HTML and CSS Reference
In-Depth Information
You can maintain a public website in one of two ways: as a collection of
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript iles on a remote server or as data in a content
management system (CMS) that generates pages on demand. he former
requires the tools to download, edit, and upload iles. Typically a web devel-
oper maintains a complete copy of a website on a local computer, editing and
uploading changes as required. here are many good sotware applications for
managing websites in this manner, from basic HTML text editors to sophisti-
cated integrated development environments (IDEs) that combine FTP, editing,
and project management functions in a single sotware program.
A CMS makes sense if the content has a steady stream of additions,
changes, and deletions, with very little need to change the basic structural ele-
ments of the HTML documents. A CMS also makes sense if content needs to
be searchable or if the same content appears on multiple pages. A web browser
is all you need to maintain a CMS-based website, with some occasional tweak-
ing of CSS stylesheets. No HTML coding is necessary until you need a new
page type.
Content low for a website is like cash low to a business. For any given
website, a proper amount of content low will provide the best return on the
time and money you spend creating and managing that content. Too much
content low consumes management resources and may discourage potential
visitors who scan through search results, looking for a simple answer. Too
little content low, and a website will die from boredom. Even the robots will
get bored if nothing changes. A search engine such as Google's will give a
website a higher ranking and visit it more oten if it senses fresh content. If you
want visitors to bookmark your site or forward your URL to their friends and
associates, your site must feature new content on a regular basis that meets or
exceeds the expectations of your target audience.
Of course, content is not everything. If two websites ofer equivalent
content, the site with the better design will win. Better design encompasses a
harmonious combination of graphic elements, information architecture, and
interactive function. You have much more control over all these design ele-
ments when you run your own website than when you use a CMS.
Who will visit this website, and how will they ind out about it? his is a mar-
keting question, but it does have technical implications. Search Engine Opti-
mization (SEO) is the practice of making a website friendly to search robots
