It might not be something you often think about, but the length of a Web page is an important factor to consider when designing pages. If a page is very long, even small movements of the scroll bar can greatly alter the contents of the screen. To make matters worse, the long pages may contain no familiar landmarks. Finally, longer pages with multiple graphics can lead to increased download times. From a sheer interface standpoint, a lot of scrolling can be problematic.

Consider the following when determining the length of your Web pages:

• the content of the page
• whether it will be read online or offline
• the estimated screen size and relative page size (if you have a feel for that sort of thing)

A good general rule is to create pages that have no more than three screens of information. Furthermore, it is important to include navigation for major elements at both the ends of the page. In most cases it is best to take advantage of the nature of the Web and separate the pages into hyperlinked sections. Home pages should never be too long.

Adapted from Element K Journals, tips@elementktips.com