HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
adding a video message from the company CEO might be useful, but if the computing
environment of your users cannot accommodate video playback, then the video serves no
purpose. In general, do not use advanced multimedia technologies in a Web site unless
they make a positive contribution to the Web site experience. Today, more Web sites
are using audio and video content. The addition of multimedia can enhance the overall
purpose of the Web site, but it sometimes detracts from the message.
Finally, consider accessibility issues and internationalization. A Web developer
should always design for viewing by a diverse audience, including physically impaired and
global users. A key consideration is that the software used by physically impaired individu-
als does not work with some Web features. For instance, if you use graphics on the Web
site, always include alternative text for each graphic. To support an international audience,
use generic icons that can be understood globally, avoid slang expressions in the content,
and build simple pages that load quickly over lower-speed connections.
The design issues just discussed are only a few of the basic Web page design issues that
you need to consider. Throughout this topic, design issues will be addressed as they relate to
each project. Many excellent Web page design resources are also available on the Internet.
Once the design of the Web site is determined, Web development can begin. The
rest of the chapters in this topic discuss good Web page standards, in addition to the actual
development of Web pages. You will learn many development techniques, including links,
tables, graphics, image maps, and Web forms. The umbrella that covers all of the develop-
ment techniques taught in this topic is the use of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS).
Web Site Testing
A Web site should be tested at various stages of the Web design and development
processes. The testing process should be comprehensive and include a review of Web page
content, functionality, and usability. Web sites with broken links, missing graphics, and
incorrect content create a poor impression. You want to attract users to your Web site and
maintain their interest. If visitors find that your Web site is poorly tested and maintained,
they will be less likely to return. You cannot get your message out if users don't frequently
visit the Web site. Some basic steps to test content and functionality include:
Validating each Web page by running it through the W3C markup validation service
Web Site Testing
Testing should be done
on all pages in a Web site.
You should also test the
links within the Web page,
to other Web pages in the
Web site, and to external
Web sites. Testing is an
important part of Web
development and assures
that your Web pages work
as intended.
•
•
Proofreading page content and titles to review for accurate spelling and grammar
•
Checking links to ensure they are not broken and are linked correctly
•
Checking graphics to confirm they appear properly and are linked correctly
•
Ensuring that accessibility and internationalization issues are addressed
•
Testing forms and other interactive page elements
•
Testing pages to make sure they load quickly, even over lower-speed connections
•
Printing each page to check how printed pages look
Usability
is the measure of how well a product, such as a Web site, allows a user to
accomplish his or her goals.
Usability testing
is a method by which users of a Web site
or other product are asked to perform certain tasks in an effort to measure the product's
ease-of-use and the user's perception of the experience. Usability testing for a Web site
should focus on three key aspects: content, navigation, and presentation.
Usability testing can be conducted in several ways; one effective way is to directly
observe users interfacing with (or using) the Web site. As you observe users, you can track
the links they click and record their actions and comments. You can even ask the users to
explain what tasks they were trying to accomplish while navigating the site. The informa-
tion gained by observing users can be invaluable in helping identify potential problem
areas in the Web site. For example, if you observe that users have difficulty finding the
