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Remember to make your logo clickable,
linking to the main page of your site (an exception is the logo of the main page
itself, since you are already there). The benefit of doing so is that if your
visitors get lost they can always come back to a familiar location.
Don’ t use a splash screen.
Splash screens are seen in many websites before they give you access to the main
page. They are usually slow-loading Flash animations that only delay and
frustrate users. Remember, when your users want animation, they can turn on the
TV. When they go to your website, they usually want information, and they want
it fast. Some sites that use splash screens now provide a “Skip the
Introduction” link, which most users click anyway, further validating the
uselessness of flash screens.
Avoid using heavy pictures.
They unnecessarily delay the page upload process. It is OK to use graphics, but
they have to be optimized for the web. Use only .gif and .jpg formats. If the
pictures are too heavy, try using some of the on-line graphic optimizing tools.
They can reduce the weight of your pictures by more than 50% with no noticeable
decrease in quality. Another thing you can do is to use thumbnails (clickable
miniature versions of a picture). If a user is interested in the picture, he can
click on the thumbnail and wait until the full size picture is displayed.
Try not to use animated banners
or fancy icons. Just because you can is not a good reason to load up your site
with neon-coloured, flashing-and-popping, Vegas-style graphics. They usually
take away from the content of your site and distract users. Plus, it has been
demonstrated that less and less users click on banners every day.
Don’t make your pages too long.
People don’t like to read from a screen. Instead, try to use the advantages of
hyperlinks to present a summary of the topic or article, with a link to the full
article in another page (similar to what newspapers do in their main page, with
the added benefit for web users that it is easier to click on a link than to
turn a page). If what you have to say is too long, break the discussion in
several parts, each of them with a link to where your visitor can continue
reading.
Remember, the goal is to give
your visitors fast access to your information, through an interface (website)
that is visually appealing and easy to use.
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