Websites can work well for numerous reasons. Maybe the interface is smooth and easy to use, or necessary items are easy for users to find, possibly the design is attractive and matches the targeted audience. You can have all these things going on but still be missing something. How do you enhance your website to make it the best that it can be? As I tell my husband, I need details!

Details can make a good website a great website. Details can even increase traffic on your site and help sell your product or market your business. Details are what propels a site into greatness.

What kind of details, you ask? Today I’ll talk about details in design.

Design Details

The design of a website greatly effects its overall power and impact. Many design details can add that special touch you’re looking for to make your website truly awesome! This can mean something different for everyone, different styles call for different types of accents.

The whole Envato family design style pays close attention to detail. Thin lines add shadow, glow and definition to Nettuts’ homepage (shown in my handy enlarged detail). Subtle gradients add depth and a unique quality to the design.

Chris Coyier maximizes css-tricks’ space and adds interest to even the sidebar by using boxes that pop off the page and out of the grid. This cool addition to the page makes the design no longer flat, but gives the space some dimension.

The Dieline’s design is very clean, elegant and minimalist. The subtle addition of icons in the navigation gives the site that extra touch that makes the design great. These are helpful to guide users on page selection but they also help space out the navigation and make it have more weight than it would have without the icons.

Details are the extra ingredient you’re looking for. Add some shine, another shadow, an extra touch. Your audience will see the difference.