Special Effects
Now that most browsers support various multimedia technologies, and consumers have high-speed access to the Internet, consider adding special effects to your web pages using various new and old technologies. You'll want to be careful that the effects add to rather than detract from your message and website goals.
Not all visitors will be able to experience your multimedia special effects, due to limitations with their internet access speed, limitations with their browser as it's set up on their computer, or variations in their physical ability to see, hear, and use a mouse.
- Flash animation
- These animations are usually added for decorative effects. The skills of one of our Flash animators will be required.
- JavaScript effects
- JavaScript behaves slightly differently in different browsers, but is used in abundance on the web. It is a programming language that executes in the visitor's browser. It is used for both decorative and highly functional effects.
- Video
- The easiest way to get video on your web page is to upload it to YouTube, and then embed the generated HTML code into your web page. YouTube converts your video to Adobe Flash Player, a plug-in installed on over 95 percent of personal computers.
- Audio
- Any audio file should play only when the visitor elects to do so. Sudden noise when loading a web page may startle your visitor, or your visitor's office/house mates. Letting the visitor control the sound gives her the time to adjust the volume controls or to put on headphones.
- Slide shows
- Slide shows are handy methods for displaying a series of photos in a small space on a web page. Like vidoes from YouTube, photos and slide shows can be embedded into your web pages from external websites like Flickr or Picasa.
- Thumbnails and zooms
- A web page containing many small “thumbnails” will load much faster than a web page containing larger images. Typically, the visitor is invited to click on a thumbnail to see a larger image.