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IS_YOUR_WEB_SITE_UNFRIENDLY_Part_1_of_9
| IS YOUR WEB SITE UNFRIENDLY? Part 1 of 9
First, let's pay a virtual visit to a web site that is my
definition of unfriendly, although it doesn't have all the
faults I will cover in this series of articles.
On a group to which I subscribe, someone posted an invitation to
check out a free story. He even included some glowing reviews to
whet our appetites. And the story sounded really interesting.
But when I went to the URL given by the author, the page wasn't
the story I expected. Apart from a load of Tripod pop-up ads
that I thought would never stop coming, a Java splash page
loaded in. That was followed by a most unexpected page--bright
green print on a black background. I think the author must have
been pining for the days before Windows made DOS computers so
much easier to use as well as easier on the eyes! To add insult
to injury, the writer included a sound file with absolutely no
way of turning the sound off. Fortunately the file (mostly bird
song) wasn't objectionable. I didn't read the page of
course--after all, it wasn't the promised story. Since I
couldn't even find a link that looked remotely as though it
might lead to the story, I went somewhere else.
The first thing I want to deal with that makes a web site
unfriendly is page width.
Preferably design your web site to be viewable on a 12-13"
monitor. (Yes, there ARE still some of these around!) A good
yardstick is to keep it within the default width of your
browser. I find it mildly irritating when I'm forced to pull my
browser out to the full width of my monitor.
However, having to scroll past the width of the screen is
downright irritating--a bit like trying to read a comic or
newspaper and having someone else continually covering up the
right-hand side of the page. If a site stretches past my 15"
(640 x 480) monitor I have to be very keen on its content to
stay--and I probably don't go back to it. Page lengths are not
quite so important and will vary depending on content, but it's
not a good idea to make them too long.
Statistics from my own web site indicate that just over 20% of
people are still using 640 x 480 monitors. So, if you design
your site only for the majority of visitors, you're effectively
blocking out more than a fifth of Web surfers-- or at least
making it difficult for them to appreciate your site fully.
About the author:
Laraine Anne Barker writes fantasy for young people. Visit her
web site at http://lbarker.orcon.net.nz for FREE stories and
novel excerpts. Sign up for the NOVELLA OF THE MONTH CLUB,
absolutely FREE!
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