Web Site Design Tips

Nothing too earth-shattering. Just remember the following.

Concentrate on Content Before Appearance

Nothing is more annoying than flashy, empty pages. Why would anyone come back to a site that has nothing to say? Work out your message in your favorite word processor or text editor before even thinking about HTML.

Be Consistent

Use the same Cascading Style Sheet, the same backgrounds, and the same style of buttons on all your pages. Don't use too many fonts. Make sure the same navigation options are used throughout.

Consistency makes your site quick to learn, and easy to use.

Check It Out!

Many experts recommend checking your site with all the browsers you say you support. We agree, but go a little further. Check the cookie behavior of your site by setting the browsers to "Warn Me Before Accepting A Cookie." If your site produces more than one cookie per visit, it's unacceptable.

Make It Accessible

Why would you want to turn away visitors, particularly those with visual disabilities?

We like Bobby, a web site checker from CAST, to check for accessibility. Funnily enough, it's a static analyzer, like lint. And just like lint, you learn a lot about HTML by figuring out what Bobby is complaining about. We were not as impressed by WebLint.