Creative Cut: Ross-Simons

Having learned that exciting Web pyrotechnics such as video, audio and animation can drive away shoppers whose computers have bandwidth limitations causing the site not to load, catalogers now are making their Web sites simpler.

However, “Rollovers are effective,” says Frawley, referring to the image that appears when a user points her mouse on a certain element. It’s like a “little surprise”—clean and non-intrusive, and similar to scratch-off stickers on print pieces. “People want to see what else they can discover,” she affirms.