Don’t create questions in the user’s head. Questions like: is that a clickable link, or just text? Why is the ‘Jobs’ button called ‘Jobs-o-Rama’? Is that an ad, or part of the site? Where do I start?
Such split-second mental chatter creates ‘cognitive workload’, which can add up and encumber the experience. Hence, ensure using the website requires no thinking whatsoever – it is self-evident.
But occasionally, a website does merit thinking (e.g. it’s novel). In that case, strive to make it self-explanatory via tiny variations of color, text or appearance. Ensure everything can be figured out at a glance.
Book summary 