Hello!
Here's my list of rules so your website doesn't suck:
1: Flash is dying. people don't wanna run it, and your website will look terrible to those people if it depends on it.
2: contrast your text wit your background! otherwise, your text is unreadable!
3: If your audience can't tell within 10 seconds what your website is about, you should fix that.
4: websites were not made to use 3D graphics or shadows.
5: Don't overuse bright colors. MY EYES!
6: make sure that your audience understands your website navigation system.
7: Don't make your website's content a waste of time.
8: update your website's calendar information!
9: your site shouldn't straight up break. at least make it functional.
10: don't make your website look shifty or sneaky. well educated (the majority of people) people will think not to trust you.
let's take lingscars.com for example. the site uses WAY too many colors and animated GIFs, and the constant "you can trust me! I'm Ling!" will make people distrust the site. A solution to this problem is to dial down on the animated GIFs and colorful patterns, and make the site look more trustworthy by having less shifty quotes.
