Designing a website is very much like writing a good piece of music.

Music composition is often a process of reduction. The first draft usually contains lots of unnecessary notes and rhythmic inflections that only get in the way and muddy up the mix. Successive revisions strip away the fluff, ultimately leaving only the essentials.

A web design often starts out with a lengthy wish list. But how many of the possible features and adornments that are out there directly support your primary goal? Figure out what’s essential, and forget the rest, or risk confusing your customers and losing them to a more focused competitor.

Image: Music in the Sky, by tanakawho on Flickr