Web page design trends

Websiteoptimization.com reports that broadband users are experiencing slightly shorter response times despite the fact that the average web page has tripled in size since 2003. However, response times for the 43% of households that use dial-up continues to climb.

Another note I found of interest, since my institution blocks streaming video, is that the use of streaming media has increased 100% each year, up 600% between 2000 and 2005. However, more than 87% of streaming media are abandoned in the first 10 seconds, wasting up to 20% of server bandwidth.

It’s important to know one’s target audience, the article says; for example, charities may find more of their users in the dial-up group. The article goes on to give suggestions for reducing the size of a web page.