P2/P3

P2

User side factors

Download speed
Download speed can affect how fast a web page will load on a users computer. If a users download speed is quite slow then the web page will take longer to load than a user who has a quick download speed. When creating my website, the download speed will have to be considered and in order to make the web page load quicker there should be less items (images, videos) on each page to allow users to view the webpage even if their download speed is not the quickest.

PC performance
PC performance can affect how fast a web page will load on a users computer. Things that contribute towards PC performance are the web browser, cache memory and processor speed. The web browser can alter how your PC will load web pages as most web pages require plug-ins to be installed to be able to view the web page in its true form. The cache memory and processor speed can be a problem for people with older computers as it will take longer for the web page to process and load up. When creating my website, I will have to consider peoples PC performance as some users may have older computer builds which will make the website load slower and I will have to reduce the amount of files on the web page.

Server side factors

Web server capacity
Web server capacity can affect how fast a web page will load on a users computer. If the web server capacity has a small amount of bandwidth then the web page will load at a much slower rate. An example of this could be the differences between a local clothing shop compared to a large retailer like Next. When creating my website, I will make it very basic and simple so it will not use up a lot of bandwidth and will load at an average rate on most computers.

File types
Different file types can affect how fast a web page will load on a users computer. Some file types that majority of computers can load include .gif, and .jpg. Other file types may need additional plugins in order to be viewable on a web page and an example of one of these plugins is Adobe Flash Player. When creating my website, I will have to consider using file types which are easily accessible and will load on a web page without any additional plugins.

P3

1. A website that stores users' details, it will be legally required to comply with the Data Protection Act.

2. Security: risks eg hacking, viruses, identity theft.

3. Security protection mechanisms: firewalls; secure socket layers (SSL); standards eg strong passwords