Web pages
Content
Try and put information into the site in only one location. If you put it in more that one place and you have to update it you are bound to forget to update every version.
Try and make each page about just one subject. Don't make pages too large so users have to always scroll up and down.
Style
Try and make the style of all pages the same, try not to set the style of individual pieces of text.
An easy way is to get a common style is to use a stylesheet e.g. stylesheet.css
Don't make text of a fixed size, remember that some people have difficulty reading small text and they will want to change the text size via their browser.
Don't make tables etc of a fixed size. Remember that people use different screen resolutions and your site should fill their browser window.
Consider having a common footer to every page, this can contain the name of the web site/organisation, date of last update, link to home page etc.. This is easy if you use Joomla.
If you use Frames then have a Print this page on appropriate pages so users can easily print just that page and not the frame as well. I put this in the footer
Email addresses
Don't as a rule add anyone's eamil address to a web page. Spammers search web pages for email addresses and you will start to get a lot of spam. Instead use a Form.
Web Site
Navigation/Menus
- I think that setting up a good menu system is the most important item for a web site and the hardest task. Users don't like to have to use the back command. They also like to be able to see which pages they have been to. This is easy with text links but not with graphic links, so use them carefully. I use Joomla for www.derbyramblers.org.uk .
File names
- Avoid blanks in the name of files and folders
- Server often run Linux and hence you must get the case of links correct. Page.htm and page.htm are different. I always try and just use lower case then you can spot links that are incorrect. A link pointing at Page.htm will not find it if the file is called page.htm.
- If you use FrontPage you can get it to check your links, both internal and external ones. However it will not notice any case problems.
Browser compatibility
- Not all web browsers work the same. Internet Explorer while in common use does not render web pages correctly. Some web sites actually have incorrect HTML so that IE gets it right.
- In a list of items (like this one) IE will ignore <p> tags whereas other browsers will display them correctly.
- Check your site looks ok in a couple of browsers. At least Internet Explorer and then one of the Mozilla browsers like Firefox. http://www.firefox.com/
Check it works
- Upload your web site and THEN CHECK that it works
- Check that links still work
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