4 Tips to a More Visitor-Friendly Website

Written by Angela Wu


I remember my very first website. I thought it wasrepparttar most amazing thing ever created; it had Flash, Javascript, an animated graphic I designed all on my own, plus various bits of 'artwork' placed at strategic locations throughoutrepparttar 134816 site. Plus it used frames, something I thought would ease navigation for my visitors. What an astonishing display of talent!

Now when I look back on that first website, I'm forced to come to an inescapable conclusion:

It sucked.

You see, like so many beginners, I had succumbed torepparttar 134817 lure of 'technology'. Instead of designing my site according to what my *visitors* wanted, I designed it around what *I* wanted to show off.

Don't make these common website blunders! Visitors come to your site for a reason - make it easy for them to get what they want. Here are a few tips ...

__1. Don't Use Flash Frivolously.

Flash movies are allrepparttar 134818 rage these days. Sure, it's new and cool and can do all sorts of neat things - but just because you CAN use it doesn't mean you SHOULD.

This is particularly true of content-rich websites. Visitors come to your site looking for information, not for an in-your-face Flash movie. Annoy them and it only takes a simple click ofrepparttar 134819 mouse before they're gone forever.

Flash requires users to download a plug-in, if they don't already have it. It can chew up your machine's resources and make it darn near impossible to get out - even a 'Skip Intro' link is hard to click on if your computer is too involved with Flash! And it takes too long to load. Not everyone has a high-speed modem!

Of course there are legitimate reasons to use Flash. For example, graphic artists or web designers who sell their Flash talents will want to showcase it. If you use it make sure you give peoplerepparttar 134820 OPTION of viewing it or not. A couple of suggestions are:

* Put two links on your entry page: one to viewrepparttar 134821 site using Flash,repparttar 134822 other to view it without Flash.

* Move your Flash movies deeper within your site. If your visitor wants to view them, they can simply click on a link.

__2. Use Graphics Sparingly.

The *right* picture can say a thousand words. But don't use graphics forrepparttar 134823 sake of using them; unless they convey something specific and relevant to your site then you might as well leave them off.

"Just Because Your Dog Loves You, Doesn't Mean You're A Nice Guy"

Written by Bob Osgoodby


Just Because Your Dog Likes You, Doesn't Mean You're A Nice Guy.

Many people in business really are "nice guys", but some aren't. How can someone tell which group you're in? The web is a cold, seemingly uncaring place, and many people will not respond in a positive manner unless they develop a rapport with someone.

When someone meets you "face to face" they form an opinion of you. Good, bad or indifferent, at least it is an opinion. If someone visits a web site, whether they know it or not, they are forming an opinion. The majority of web sites engender an "indifferent" opinion. "Blah" comes to mind.

Some web pages are offered byrepparttar telephone companies as an add-on torepparttar 134815 advertising they sell. These sites are hyped as free, but they really aren't, as you have to take out a certain size ad to get one. Forrepparttar 134816 most part, in our opinion, they look as if they were created from a template. The only thing that appears to change isrepparttar 134817 business name, andrepparttar 134818 limited copy they allow. This is definite fit inrepparttar 134819 "Blah" category. Many people see a "lack luster" site, and since there is nothing to hold their interest, they click away. Why bother?

Then you haverepparttar 134820 bad sites. We've all seen examples of these. A web site fraught with misspelled words, or has a hodgepodge of different font sizes. It seemingly goes on forever, and you really have to hunt to find out what they're trying to say. Most people will simply leave without even trying.

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