My least favorite web-fad right now is the idea that every web-site needs videos. And while there's a simple solution to sites that have added videos (don't play them) it gets a little more irritating when the videos on sites home pages (or any page) are set to start playing immediately.
That's just ridiculous: The last thing I want is to open a site in a tab and have some video start braying on in the background. It's really irritating when there's a delay before the video starts and you're opening multiple tabs and you can't figure out which one the noise is coming from...
Also, I often surf with music playing, and having some video (usually preceded by a twice-the-volume double-your-distraction advertisement, of course) start playing really wrecks my enjoyment of my music and detracts from my overall experience.
If I was a developer, I'd be working on browser plugin that automatically pauses/doesn't load the braying "auto-play" videos that web-sites are using these days. I'd download it... For that matter, I would PAY for a plug-in that does that.
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Hi Tom. You can always set the video to playback only when a visitor clicks the "Play" button. Research has shown that people are more likely to play an audio or video clip rather than read content when offered the option to do so.
The problem is that 99+% of the sites I visit aren't sites I control, so I don't have that option. I'm complaining as a user of web-sites here, not as a designer of them (although I suppose I technically am both.)
While I do believe that "when given a choice" people are more likely to view a video (since the American public reads, collectively, at an average 4th grade level) what site designers need to realize is that this isn't a universal truth, and that a significant number of users are diving to click "stop," "mute," or, in my case, leave your page for one that doesn't start braying noise at me the moment it loads.
Sounds that just start playing have been a design no-go since the 1990s... And even though retro can be cool, sometimes, in this case having noises start blasting out of a page the moment it loads is not cool. It is, in fact, the opposite of cool.
If you really are intent on jamming a video down our throats with auto-play, at least start with the audio MUTED so that the people who don't want to watch the video (because they were taught how to read) aren't subjected to the audio interruption.
While I do believe that "when given a choice" people are more likely to view a video (since the American public reads, collectively, at an average 4th grade level) what site designers need to realize is that this isn't a universal truth, and that a significant number of users are diving to click "stop," "mute," or, in my case, leave your page for one that doesn't start braying noise at me the moment it loads.
Sounds that just start playing have been a design no-go since the 1990s... And even though retro can be cool, sometimes, in this case having noises start blasting out of a page the moment it loads is not cool. It is, in fact, the opposite of cool.
If you really are intent on jamming a video down our throats with auto-play, at least start with the audio MUTED so that the people who don't want to watch the video (because they were taught how to read) aren't subjected to the audio interruption.
It's vitally important to add all kinds of distractions and entertainment features to help use up those boatloads of free time you have. Blogs are great for that since, well take her for example, daily blah blah blah is soooo vital to ...... uhhhh (it'll come to me...)
Though this article gives some good ideas on how to keep your website "up-to-date" with fresh content, I am not sure it addresses how to "revamp the website on a small budget".
Revamping suggests improving the form, structure or appearance. This is what a web designer is paid to do and what I thought I was going to read about. I actually think you can learn a lot by reading comments. In most cases, the viewer to your website comes for a specific reason and we have to structure or "revamp" the website to meet their needs and be cognizant of how valuable their time is. The website should be structured so that the viewer is in control and what keywords or search drove them to your site is available right when they get there.
This article talks more about keeping content fresh and up-to-date. Don't get me wrong, this is critical to a successful website but a "revamp"... I don't think so!
Revamping suggests improving the form, structure or appearance. This is what a web designer is paid to do and what I thought I was going to read about. I actually think you can learn a lot by reading comments. In most cases, the viewer to your website comes for a specific reason and we have to structure or "revamp" the website to meet their needs and be cognizant of how valuable their time is. The website should be structured so that the viewer is in control and what keywords or search drove them to your site is available right when they get there.
This article talks more about keeping content fresh and up-to-date. Don't get me wrong, this is critical to a successful website but a "revamp"... I don't think so!
Hi @Sperryr. Thank you for pointing that out. We have changed the title to reflect the content of the post.
Thanks Tom. Point Taken. I think developers just need to find a way to incorporate video while avoiding "having noises start blasting out of a page the moment it loads." Check out "http://www.conversocial.com/" on how to implement video on the home page the right way.
Many thanks thanks for this summary but yet contains lots of information in details.
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