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There are some excellent tips here!
Keep It Clean. Keep It Simple.
With the availability of more elaborate programs and features for website building, it seems that many webmasters, particularly those who are relatively new to Online Home Business and Marketing, have decided to concentrate more on how fancy their website looks like rather than what really matters. There seems to be some sort of contest to see how many ‘bells and whistles’ they can fit into the limited space afforded a Home Page, while forgetting that the primary reason for the website’s existence is to earn them income.
Of course, appearance is important. A professionally constructed website with an attractive look, combined with the ‘right’ level of functionality, will always be an asset to any Online Business but you can go too far in the ‘fancy dress’ department and it would seem that many do.
Occasionally, I visit a couple of Forums, which among other things, also have an area where ‘learner webmasters’ can request a review of their website from the more experienced in the forum membership. In fact, there exists the very same facility in the Site-Reference forum. I am by no means an expert on website building and I certainly don’t see myself as an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) guru either. These are the two main areas of expertise that one would imagine are required for a qualified review and subsequent suggestions on the many aspects that make a professional and successful website. We are, however, fortunate enough to have a couple of the same frequenting the forum.
Regardless, I do have a couple of years of building my own websites, during which I have learnt enough to modestly call myself semi-qualified. So, in that capacity, if I had one piece of advice to give anyone who was building or about to build a website for an Online Business, it would have to be to keep it clean and simple. There is nothing worse than a cluttered looking website and there is nothing that will repel visitors more quickly than a slow loading website. The more ‘fancy gadgets’ and premium images you try to jam on your pages, the more cluttered they will look and the more slowly they will load.
Take a look at a few of the ‘TOP’ Internet based company’s websites like Adobe.com (Google PR of 10). The largest image on their Home page is 6 Kb. There is no ‘Flash’, no ‘bells and whistles’. Even Microsoft.com (also a PR of 10, obviously)has one small, unobtrusive ‘flash’ component in the bottom left corner and their largest image is 18 Kb. And believe me, these two would have access to it and could afford it in truckloads.
A couple of people have been surprised to hear recently that 80 percent of private Internet users in the U.S. are still using ‘56kbps dial up modem’ connections (according to research firm Instat-MDR). So, by building a website that is only accessible in a reasonable amount of time to DSL users, you are effectively disqualifying yourself from visits by 80 percent of the people likely to be interested in your product or service. They will not wait. There are too many other websites to choose from.
It is far more important, provided your website looks reasonable and is functional, to devote your energies to keyword rich content, site maps, privacy policies and the other ‘standards’ that seem to be missing from a lot of websites. The things that the Search Engines like to see and will reward with higher rankings. A ‘crawler’ can’t see ‘fancy’ flash gizmos or premium quality images over 100 kb each. They can only see the things that make a website worthwhile to people who are looking for specific information and product with a need to navigate their way to what they want.
If you’re not selling or promoting anything and your website is simply a ‘showcase’ of some sort – fine, do whatever you like and make it as fancy and as visually rich as you like. But if you want serious visitors who are genuinely interested in what you’re selling or promoting, start with the basics first and when you have your website working effectively for you, then you can worry about the window dressing, if you must. But I wouldn’t bother.
Stephen Brennan
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How old is this article?
I agree with the basic premise of information over glitz, but from what I've read I do take exception with this comment...
A couple of people have been surprised to hear recently that 80 percent of private Internet users in the U.S. are still using ‘56kbps dial up modem’ connections (according to research firm Instat-MDR). So, by building a website that is only accessible in a reasonable amount of time to DSL users, you are effectively disqualifying yourself from visits by 80 percent of the people likely to be interested in your product or service. They will not wait. There are too many other websites to choose from.
According to this article...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5750968/
More than half of all U.S. residential Internet users reached the Web via fast broadband connections in July, outpacing use of slower, dial-up connections for the first time, market researcher Nielsen//NetRatings said on Wednesday....
The number of residential broadband connections underestimates actual broadband usage because the figures do not include office connections, which many users rely on for personal Internet surfing, Leichtman noted.
U.S. broadband usage is far behind other industrial countries in Asia and Europe. For example, broadband was relied on by 91 percent of home Internet users in Japan during June, according to Nielsen//NetRatings statistics.
Even the poll on the front page of here has 2/3 of those voting using broadband of some sort.
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How old is this article?
Received it yesterday, dated the 16th of November, 2004.
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I agree 100% with that article. It really doesn't matter if less than 50% or 80% are using broadband. The idea is to keep it simple for everyone. In the case of websites simple is better.
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Even the poll on the front page of here has 2/3 of those voting using broadband of some sort.
Another poll at here also had 75% voting for Kerry.
sorry! hadto! hehe ...
~ gem ~
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Obviously, that article was written by a man.
Seriously, I mostly agree with what he's saying. Whitespace is an excellent design tool. The things he's talking about, like a privacy policy, functionality, key words, site maps, are more important than eye candy. However, there's nothing wrong with eye candy in moderation, either.
