Capturing Your Web Audience With Front End Architecture

In the rapidly changing digital environment, it's critical to stay on top of new technology or risk being left behind by the competition. In addition to powerful back-end database-driven platforms such as MYSQL PHP, .NET and Coldfusion, internet technology now offers more evolved front-end architecture such as advanced JavaScript and Ajax to make web sites more visually exciting, easier to navigate and faster to search. The end result is more engaged users and higher conversion rates.

Some of these technologies are listed below.

These languages are complex in coding yet need to work harmoniously together and still comply with web standards. In other words, they must function properly in all major browsers and also meet coding ethics. Since many back-end programmers do not understand this, it's the job of a good front-end developer to know all the variables and make them work together.

With all the new choices for web functionality, how do you decide what to use and when?

Good web design nowadays means striking a balance between what's functional and what's "cool". It also means offering your web visitors a richer user interface to help them to find what they are looking for faster.

This can be done through the use of tabs, scroll features, overlays, rich gallery design, accordion menus, Tool Tips, advanced form techniques, and flash videos, to name a few. These may sound like mere bells and whistles to make a site more fun, but the fact of the matter is that these new front-end technologies, used correctly, give sites faster capabilities and create a more comfortable environment for the end user. In fact, 98% of users will leave if they can't find what they are looking for quickly. There are 2 types of web visitors – those who are visual and those who are content-oriented. These features support both types of visitor with striking imagery and design as well as easy to find content. The result is a more successful web site.

Mouse Over Image For A Tool Tip Example

Overlays

Overlays were originally introduced in the JavaScript Lightbox feature. Now, using advanced styling and JavaScript techniques, there are no limits to what developers can create using their own overlay effects by introducing additional page features without leaving the current page. Click on the images below for Overlay Samples.

The Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona, Spain

The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, was the German Pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition in Barcelona, Spain. It was an important building in the history of modern architecture.

The Barcelona Pavilion

Barcelona, Spain

Another unique feature of this building is the exotic materials Mies chose to use.

Plates of high-grade stone materials like veneers of Tinos verde antico marble and golden onyx as well as tinted glass of grey, green, white, in addition to translucent glass, perform exclusively as spatial dividers.

Form Techniques Example

There are new techniques to enhance forms by highlighting areas of interest. Developers can combine these effects in many ways without compromising the form's utility. Front end architecture types can be combined within one element to assist the end user with a better interactive experience and provide better direction. For instance an overlay can also be a log in with tool tip effects for instructions on filling out a form. Here is a basic highlighted form sample.