That's part of what tipped off Stoddard-Hamilton. In Figure 1, the shot before the site's makeover, the colors were bland and the site was difficult for many users to navigate. In Figure 2, the after shot, the lines are sharp, the colors are striking, and the visitor is left with the impression that Stoddard-Hamilton is in the forefront of its field. Once you've persuaded visitors to spend some time at your site, you need to make sure their experience is a pleasant one. A great deal of this will depend upon how much attention you pay to navigational features.
Consistency is the key.
The same principle applies to Web sites. Look at how your users make their way through the pages. If you use a frame on the left side of your home page with a table of contents, keep that frame in place on every page. If your links to other sections are icons at the top of the page, keep them there on every page. A site that's easy to navigate also is one that has the most important information most prominently displayed.