I don’t know what that is but I want it. (Part 2)
Welcome to the second installment of my internet buzz word recap. In part one I talked about Web 2.0, blogs, RSS feeds, and weather or not they are worthwhile tools for your online business strategies. In this continuation I will be talking about AJAX.
AJAX (not the dish soap)
At this time, AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) is one of the hottest buzz words on the web. What is it exactly? Well that’s hard to say. Many developers are still debating what AJAX is and isn’t, but most will say that it relates to the ability to access new information without having to refresh the web page. One of the most famous examples of this is the ever popular Google Maps application. Before AJAX was involved, using an online map program was a tedious process. If the user wanted to see something on the map that was beyond the edge of the current view, they would have to click a button and wait for the page to refresh with a new view. Now, thanks to AJAX, all they have to do is click and drag the map view to see what ever they want almost instantly.
This desktop-like form of interactivity is one reason why AJAX has become so popular and has many companies scrambling to get similar features developed for their own websites. However, while AJAX applications seem fresh and make people feel all warm and fuzzy inside, they can be expensive, almost as expensive as Asynchronous Javascript and XML is hard to spell. When it comes down to it, most websites don’t need that kind of fanciness. Plain old static web pages do just find for many situations, and is a lot cheaper.
There are even situations where adding AJAX can hurt a website. A common problem with AJAX is that it often removes a user’s ability to use the browser’s back button. One might expect that when they click the back button it will reverse the action they last took in the AJAX app. Instead it takes the user back to a page they were at before they started using the application. This can easily cause a user to loose their work and their patience. Headaches can also arise when using the Google Maps application because it removes the ability to use page bookmarks. Instead a user has to find and click a link on the side that says “link to this page”. While this isn’t too terrible it is still annoying.
These problems aside, AJAX still has the potential to help. Can your website be improved by AJAX? Maybe. Every situation is different. If it will improve the user’s experience and you have the money to spend then maybe AJAX is right for your business. If used right it can definitely set you apart from the competition and leave an impression with your customers.
