Improving your browsing experience

Browsing the World Wide Web can get you into different highs and lows, both with regard to speed and your emotions. You can go from excited to anxious to frustrated in just a matter of seconds. This is a common range of feelings that a user can go through as he navigates the vast information superhighway.

Internet users get so frustrated to a point where he begins to pull his hair due to one common factor: slow speeds. There are times when it can get so slow that waiting for a video to stream can take all your browsing time. There are also the distracting pop-ups that keep, well, popping up that you have to close on some sites.

Here are some ways on how you can improve your web browsing so you’ll always have a great experience online:

Eliminate screen clutter – By screen clutter here we mean all those toolbars that not only make your browser look messier, but also limits your viewable area. There are pages where you won’t immediately see important elements above the fold (that portion of web page that is visible in a browser window when the page first loads) because of having too many tool bars in your browser. The simple solution? Turn them off.

Reduce scrolling – You can actually return to a previous article text within a page after being directed there through another link on the page without having to scroll up or down. Simply click on the ‘Back’ button to do that.

Don’t let the cookie crumble – Cookies, as experienced browsers know, are small files that we create to store info on our computer. We can use cookies to enable authorization control for online subscriptions or to keep track if you have filled out a form or a questionnaire. Depending on your usage and preference, you can adjust your cookies settings for your convenience and/or security.

Stop spinning graphics – There are pages that have spinning and looping graphics or GIFs that can make you feel dizzy. In many cases, you can actually stop from spinning by clicking the ‘Stop’ button. By doing this, you put a halt to everything loading on the page.

Use the large type edition – For those with vision issues, reading small words on a web page can cause eye strain. The solution to this, of course, is to increase the font size of your browser. In most browsers, you can do this by simply going to the ‘View’ menu and look for ‘Text Zoom,’ ‘Increase Font,’ or ‘Text Size.’

Update your browser – Sometimes, fixes to certain issues are provided with updates. Be sure to check regularly for them to improve the efficiency as well as the integrity of your browsing.

These are some of the ways you can enhance and improve your online experience. The list is by no means complete, but it includes some of the most helpful tips you can have when browsing the web. There are also ways to increase the speed of your downloads and uploads without even switching to a more expensive plan. However, if you’re considering to broadband plans like ADSL2, you can make an internet plan comparison first so you can have an informed decision.

Dave Carter is an independent consultant for small businesses. His expertise in consumer electronics is backed up by 12 years of experience in the telecommunications industry.