There are many different types of businesses and there are also many ways to promote those businesses. A proper website is a must and an area no one should cheap-out on. No website is perfect and there are always decisions one may not agree with, however with solid designers and knowledgeable coders your website could compete with the diverse examples of great web design on this list.

1. Auger

http://www.auger.co.uk/

This mostly “flat” website has a great design and looks good on any device. By using solid bold colours and vector images they have the perfect recipe for a responsive site. I love photography on websites, however in the responsive world they can end up looking distorted and pixelated at certain orientations; flat colour and vectors seamlessly melt between devices.

When you first land on the site you are presented a global navigation that sticks to the bottom of the landing area no matter how you orientate the window. When you scroll the navigation moves to the top perfectly. The services section is very well designed. There is a lot to talk about in this area and it is very well parcelled for the user. Each icon when clicked exposes important information. By hiding it behind each icon, the page is not cluttered with a thousand different facts which may overwhelm users. The user can take in what they want, when they want. They may have taken this concept a bit too far though, as I think the “a bit about us” and “Innovation and Technology” sections should be viewable without having to click. But as I said, you will never agree with someone's design 100% of the time.

2. Lexus

http://www.lexus.ca/

The Lexus website is stunning. Very good photography and a proper user experience. There are some parts that are a bit too flashy for me personally, I like things to function a bit simpler but overall it's very good. They really get customers interested in their cars. There are inspirational videos, awesome photos, and an easy to use “car builder.” The user can choose the car model and decide how they want it to look and function. They make each step in the process clear and they keep the user oriented while they are designing their vehicle. The user is clear how many steps there are and where they are in the process. I found the website to be a bit buggy on mobile devices though. This may have to do with that bulky, overly flashy mega-nav. As a whole though, this is a very nice website compared to most car companies.

3. Bienville Capital Management

http://www.bienvillecapital.com/

This is a very simple design that transitions to mobile perfectly. They keep the information concise and focused. One of my favourite sayings is “a website is like a first date, it's about making a good first impression and giving them a bit of information.” If the user is intrigued, they will contact you to find out more details. A website should not be overrun with walls and walls of text that explain every single minute detail of your company. Let them discover that information over time. Give them the important information first.

4. Emblem

http://emblemip.com/

This website is all sorts of funky and fun. Lots of eye catching imagery and bright colours to pique a user’s curiosity. I particularly liked the services section. When the user arrives at the services page they are prompted to fill out a short quiz (which they assure you is quick) to help guide you to what services will be most helpful to you. Each question is presented on its own and is a simple “Yes” or “No” answer. Once you have taken the quiz it presents you with every appropriate service you may need. If you don’t want to take the quiz, you can skip it and get right to choosing what you think you need for yourself. And guess what? It's responsive!

5. Tigerlilly

http://www.tigerlilyapps.com/

This website is beautiful and clean. It is very easy to use and they do a great job at explaining what they do. A mix of iconography, screen captures, and small amounts of text give you just enough detailed information without being totally overwhelmed. I love the typefaces used, the subtle animations, the icon based sub-navigation, and the fine use of white space. It has a consistent user experience from desktop to mobile and it just looks really pretty. I would hire them.

6. Fisker Automotive

http://fisker.ignitedusa.com/en-us

Great website and even greater car. Not all websites need to be responsive and mobile friendly. Sometimes it's just about making the best possible desktop experience. This website does just that. They really bring you in and make you want this car. Awesome photography, small amounts of text information, and very cool animations to help explain how this electric vehicle is like no other. This website really seems to understand that less is more. Wonderful use of whitespace and limited text information makes you feel a sense of relief and openness. The worst feeling is when you land on a page and you become overwhelmed with information that you just can be bothered to read.

7. Brooklyn Soap Company

http://bklynsoap.com/

One of my favourites in the list. I like the overall desaturated look this site has. The website reflects the products very well. Both the soaps and the website have a classy understated feel. Nothing is flashy about this company. They make quality products and they don’t have to dazzle you with crazy graphics and animations to get you interested. Not much to say except: job well done.

8. Moment

http://www.momentskis.com/

This site is almost the direct opposite of the Brooklyn Soap website. It is loud and proud with lots of imagery, textures, graphics, and videos. However, an extreme sport calls for this type of design. It fits perfectly. My favourite part of this website has to be the fact that no matter where you are on the site, there is a small tab below the global navigation that says “Ski Collection.” The user has access to the main product at all times, the skis. There is a lot of exciting lifestyle content to help establish the brand's image, but they do a great job of keeping the main goal of the business in sight at all times.