I published a newsletter several days ago called "Let's Flash." This
newsletter generated tremendous response from WebPro readers. It is
a very neat-looking technology because it puts the ability to make
a professional movie-looking animated web site in the average person's
hands. Just a few years ago, this kind of software was extremely
expensive. For example, when Steve Jobs' company Pixar made the
movie, "Toy Story", they hired 15-year old kids who had a couple
thousand dollars worth of computer hardware and 3D Software. These
are exciting times because of what everyone can create with
(sometimes) affordable software.
However, there is another side to this. Creating flashy web pages
should not be done at the expense of simplicity for the average
surfer or speed with which your page is downloaded. In other words,
the basics. Is this a contradiction of web design objectives?
I don't think so. I believe that both are possible with good
planning and a dose of moderation. Additionally, many web sites
get high traffic with a well-designed, but not flashy web site.
A good alternative if you want to get into some of the fun and
excitement of building and showing off your multimedia web site,
is to build a parallel web site for those who have the bandwidth.
This informative issue by Dave Crouse of IowaWebmasters.com is
about the all important basics of a good web site.
I hope that you enjoy this issue.
Keeping your web site simple doesn't necessarily mean that you are
shortchanging your visitors. Things like simple navigation and
simple graphics actually allow more visitors to view your web pages
and help to keep them there because the pages load faster.
Simple navigation can consist of plain old text hyperlinks, or
some very small graphic buttons arranged in some easy-to-follow
way. Be consistent with the way you have people navigate your site.
Use the same format for all of your pages when possible. Most
people like to be able to figure out the web site's navigation
system in short order. If it takes too long for them to figure out
how it works, they will look for an easier web site to navigate.
With the millions of sites available for them to go to, you need to
make yours appealing to the web surfer that drops in for a look.
Creating simple graphics does not mean that the graphics can't be
fancy or appealing. It means the file sizes need to be kept as
small as possible and use a standard format (gif, jpeg). Using the
same graphics for most pages in your web site will save loading time
for the following pages. Most web browsers cache or "store" a
graphic after it has been used once. This allows older browsers and
slower Internet connections to have good access to your site, and
makes your site appear to load really fast on most systems.
Remember, not everyone has high-speed cable Internet access! This
point can't be stressed enough. The vast majority of web browsing is
done at 56kps with Microsoft's Internet Explorer, but a lot of
people still browse at slower speeds. Just because you have a 56kps
modem does not mean that you can connect to the Web at that speed.
Please save the Flash presentations for something other than your
start page.
The main index page (or the first page someone visits when coming
to your site) should load very quickly and inform them of what the
web site is about. Most people hate waiting 2-3 minutes for a Flash
intro that really wasn't needed, or having to skip around to learn
what the site is actually for. The Internet is an information
medium and most people are looking for something while they surf. If
your site slows them down, they are more likely to leave than stay.
However, if they can find what they want quickly, it actually does
leave a good impression. That is half the battle!
Just because you are keeping a web site simple, does not mean you
can't have tons and tons of great content or thousands of pages.
Content is the meat and potatoes of your site. All the fancy
graphics and navigation systems you can create don't mean much
without great content. So some simple suggestions are:
- Create the content first. (The hardest part of designing a
web site!) Know what you're building the web site for.
- Create small (file size) reusable graphics. Reusing the same
graphics cuts load time.
- Make an easy-to-understand navigation system for your site.
- Create a "standard page" layout for your site. Reusing code
cuts your production time.
- Test your site on several browsers (and at different screen
resolutions) for compatibility and the finished look. It is
always good to see what your site looks like to others using
different web browsers.
Not only are these my "rules of thumb," but several familiar
web sites use this concept also. Check Ebay, Microsoft, and CNET.
Most concentrate on the content first, simple graphics, and a
standardized easy to understand navigation system. All of these
things will help increase the "stickiness" of your site, not to
mention ease the frustration level of your visitors.
These criteria aren't set in stone. But if you think about load
time, site content, and navigation you should end up with a
"stickier" site. Check out how the "big" sites lay out their
pages and navigation elements. Study them and see if you can use
any of the concepts they use to make your web site "stickier".
The moral of this story:
You don't always have to use the latest bells or whistles to make
your site stand out from the crowd.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dave Crouse
Website designer for IowaWebmasters.com
Website: http://www.iowawebmasters.com
E-mail: Dave@IowaWebmasters.com
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We at the Editorial Team would like to thank all our readers for reading WebProNews.
We hope you find this information useful.
Peter Thiruselvam
Editor
The WebProNews Team
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