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images load very slowly whereas other images don't match with the theme of the site or appear blurry. Presenting a professional image for your business means your web site design must be professional also. Part one of this article discussed when to use images for your web site and what image file formats to use on the Web (www.isitebuild.com/imageoptimization1). In this article (Part 2), we will discuss how to optimize your images for the Web. Image optimization is the art of making your images suitable for the Web. There is a large difference in preparing your graphics for print compared to the Web. In print you have to have as much data as possible to get a good graphic. The main factors that influence the display of graphics for the Web, are the size of the file and the screen display quality of the graphic. Factors Affecting Web Graphics 1. File Size When you design web pages you need to create a balance between visual appeal and page download time. If your page has too many images on it, it will take too long too load and visitors will not stay around to wait. 2. Cropping This means cutting out unwanted areas of your image. It decreases the file size and helps visitors to focus on your image. 3. Anti-aliasing Jagged edges of an image can be prevented by anti-aliasing. This creates a blended edge around an image. Because of the extra colors necessary to create the blend, file sizes of anti-aliased GIFs are a little larger. Use anti-aliased graphics in almost all cases, except when creating very small type as graphics. 4. Bit Depth and Screen Resolution Bit depth refers to the number of colors in an image or the number of colors a computer system is capable of displaying. To calculate bit depth, one bit equals 2 colors, then multiply 2 times 2 to arrive at each higher bit depth. Quality and file size decrease as bit-depth decreases. New computers support thousands or millions of colors (32-bit), but many older color systems can only show up to 256 (8-bit) colors at a time. This reality imposes limits on the size of files and number of colors that can be included in Web graphics. Check how your image appears with a 256-color monitor and a true-color monitor. Do this on your PC using the Setting/Control Panel/Display option, then select the Settings tab/256 color option. 3. Image Resolution Monitors typically display data at 72 dpi (dots per inch). Therefore, always save your files on the Web at 72 dpi. Always resize your image in your graphics software before you insert it onto your web page. If you resize its dimensions when it's already on your site, it will look distorted. 6. Browsers Someone viewing your site is subject to a completely different result depending on which browser he is using. Your images may appear harmonious in Internet Explorer (IE) but may be broken up in Netscape Navigator (NN). Therefore check your image for differences with Internet Explorer (IE) and Netscape Navigator (NN) browsers. Your images should appeal to all users. Unfortunately AOL has its own browser, which filters sites through its own AOL proxy system. This means all graphics are converted from JPEG and GIF to the ART format. Most AOL users also use their browsers with the default 'compressed graphics' checked, so what normally looks good in IE or NN, will look blurry or distorted on AOL. To change this, AOL users need to go to preferences and check 'never compress graphics'. 7. Caching This is a temporary storage area of your hard drive where browsers keep files while they display them. You can create a consistent look and feel to your Web Site, by reusing another graphic on another page. You will be retrieving it from the cache. The more graphics that you reuse, the faster your pages will load. Testing To test load times of your pages you need to first publish them and then clear the cache in your computer before loading them, and timing them, from the Internet. Put the url in your browser address box, start timing when you hit Go and stop when the word 'Done' appears in your status bar. Images are the main factor that contributes to slow loading of your web pages. By implementing these techniques for optimizing your images, visitors will have a far more pleasing experience. Part 3 of this article will discuss other methods for creating fast loading images when creating a professional web site.
Lately I've taken to subscribing to many newsletters and the "free" programs being offered by internet marketers - think Frank Kern, Yanik Silver et al. - and people like Aaron Wall and Shoemoney and that Brian fellow over at Copyblogger. If you, like me, receive some of these emails, you may have noticed how their sales methods have taken the typical long web page sales pitch and turned it on its side. They've spliced it into emails and videos and feed that info to us in a much more interactive and entertaining manner then the long winded sales pages of old. So this morning while trying to convince my 21 month old son to go to the park (that's right, to convince him to go to the park) I found that the usual things were not working. That is when it hit me. Parental persuasion ala Frank KernPlease note that I have not met nor do I know Frank Kern, and I am only singling him out because his name stuck with me. I suppose this parody below could be recognizable to Jeff Walker's children as well. One last note, I have found the free info they give away as they get you to the offer/pitch/monthly service to be quite valuable.
Father and son head down the elevator out to the bakery. Son demands the water fountain in the park so we head straight there, where strawberries are eaten and some rocks thrown in. Then he says "casa" (hey, we live in Spain) and demands to go home. We stop to watch the street cleaner pass by and head home, not having visited the swings, played with the balloon or balls or had breakfast at the bakery. (Okay, so in the end I also pick on we folks who buy these things - be they live the internet lifestyle products or self-help books - and don't implement them to the fullest :) Article Index: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 |
More Articles:1. To Flash, or Not to Flash When considering whether or not to incorporate Flash into your website, you must also consider the target market you are trying to reach.For instance, a website which serves as a depository for articles and information catering to lawyers would probably not be a good candidate for a Flash 'makeover'. However, if you are a rock band, you may want to consider it.Those are two very opposite ends of the spectrum, but exemplify how you should consider your audience.Corporate, retail, industrial, inf… 2. Should I Use Pop-Up Ads? By Ronald Vyhmeister Web advertising has taken many forms, including those that appear within the Web page as an in-line graphic, as well as those that "pop up" (over) or "pop under" a browsing window. If you are considering the use of pop ups on your website as an advertising method, this article provides some points you should consider.Some studies have reported that consumers despise these intrusive and annoying advertisements and even feel "violated" and "molested" by their presence. Online consumers are goal-… 3. Web Design: Use it to Showcase the Message If you are designing a web site for which the achievement of high conversion rates is a priority, focus your design efforts on showcasing and highlighting the content and copy.For sites where conversion rates are a priority, the primary purpose of design should be to present the message in such a way that it delivers the maximum impact.>> So 'good' design doesn't matter?That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that design serves a function. For an entertainment or arts site that primary function m… 4. Redesigning: How Often Is Too Often? You've all seen it on some websites. They completely overhaul the look of the website every other month. Or at least it seems that way. Then there's the other extreme, where websites haven't been redesigned since 1996. So how often is too often? Change for the sake of change is pointless. Do not feel compelled to redesign your site if you are satisfied with its look. Instead, ask yourself these questions: - Do I like the look of my site? - Does the design appeal to my target demographic? - >I… |
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