Download time - keep it under 20 seconds
We have not yet reached the time when everyone can access
the internet at lightening speed - the majority of us are
still using modems ranging in speed from 28k to 56k. This
means that your super-cool website filled with the latest
shockwave plug-in graphics, Java applets and huge flashing
graphics, may take so long to load into the visitor's browser
that they simply lose patience with your site and surf elsewhere.
Remember that internet users are an impatient lot who demand
results now. Generally speaking, if your page takes longer
than 20 seconds to download using a typical 56k speed connection,
it's too long and you will lose many visitors who are too
impatient to wait.
Of course, there are always exceptions to any rule, and if you
do have to have a page that takes a long time to download, make
sure you warn the visitor by having a message right at the top
of your page, something like: "Please be patient as this page
may take a while to download."
A splash page - is it necessary?
There are many sites whose page consists of a flashy graphic,
and a link which says "Click here to enter". This is called
a splash page. In theory, splash pages are said to make web
sites look professional, but in practice, they may be losing
you visitors. Studies have shown that you could be losing 20%
of your visitors who couldn't be bothered to click past your
splash page. Ask yourself whether that splash page is essential,
and if it isn't, you may be better off leaving it out.
Java, Flash, Shock
You may have heard of flash and shockwave - these are called
browser plug-ins and they are basically programs that, when
added to your browser, allows your site to do all kinds of
weird and wonderful things with graphics. However, there are
a couple of things you should bear in mind before deciding
to use them. Firstly, not everyone has shockwave or flash
installed in their browser, so if a part of your site depends
on them having the right plug-in, the visitor will simply
not see your artwork! Second, graphics made with these browser
plug-ins usually take longer to load. Will your visitors wait?
Finally, some plug-ins actually freeze the browser altogether
while they load. This can be annoying to your visitors, and
so my advice is to give them fair warning before you unleash
your flashy graphics onto them. The same applies to Java.
Java is a programming language which can make websites do
some clever stuff. Java code comes in little packages called
applets. Unfortunately, while Java applets are loading, many
browsers freeze up again, a possible annoyance to your visitors.
These are just some things to bear in mind while designing
your site.
MIDI mayhem
This happens a lot on personal pages - We go to a site, the
browser then freezes up while it loads a plug-in that plays
music, and then next moment my speakers are playing beethoven's
moonlight sonata. Would this be appropriate for a business
website? The answer is that "I don't know". However, please
bear in mind that music can slow down your site, and those
people who are surfing your site at work may well get a surprise
when the whole office hears the moonlight sonata belting out
of their speakers
To frame, or not to frame
Should you use frames for your site? In previous years, the
arguments against frames were that broswers couldn't support
them and search engines didn't index pages with frames. Today,
well over 95% of people are using browsers that support frames,
and search engines have become a lot more sophisticated, meaning
that frames are much less of a problem. Nevertheless, if you
are going to use frames, make sure you know how to use them
properly.
Track your visitors
This is a vital part of internet marketing. Once visitors
to your site come streaming in, it is essential that you know
where they are coming from, so you can channel your marketing
efforts into the areas that bring the best results. Tracking
your visitors means much more than a simple counter on your
site - all that tells you is how many people have visited
your site. However, you need to know where these people have
come from, and which pages in your site they visited.
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