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USABILITY

Usability is what makes your WS pleasant to deal with. While everyone defines personally for her(him)self how to make design nice to look at, memorable (in respect to branding) and serve customer/business needs in best way possible, technical side of usability can and should be corrected using standard requirements.

SOURCE CODE OPTIMIZATION

Firstly about four problems that come to my mind with "dirty" HTML source code:

1. Potential cross-browser conflicts as some particular useless Tags (a piece of HTML source code) may be neglected by one browser but create some visual errors, when viewed in other browser. 2. The more useless HTML Tags web-page has, more drive space it occupies. 3. As derivative of previous problem, more size of that web-page, longer it takes to visitor to load and view it. 4. Search engines like plain and clear textual information for easy search and scan. By having a lot of useless pieces of HTML code, you prevent SE spiders to proper index your web-pages. The result is obvious decreasing of your Search Engine rankings. That is why Meta Tags correcting is not only thing you should pay attention to.

Statistic shows that more then 85% of all WSs online demands graphics or HTML code optimization. That is actually a common problem, core of which lies in use of highly popular "home" web editors like FrontPage or other.

The "winner" among worst is well-known Netscape Composer, due to extremely "dirty" HTML code it generates while editing old or creating new web-pages. If you have ever used Composer and no one have "cleaned" those web-pages afterwards, they definitely contain a lot of HTML "garbage".

Based on my own experience every 50Kb Netscape Composer's web-page can be easily optimized to 40Kb file size or less, as a simple result of deleting junk HTML tags. If you implement Cascade Style Sheet and HTML compressor you will get same, but "clean & shiny" web-page totaling 25-30Kb (40-50% space savings) with enhanced visual effects.

The example above shows saving on a single web-page, but if we speak in terms of 50-60 pages WS, that occupy (without graphics) 3-5Mb of hard drive space, potential savings as a result of HTML optimization may reach 1-3Mb. So if you are experiencing lack of hard drive space with your hosting provider, solution to that problem lies in simple WS optimization. It doesn't only save a lot of space, but, as we know, eliminates potential cross-browser mistakes, helps SE spiders to properly index your web-pages and make your visitors' surfing more quick and smooth and therefore pleasant.

GRAPHICS OPTIMIZATION

When we speak about poorly optimized graphics we get two problems: more occupied space and worse load time. Given that first obstacle may be overcome by acquiring personal server with several Gigabytes of hard drive space, letter problem will continue to exist as majority of web visitors have low speed dial-up connection.

To make your graphics optimized on basic level, you should save it in proper graphic format. Many popular pictures of eBook covers can be easily optimized simply by re-saving .JPG format into .GIF or vice versa depending on particular file. That tactic alone can bring 15Kb file to occupy 7-10Kb in matter of 2 min.

The basic math shows that 10 optimized pictures (without HTML optimization) on a web-page are capable to decrease overall size of it from 120Kb to 70Kb with no visual loss in quality of picture. Are you aware of statistics how many visitors leave your site just because they are tired to wait until all pictures load? It doesn't mean that you have to simply delete these pictures completely as some people suggest, what it does mean is that they are better to be optimized because in case with eBook covers, they proved to triple selling potential and their absence will be hardly compensated by new visitors.

Some yellow daisies where swaying gently in light breeze, as if to say, “look at me. Here I am.” Where they trying to catch my attention, or attention of honey bees and butterflies? Though God made flowers for us to enjoy, I suspect that they are more interested in attracting attention of insects that will help spread their pollen. The flowers need to attract attention of insects to survive.

Internet marketers that have their own website are much like flowers. They must attract attention of potential visitors and entice them to visit web site. If no visitors come then site will eventually die.

How to attract visitors to a site is what very broad subject of Internet marketing is about. Numerous articles and books have been written and are available about Internet marketing. Let’s just look at one small part of it today.

As you watch honey bees and butterflies on flowers you notice that they stay on one flower for a while, then go on to another for a while. Sometimes they stay on a flower for a very short time and sometime they stay for a fairly long time. Sometimes they come back to original flower and sometimes they do not.

The people that visit our web sites act much same. Some times they just take a quick glance and click to another site. Sometimes they stay longer and look around. It all depends on how interesting your site is. Does it have a good headline that captures their interest and makes them want to get more information? A good headline is probably most important single item on your website. Take time to create a good headline.

Is site simple to view? A site should not have text written on a background with a design. It is too hard to read and often viewer will click away instead of trying to read it.

Is it easy to read? If there is not enough contrast between background color and text color then it could be hard to read. Whenever I see a site with black letters on a dark color background I leave immediately. So do a lot of other visitors.

Does site take too long to load? Many people have very little patience these days. If site is slow to load they get tired of waiting and go to a different site.

Does your site have music? If it does be sure music is appropriate for type of visitor that you are trying to appeal to.

Ok, you’ve done things right and visitor stays around long enough to get beyond your headline. How long will you be able to keep visitor?

Is your site easy to navigate? Are buttons easy to find and understand? If visitor gets confused he can get frustrated. If he gets frustrated he is very likely to leave in favor of a new site.