The adage that "Content is King" applies to all websites, and I am not disputing that. It is also true that when Website Design CA add sound, animation, Java applets and lots of graphics, Website Design CA web page takes a long time to load, and some of Website Design CA visitors may not bother to wait for it to load; they'll just go away.

However, putting those two together does not actually mean that all pages with animation, sound and applets are necessarily bad. The trick is to know when they're appropriate and to make the download speed as fast as it is reasonably possible under the circumstances. I will mention a few ways of reducing your graphics and animation file sizes later in this article.

When is it appropriate? Sometimes applets are needed for some sort of processing - for example, the Sesame Street website has a Java applet that shows Elmo (a Sesame Street character) dancing, and the child using it can use the mouse pointer to "tickle" Elmo and he'll respond according to where he is tickled. The applet takes forever to load on a 56K modem, but you cannot say that it is out of place: the site caters to young children who are there to play. In this case, the applet is an appropriate solution. Likewise, animation and sound might be appropriate for sites that feature online comics, online gaming, etc.

In fact, if yours is a website that sells website design services, that is, you want people to pay you to design their website, it is in your interest not to make your site too plain. Many potential customers see your site as an example of what their site can become. There's no point claiming "Content is King" at this time - they won't be around long enough to hear your claim. Such sites need a certain amount of colour, graphics, etc, although of course making it take too long to load would also be a deterrent to your potential clients.

Like all things, how you design your site depends on your topic and your target audience. Keep that cardinal rule in mind and you'll be fine.