Web Development Tips
Read these 27 Web Development Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Web Development tips and hundreds of other topics.
Tools You Can Use: View Source
You can view the HTML source of any web page by using the View Source command in your browser's menu system. By viewing the source of HTML files you will better understand the structure of HTML documents and you can see how the author did all the neat tricks on the page. It does take time to get used to what you're looking at, but it really is the best way to learn.
Personal Websites: Create a weblog!
Congratulations! You've got a new baby! Now is a great time to start a weblog. Weblogs essentially free you from having to design anything. You can submit your text through a browser, IM, even your mobile phone. There are even video blogs and photo blogs. Just think how excited Auntie will be when she enjoys baby's first bath from her couch 4000 miles away.
Why Comply? The Benefits of Coding to Industry Standard
The World Wide Web Consortium (http://www.w3.org/) develops protocols and guidelines that ensure the web is accessible from all technology types including browsers, mobile devices and multiple others. Their website is full of guidelines and validation tools. The primary reason to code your web pages to current HTML standards is to ensure your code is understood by the widest range of user agents (i.e. search engine spiders) and displayed correctly by web browsers.
Using a photo album service
Instead of carrying around your packet of photos in your purse, share your latest snaps on your photo blog or photo album service. Upload photos from your digital film or camera phone and add captions using web forms. It's easy and fun. Some photo sites will email your users or update your blog when you post a new photo.
Getting Started: Create a Site Specification
Create a site specification to define your web development project scope, budget, schedule, design and technical requirements of your web site. Keep this document short and to the point using an outline or bulleted lists. Create a goals statement and refer to this document throughout the project to maintain your course.
Defining the scope of your website development project
Before you roll up your sleeves and dive into HTML programming, hire a website developer or engage an internet marketing company there are several things you should take some time to define.
- Will your website be for business or personal use?
- What are the goals of the site?
- Who is your target audience?
- What is your budget and time frame?
- What image do you want to project?
- How large will your site be? 1 page? 1000?
- Do you have web development and design resources available?
- Will you require maintenance and support for the site?
By answering these questions before beginning the project, you will have a tool that will later enable you to maintain focus and stay organized while developing a great website.
Types of websites: Showcase
A showcase website is much like a marketing brochure. It provides information in a slick and appealing manner hoping the consumer will approach the company with interest. It has simple, obvious mechanisms for your visitors to contact your sales department. Showcase sites are often developed using Flash technology.
Tools You Can Use: CSS Generators
If you're not ready to jump into Cascading Style Sheets yet, you can always find a CSS Generator tool that will help you create a basic style sheet for your site. Although it's tempting to just use the <font size="+0"> tag, try to avoid this, as it was deprecated (no longer valid html) in 1996! Cascading Style Sheets can be more complex than font tags but they are also more flexible.
Defining the schedule for your website development project
In the site specification process you should also set a schedule for your project based on the scope you have defined. Most importantly, set a realistic launch date for your website. Rome wasn't built in a day, and most web sites aren't either. Give yourself and your vendors plenty of time to make your website the best it can be before that launch date.
Basic Website Development: Tools of the Trade
If you're rolling up your sleeves and trying your hand at website development, you will want to arm yourself with a few basic tools. At a minimum, you will need html and image editing software and an FTP program.
What is FTP software?
A File Transfer Protocol (FTP) program allows you to transfer files between computers, regardless of operating system. In web development, these programs are usually used to transfer website files to your Hosting provider. If the HTML editor you choose does not have FTP functionality, you'll need this type of program to upload your files to your website when they are ready to publish.
What is a web development firm?
A “web development” company specializes in web-based applications and generally has a strong background in computer programming. Web developers could create an ecommerce website or information resource as you will need to employ back-end webstore or content management technology for your catalog of products or information.
Tools You Can Use: Layout Generators
If you're having trouble getting started with your web page layout and don't want to use a pre-package template, consider using one of the many layout generators available online. These tools will give you the basic code for your preferred layout, leaving it up to you to add content and embellishment.
What is an HTML Editor?
Although you can spend plenty of money on a WYSIWYG package like Dreamweaver to assist with your web page design and layout, there are plenty of less expensive or free editors available for download. Read reviews and download demos to see which one will work best for you. Some features you might want to look for include HTML color-coding, built-in FTP functionality, wizards and tutorials!
Personal Websites: Using pre-packaged HTML Templates
Pre-packaged HTML templates are available to assist with your personal website. In most cases, you can unpack these files, add your text in a WYSIWYG editor and be ready to upload them to your web host in a very short time. Many HTML template websites have very popular themes like sports or journals. They can be inexpensive time savers for sure!
