Web Authoring Module

          Guidelines to help you design your web site

  1. General guideline:  3 C’s – Consistency, colour (including appropriate contrasts), content
  2. Download time should be less than 30 seconds using a 28.8 Kbs/sec modem (and possibly less than 10 seconds as people become more impatient with the web)
  3. Use carefully worded headlines to attract attention
  4. Choose web page titles carefully for search engine indexing.  Place <TITLE> tag immediately after the opening <HEAD> tag
  5. Save web site files with appropriate names.  Use small letters and no spaces
  6. Identify most important benefit for visitors in home/index page
  7. Use tables.  They can give the illusion that text, numbers and images can be positioned anywhere on the web page.  A smaller (header with key information) table at the top of the main one will display quicker giving visitors something to look at while the main table is downloading. Specifying values in the HTML HEIGHT and WIDTH tags can ensure quicker display of text (Netscape browser)
  8. Narrow newspaper type columns an make reading easier (using tables)
  9. Use ordered and unordered lists
  10. Keep page length as short as possible (ideally 1 to 2 screens, 4 screens maximum)
  11. To minimize scrolling include links to items further down the page.  Include Back to top links at the end of a topic. Ensure a link out of every page exists.
  12. Include a navigation “toolbar” on every page to display as much of the site as possible
  13. In the cluttered web open blank space may stand out.  Leave space between objects and use horizontal lines
  14. Include traditional contact information for your organization
  15. Include an e mail link on your site

 <A HREF= mailto:myemailaddress@serviceprovider>E mail me</A>

  1. Check that all links work
  2. Carefully choose your colours.  Use standard fonts.
  3. Limit text content to fewer than 600 words for faster viewing.  Keep paragraphs to 5 to 6 lines maximum.  If longer is necessary provide a summary and then a hyperlink to the main text.
  4. Add as Sitemap or table of contents page to help visitors find their way around the site.  FrontPage has a Table of Contents component
  5. Include alternative text for graphics
    <IMG SRC= “mypiture.gif” HEIGHT=50 WIDTH=200 ALT= “My picture name”>
  6. Use thumbnail images
  7. Use image maps but keep image file as small as possible
  8. Consider frames
  9. Use these meta tags in the <HEAD> area
    (a) <META name= “keywords” content= “ a list of key words that users of search   engines might use to find your site with no spaces between them, separated by commas and the most important first” > 
    (b) <META name= “description” content= “A description of your site”
    (Check elsewhere for more guidelines)
  10. Consider a FAQ page
  11. Upload your web site

 

Register it with search engines.  Find the Add site link on the search engine web site. Special software can also be used to register your site