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3 Common Web Requests and Why to Avoid Them
by Mackenzie Fogelson, M.A.
Printable Version
The Web is full of great technology and ideas that can be used to enhance your Website. The trick is determining which elements will actually benefit your target audience. There are 3 common Web requests that address the desires of many Website owners; there are also some good reasons to avoid them.
- Using Flash
Flash is cool…when you’re viewing a Website for the first time. However, when frequenting a Website, Flash can become frustrating. Flash, animation, or any moving attributes tend to distract viewers and become a nuisance. These elements can also require significant load time and cause visitors to become impatient and decide not to return.
Before using Flash, assess your audience. Determine whether the use of Flash would be an advantage or a detriment to them. Although Flash enhances a visitor’s experience with a Website, it does not demonstrate effective usability or accessibility principles, is not able to be crawled by the search engines so it does not enhance search engine rankings, and it is more difficult to maintain. When using Flash, choose to incorporate this technology in small elements, rather than having your entire Website created in Flash.
- Drop-Down Menus
A very common request is the desire to use drop-down menus. On the up-side, drop-down menus save space. On the down-side, they create confusion, usability problems, and cause frustration in your visitors.
The navigation on your Website is the map that your visitors use to find their way. Because drop-down menus disappear in between clicks, critical information is being hidden. This makes it difficult for your visitors to find their way back to where they were, decide where they are able to go next, or even remember where they currently are.
Hands down, one of the most important attributes of your Website is the navigation. Effective navigation assists your visitors in having a positive experience with your Website, encouraging them to return.
In many situations, drop-down menus are not used effectively. There are alternative navigation methods that can be much more beneficial for your visitors, and that don’t leave them guessing or feeling lost.
- Using Counters to Measure "Hits"
Many Website owners get excited about how many people are visiting their Website. They often request that a counter is placed on the home page so that each time someone accesses their site, they can accumulate another “hit” and watch the counter roll to the next number.
Counters take away from the professionalism of the design, and are not entirely accurate. It is a common misconception that only one “hit” is registered when a single person has visited a page on a Website. In actuality, a “hit” is the process of retrieving page elements from a Web server. When someone visits the home page of your Website, their visit is requiring the page to load content, images, and other design elements that are featured on that specific page. If your home page has 27 different pieces or elements to it, then that one visit is actually registering 27 “hits” on a counter.
A much more accurate measurement of the amount of traffic a Website receives is analyzing page views. Page views indicate which pages of your Website have been viewed by a single visitor, and only count for one page view per visitor. Page view statistics, as well as other traffic measurements, should be provided with your hosting package. These statistics can assist you in understanding the results that your Website is producing.
The Bottom Line
Assessing your audience and evaluating your site statistics will assist
you in determining what your Website really needs. Pay attention
to the research behind the technology that you are looking to use. In
the end, you will end up saving money and having a professional Website
that best suits your goals and your target audience.