Jul 31

Avoid PDFs and Excessive Multimedia Content

avoid in web designYou don’t have to be web design expert to know that developing a successful website is not a simple task. There are many considerations you should consider and apply in order to do this job properly. However, we will now focus on things you should avoid in web design.

PDFs can be tricky. Yes, PDF files are great if you want your website visitors to be able to take home some content. But, there is a catch. Even very fast DSL connections and cables might need a long time to download these files properly. Do you think your visitors would be that patient? They probably would not be. Not to mention that many Internet users even don’t have the right version of Acrobat Reader software. Bottom line, it’s better to be careful with using PDFs and to not to provide them unless they are absolutely necessary. Also, it’s good to warn and prepare your visitors that the file download might take some time.

Why shouldn’t you use excessive multimedia content? Yes, it can look more interesting, eye catching and fun than plaintive text content. Of course, you can use it, but VERY carefully. The reason is simple. If you don’t implement them properly, rich and multimedia content will do you more harm than good. First, it will prolong the loading time of your web page. Second, your visitors might have difficulties when accessing information. People usually prefer being able to readily read the text content than to wait for the multimedia content to get buffered.

Designing and developing website is certainly not one of those one-time processes. In years to come, with the improvements and advancements in technology, PDFs and rich contents might not prolong loading time that much. New features and updates should be done and implemented on regular basis if you want to banish stagnation.