Hiring it out: How to select vendor(s) for your website project.
If you have determined you do not have the man-power to produce your new website, you will need to select a vendor to help you accomplish this task. You may choose to work with more than one vendor on your site. Consider the benefits of the following types of vendors:
- Website Designers
- Web Copywriters
- Web Application Developers
- Internet Marketing Specialists
Be sure to do a thorough vendor review to ensure you find the vendor that is right for you and your project.
Tools You Can Use: Great Resources for Web Developers
The web is full of great resources for html development. Using a search engine like Google or a social bookmarking system like de.licio.us you will find numerous tools to assist with your site. Useful types of tools include color selection tools, layout and style sheet generators and validation tools.
Types of websites: Information Resource
With any website, content is key, but if you're hoping to build an information resource, you must populate your site with strong, useful content before you start marketing it. No one wants to learn of a 'great resource' and then find it has no information in it.
Tools You Can Use: Color Selection
Use this type of tool if you can't seem to get your colors to look nice together. They offer a quick and easy way to see colors next to each other. Often these tools will offer color combinations that work well together on the web or will give you the ability to find complimentary colors to ones you have already chosen. There are even color checkers that will show you how your web page will look to a colorblind person.
Personal Websites: Getting Started for Cheap or Free
If you are going to create your website for personal use, you probably have little budget, if any, and may need to take the DIY (do it yourself) approach. There are numerous tools available for little to no charge for building simple, personal websites. With a little technical acumen and a moderate amount of creativity, you too can have a basic website to keep a weblog (personal diary sites also referred to as blogs), post photographs or showcase your expertise. It's a good idea to read reviews or get recommendations from web-savvy friends for tools you're considering.
Defining the budget for your website project
When defining your budget for your website design project be sure to keep in mind the following services and their costs:
- Domain management and hosting
- Illustration, photography and logo design
- Internet application development or customization
- Copy-writing
- HTML production
- Search Engine Optimization
- Website Maintenance
You can spend little to no money to get your website up and running, but remember the old adage 'You get what you pay for!'
Call a meeting. Get together with potential vendors.
Armed with your site specification and vision, you can approach these potential vendors with confidence. Meet with 3 - 5 vendors to discuss your custom website project and how they might assist you. Be sure to ask them for the following to help in your decision-making:
- References from clients who's projects had similar goals
- Professional web design associations they belong to
- A sample project plan to see the process they use
- Examples of their work that are similar to the scope of your project
User Acceptance Test: Card Sort
Here's how to perform a simple usability test called a card sort:
- Make a list of all the content for your site
- Put each of those topics on a 3x5 card
- Sort these cards into different piles of similar content
- Name each of those piles using one to two words
- Put that name on a new card or sticky note and wrap each pile with a rubber band
For example, you might put all your press releases, company information and directions in pile and call that ABOUT US. After sorting the cards yourself, make a 3 - 5 additional sets of these cards and ask colleagues, customers or friends to go through the same exercise of sorting and naming the piles of content. Resist assisting them in this process since you really want to know how others are looking at your content. Sometimes it's best to leave the room while the tester sorts the cards. Once you have done this with three to five people, compare the piles and names. You will see clearly that not everyone would organize your content the way you would! Consider their input and from these results, you should be able to define your primary (and secondary) navigation topics.
Tools You Can Use: HTML Checker
Having a tool that checks and reformats the syntax of your HTML can be a real sanity saver. It's very easy for the human eye to overlook a missing bracket or comma, but using this type of tool will notify you of errors you will need to fix.
What is an Image Editor?
Because most web pages should have some visual interest, you'll want to secure a program that you can do basic image creation as well as photo retouching, cropping and reduction. Professional image editors like Photoshop can be pricey, but most computers have basic image editors like Apple Preview or Microsoft Paint. There are also a number of free or low-cost image editors available for download.
Using free logo design services
Your website can have it's own logo, even if you don't have an ad agency or your own graphic design flair. Free logo design services will actually create any logo you request. You can buy packages to have business cards, letterhead and other templates created for you as well.
Defining the technical requirements
What type of website will best suit the goals of your web site? Do you hope to generate sales leads, ad revenue or actual product sales from your site? Are you providing an information resource for your visitors or building a community among your customers. Are you creating a personal diary or weblog to share with the world? When you have determined what your site will offer, you will have a better idea of the technical requirements it will demand in the development process.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Sherril Steele-Carlin |