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Just received another newsletter with another opinion on the best way to design a website. Once again, although it almost mimics the other, still, good information is covered:
The idea of good website design is to offer your viewer a logical flow while taking it interesting and easy to understand. Lead your viewers to the starting point and then direct them through your site without confusing them.
Here are some excellent tips that can help you develop a user friendly site and please your visitors senses. Give yourself a chance before they get away.
1. Use lots of white space.
Don't feel that because you have a whole screen that you need to fill it up with stuff. Your page should follow a clean outline. Include your site name at the very top. Below that list the subject of your page and below that expand on your topic. Leave adequate space between each section. Don't cram a lot of pictures and ads. If you have an ad keep it off to the side or subtly intersperse it between your text. The idea is not to overwhelm your reader.
2. Don't use animation and flashing objects.
As advertisers we feel the need to get our viewers attention. This is important but we need to do it gracefully. Flashing objects and scrolling images distract your visitor and take away from the content. If your product is better demonstrated with animation or some other multi-media, allow your viewer to select the option. Don't force it on them.
3. Every page of your site should contain an 'about' link.
The internet can be a rather cold and quiet environment. If someone can come to your site and find out about who you are and what you are about, they can feel a little better about doing business with you or taking advice from you. Always include your business address and phone number and email address as well. This lets viewers know that you are serious about your business and that you welcome contact.
4. Include a 'Privacy' Link
Viewers like the reassurance that you have a policy that follows privacy guidelines. They want to know that you will not sell or give away their information. In these days of rampant spam, your privacy policy needs to be prominently displayed. Many viewers and business partners won't do business with you unless you have it.
5. Always keep your links in blue.
Why does that matter you might say? It's an expectation that viewers have along with the links being underlined. There's certainly no law that says they need to be as such but people spend a lot of time on the internet and it's good practice to keep your navigation consistent and recognizable. If it's not you may lose out on clicks.
6. Keep navigation consistent
Keep your site's navigation consistent. What you do on your index page should be done the same way on the rest of your site's pages. Keep the colors consistent as well. Don't force your viewers to relearn each page of your site. Keep your navigation bars and links the same for each page.
7. Understandable buttons and links.
Title your links appropriately. Don't use cute or misleading names. For example, if you have a link to sports equipment don't label the link 'Great Outdoors', call it 'sports equipment'. If you have a link to 'cameras' don't label the link 'hotshots', label it 'cameras'. Your viewers don't want to waste time figuring out what things are. Be clear with your labeling.
8. Focus on the 'YOU', not the 'ME'.
Make it obviously clear to your readers that you are there for them. What can you do for your reader? What benefits are there for your viewer? How can you make their life or business better or more profitable? Request feedback on their success. Find out what they want to know or how you can offer them what they need.
9. Make sure your page loads fast.
If viewers have to wait for a page to load they will click elsewhere. Here's a site that will help you determine how well your page loads. If a page doesn't load in 8 seconds you lose 1/3 of your visitors. Here's a great free tool to help you check your website's load time:
http://www.1-hit.com/all-in-one/tool...me-checker.htm
10. Use a site map.
A site map will give visitors a "guide" on viewing your site and also eliminate confusion, especially with larger sites. It's a road map for your visitors to follow while they are on your site. Sitemaps will also increase rankings and placement within the Search Engines.
---Elizabeth McGee
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Received it yesterday, dated the 16th of November, 2004.
Thank you.
LOL Gem, that just means we got it wrong faster.
I understand that general consensus is to design for the least common denominator, that's the way it has always been. Mostly text, small images, and low resolutions. There were physical limitations that made that the best choice.
With the increasing penetration of broadband connections, faster computers, and higher resolution monitors, my opinion is that that "wisdom" is becoming increasingly archaic.
A website should be designed for it target audience, not always so the slowest connections and oldest computers have the least amount of trouble accessing it.
A Model T may provide adequate transportation, but you'll find very few people that would actually want to drive one now days.
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Another thought I have on the first article that the author overlooks comes from his comment where he is using Microsoft to bolster his argument.
Microsoft has another reason to keep it's pages small that isn't an issue for a lot of sites. They have a tremendous number of hits everyday and even with the size of their pipes there are times when bandwidth and sever load become a problem and the site drops to a crawl. The larger their pages the sooner and more often that would happen.
(and I doubt you'll find Adobe using any Flash objects any time soon. )
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Originally Posted by em3
Another thought I have on the first article that the author overlooks comes from his comment where he is using Microsoft to bolster his argument.
Microsoft has another reason to keep it's pages small that isn't an issue for a lot of sites. They have a tremendous number of hits everyday and even with the size of their pipes there are times when bandwidth and sever load become a problem and the site drops to a crawl. The larger their pages the sooner and more often that would happen.
(and I doubt you'll find Adobe using any Flash objects any time soon. )
In a way, it may affect individual sites, too, if they're already close to their bandwidth limit. Exceeding one's bandwidth could result in a temporary 'shut down' of the site (I've run into that a few times myself at other sites) and/or an increase in the monthly hosting fee for additional bandwidth. The smaller the size pages, the less 'drain' altogether. The 'rule of thumb' I subscribe to is to keep it under 30K if at all possible.