Do's and Don'ts in Web Design - part 2 (content)
Do know your
audience It's important to know your audience.
If you write for a site that sells toys you'll use other words,
colors, images etc. compared to a site for online banking. Write
and design with your visitors in mind. Don't get tempted to
write for yourself.
Don't use meaningless
words Do you have a cool site with hot subjects?
Or a hot site with cool subjects? On some hype-sensitive sites
these kind of words might be useful but on most sites you'd
better refrain from meaningless words.
Do write about the
subject Write about the subject. Saying: This
page is about breeding goldfish talks about the page. Instead,
start right away with the subject. Breeding goldfish is a
popular hobby....
Don't use jargon
Avoid jargon. That goes for Internet jargon but also for jargon
for any other subject. Only if your site is focused on a
selective group of specialists jargon might make sense.
Do use short
sentences Use short sentences. The World Wide
Web is fast. Your visitors want to get your info in a snap. So
read and reread your text. Then cut out as many unnecessary
words as possible.
Don't write
technical Don't write technical. Your visitors
don't care how you created your site and that you prefer Perl
over TCL/TK (or the other way around). Instead write about your
subject.
Do use correct
spelling OK, this one will turn against me....
Use correct English or whatever language your site is written
in. As a standard routine use a spelling checker but don't rely
completely on it. Human proof reading is necessary. This can be
difficult - especially if you're not native speaking English.
Don't show any page under
construction Don't publish a page that's under
construction. People will hate you if you do. If the page isn't
finished, it's not ready to be published. In a sense most pages
are always under construction because they are updated (more or
less) frequently.
Do use the first
screen Be sure to put important text on the
first part of your page, the part that will show up first on a
screen.
Do present the issues right
away Your visitor wants to know immediately what
she/he can find on your site. Keep that in mind when designing
your site. Present the important issue(s) of your site on the
first page.
Do use a descriptive
title The text for the tag "TITLE" should be
descriptive. The title shows up in the results of search
engines. A descriptive title makes clear what people can expect
on your site. The title is also shown in the history list of
browsers.
Do use small pages
The World Wide Web is not a book. People don't read it
sequentially. They want to select a small piece of info and
decide what info they want to read next. So you should provide
small pages. Cut long pages in pieces and connect them through
hyperlinks.
Do use implicit text for your
links Phrases like Click here or Check this link
distract from the content and are to be avoided. Try to write
your text in such a way that a link is a natural part of the
sentence. Instead of Cyber Logic Host