| Time and again I come across a web site with ages | | | | the hard disk - that is, itappears on your screen |
| of load time,nearly illegible copy and a lack of content | | | | within milliseconds, even with the mostextravagant |
| but full ofirritating gimmicks. Often I cannot help | | | | graphics etc. A visitor to your web site, however,will |
| wondering: "Horrible! | | | | have to load it ONLINE. And this might take quite a |
| Didn't they see how their Internet appearance does | | | | longtime. While switching to another web site is just a |
| them adisservice? If their web site is looking like that | | | | matter ofseconds. Don't be tempted to stuff your |
| - howeverwill their core business be ... ?" Then, upon | | | | web site with thingsnobody is eager to see or hear! |
| second thought, Ihave to say to myself: "Well, | | | | There are many companies specialized in helping you |
| there's only one reasonableexplanation: They *really* | | | | to makeyour web site look more professionally. |
| didn't see it." | | | | Some of them are evenquite generous about their |
| Indeed, when you are developing your web site, you | | | | free advice, e.g. ). |
| do itstrictly LOCALLY on your computer. That's a | | | | Screen Resolution: |
| great difference tohow it will come out ONLINE to | | | | When you design your web site locally, you will |
| your visitors. (In fact, that'swhat makes the | | | | usually do itat the same screen resolution you have |
| difference between a professional web sitedesigner | | | | set your computer to asyou use it for all other |
| and someone who is carving out his/her own web | | | | applications. When you are finished, itlooks "perfect". |
| site. | | | | Amateurish web designers would feel great now,and |
| The pro's of course are subject to the same | | | | upload their stuff right away. |
| discrepancies - butthey are aware of them. The | | | | Yet, professional web site designers will deliberately |
| amateur is happy when his/her website design is | | | | transfertheir design to any other browsers with |
| looking well on the own computer - disregardingthat it | | | | different screenresolution or even to another |
| might be looking very differently to a visitor!) | | | | computer with a differentoperating system. And, |
| Some of the main differences between local and | | | | usually, they will be in for a shock: |
| online web sitesare the following: | | | | What was looking "perfect" initially, might be garbled |
| Load Time: | | | | now orhard to read. |
| Many surveys among web surfers show that load | | | | The reason is, a HTML code is no "hard copy" (like |
| time is one ofthe main deterrent factors for NOT | | | | e.g. aposter printed on paper). Instead, the browser |
| entering a web site andturning to another one | | | | "paints" the copydescribed in htm-code differently |
| instead. Professional web site designwill always try to | | | | every time, according to theavailable space. |
| have contents on screen within the first fewseconds. | | | | (Convince yourself: Display any .htm-file inyour |
| Additional parts of your web site can be loaded | | | | browser, but this time don't maximize the browser's |
| duringthe following 20-60 seconds - but during that | | | | windowbut set it to variable size. When you drag the |
| time the visitorshould already have something to read | | | | window, say, atthe lower right corner - you will see |
| on screen! (Preferably, ofcourse, something to make | | | | how the words and imagesmove around. Up to a |
| his/her mouth water what is yet tocome.) | | | | point perhaps at which you lose the contextwhen |
| Don't forget: When you design your web site | | | | reading them! |
| LOCALLY, yourcomputer takes the contents from | | | | |