Download Time
The download time of a page is an important element of effective Web design. Customers should not be forced to download software to view multimedia applications, and graphics and other bandwidth-intensive design elements should be limited (Bacheldor, 2000; Rohan, 1999; Tannenbaum, 1998). Until high speed Internet access from cable and telephone companies becomes widespread, sites should have multimedia presentations accessible to the lowest common denominator in Web browsing.

Navigation
Ease of navigation is a necessity (Bacheldor, 2000; Lohse & Spiller, 1999; Lohse & Spiller, 1998; Hofacker, 1999; Weise, 1999). Poor navigation coupled with error messages will lose visitors (Weise, 1999). Bacheldor (2000) reports that users should navigate through pages without losing track of the starting point and each page should have consistent navigation links and a link back to the home page to ease navigation. A search function is provided on each Web page Web pages, and clear directions for entering and exiting each multimedia presentation shouDesign pundits purport that a Web site should avoid clashing colors, have limited use of color, use color that evokes intended connotations, and use color as visual cues (Bacheldor, 2000; Lohse & Spiller, 1998; Tannenbaum, 1999). Additionally, Web designers should limit the variations in font size and style, and easy-to-read type fonts and sizes should be employed. Backgrounds should not distract material, and consistencies in graphics, layout, and fonts are necessary for an effective multimedia-rich Web site (Bacheldor, 2000; Tannenbaum, 1998).   

Content
Information overload should be avoided (Bacheldor, 2000; Tannenbaum, 1998). Content should be complete, it should be structured in hierarchies, and it should be relevant (Bacheldor, 2000; Tannenbaum. 1998). Jakob Nielsen, a usability consultant who publishes a column on the topic at http://www.useit.com, asserts that user studies generally find that users comment on content first and if the content is not relevant then they do not care about other aspects of the site's design. Artist Tracy Sabin said (as cited in Anonymous), "Have the content drive the design."

Hyperlinks
Tannenbaum (1998) recommends taking advantage of the hyperlinking capabilities of the Web for a multimedia-rich site. In a survey by Lohse and Spiller, 95 percent of online stores did not have hyperlinks among related products (Lohse & Spiller, 1998). Hyperlinks help users discover useful and new information at the click of a mouse (Lohse & Spiller, 1999).  links to pages already seen in red or purple (Bacheldor, 2000).

Screen Design
Design experts advocate uncluttered screen design (Bacheldor, 2000; Hofacker, 1999; Lohse & Spiller, 1999; Lohse & Spiller, 1998; Tannenbaum, 1998). They recommend that designers keep copy short; cast informative headlines; use headings, highlighting, and color copy as visual cues; make use of white space; and employ interface consistency. Additionally, images (e.g., photos, art work) should enhance and not distract or compete with the delivery of a message on a screen (Tannenbaum, 1998). The copy for each menu item should be bright, and phrases should be brief and have color (Hofacker, 1999). Consumers are attracted to screens that look professional and are easy to read (Weise, 1999).    

Conclusion
ndustry experts say effective Web site design is critical to the success of e-commerce Web sites. Although many sites can handle more multimedia applications because users will likely visit with high bandwidth, many images are not necessary (Bacheldor, 2000). Tannenbaum (1998) asserts that multimedia Web designers should carefully consider the interactivity of each page. Paul Sonderegger, an analyst at Forrester Research, said that companies designing Web sites "must first know who their users are, what the key goals of those users are, and then they have to know what steps the users are going to take to use that site" (Bacheldor, 2000). 

References
Bacheldor, B. (2000, February 14). The art of e-biz. Information Week, 773, 42-44.

Hager, D., Kibler, C., & Zack, L. (1999, May/June). The basics of user-friendly Web

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Hofacker, C. F. (1999). Internet Marketing. Dripping Springs, TX: Digital Springs, Inc.

Lohse, G.L., & Spiller, P. (1999, December). Internet retail store design: how the user interface influences traffic and sales. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 5 (2). Available: http://www.asusc.org/jcmc/vol5/issue2/lohse.htm Accessed March 8, 2000

Lohse, G.L., & Spiller, P. (1998, July). Electronic shopping. Communications of the ACM, 41 (7), 81-87.

Murphy, J. (1999, April). Surfers and searchers: an examination of Web-site visitors' clicking behavior. Cornell Hotel & Restaurant Administration Quarterly, 40 (2), 84.

Rohan, R.F. (1999, March). Building a better Web site: top mistakes of business Web sites. Black Enterprise, 29 (8), 41.

Singh, S.N., & Dalal, N.P. (1999, August). Web home pages as advertisements. Association for Computing Machinery, Communications of the ACM, 42 (8), 91-98.

Tannenbaum, R.S. (1998). Designing for Interactivity. In R.S. Tannenbaum,

Theoretical Foundations of Multimedia. (pp. 385-461). New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Weise, E. (1999, January 11). Web shoppers look for reliability, ease. USA Today, p. 6D.