Re-Design Considerations - A Case Study We were asked by a site owner to transfer their web site from their existing internet service provider to our server. Additionally they approached us after the fact about the kind of results they were getting from their site and whether we could improve anywhere. We pointed out several areas that could be worked on. First we pointed out that their site lacked meta tags (which helps search engines find your site on the internet). Generally speaking, behind the scenes of any web page are tags and special words that can improve the chances for that page to 'pop-up' in search engines. This can include page titles, text on the pages, scripting placement, etc. We suggested an emphasis in this area to improve on the ability for this site to be found more effectively by the various search engines. We also suggested that the pages took an excessively long time resolve (load) in a browser using a typical modem. Sites should load in less than 30 seconds on a typical modem. We design our sites to meet that criteria. But meeting that criteria is not as simple as reducing the number of images on a page or their size. Sound files, animated graphics, java appelets, etc. can all effect "load time." We suggested optimizing image colors to improve performance, eliminating the background sound file because it did not "sell" their product, and eliminating the visitor counter because it was a java based counter that was excessively slow, and eliminating the busy background graphic because of its size. Lastly, we suggested that the overall design of the site was out of date. Sites created just a few years ago often use techniques and styles that are not considered graphically pleasing nor are they designed to sell effectively. In the end the site owner was pleased with our proposal and pleased with the price. Our redesign estimate was about a third of what the owner originally paid for the site to begin with.