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  • Answer Upon - Web Design Mistakes In The 21st Century

    The World Is Your Marketplace
    If you were to open a convenience store, you would think long and hard about the store's location. It would not make much sense to open it in a remote area with few customers. When you start a website, every person with online access is a potential customer. Have you ever wondered how many people actually use the Internet? Is it a few hundred thousand, a few million or more?According to the Internet World Stats website, out of a total 6.5 billion people on the planet, about 1/6-th of them go online. That is a staggering 1 billion people! Obviously those who could potentially access your website is less than that since for example not everyone speaks the same language. If you are developing a website in English then you have access to at le
    s yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget a

    Benchmarking and Performance Management (2)
    A mutual fund could set a benchmark as a target for the performance. For such a fund, one that is 100% focused on the stock-market, the benchmark could be a stock-market index, like the Dow Jones. For individual portfolios that carry more than stocks only but include currencies and bonds, it is more difficult to define an appropriate benchmark.And that is exactly the problem with benchmarking as a performance management instrument in organisations. How are you to measure a performance if every company is unique and wants to deviate from the standard?And that is exactly the problem with organisations. How are you to measure a performance if every company is unique? Benchmarking is done to compare activities with the objective to impr
    Would you rather visit a web site that freezes up your computer or one that doesn't show up at all? It's a trick question. The tales of bad web design are many, from gaudy animated images to overdone Flash user interfaces. Whether you are creating a web site to share family photos or to promote your business, the look and usability of the site will give your visitors that very important first impression, and a reason to come back.

    Images for the web: loading time is key
    Optimizing images for a web site is no simple task. As a designer, you might find that reducing the file size sometimes comes at a price: poor image quality. However, getting familiar with options and file types can help you find the balance needed to produce high quality, fast-loading graphics.

    The primary image formats that are appropriate for the web are .GIF and .JPEG (1). Most of your graphics should be saved as a .GIF. Because the .GIF format only allows for 256 colors, the size of these images is considerably smaller than a .JPEG. Common images used in web sites such as icons, lines and buttons are usually saved as a .GIF.

    So when should you save files as a .JPEG? Photographs and backgrounds with special effects are two examples of images that should be saved in this format to preserve colors, texture and overall quality.

    Tools such as Adobe ImageReady and Macromedia Fireworks are available to help designers optimize images. These applications even let you design your layout, cut up graphics and save the slices in the appropriate format.

    Be sure to evaluate the need for images on your site. It is important to ask yourself: does this image complement the layout and the content, or does it tend to distract from what’s important?

    Flashy use of Flash
    Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) has given designers and developers new options in creating dynamic web sites. With Flash, splash pages can include boastful presentations and every click can be made interactive, but some designers just don't know when to stop and that’s where the problems begin.

    Using Flash to create a navigation menu with a couple added effects may be acceptable. Creating the entire web site using this technology is unnecessary. While the newest computers with robust video cards have no trouble handling complex files and languages. Some web surfers stick to older computers with slower dial-up connections. Sites designed fully in Flash not only ignore this user population but often end up annoying those who do have the technology to view them.

    Search engine optimization is yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget ab

    The Power of Local Email Marketing
    As a local business owner you realize the opportunities available on the Web, but you probably do not have the time or money to invest into a full blown web presence. The obstacles and costs in building a web site keep many local businesses on the sideline.But as a local business there is an opportunity to exploit the marketing power of the Internet at little or no cost, and it does not require a web presence.Through email marketing you can have a direct conduit to both your customers and prospects. You may think email marketing is complicated, but that is a misconception. If you are already using email to correspond, then you are quite capable of advertising through virtual mail. In fact, if you are communicating to your
    er, getting familiar with options and file types can help you find the balance needed to produce high quality, fast-loading graphics.

    The primary image formats that are appropriate for the web are .GIF and .JPEG (1). Most of your graphics should be saved as a .GIF. Because the .GIF format only allows for 256 colors, the size of these images is considerably smaller than a .JPEG. Common images used in web sites such as icons, lines and buttons are usually saved as a .GIF.

    So when should you save files as a .JPEG? Photographs and backgrounds with special effects are two examples of images that should be saved in this format to preserve colors, texture and overall quality.

    Tools such as Adobe ImageReady and Macromedia Fireworks are available to help designers optimize images. These applications even let you design your layout, cut up graphics and save the slices in the appropriate format.

    Be sure to evaluate the need for images on your site. It is important to ask yourself: does this image complement the layout and the content, or does it tend to distract from what’s important?

    Flashy use of Flash
    Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) has given designers and developers new options in creating dynamic web sites. With Flash, splash pages can include boastful presentations and every click can be made interactive, but some designers just don't know when to stop and that’s where the problems begin.

    Using Flash to create a navigation menu with a couple added effects may be acceptable. Creating the entire web site using this technology is unnecessary. While the newest computers with robust video cards have no trouble handling complex files and languages. Some web surfers stick to older computers with slower dial-up connections. Sites designed fully in Flash not only ignore this user population but often end up annoying those who do have the technology to view them.

