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StumbleUpon tends to be a visual site, whether we like it or not. On many
sites, you're taught as an entrepreneur not to fall into the trap of
gorgeous graphics, with your message and site function taking a back seat:
In StumbleUpon, this is definitely not the case.
People who are busy stumbling are always looking for that one site to
really grab them by the eyeballs. You don't do that by having a page of
plain text (it makes you look cheap and cheesy).
Fortunately, there are ways to have strong, eye-catching graphic design
without making your site slow and cumbersome. (Slow sites do get skipped or
- worse - the "thumbs down", in StumbleUpon.)
Color can make or break your site. Pick the right combination of colors and
remember that color is a language. It speaks to people. For example, a
bright pink website with touches of hot orange promises to be either
sumptuous and tropical, or flirty, female and fun. A website accented in
sharp black with accents of red warns the reader it's attempting to be
"cutting edge". A screaming neon yellow website is actually screaming,
well, "Amateur!".
How can you use color like a pro? By avoiding common "Amateur" mistakes.
- Don't use dark backgrounds (unless you're presenting technology or sound):
Most people find light text on dark backgrounds very hard to read. No
matter what other colors you have on your pages, try to have your text
plain black on a white background.
- Don't use colors that draw attention. They'll overpower your message.
- Do look at other sites in your category, and get a feel of what "works"
for you and what doesn't, color wise, when you surf them.
- Think about your site colors: Ask your trusted buddies for feedback. Are
your site colors reinforcing your message and personality... or turning it
into a lie? What do you think about the issue? What do your trusted
buddies think?
Yes, it's true that most people nowadays have high speed... but even so,
many of that number have limited plans, and if you hit them with a massive
graphic and a Flash intro when they've got a Bell Turbo stick or Rogers
Rocket, they're going to be hastily hitting the "Stumble" button without
even looking, terrified of data overages and huge bills. (And people still
out there on dialup may number way more than you think, thanks to rural
areas and geographic conditions).
How can you avoid huge file sizes? First, if you're saving an image in
Adobe Photoshop, select the "Save for Web" feature, rather than "Save" or
"Save as". It will cut down the file size considerably.
Unless yours is a photography site, you probably don't need full-page
graphics. Resize them down to the smallest you feel you can get with -
without losing impact.
Stay away from iFrames and Flash movies if you don't absolutely have to
have them.
Give people an option of watching in High Resolution or Low Resolution, if
you're presenting a video.
Of course, in the end, it's all about balance: You need to weigh the
reductions you can make in site loading time against the effectiveness of
the message; and whether or not your message is visual. But these 2 tips
and the specifics of implementing them should help you find the simplest
place to start.
Get My Free Stumble Upon 4Report And Discover How StumbleUpon Will Save You
Time!
http://www.4pro-tools.com/marketing-report/stumbleupon/fdb09365/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource: Clifford Petry
Permission is granted to freely reprint the above content as long as the
content stays in it's original form including this resource box.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Making your Design Work for StumbleUpon
StumbleUpon tends to be a visual site, whether we like it or not. On many
sites, you're taught as an entrepreneur not to fall into the trap of
gorgeous graphics, with your message and site function taking a back seat:
In StumbleUpon, this is definitely not the case.
People who are busy stumbling are always looking for that one site to
really grab them by the eyeballs. You don't do that by having a page of
plain text (it makes you look cheap and cheesy).
Fortunately, there are ways to have strong, eye-catching graphic design
without making your site slow and cumbersome. (Slow sites do get skipped or
- worse - the "thumbs down", in StumbleUpon.)
1. Make Color your Friend - Not Your Enemy
Color can make or break your site. Pick the right combination of colors and
remember that color is a language. It speaks to people. For example, a
bright pink website with touches of hot orange promises to be either
sumptuous and tropical, or flirty, female and fun. A website accented in
sharp black with accents of red warns the reader it's attempting to be
"cutting edge". A screaming neon yellow website is actually screaming,
well, "Amateur!".
How can you use color like a pro? By avoiding common "Amateur" mistakes.
- Don't use dark backgrounds (unless you're presenting technology or sound):
Most people find light text on dark backgrounds very hard to read. No
matter what other colors you have on your pages, try to have your text
plain black on a white background.
- Don't use colors that draw attention. They'll overpower your message.
- Do look at other sites in your category, and get a feel of what "works"
for you and what doesn't, color wise, when you surf them.
- Think about your site colors: Ask your trusted buddies for feedback. Are
your site colors reinforcing your message and personality... or turning it
into a lie? What do you think about the issue? What do your trusted
buddies think?
2. Avoid Huge File Sizes
Yes, it's true that most people nowadays have high speed... but even so,
many of that number have limited plans, and if you hit them with a massive
graphic and a Flash intro when they've got a Bell Turbo stick or Rogers
Rocket, they're going to be hastily hitting the "Stumble" button without
even looking, terrified of data overages and huge bills. (And people still
out there on dialup may number way more than you think, thanks to rural
areas and geographic conditions).
How can you avoid huge file sizes? First, if you're saving an image in
Adobe Photoshop, select the "Save for Web" feature, rather than "Save" or
"Save as". It will cut down the file size considerably.
Unless yours is a photography site, you probably don't need full-page
graphics. Resize them down to the smallest you feel you can get with -
without losing impact.
Stay away from iFrames and Flash movies if you don't absolutely have to
have them.
Give people an option of watching in High Resolution or Low Resolution, if
you're presenting a video.
Of course, in the end, it's all about balance: You need to weigh the
the message; and whether or not your message is visual. But these 2 tips
and the specifics of implementing them should help you find the simplest
place to start.
Get My Free Stumble Upon 4Report And Discover How StumbleUpon Will Save You
Time!
http://www.4pro-tools.com/marketing-report/stumbleupon/fdb09365/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resource: Clifford Petry
Permission is granted to freely reprint the above content as long as the
content stays in it's original form including this resource box.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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