I must admit, I hated frames. When our company switched to a framed front page to our site, I was tempted to quit. Our site was redesigned by a design firm who felt that frames were the only way to present our products. My partners and I argued, but were out voted. Our site was framed.
However, to be totally honest, I can now see some of the benefits to frames. It is especially nice to have framed pages without the border to mess with the design. I can't say that I've moved completely over to the dark side and become completely pro-frame, but I can see the benefits.
Why Frame?
- Frames allow you to keep pertinent information always on the screen.
For example, if you click any of the links on the Frames Links page, you will open a frameset. The top frame is always in view so that you can get back to the HTML Web site. If this were in a table and you had scrolled to the bottom of the screen, you wouldn't see those options as easily.
Some studies have shown that viewers of the web have a tendency not to scroll very much. While I believe that people will scroll if they find the page interesting, it is better to keep things you want them to see at the top of the page, or in a static frame.
- Frames provide a simple way to create a Table of Contents for your site.
It's simple because you only need one page of HTML to create the table of contents. If you do a TOC in a table on every page, you have to recreate the same information over and over.
- Frames create an advertisment that is always present.
Advertising may be annoying, but it is an easy way to generate revenue for a Web site. Even if your ads are simply link exchange banners, they are more likely to be hit if they are right in front of your viewers.
- Frames allow you to "brand" your site.
In the same fashion that you can create an advertising space, you can create a space for your Web site logo or Company Information and keep it in a frame so that it is always in view of your readers. Branding helps your audience remember your site, especially if you have a compelling graphical element that allows them to remember you. And if it is always present in a frame, they are more likely to remember it.
Do you love frames? Comment on the article.
