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INTERNET 101
CREATING A WEBSITE YOUR VISITORS WILL LIKE:
Obviously, there is no one answer to the question
of what any given visitor will like or not like in a website. However, there are certain aspects of a site which
can make it more appealing in general.
One of the most critical aspects for a website is navigation. It can be extremely frustrating if you feel you are
"finding your way through a maze", rather than using a "carefully organized guide".
Tips for keeping navigation simple:
• Keep navigation placement the same on
all pages throughout your website
• Eliminate "click-through" page
structures which require you to view
page A and B before you can get to
C.
Instead, keep all pages accessible
at
all times.
An exception to this would be if you have obvious groupings on your website. If this is the case, you can have
sub-navigation for the groupings. However, it is again recommended that all sub-navigation is offered/displayed
on all pages of that grouping.
Another extremely critical aspect of a website is loading time. Very simply, people are not patient. The guideline
that we use for loading time is no more than 10 seconds per page. This seems to be a happy medium that pleases
most visitors. Of course, if you are able to optimize for faster loading times, by all means do so!
Tips for minimizing loading times:
• Optimize your images using photo
editing software, such as:
PhotoImpact, or PhotoShop. Many of
these programs have options which
can reduce the color palette in images
to speed loading.
• In all cases possible use text rather
than images. If you have a headline
that you currently are using an image
for, scrap that and type it in to
speed your times.
Note: An exception to this rule would be times when a specific font is critical to your design - when using text
on pages, specified fonts can only be viewed by those visitors which have that font installed on their computer.
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Tips from our Creative Director:
• Maintain a consistency to the pages throughout
your website. Visitors usually
do not like the feeling of having to "get
to know" your site with each click.
• Represent yourself accurately by making
sure that your website reflects the
information you are claiming to have. Visitors
do not like to sort through 10
sites claiming to have information about
a subject/product to find one that |
really does.
• Do not use both red and blue on the same
page when avoidable. The human
eye cannot focus fully on either color
when the other is present in the same
line of sight.
• Minimize animations, or eliminate them
all together. Minimizing excess
movement on a site will allow a visitor
to focus on what they came for, rather
than being distracted.
• Keep pop-up's and advertisements to a
minimum. Also, be sure that those
advertisements which are on your site are
relevant to your site's content/visitors.
• Avoid the bold option! It seems that
people think that if some bold text is good,
than all bold text is better. Wrong! By
keeping only "main-point" text or
headlines bold they stand out more than
being surrounded by all bold text.
If you feel that all of the information
on your page is the most important,
take some time to reorganize your information
and prioritize the intentions of
your website. |
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WHAT WE DON'T DO IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT WE DO.
No high pressure tactics, no gimmicks or gadgets, no black hat techniques.
Integrity is our bottom line. We employ white hat techniques and specialize in relationships with individuals and
companies that want more than just a web presence. We guide you through the vast Internet maze while demystifying
the process. If Internet sales of your product or service is what you want -
not just traffic or a high ranking - you have come to the right place!
All backed with knowledge -
Gained from years of experience, being in the website business since 1996, and our outstanding customer service.
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