By Colby Horton
Shop Site of the Month
Steve's Auto Repair - Duluth, Ga.
www.stevesautorepair.net
This site offers the latest in shop Web site innovations, including an online appointment scheduler and comprehensive service menu. The site provides customers the ability to view their personal car care page, which includes service bulletins, recommended maintenance and service history. The home page features a "Car Care Tip of the Day," keeping the site fresh for frequent visitors.
Web Wise
When Designing Your Shop's Site, Don't Get Too 'Flashy'
As the Internet continues to evolve, so does the use of multimedia Web applications. The most commonly used multimedia application in Web design is Macromedia's Flash. And although implementing a Flash-designed site in your shop's Web strategy seems like an ideal way to keep your shop on the cutting edge, you may be driving customers and potential customers away from your shop's overall Web experience.
Flash is a plug-in-based application that adds multimedia features to many sites on the Web. This plug-in is free to download, and many newer computers already have the application installed. Some Web sites use Flash technology sparingly, focusing on navigation schemes or specific graphics throughout the site. But as an automotive repair business, you must be careful about designing your entire site around Flash technology.
One of the most typical uses of Flash is in an intro page. An intro can be very effective for certain types of sites, such as entertainment-related sites. But for an automotive repair Web site, always include the option to "skip" the intro and go straight into the site. In many cases, visitors will not wait to enter your site while your intro loads. By adding a Flash intro, you are delaying the users' ability to receive the information for which they came.
Flash technology also hinders overall usability of your site. Current Flash technology forces viewers to read text in the designer-specified font size. Although all Web browsers allow users to enlarge small text, this is not the case with Flash sites. If your text is too small for visitors to read, they have no choice but to leave your site. In addition, many search engines cannot index Flash sites, unless certain technical criteria has been met. If you don't have that expertise, potential customers may never find your site on the Web.
Probably the biggest disadvantage of using Flash is load-time. Flash sites take longer to load than standard HTML sites. And although high-speed Internet access is becoming more predominate, most Internet users still use a dial-up connection. Statistics show they will not wait for your Flash-based site to load. If you insist on designing a site using Flash, think about allowing customers to choose whether they want to view the Flash site, or a standard HTML site. This way, those with dial-up connections can still experience your site's capabilities without having to wait for the site to load.
Net Numbers
Almost nine out of 10 Internet users have the Flash plug-in installed on their computer.
Source: WebSideStory
ASA Web Ways
13th Annual Shop Management Software Guide
All editorial features and monthly departments found in this issue or previous issues of AutoInc., can be found online at the AutoInc. Web site (www.autoinc.org). To that end, the complete set of software charts are available as PDF (portable document format) files for your convenience. Download the pages anytime and print out a clear copy using Adobe Acrobat Reader. If your computer does not have Acrobat Reader installed, a link to the free version is also available on the AutoInc. Web site.
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Net Worth is written by Colby Horton, ASA's electronic communications manager. He can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 234, or by e-mail at colbyh@asashop.org.
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