Web Site
Verification Test

DOES A WEB SITE LOOK THE SAME TO EVERYONE?

Definitely NOT.   When many people view your Web Site, they may be seeing something that looks very different than what you see on your computer.   It takes careful attention to programming detail to ensure that everyone sees your Web Site the way you intend.   Why do you care?   Because people evaluate you by the quality of your Web Site.

First Impressions are lasting impressions;  "Sloppy Looking Web Site = Sloppy Organization." 

When individual viewers access Web Sites, they use different:  Monitor Resolutions,  Window Size settings, Font, and Color settings, and Contrast and Brightness adjustments.   Also, LED monitors display differently than CRT monitors.   These variations can inadvertently scramble and ruin a poorly designed Web Site - maybe yours.

A quick, simple exercise:  The simple steps, below, will help you prove this to yourself:
 

 

(1-a)  If You Are Using  INTERNET EXPLORER^tm

• Start  the browser and quickly press the stop symbol (x).

• Select:  TOOLS >> INTERNET OPTIONS. 

• Select:   COLORS (Tab).  Set colors to very odd hues (e.g. - bright purple). 

• Select:   FONT (Tab).   Select a unique, off-beat (weird) font as the default. 

• Save changes.  
   

(1-b)  If You Are Using  MOZILLA FIREFOX^tm

• Start  the browser and quickly press the stop symbol (x).

• Select:  TOOLS >> OPTIONS. 

• Select:  DEFAULT FONT (box) - pick a unique, off-beat  (weird) font as the default. 

• Select:  COLORS (Tab).  Pick odd colors in the color boxes (e.g. - purple). 

• Save changes.  
    

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(2-a)  Using your modified Browser - Set your Screen Resolution to 800 x 600.

• In Windows - You can usually modify this by right-clicking the Desktop screen and selecting Video Modes - by selecting "Settings" - or by going to "Control Panel."   (Different versions may vary the procedure.)
   

(2-b)  Using your modified Browser at 800 x 600 - View Web Sites, including yours.

• Do you see the odd fonts and colors that you picked in #2, above, showing up?  If so, the programming failed to control how your Web Site may appear to different viewers.
    

• Is the page easily read and balanced?   If not, proper control was not maintained.
   

• Do you have to scroll horizontally to read what is on the page?   If so, this indicates poor programming control and loses viewers.
   

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(3-a)  Using your modified Browser - Set your Screen Resolution to 1024 x 768.

• In Windows - You can usually modify this by right-clicking Desktop screen and selecting Video Modes - or selecting "Settings" - or by going to "Control Panel."   (Different versions may vary the procedure.)
   

(3-b)  Using your modified Browser at 1024 x 768 - view Web Sites, including yours.   (Keep your browser at full-screen, by toggling the minimize box at the screen's top-right).

• Is the page easily read and balanced?  If not, proper design was not executed.
   

(3-c)  Using your modified Browser at 1024 x 768 - minimize the browser.
      (Toggle browser's minimize box and move the right edge of browser 25% leftward).

• Is the page easily read and balanced?  If not, proper design was not executed.
   

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(4)  Using the steps in  #1-a  or  #1-b  (above) - reset your Browser to your normal defaults.
 

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(5)  Using steps  #2-a  or  #3-a  (above) - reset the Screen Resolution to your normal defaults.

 

This Small Exercise is Over.   These tests are just a few of those performed regularly by T-21.   If you didn't find many sites with severe problems, you probably were either lucky or didn't look at many.   If you found no flaws in your own Web Site - you get a big ATTA-BOY!    If you did find flaws in your own Web Site - you may want to consider a thorough review by T-21.

This is not a trivial test.   Depending on age and interests, about 50% - 70% of all viewers use 800 x 600 resolution, and most of the remaining viewers use 1024 x 768 resolution.   Most 800 x 600 viewers use full-screen viewing, while 1024 x 768 viewers often use browser screens in reduced-size.   Some users set different defaults on their browsers for Font and Color.   No matter which settings your viewers use - your Web Site must perform effectively;  if it doesn't, you've wasted your money and possibly harmed your image with your clientele.

Quality Pays.   To make your Web Site appear just the way you intend - testing and remediation may be necessary.   Quality always pays - T-21 can help.
 

Other Tests include:  timing Web Page load speed on dial-up connections.  Slow loading pages are one of the major causes of viewers "clicking-off" and going elsewhere.   Still more tests include page load times on dial-up with a PC, lacking Flash^tm software, on a Web Site highly dependent on it.   If you can, it's also advisable to view your Web Site on an LED monitor as well as a CRT display.
 

Give It Some Thought.
 
In the Internet World of Over
2-Billion Web Sites - Quality Counts!
  

T-21 Can Help!