I believe a lot of Internet users notice that there are lots of websites has a good looking slideshow on their front page. By Flash or by Javascript.

Almost all the clients I worked with required one for them, for their news and update or press release. But does it work well with it? Not exactly.

For my point of view, a business, depending on the services, a slideshow is a showcase, in a way.

It should emphasize the business itself. Attractiveness is not a priority, but the effect of the slideshow counts. Delaying too long is not good; invisible button is not good; button not clearly shown is not good and so on.

It is always good to use JQuery for the slide instead of Flash, because Flash already breaking the first rules of the slide – Delay. It needs to load and depend on how fast/slow the Internet connection a visitor has. However, overusing slideshows may make it all little boring too…

Just went for a little chat with a friend of mine, which did not meet for some times. It’s still good to hook up with some old friend and chat about things that is related to each other – Web technology. It’s like appetite suppressants pill when it comes to web for us, at least. So without further drink or even snack, we went on and on for about 2 – 3 hours.

Both of us are from a small town, where not much of businessmen believe web can benefit them. Which in turn, no web designer in town. I did not strongly advertise my field in the town yet though. As I have some job coming in from the web itself.

However, even if web doesn’t bring in business, I believe it does help in promoting the services/products online This is what businessmen doesn’t know…

With all the topic about bloggers and earning online. I come across a few articles and hired a coach for my business. This is an online business which, I just launched months back with my wife and hopefully can get a grow from it. With all the time we spend on the business, we finally take the step to spend some money for a starter.

Like getting Philadelphia jobs, a portal/web is essential. As an online door for potential customers.

But what makes up the percentage of traffic are the social media. People started to go for social media for review and comment instead. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are most visited for a product/service review.

However, as a newbie to social media, I have no idea how to… Construct a good copy line for my services.

After a few coaching session, I find out that we are too hurry to the business. We tend to take the saver move by hoping to get customers from one site and place them on another site. After a few analysed with my wife/partner, the site become a showcase instead of service provider. That is the biggest problem.

The coaching give us the chance to run through head to toe again. By starting off with target audience, services and gaining traffic, which is good. The money worth it all But wasted it too. As previously we did joined a training about all these, I know it’s stupid, but still worth it

Recently I went back home town to do a short and simple survey on the web appearance to the people on town. One of my friend who is also a web enthusiast came to me and tell me how lame and how unattractive our high school official website is. He suggested to call the principle and propose a new design.

There, web appearance is just a “design” for them, period. Web is none other than a good design that attract people and give some information, that’s all. Which is a very limited point of view I would say. I told him “Get your equestrian apparel I’m taking you for a short ride ”

Web is a gateway

Web is a front door, a door where people in some corner of the world open and see you without having to physically come to you. The web should re-present your products/services/ideas. Design does not re-present it, but the concept of the design present it. It’s about the concept. A simple layout can be a powerful message of a concept.

Web is the long-listed email

Look around, most company website doesn’t stop on a few static html pages anymore. They keep improving their appearance and their information. It save you a long listed FAQ from the visitors to get to their point.

Web is a brand, an asset

While most people thought that web is a marketing tool, which is truth too. But to be precise, it is an asset for your company. Not only can it helps selling your products/services/ideas continuously, if the web is well maintained.

As a web designer (here I got again, duh!) An Internet Explorer is essential, especially Internet Explorer 6, which has about 23% users are still using this dinasour. We can’t kill IE6, we of course can’t ask them to upgrade, some people rather staying at the same place for years and not upgrading.

While I was with Windows XP, there was this little IE6 stand alone packed for my convenient. But then, naughty me, I upgraded to Windows Vista not long ago, because I wanted to test Vista for a long long time and now I’m addicted to the interface, like how I did with Macintosh.

Recently I found a little software called IETester. Which can render from IE5.5 to IE8 (!) I love it!

Overally it doesn’t have much function. All it did is render your page in IE and do only this, and do it well

One thing I should hate about IE6 is the margin/padding problem, and it does not support .PNG file type. PNG-24 has been a good friend with me