Color is more important to Internet users than the location of navigation or the use of pop-up windows, according to research conducted by SpectraCom Inc. The absence of pop-up windows was the next most important factor, followed by navigation across the top of the Web site.

The research was conducted in April 2002 among nearly 500 adult Internet users. Eight out of 10 are on the Internet for 10 or more hours each week and 95 percent have been using the Web for at least three years.

While the research shows overall preferences, there are distinct preferences based on demographic issues:

• Color is more important to women that it is to men.
• Men are more likely to object to the use of pop-up windows.
• Those under the age of 30 are heavily influenced by color.
• Adults who are not heavy Internet users have a strong preference for muted colors.

The survey also confirms the dominance of e-mail as the favorite Internet tools with 97 percent using the Internet for e-mail, 94 percent using it for research on items of personal interest, and 72 percent using the web for shopping.

SpectraCom provides global online marketing strategies including strategic planning, research, content design, and production for global markets, traffic building, media relations, promotions and search engine marketing technical development, integrating and Web hosting. For more information, visit their web site www.spectracom.com.

Talk

The late Dr. Richard Feyman was one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists. After being awarded the Nobel Prize in Sweden, he flew to his old hometown and stopped at his old high school. While he was there, he looked up his grades. They were not as good as he had remembered, so he asked to see his I.Q. score. It was 124, only slightly above average. He was delighted. "Winning a Nobel Prize is no big deal, " he reportedly told his wife, "but winning it with an I.Q. of 124 is really something."

Source: G-man, Carol K. (1989). Creativity in business. Los Altos, CA: Crisp Publications, Inc.