Re: Download time

>1) I know 35 seconds is long, but is it that long?

Yes.

Not often I agree with a client's view on a web design matter but I 
think they are right.

I measure download times at 33Kb/s (more or less the speed 56K modems 
actually attain). For most sites, I would want to see a load time of 
under 15 seconds. Many people use a higher number. Yahoo loads in 
about 8 seconds. Do you suppose they know something?

Depends on the site, though. How motivated is the user? cartier.com 
has a gorgeous but slow site. Are there customers motivated enough to 
wait?

And depends on the user. Many authors claim that all their users are 
using DSL or high-speed lines. Most are fooling themselves. For a few 
-- SGI, for instance -- that is perhaps true. But how about 
laptop-equipped road warriors? Users in other countries? SOHO users?

And the $64,000 question: IS IT WORTH IT? Is that 110K-byte page 
accomplishing anything -- is it worth losing however-many impatient 
clickers? Not a cut and dried answer -- depends on your business.

>2) Should I start eliminating certain graphics (such as navigation
>buttons)?

I look at every graphic and ask myself whether it adds to my mission; 
or can I get there for less?

But 35 seconds? Do this: Click and wait the full 35 seconds. No 
cheating, just wait.

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