The use of special effects on web pages has literally exploded. Special effects are used either to draw potential client’s attention to a web site or to show off technical expertise. However, many web site designers, graphic designers, and programmers, or HTML “newbies” often use special effects without considering how their target audience will react to them. Ultimately, using advanced technology can alienate the very customers designers are trying to attract because they want their web site to look “cool.”
BEFORE you add any special effects to your web site, especially your home page, is your site easy to read, easy to navigate, easy to find, consistent/coherent in design, and quick to download? If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then adding special effects to your web site can be a good idea.
Special effects add to a web site’s download time, and you don’t want potential customers clicking off your site before viewing its content because you wanted “cool” effects on your web pages.
Some special effects require a plug-in. Here’s a typical scenario. Let’s say that some of your...