12/ 19/ 2002
by Kelle Campbell
Your Web site may be the first contact that potential customers have with your business. It's up to you to make sure that it's easy to read and use. In addition, customers will access your information using different computers, and their experience at your site may vary if you haven't considered downloading speeds or browser compatibility. Below are six aspects of your Web site you should examine to ensure everything's operating properly.
1. HTML and Link Validation
Incorrect HyperText Markup Language or HTML (the code that creates your Web pages) can prevent your Web site from looking the way you intended. And even if everything looks fine, you run the risk of encountering errors and glitches once you launch your site onto the Web.
You can check your HTML with free online tools like Dr. Watson (watson.addy.com) or Dr. HTML's single-page analysis option (www.doctor-html.com/RxHTML). Both of these tools will also verify that all your links are still valid, particularly useful since Web pages are constantly being moved or deleted.
2. File Size and Graphics Size
The smaller your Web page files and graphics are, the faster they'll appear on visitors' computers. "Though there is no official web standard per se about Web design, I think 30K [kilobytes] is a good rule of thumb," says Vincent Stoessel, a Web application developer. "Some Web page designers want to spice up their Web pages with large graphics and flash movies. This is fine for a broadband user but can be a nightmare for someone accessing the site with a 56Kps [kilobytes per second] or below modem connection."
Experts also recommend that graphics be no more than 12K. You can compress the size of your line drawings, clip art and photos with image editors.
You may have an editor like PhotoShop on your computer, or you can download freeware and shareware (software at a nominal price) at www.downloads.com or www.tucows.com. If you need to have several images on one page (e.g., an online catalog), make them thumbnails that link to separate pages holding larger pictures.
The other features listed below also slow down Web pages:
3. Monitor Resolution
The appearance of your Web site will be affected by the resolution (image sharpness and clarity) of the monitor screen. Many people will adjust the resolution to suit their comfort level, so look at your site at various resolutions, e.g., 800x600, 640x480 and 1024x768. PC users can do this by right-clicking on an empty area of their desktop screen and then choosing "Properties" on the resulting shortcut menu. Select the "Settings" tab and go to the "Screen Area" section.
Macintosh users should use the Apple menu to open the "Control Panel" and then click on "Monitors" or "Monitors and Sound." The screen resolution can be adjusted in the "Resolution" section.
4. Monitor Color
Only 216 colors are actually "Web safe." That is, they'll look the same no matter what the settings are. Therefore, adjust your monitor's color settings to see what will happen to your Web site's appearance. Color settings are found in the same area as resolution features.
5. Browser Compatibility
The biggest headache for Web surfers is trying to view Web pages with incompatible browsers. Browsers interpret HTML in different ways depending on the type of browser and the version being used. Download different versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator as well as other browsers such as Lynx (a text-only browser).
These browsers can be downloaded at www.microsoft.com/windows/ie, netscape.com, and lynx.browser.org, respectively. If possible, see how your site looks with AOL as well.
6. Readability and Usability
While you're dealing with the technical details, don't forget to pay attention to spelling and grammar. Also, have customers, friends or family do a "test-run" of your site to make sure that your users will be able to easily navigate through the site, read your text without eyestrain, and successfully complete forms or download offerings.
Running these tests ensures that your Web site works for all your visitors. The better the experience they have, the more likely they are to become customers. And attracting customers is why you created your Web site in the first place.
