WebDesign – What You MUST Remember

With the arrival of point-and-click systems, people have gotten so accustomed to throwing out new designs that making a real effort seems to be lost.

Not only has this given us a lot of similar [if not even identical] sites all based on only a few templates.

Here’s a mini-recipe for success online, and a better result in Search Engines. This information shouldn’t be free, but it is….. Stay tuned.

Fundamental Points To Remember – 5 DOs & 5 DONTs:

DOs:

1. Valid Coding

Many are not familiar with this, but an organization called W3C – World Wide Web Consortium – defines standards of correct coding that can actually help you ensure your pages can be seen in all browsers under all operating systems. Regardless of whether your visitors use Windows, Linux or MacOS [or whatever other system], if their browsers comply with the W3C, the results will be identical.

If you think validation isn’t all that important, you should – perhaps – consider that even the Microsoft Internet Explorer version 7 has taken giant leaps towards obeying that standard in their new version compared with version 6. PNG-files is one example, but so are fixed menus created in CSS etc.

2. Correct Spelling

Get others [friends or family] to spell-check your documents. Not only will you be overlooked by users who don’t make the same spelling errors when searching in Google, but you also run the risk of appearing less believable when spelling is poor.

Please do remember that although there are people with handicaps in these areas, they can still get help. We can’t all cut hair, and neither can all people do proofreading. Nevertheless, people will confirm that getting their documents proofread has increased their results.

3. Colours And Contrast

People think in images and colours. There are things that need blending, and there are things that need contrast. Getting a good result is achieved by researching primary, secondary and tertiary colours, fonts [never too many on one page, remember ] etc.

4. Content – Splitting It Up The Right Way

When you have a large subject, you should be careful about how you present your subject. Doing a mindmap on paper can help you collect some ideas and divide others into separate pages.

Remember ONE theme PER page is usually easiest for others to grasp.

5. IF You Want Adsense On Your Site, Do It The Right Way

Never feel tempted to just accept standard. Read e-books on the subject [need I remind of the wonderful Adsense Code book by Joel Comm? ] and see what others are doing. Get inspiration and understanding of the techniques that are employed.

Remember DONT-1 —> Never steal, but you MAY be inspired to learn principles.

DONTs:

1. Don’t Ever Steal

Stealing is ugly. If you can’t do something it will be far cheaper to get in touch with people who can. I have saved much money for people who have asked for advice rather than their stealing something, getting caught, and perhaps even getting fined out of their houses…

2. Don’t Trust Wannabe-pros

Some people only appear credible, but there is something “fishy” about the person. Trust your first instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it.

3. Never Create a Website That Focuses on Negativity

It is far too easy to get bogged down by pessimists, but please remember that there is already so much negativity out there, that noone needs yet another site with that type of focus. Stay positive.

4. Never Lie

Trust and honesty last longer. Lying destroys your credibility straight away. Don’t do it.

5. Never Give Up!

Success comes by staying with it. So NEVER give up. There is always a solution to a problem you may have. Ask and you will be helped. Perhaps not always for free, but free lunches don’t taste like a full smorgasbord…

Go create some websites with a better grasp of rules and etiquette, and Good luck in getting there.