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| | The ABHP - A Bit of Humble Pie Network is not currently active and cannot accept new posts | | Website Downloads - YES or NO? | Views: 452 | | May 26, 2008 5:14 pm | | Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # | 
Eileen Brown | | Let's look at it...
Requiring Downloads - You added music or some other program
to your site and it requires your readers to download software
in order to view it but they don't have the software and don't
want it.
Solutions:
1. Don't have anything downloading as the reader is opening
the page. This causes the page to load slow and can upset users
that don't like to download things unless they know what they are.
2. If you require something to be downloaded to view the page offer
it as a link on the page and not as something that is going to
automatically download whether they want it or not.
3. If you have music, video or something else on your site that
you think your readers will be interested in, add a link to the
software that they will need, next to the link to the music or video.
4. Try to use software that is common with most standard browsers
so you user won't have to download anything new.
5. Don't require your readers to download programs they
will have to pay for.
Above tidbit Found HERE:
http://personalweb.about.com/od/addaudiotoyourwebsite/qt/407downloads.htm
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I never do download software for one music listen or video
viewing. UNLESS, the program is widely used and I don't
have it. I don't really think there are any (anymore) that
I don't have either!
Eileen
http://abhp-network.ryze.com/ - ABHP http://www.buddywebworks.com/ - Web Svcs.
http://www.buddycopywriting.com/copywritinghome/ - SEO Copywriting
http://www.buddywebgraphics.com/ - http://www.microwebmasters.com/
http://www.eileenseshop.com/ - Gifts and Home DecorPrivate Reply to Eileen Brown | | May 26, 2008 5:54 pm | | re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # | 
Laura Wheeler | | One other option:
Put in an alternative. Either an alternate form of getting the information, OR, an alternate item that displays if they do not have the right plugin.
Given increasing ADA Accessibility requirements, alternate options just make sense anyway, and is the route we usually go.
Laura
Mom to Eight
307-379-2502
Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc.
http://www.firelightwebstudio.com - Exceptional Website Services
http://www.westernhillsinstitute.com - Web Development Training for MicroBiz
http://www.microwebmasters.com - MicroBusiness Service Provider Trade Association - Unite to Succeed!Private Reply to Laura Wheeler | | May 26, 2008 6:00 pm | | re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # | 
Bobbi Jo Woods | | Agreed. Good points.
Video and music are great things to have on a site but need to be able to be controlled by the viewer.
I also want to add that .PDF links should be used very sparingly and not as menu navigation. I'm utterly annoyed when I visit a page and click on a menu option only to find out that instead of taking me to another page of the site I'm at, it loads the Adobe Reader plugin and forces me to view a .pdf without warning.
This portable document format is a lovely thing, but it should be pointed out (next to the link in question) that the viewer is about to click on a .pdf link and that they may or may not need to download Adobe Reader to view it in. By simply placing an Adobe Reader icon next to the link it make the link format much more obvious.
When I'm surfing a website, often times I've also got several other applications running, and the last thing I want is to have Adobe Reader spring forth and start loading on top of all of that.
-Bobbi Jo
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Bobbi Jo Woods, Owner & Fanatic
B. Woods Design - Professional Managed Web Solutions
http://www.bwoodsdesign.com
Private Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods | | May 26, 2008 7:11 pm | | re: re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # | 
Ingrid Webster | | Just because they're available doesn't mean they should be clogging up web space. While appropriate for some sites, many downloads that are out there are superfluous.
Each site owner should give it some thought what is really helpful for the visitor as well as for the site itself. Personally, I get pretty annoyed with too much of these, and I'm reluctant to even coming back to sites that are cluttered with them.
But I have a feeling that it is a trend which will begin to regulate itself once people are losing interest in watching clips or downloading other time consuming content which is largely irrelevant.
Friendly Greetings
Ingrid Webster
The Neverending Necklace
"A String of Love and Peace going around the World!"
http://www.addbeads.com
Private Reply to Ingrid Webster | | May 26, 2008 7:43 pm | | re: re: re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # |
Laura Wheeler | | I think with each new thing that people can do, they go through a phase of doing it just because they can, and everybody thinking it is neat that they can - look at the pre-WWII cartoons. They aren't even funny, they have these characters doing stuff on screen just because they can. They didn't put much thought into how to really make it entertaining.
So now we have things like Flash, PDFs, Movies, Audio, etc. And all these people out there saying, "you just GOTTA do this!!!" without thinking about the purpose of the site, the target of the business, or the needs of the visitor.
After the shiny wears off, people should start thinking more logically about it - at least, the smart ones will.
No matter what the new toy, we always should consider whether it will add to the site and to the purpose and function.
I use downloads to offer manuals. And I clearly state that. Some of my clients have applications for download, which are a logical use of PDFs. I don't see much use for them as site content, HTML is more efficient.
We are starting to offer training videos also - but they will be clearly marked, with some choices, and alternate manuals. Our audios are clearly marked also - sound NEVER plays automatically on any site. Most of it, we do as simply as possible.
Laura
Mom to Eight
307-379-2502
Firelight Business Enterprises, Inc.
http://www.firelightwebstudio.com - Exceptional Website Services
http://www.westernhillsinstitute.com - Web Development Training for MicroBiz
http://www.microwebmasters.com - MicroBusiness Service Provider Trade Association - Unite to Succeed!Private Reply to Laura Wheeler | | May 26, 2008 8:13 pm | | re: re: re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # |
Bobbi Jo Woods | | "...time consuming content which is largely irrelevant"
I think this can be a great way to sum up of most content widely available on the Internet in the last few years! LOL
-Bobbi Jo
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Bobbi Jo Woods, Owner & Fanatic
B. Woods Design - Professional Managed Web Solutions
http://www.bwoodsdesign.comPrivate Reply to Bobbi Jo Woods | | May 27, 2008 3:05 am | | re: re: re: re: Website Downloads - YES or NO? | # | 
Scott Wolpow | | Pre WWII cartoons were quite funny. Early Fleishers were works of art. Though many were quite dirty. Like Betty Boop doing squats with the Empire State Building behind her.
Scott Wolpow
http://www.myfilm.com
http://www.publiccto.com
http://www.discountjewelry.comPrivate Reply to Scott Wolpow | | |
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