10. Validate your CSS and HTML - Every single website I have ever redone did not validate for html W3c compliance. This helps ensure that your website looks uniform across every different browser.

9. Check cross browser compatibility - Minor things can make web pages look drastically different across various browsers. Content shifted off pages, backgrounds not lined up, even entire containers of graphics or text overlaid over other items or pushed into places they shouldn't be. I frequently use IE7 and FireFox so the differences that show up between websites can be shocking. Every website should be checked for IE6, IE7, FireFox, Safari, and Opera at a minimum. You will be surprised at what you find. 

8. Optimize your images for smaller file sizes and lower object counts - Run a speed test on your site here. How fast does your page load on dialup and how large are your file and image sizes? For some websites I have reduced the download speed from 2 minutes to 20 seconds on 56K just by optimizing the images with no visible loss in quality. Where possible images should be combined, 20 images can become 1 used throughout the site. Your website will load faster, your bandwidth usage faster, and pages will render quicker even on broadband.

7. In page search engine optimization (even if you paid for it!) - Your title tags and h1 tags should all use keywords that accurately describe your page, and the words should vary on each page. Your title tag is the main thing that shows up in search engine results to users; make sure it tells them why they should visit your site. Not some abstract company motto.

6. Validate ALL of your links - How professional does your website look when main links in your menu don't even work? This is especially bad when that was the one page on your site that the user was looking for.

5. Check for bugs - The catch all for number 10, 9, and 6. I frequently find websites with broken forms, horrible usability mistakes, and spelling/grammar mistakes. Websites are no different from any other software, bugs happen and you need to thoroughly test to catch them.

4. Provide documentation and support (unless you pay) - Any website project should at least include some documentation, support, and/or guarantee. If you find broken links and bugs after the project ends will the company fix them? Did you get documentation on where your forms get sent to, how to use that back end management section, or the content management system?

3. Get your advice - Did you have any say in your website design project? Sometimes it is better for the designer to ignore the client, after all the designer does this for a living, they probably know more about composition and color choices. However, how can someone design a theme or include the appropriate information and functionality if they don't know the target audience. You probably know who your customers are better than the website company you hired.

2. Conduct user research - Websites are advertising/informational tools or they provide functionality for users to accomplish some task. Everything is user based, yet I am always amazed at the lack of user research in website design. Many website budgets are small, but if you are spending thousands of dollars on a website, shouldn't you also invest at least some time and money into finding out what you users want from your site?

1. Design for users - Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a huge proponent of user experience and user centered design, and for good reason. Users are your clients and customers. Your website is for them, so design it for them. Find out what they want to do on your website and make it incredibly easy to find those things and present it in a way that is appealing.