One of the symptoms of being a web developer (it's not recognised as a medical condition yet but I'm sure it won't be long) is that you have a tendency to comment on almost every website you see. Even if you do manage to bite your tongue, and save people around you the experience of hearing you rant about web standards and how you would have done it differently, you still end up being distracted from the actual purpose of the site you’re looking at, by being over analytical. Very occasionally I come across a website that grabs my attention to the point that I stop analysing the technical details and start to appreciate the content.

The reason for this is that these websites create a positive user experience rather than just presenting information. This may be a simple Flash movie or an interactive feature that allows you to really start to use the website rather than just look at it.

Many of these website use a technology known as AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML for those of you who really wanted to know). AJAX allows me to create a website that works more like a desktop application rather than just a web page. Using AJAX it is possible to change elements on the page based on the users input. This could be as simple as a live search that shows you the results as you are typing, or page elements that can be dragged about the screen as you would icons on your desktop.

The list of practical applications is huge. The main point of all this is that if your website involves the visitor in some way they are more likely to return to the site, or tell their friends about it. All this can bring you new or repeat business through your on-line presence (and stops web developers like me from getting bored when they visit your site).

So if you can give your visitors a positive experience when they visit your site you’re in with a better chance of your on-line business increasing.

Thanks for reading.

James Robinson

(Systems Developer)