In addition, smaller files download faster for readers. When readers are finished with that item, they can close the window and still be at same place in the text as they were before they opened the specific item window. Using 72 dpi also helps protect original data, which will usually be at much greater resolution. If someone takes your work off your web site without attribution, you'll know it. Vertical spacing problems when translating to html may occur because of page breaks or other format commands imbedded in word processing documents.
Word processed tables can be a problem in html.
After translating, check tables very carefully to be sure they appear correctly in html. Saving a word processing document directly as an html document may help eliminate this problem. Embedded figures in Word will automatically be converted to gif or jpeg files. Hyperlinks take the place of page numbers, which are irrelevant in html. Always reference the object by name rather than by location.