this is an element you can't control! A low resolution screen of 640x480 pixels will give you about 570 x 280 of usable space; A 600x800 standard resolution screen will give you about 410 x 780 usable space; and a high resolution screen 1024 x 768 will allow you about 570 x 1000 usable space.
5. Be aware that many users prefer text pages, so don't put all your information into images.
6. Date stamp your pages so users know how current the information is.
7. Add a contact point (email) to your site so users can send you feedback.
8. Consistency across pages is good design.
9. Web pages are not print pages so don't design to be printed.

Designing the Page

1. Recommended text line length is 12-15 words.
2. Improve readability with plenty of white space, and use short paragraphs.
3. 14pt is a good size font for web pages.
4. Never use italics - they are too hard to read.
5. Use no more than three fonts on your site. Proportional fonts should be used for most text as it is easier to read. Sans serif fonts work best for web readability.
6. Three colours should be the maximum number for a web page.
7. White background + black text works best for reading.
8. Use images sparingly. Images should be relevant to the content.
9. Common layouts across pages makes the site easier to use. These can be created with templates in Dreamweaver and some other packages.

You can use these ideas to achieve readability and legibility when you communicate ideas on your website. These are the things that work for most people. However the web is in its infancy so don't be hamstrung by rules. Once you know them you can break them!