You already know how to make a web page. Perhaps you use Word97 to create an html document, or maybe you have your own favourite editor.
Now it's time you learned how to make a GOOD web page. One that looks attractive, downloads quickly, and is easy to read and navigate.
We thought the best way to illustrate what makes a good page would be to show you some examples of really bad web pages. So we went out and deliberately broke all the rules and made some real stinkers. There is no question; these are BAD web pages!
Don't be embarrassed if you see some things here that you've used on your own pages. We all start out this way, making the usual beginner's mistakes (we did too), ... with strangely coloured backgrounds, weird colours, unedited huge photographs, mismatched graphics, and confusing or nonexistant navigational directions.
Along the way, you should discover the point we're trying to make; that a web page needs to convey information, and anything that gets in the way of that, rather than enhancing it, should be discarded.
O.K., here goes. Some rules for making better pages ...
Rule No. 1: Use Plain Backgrounds
It's easy to make or find some beautiful images designed as backdrops for web pages. We have folders full of them. But we mostly don't use them, for the simple reason that any text placed on a wildly coloured background can't be read easily. And even if you can read it, it's very distracting. Imagine trying to read a book or magazine that looked like this! Or even this ... we think you'll agree that simple backgrounds, perhaps a simple left border like this one, is much preferable!
Rule No. 2: Use Graphics That Match
Get yourself a decent graphics program so you can adapt the clipart you download from freebee sites to match your own site. There's nothing sillier than seeing a piece of clipart with the wrong colour background attached, like this example, that's obviously been lifted from another site. Learn to fix it so it blends in!
Rule No. 3: Use Animations Very Sparingly
If your site is about your rodeo accomplishments, six animations of Bart Simpson scattered around the page won't do anything to enhance it. Honest! And even things like blinking stars, flashing boxes, and winking eyes merely take away from the other good stuff on your page, instead of adding to it. See this page if you're not sure what we mean.
Rule No. 4: Crop, Resize, and Compress Your Photos
...and lighten them up a little too. Photos on a website always appear a little darker than normal. Most importantly, use your graphics program to cut them down to size; then save them with enough compression to shrink the file size to under 20 Kb. You may have to experiment with different settings to get a picture of sufficient quality to be worth using that is small enough in file size to download quickly, but it's definitely worth your time.
Here's what we mean.
Rule No. 5: Don't Use Cutting Edge Technology
... unless you don't care that only one person can view your page!
You may be designing your page on a big 21" monitor; nevertheless, be sure that everything is in a table no more that 720 pixels wide, because most of your many visitors are still using a 15" monitor set at low resolution (800 x 600 pixels).
(Why only 720? The browser window and scroll bar take up the rest.)
Also, be careful with add-ons to your page that require special plug-ins, or programs, to run. Many people who don't have them, may not bother, unless you make the link to the download easy and painless.
Fancy java applets on your first page are not a good idea, as many people still use a dial-up connection ... nobody will wait for that fancy effect to load; they'll go elsewhere.
Javascript, cascading style sheets, or DHTML, however, all make nice additions to a site, and are quick to load. Most browsers can now make use of their effects.
So if you're planning something fancy, make sure most of your viewers can access it.
How many times has this happened to you ... Here's a cutting-edge page design that uses all the effects listed above, as well as some virtual reality, to let you explore the inside of the Space Shuttle right now, in real time, as it's sitting on the launch pad. You can look all around, move from compartment to compartment, even talk to the astronauts (if they're on board) if you have a voice modem. Totally cool!
All set? Let's go ... the page is right here!
See what we mean? Frustrating, isn't it?!
Rule No. 6: Don't Fill Your Page With Big Text, Centered Lines and Capital Letters
People definitely will not think good things about you if your whole page looks like a flyer from a discount mattress store! Not sure what we mean? Have a look here ... Urp!
Maybe you're getting the message now. The whole point of maintaining your own web site is to make information, and other fun stuff, available to your visitors, so they can enjoy it too. You can learn to make your site look nice without detracting from your content.
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