    Search engine optimization is yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget a

    How To Track Your Affiliate Sales & Traffic
    In this article I'm going to explain how to track your ClickBank sales AND traffic. Don't worry if you don't promote any ClickBank products, the techniques outlined below can be used with any affiliate network that has a "Tracking ID" facility. Everything is also 100% free, I'm not trying to promote any tracking systems here!Ok, let's get started. If you're not familiar with ClickBank's tracking ID system then you can read more about it at ClickBank (read their Hoplink FAQ). The problem is you can only track sales, not clicks. Let's take a look at an example to demonstrate the problem, and the solution. Let's say you have a webpage at this address:http://www.yourdomain.com/index.htmlOn that page you're promoting a Click
    rs, texture and overall quality.

    Tools such as Adobe ImageReady and Macromedia Fireworks are available to help designers optimize images. These applications even let you design your layout, cut up graphics and save the slices in the appropriate format.

    Be sure to evaluate the need for images on your site. It is important to ask yourself: does this image complement the layout and the content, or does it tend to distract from what’s important?

    Flashy use of Flash
    Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash) has given designers and developers new options in creating dynamic web sites. With Flash, splash pages can include boastful presentations and every click can be made interactive, but some designers just don't know when to stop and that’s where the problems begin.

    Using Flash to create a navigation menu with a couple added effects may be acceptable. Creating the entire web site using this technology is unnecessary. While the newest computers with robust video cards have no trouble handling complex files and languages. Some web surfers stick to older computers with slower dial-up connections. Sites designed fully in Flash not only ignore this user population but often end up annoying those who do have the technology to view them.

    Search engine optimization is yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget a

    Direct Mail on HGH - 3 New Technologies That Boost Results Without Breaking the Bank
    Using direct mail to reach prospects and customers is one of the tried and true methods to generate leads and sales for small businesses. New technologies available today can increase the impact that direct mail can have on the bottom line. Here are three simple ideas to consider adding to your direct mail project.Segment your list. Okay, this is not a new concept but there are new resources available that make it easier. Develop a profile of the most likely candidates for your offer. What criteria did you use? If they include things like geography, profession, family size, age, income, gender, or mortgage interest rate, a list vendor may be able to help. In fact, vendors dedicated to a certain industry can provide even more
    ul presentations and every click can be made interactive, but some designers just don't know when to stop and that’s where the problems begin.

    Using Flash to create a navigation menu with a couple added effects may be acceptable. Creating the entire web site using this technology is unnecessary. While the newest computers with robust video cards have no trouble handling complex files and languages. Some web surfers stick to older computers with slower dial-up connections. Sites designed fully in Flash not only ignore this user population but often end up annoying those who do have the technology to view them.

    Search engine optimization is yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget a

    Mailroom Solutions For The 21st Century
    Does this scenario sound familiar? Your print shop went two days beyond the promised delivery date of your promotional materials. Your freight forwarder did not deliver before the weekend but showed up on the following Monday. Your assistant and the mail room person both called in sick for the next few days. You are now 5 days behind on a crucial 6,000-piece mailing to your distributors. The mailing included an invitation to your company’s special events at the upcoming trade show that is costing your company thousands of dollars. With our manual mail processing system, how will we get it out on time? Could this project have been saved?Whether a small business or a large corporation, the new generation of mailing supplies, mailing equipmen
    s yet another concern that arises with full Flash web sites. Search engine spiders cannot read text embedded in a Flash document the way they can an HTML page. Since placement in search engines is crucial to quality web traffic and, consequently, profits, it is critical that the amount of Flash a company uses does not hinder a search engine from spidering the site.

    Consider the most important part of your web site to be the information it provides and how easy it is to find it. Instead of adding unnecessary animations and effects, use Flash to enhance navigation and add just a little something extra to the design.

    Hey! Don’t forget about me! – Browser compatibility
    Designing for two browsers might be a hassle, but is necessary to avoid losing potential visitors. A few years ago, designers could get away with coding a web site to only be compatible with Internet Explorer, but today many web surfers choose alternatives such as Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Opera.

    Though your site might look stellar and function flawlessly in Internet Explorer, Firefox users could be seeing a completely different picture. In some cases, you may get lucky with elements that slightly don’t line up; other times a visitor might come upon a dysfunctional menu.

    Testing a web site in all major browsers can help to nip compatibility issues in the bud. A layout that looks and functions correctly shows seriousness and professionalism of your company.

    What's your resolution?
    Like browsers, your web visitors have options when choosing their monitor resolution. In the online world, all screens should be created equal! Though a majority of web surfers choose a screen size of 1024x768, nearly a fifth still prefer 800x600 pixels (3).

    Should you choose to design a site for a 1024x768 pixel resolution, the 800x600 pixel folks will be likely to leave your site after just a brief visit. Sideways scrolling is an ugly thing, which is just what smaller resolution monitors are faced with when a designer does not take them into consideration.

    So how do you ensure that all monitor resolutions are able to view your site comfortably? In general, you should always design for an 800x600 pixel resolution; the width of your site should be a maximum of 760 pixels. This ensures that your site can be viewed without sideways scrolling.

    Web design for the 21st Century
    Designers, developers and writers will have to adjust to the changing technologies of the web. Staying up to date with the latest standards and technological advances is key to creating visually-appealing, functional web sites.

    Though statistics on browser and resolution preferences are available on the Internet, it is best to research your visitors’ preferences to find system and design requirements suitable for the specific audience.

    It is impossible to identify all the dos and don'ts of design, but keeping up to date on W3 standards, industry dialogue and technological changes will surely keep you educated in order to create standards-compliant, user-friendly web sites.

    End Notes:

  • For further information about image formats, consult Webreference.com: Optimizing Web Graphics http://www.webreference.co

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