Database Parameters in URL

Many web site designers don’t take into account effect of database parameters in site URLs. A database parameter tells server what should be loaded onto a particular page when a viewer tries to see it. In essence, page is “dynamic” because it is being pulled together with each click. Robot programs that are used by search engines to index sites hate dynamic pages. Often, they will not even index pages and page of your site is not listed in search engine.

Let’s look at an example using Nomad Adventure Journals site. The home page URL is aptly, http://www.nomadjournals.com - a static page. In this URL, there are no parameters telling server to load anything other than a static web page. All search engines will index this page without any problem.

Now, what if we changed page to something dynamic. Let’s say we designed it to record session identification [identify viewer] and dynamically load pictures on page. We would have one parameter for session identification and four parameters for various pictures on page. The URL for home page might look something like:

http://www.nomadjournals.com/home/index.html?&DID=9&User_ID&CATID=15&ObjectGroup_ID=39

Where once there existed a limit as to types of fonts used, types of coding languages used, and styles themselves, there is now possibility for more variety in Web site design than ever before. This has come about because of advances in technology that did not exist even a few years ago, and it has opened up many creative avenues for Web site designers in creation of custom designs.

Web development overall, has to be more competitive, and take into consideration needs of clients now, when literally billions of Web sites compete for attention online on a daily basis. A Web site is first impression owner of an E-commerce business makes on their own potential clients, and competition factor, has now led to burgeoning of more creative designs and implementations to deal with this competition factor.

Web development now needs to speak to needs not only of clients that are building Web site, but needs of visitors who are, overall "potential prospects' of Web site owners.

E-commerce needs have created some rather unique approaches to Web development, from most beautiful to most garish, unfortunately. In an attempt to have their own E-commerce sites 'noticed', some business owners have become too individualistic, and there does abound many sites that are not easily navigable, nor especially pleasing to eye. A Web designer needs to use good judgment when making choices about how much is 'too much' individuality.

Web site designers can avoid pitfalls of becoming overly creative, and yet do much now to make a client's site, very appealing and eye-catching by keeping a few simple rules in mind:

A. Are colors pleasing to most visitors, without being garish and hard to view? B. Are fonts easily read by most visitors, which means not too large (too much scrolling), or too small, (too much squinting)? C. Is navigation and usability of site what it can be? Can visitors find features easily? D. Is site clean and uncluttered? It should never look like your grandmother's attic, where thirty years of junk abounds in every corner!

At same time, E-commerce functionality can be maintained with advanced creativity, as navigability and usability can be implemented flawlessly also. The new advances in technology now have led to following changes that increase ability to improve creativity: