This is a difficult subject to bring up with clients, since they already have an idea in their mind about what they want on a website.  It is a necessary subject though, since it can directly effect the success of the site.  

As you go over the planning stage of a design with a client, or as you plan your own site, list what you think will be a great benefit to the surfers who would visit your site.  Then consider the following:  Does the "tool" or "feature" make my site load too slowly?  Does it make the site inaccessible by some people?  Does it distract the surfer from their meaning for being there?  Is it functional?  Does it work into my goals or is it merely a neat flashy thing that the site really doesn't need?  

All of these questions will direct you to include the most functional, appropriate features to include on your site.  Your main goal should be getting potential clients/customers to your site, giving them what they want or need quickly and concisely, and making sure you lead them through your site in such a way as to earn the most you can from that person.  And earning isn't always looked at in terms of how much they spent on one visit.  Your goal should be to have them spending a good amount on this visit and the next and the next and the next and so on.  You also want them to tell other people about your site.  If your site takes too long to load, is missing large areas due to incompatible scripts or code that won't show on their browser, or is just generally too busy for them to focus on their reason for being there, they won't spend money and they won't be back.   

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A business website is a tool.  It should be functional, fast loading and the design should fit the attitude you want associated with your company.  It could be the first impression your potential customer ever gets of you.

Having a site that is attractive, that helps your customer navigate to what they want quickly and makes purchasing simple should be your goal.  A frustrated person will go elsewhere to find what they need on a site that lets them get it quickly and easily.

When considering the design for your site, keep in mind, less could be more.  While they might be cute, animated buttons and backgrounds make your site load slowly and give it an unprofessional appearance.  Relevant graphics as well as a color scheme is important.  Don’t use more than a few fonts, preferably no more than one “display” font if you use them.  Stick to one serif, one sans-serif, if you can.  Don’t make someone’s eyes hurt as they are trying to read your site.  (Hint:  Books are written in serif because it helps the eye flow to the next letter by having serifs, which makes people read more without straining their eyes.)

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