Additional features for your site
For the vast majority of web sites, just having an attractive, easy to navigate site with well written content is all that is needed to best serve your web audience. People are usually trying to find something specific when they go to a site - information, something to buy, etc. - and you don't want to slow them down with unnecessary "fluff".
A specific site may benefit from brief audio or video, as long as it can be controlled by the user. In some cases you may want to allow visitors to send you specific information though an online form, pay online, or have a "photo gallery". All of these "features" require more work than standard web pages.
Music and Video
I can easily add audio or video to your site. I comply with copyright laws, so what you want on the web site either needs to be in the public domain, or must be copyrighted by you, or you have to get permission from the copyright owner.
Here is a page with audio clips: www.kayhilton.com/audio.shtml
Here is a page with a video: www.youcandoitnow.net/carol_story.shtml
Scripted "automated" processes
Most web pages are what we call "static" web pages ... the page looks essentially the same to everyone who sees it.
"Interactive" pages have some form of scripting that "makes something happen" depending on input from the site visitor. If the visitor can enter information into fields on the web page, and then clicks on a button to "submit" the info, that process is run by a script. Shopping carts and many photo galleries are run by scripts.
When I install and configure scripts on my clients' sites, I take care to make the "scripted" pages match the design of the rest of the site as closely as possible.
The most common uses of scripted web pages on sites for small businesses, individuals, or organizations are:
- A form that gather's just the visitor's information - like email address, name, phone number - and sends that info to a predetermined email address. Here is an example of this kind of form: www.sou.edu/dce/request-form.html
- A "button" or text link that works with PayPal to allow someone to buy something or donate money using a credit card at the PayPal web site. Here's an example: www.repsingers.org/support/donate.shtml (scroll down to see the Donate button)
- A script that organizes and displays photos on a web site.
Two examples: www.oregonmountaincabins.com/cpg and
www.imagine-adventures.com/cpg - Blogs and Forums are scripts that let authorized users enter information that is then displayed on a web page. The blog or forum has settings controlled by the administrator. Here is an example of a blog: www.bfitsolutions.com/wordpress/