Thinking Big For Small Business—BizBOOM.com

Tim Scanlon is a Web Analyst/Designer with the E-Business Group at National Grid. E-Business designs, develops and implements all Internet activities that inform and educate constituents including customers, prospective customers, employees, trade allies, the media and energy service companies. In his role, Tim oversees design, usability, online advertising, interactive multimedia, and Internet communications in support of Niagara Mohawk’s e-business initiatives.

Tim joined National Grid in June 1999 from Syracuse Language Systems, where he was a senior web designer. Prior to that Tim worked as a graphic designer for Wegmans Food Market in Rochester, New York. Tim holds a BFA in Design from Syracuse University and an AAS in Advertising Design from Mohawk Valley Community College.

Q: Where should I put my company's contact information?

A: A link in the site navigation or on the homepage is best. Users shouldn't have to dig deep in a site to find a way to make contact. Make sure to include name, address and phone numbers along with e-mail links.

Q: Should I be saving images as a .GIF or a .JPG?

A: A general rule of thumb is to save all photographic imagery as jpegs and imagery with flat areas of color as gif's. If you have the time, save in both formats and use the better-looking image with the most acceptable file size.

Q: Should I use animated images to attract attention to my website and make it more fun?

A: If it moves, blinks or flashes, it annoys! Remember, on the web, content is king and users don't want to read while images scroll, dance and flicker in the corner of their eye. If you want to get people back for a second viewing, take time to develop content that conveys its message quickly and accurately, sans "Vegas."

Q: At what resolution should photos be scanned for the web?

A: Always scan photos in at 72dpi at 100% of viewing size. Monitors can only display at 72 dpi, so scanning imagery any higher needlessly increases the file's physical size. Never resize web graphics within the html code—images will become pixelated. Use your image editor to reduce or increase the dimensions before saving web graphics.

Q: Should I design my website to use only browser-safe colors?

A: The browser-safe palette was developed when most computer systems' monitors could only display images in 256 colors. Since most of today's computers and video cards are far more powerful, most people can view the Internet in thousands if not millions of colors, making developing graphics within these color restrictions less important.