Test, Test, Test!
When you are designing a web page, testing the page extensively is definitely a must. The only thing that separates you from complete failure in designing a successful site is a test. You may think the layout works great, but users may not share the same opinion. Before you use the design, do this next couple of tests to make sure the design works for you, not against you.
First, test the site using different browsers, operating systems, and screen sizes. If you don’t have the needed hardware, there are tools offering you the luxury of testing your site using different engines. You can also use virtualization to help you test your site on different operating system. Play with screen resolutions and see if your site still appears nicely.
Test functions of the design as well. Dead links or malfunctioning elements can send your visitors away in an instant; double check to make sure they are working perfectly. If you use animations and lots of page elements, be sure to check if the loading time and visibility are still at an acceptable — or comfortable, to be exact — level.
You can ask close friends and relatives to visit their site and give their opinion, just to get a hang of how the design functions for inexperienced users. Run a beta if you need and provide accessible feedback form to get users’ opinions.