Time and again I come across a web site with ages of load time,
nearly illegible copy and a lack of content but full of
irritating gimmicks. Often I cannot help wondering: "Horrible!
Didn't they see how their Internet appearance does them a
disservice? If their web site is looking like that - however
will their core business be ... ?" Then, upon second thought, I
have to say to myself: "Well, there's only one reasonable
explanation: They *really* didn't see it."

Indeed, when you are developing your web site, you do it
strictly LOCALLY on your computer. That's a great difference to
how it will come out ONLINE to your visitors. (In fact, that's
what makes the difference between a professional web site
designer and someone who is carving out his/her own web site.
The pro's of course are subject to the same discrepancies - but
they are aware of them. The amateur is happy when his/her web
site design is looking well on the own computer - disregarding
that it might be looking very differently to a visitor!)

Some of the main differences between local and online web sites
are the following:

Load Time:

Many surveys among web surfers show that load time is one of
the main deterrent factors for NOT entering a web site and
turning to another one instead. Professional web site design
will always try to have contents on screen within the first few
seconds. Additional parts of your web site can be loaded during
the following 20-60 seconds - but during that time the visitor
should already have something to read on screen! (Preferably, of
course, something to make his/her mouth water what is yet to
come.)

Don't forget: When you design your web site LOCALLY, your
computer takes the contents from the hard disk - that is, it
appears on your screen within milliseconds, even with the most
extravagant graphics etc. A visitor to your web site, however,
will have to load it ONLINE. And this might take quite a long
time. While switching to another web site is just a matter of
seconds. Don't be tempted to stuff your web site with things
nobody is eager to see or hear!

There are many companies specialized in helping you to make
your web site look more professionally. Some of them are even
quite generous about their free advice, e.g. WebSource.com
(E:Downloadweb-source.com ).

Screen Resolution:

When you design your web site locally, you will usually do it
at the same screen resolution you have set your computer to as
you use it for all other applications. When you are finished, it
looks "perfect". Amateurish web designers would feel great now,
and upload their stuff right away.

Yet, professional web site designers will deliberately transfer
their design to any other browsers with different screen
resolution or even to another computer with a different
operating system. And, usually, they will be in for a shock:
What was looking "perfect" initially, might be garbled now or
hard to read.

The reason is, a HTML code is no "hard copy" (like e.g. a
poster printed on paper). Instead, the browser "paints" the copy
described in htm-code differently every time, according to the
available space. (Convince yourself: Display any .htm-file in
your browser, but this time don't maximize the browser's window
but set it to variable size. When you drag the window, say, at
the lower right corner - you will see how the words and images
move around. Up to a point perhaps at which you lose the context
when reading them!)

About the Author
Gunter Gerdenitsch
1st Component Design - visit: http://www.1st-components.com
Universal Software Components - Applications with minimal Programming
gunter@1st-components.com
phone, fax: +43 1 804 47 30