Operation Manual

Web Design from Scratch 89
WebPlus includes two default Web page sizes: Standard for VGA
monitors, Wide for SVGA. The latter (800x600) option is fine for most
users. The bottom of the WebPlus page is fixed, too, but a Web
browser will only display as far as the bottom object on each page. If
there’s a chance you’ll be including pages with a lot of text, requiring
users to scroll down, you can increase the height valueforthepageto
give yourself some extra room. You don’t have to fill all the space, and
it’s easier to change the value at the outset than after you’ve developed
the site.
One of the simplest things you can do to improve your site’s
appearance is to set rather wide left and right margins. Extra space on
both left and right helps to set off your content from the edge of the
browser window, and gives an uncluttered appearance just as it would
on a printed page. It’s also easier to view: studies show that at normal
reading distances, the eye’s span of view is only about 8 cm (3 inches)
wide; longer lines of text require extra effort. So spend some time
experimenting with different placements of the main frame on your
very first page, previewing in your browser until you find your own
preferences. Then duplicate the first page to create the other pages, so
the layout will be consistent on the other pages in the site.
Your Home page
On the Home page, you can break a few rules. For example, although
you’re generally trying to reduce the time it takes each page to load, it’s
OK to include larger or more numerous graphics on the Home page.
Most visitors’ attention span will stretch a bit in anticipation of seeing
what your site has to offer, and they’ll make allowances. In addition,
they’ll only have to wait the first time they visit the page, as the
graphics will be cached and instantly available next time.
On the other hand, all the guidelines mentioned above work to your
advantage. The Home page, and particularly its safe area, are your only
chance to make a first impression (unless someone enters through one
of the “side doors” we alluded to). Decide what kind of impression you
want to make—“cool,” “hot,” “intriguing,” “professional,” or all of the
above—and go for it.
Make the safe area interesting enough to hold the visitor’s attention
while the rest of the page loads. Text loads first, then graphics. A
composition of free text blocks will load quickly and, with the right
choice of text and background colors, can be stunningly effective. A
pithy quotation or unusual symbol will serve to engage the mind’s eye
and arrest the web-surfer’s impulse to “click and get on with it.”