Web Design & Maintenance Specialists

Online Creations

Website Do's and Don'ts

1. Don't Use Busy Backgrounds
2. Don't Use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS
3. Do Update your Website Regularly
4. Do ensure Navigation is Easy
5. Keep your graphics small

1. Don't Use Busy Backgrounds

This is a bad background
YOU CAN'T READ THE TYPING

This is a good background
YOU CAN READ THE TYPING

2. Don't Use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Using capital letters in the body of your text makes reading difficult and on the internet can be interpreted as shouting!

Compare this paragraph in all caps to the previous paragraph:
USING ALL CAPS IN TEXT IS GOOD TO EMPHASISE A WORD OR TWO, GOOD FOR TITLES BUT DON'T CREATE LONG SENTENCES OR PARAGRAPHS IN ALL CAPS. IT'S TOO HARD TO READ AND PEOPLE WONT READ IT!

3. Do Update your Website Regularly

One aspect of your website is its ability to "pull" people back.

Up-to-date information will ensure customers return regularly to your website to view the latest information. Make sure your website's content is current. Out-of-date information reflects your business. Be efficient, be up-to-date and be informative.

This is just one aspect toward high Search Engine results.

4. Do ensure Navigation is Easy

Your customers must be able to move around your website with ease. If it is difficult for your customers to find what they are looking for, they will leave.

My Rule-of-Thumb on navigation - 2 clicks MUST get a customer where they want to go. If it takes more than two clicks, they will leave.

Ensure links are working properly. If they are not working, your customer will leave.

Ring (02) 4455 6667 NOW or email Online Creations
to update your website.

5. Keep your Graphics Small

Download speed is to be considered when building your website. In Australia our mix of "Dial-up" and "broadband" users is about 50/50. Most metropolitan users are on the faster speeds utilising broadband, cable, satellite, wireless etc, however, many rural users and the outer metropolitan users are on dial-up.

Dial-up users are very restricted with their ability to download your web page at a reasonable speed. Consider your users and what they may use. The smaller the image, the faster the download.

Here's the tricky part! How do I make my images smaller?

By smaller, I talk about two sizes 1. physical size (resolution), 2. storage size.

Here is a sample of the same photo, on the left is a slightly compressed photo and on the right is a properly compressed photo which loads much faster.

Large Sized Image
200px by 299px
98355 bytes (96 kb)
Small sized Image
quality of 29
14678 bytes (14 kb)
Small sized Image
Physically Smaller Image
100px by 150px
30409 bytes (30 kb)
Large Sized Image
Physically Smaller Compressed
quality of 29
5228 bytes (5 kb)

There is very little difference in the quality, but a large difference in the size (kb).

I did the following to reduce its storage size.

  1. Reduced its physical size from 1296 pixels wide and 1936 pixels high (1.45 mb)
    • to 200px wide and 299px high (96 kb)
  2. Compressed the image using photoshop from a quality of 100 (96 kb)
    • to a quality of 29 (14kb)
  3. Reduced its physical size from 1296 pixels wide and 1936 pixels high (1.45 mb)
    • to 100px wide and 150px high (30 kb)
  4. Compressed the image using photoshop from a quality of 100 (96 kb)
    • to a quality of 29 (5kb)

Your digital camera is usually set at a "medium" setting and the storage size will depend on the number of pixel count your camera is capable of. The size will be around 800kb to 1.5 meg and usually set at 600 x 840, but every camera is different. It will be in any number of formats, mainly .jpeg or .gif and sometimes .tif or .bmp. Upon transferring your image to your computer you can open and view your image and save it as either jpg or gif (usually .jpg) ready for your website. Your ability to manipulate the image will depend on the software you have on your computer.

If you would like a simple to follow instruction on how to make your images smaller using photoshop, please email me a request.

DISCLAIMER The information has been developed by Online Creations' Web Designers as a guide only. It is important that users realise this information is developed as a very broad overview for the purpose of a general understanding to the wide-ranging development of newsletters. While due care has been exercised by Online Creations to ensure the accuracy and currency of the material contained in this publication, we strongly recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use and seek professional advice where appropriate.