Latest Articles by Pat L http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us Page Titles and Meta Tags http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/page-titles-and-meta-tags.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/page-titles-and-meta-tags.html Sat, 02 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Page titles

To help obtain high page rankings with search engines, the contents of your page title are one of the most important things that need to be dealt with. The page title is the first amount of information provided to a search engine describing the contents of the page. You should also be aware that the page title provides information about the contents not only to search engines, but to visitors as well. The page title will show up at the top of the browser window. Your page title should include your keywords and should be no longer than 60 characters long. If it is too long, your visitor will only see the first part. An easy way to figure out the length of a page title is to type it into a word processor that contains a word count feature. Since your page title needs to be a certain length, it is important to make the best use of the space, and although some words that are not key, will use up that valuable space, the title itself still needs to make sense. A keyword in your title can be repeated, but having the same words more than two times is not recommended. Compare your page title to others and see what makes their content look appealing enough to catch a potential visitor's eyes. Your page title needs to stand out between the other nine titles on the search engine results page. As you design your site, remember the fact that visitors may be directed to somewhere other than the homepage because the search engine believes it is the best match for a keyword. With this in mind, all pages of your website should be considered unique and have their own title.


Meta tags

For your site to be effective, you need to develop Meta tags. These tags are a site description and a keyword list. It is important to note that not all search engines use these Meta tags. Starting with your home page, you will need to insert two Meta tags. The first is a Meta description sentence and the second is a Meta keyword list. The information you put here is for search engines to use when they review your site. This review process is known as crawling and is done with a program called a spider or robot. The description tag serves two purposes. The spiders search it for keywords and it is also displayed to a surfer as they view search engine results. The information obtained by the spiders is kept in a database that is used when a person types in a query to a search engine. When you create your Meta keyword list, order them from the most relevant to the least. The first part of your list should contain the keywords that best describe your site and are unique enough that when someone does a search, there is not a large amount of competition to go up against. Make sure that all the keywords used in the description tags are again listed. The words at the end of your list are known as wildcards and include synonyms and words that could have been spelled wrong when someone was doing a search. During your Meta tag creation process, do not be afraid to go to other people’s websites and see what they have used. Type in the same words you would like to include in your lists and see what the search engines display. This is a very good way to help determine your competition.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more info.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> How to Organize your Website http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/how-to-organize-your-website.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/how-to-organize-your-website.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Organize your website to help both you and your visitor

Your website needs to be organized so you can add content easily and your visitors can spend time absorbing your content rather than trying to figure out the navigation system. Planning and organizing your site in the beginning phases makes the update process easier down the road because you won’t have to do as much work when it comes to page linking. The file structure needs to make sense to you since you are most likely going to be the person dealing with adding, subtracting and updating pages.


Steps to organizing your website

There are 3 key areas to address when organizing your website. Your first area of concern is how to set up your file structure. This pertains to the main folder, directories and sub directories. It is commonly known throughout the web that a page should be no more than 3 clicks from each other. The second area is your content. Organize your content in a way that lends itself to be user friendly. The last area of organization is the overall layout of the site. Make sure the layout compliments the content. Another point to make is consistency. The layout and theme should be the same throughout the site. Do not have your index page set up in one format and then change the sub pages format so the visitor needs to waste time figuring out where the navigation bar is again or scrolling all over to get to the content they are looking for.


Website structure

There are a few ways to set up a site structure. Making a sketch of how you are going to do it is advisable. The first place you want to start with is the parent page. This "home" page has a link to every page on the next level down. This second level will contain the categories for your site. A link to these second tier pages will be on every page of your site. Each page that is accessed from a page above it is considered a child. The other way to word this is defining directories and sub directories. Your main directory could contain sub directories named contact, main, about us and links. Inside the main directory you could have sub directories of products. Your second tier topics should be titled to the cover content specific to that section. These sub sections are where you will put your content and should be easily navigated to.


Website content

The content of your site is there to convey a message. It should tell a visitor what the site is about, who the information is for and what is offered. This content can be delivered in many ways. Displaying text and images are your primary methods along with video and audio to help support your delivery. The content you include should provide a visitor with valuable information and sustenance. Your primary goal should be to create a positive impression in as little time as possible. This method will help retain a person that has come to your site instead of clicking to somewhere else. Be sure your information is relevant, concise and clear. It should contain your keywords and help direct a visitor to continue browsing your site. When creating your content, get right to the point in sending your message. Don't beat around the bush with flashy welcome screens or material that is unrelated to what your site is about. Potential visitors want their information quickly or they will go to the next site on the search engine list. Direct your visitor's eyes to specific areas with the placement and layout of your content. Using bold section descriptions and breaking content into chunks will help get your visitor to what they are looking for in a timely fashion.


Website layout

People are going to be judging both your content and layout when they visit your site. An appealing layout will help keep your visitor and can aid in getting them to come back. Your original layout will continually change as you adapt to the preferences of the people who visit your site. When laying out the site, try to keep it as simple as possible. Creating a user friendly navigation system to smoothly move throughout your site should also be considered when developing your layout. During the layout process you are going to determine how to present your content in an optimized and balanced format. It is suggested that you use a pencil and some paper when creating your layout concepts. Make more than one and look for strong and weak points in each sketch. After noting the best qualities from each, incorporate them into a finalized layout. Be sure to take into consideration that this layout will be used throughout your entire site.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more information about developing and creating a website.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Website Navigation http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/website-navigation.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/website-navigation.html Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Importance of a navigation scheme

One of the most important tasks when developing your website is creating a navigation system that is effective and easy to use. People have a tendency to try to include everything in the navigation tree all at once. Instead they should follow the same process as setting up the structure for the site and break it down in levels. This would be information relevant to the homepage that directs visitors to the main sections of the site. From the main sections of the site, the user gains access to the sub sections containing content pertinent to that section only. Remember to always include links back to the main sections and your homepage on every page in your site. While you are creating your navigation setup, try to look through your user's eyes. Remember, you are the one creating the structure, so you are biased in your opinions. If you think about what someone else might say or do, then you are one step ahead of the game.

As you create you website navigation, make sure that links can be added in the future with no difficulty. You must always keep in mind that your site must be flexible and open to change because it is never completed. All links should be clear and to the point. It makes no sense to have your visitor try to figure out where they are going. They should be able to quickly look for what they want and then access it in a timely and efficient method. There is a better chance of a visitor going somewhere else if it takes too long for them to find the information they are looking for. Your navigation scheme should stick out and be located in a common spot on every page of your site. Consistency allows your visitors to focus on the content instead of trying to figure another navigation system for the same site.


Linear navigation

Linear navigation provides the same capabilities as your forward and back button on your browser. With this navigation style, you cannot jump around and skip pages. Reading a book or viewing a PowerPoint presentations are also examples of linear navigation. As you read through the pages, it makes no sense to jump around or you might miss an important piece of information. People who create sites with this style often are directing the visitor from a starting point to a predetermined end in a step by step fashion. Your links will not allow the user to anywhere other than where you want.


Hierarchical navigation

Hierarchical navigation allows the visitor to go from a homepage to the main sections of your site and then to the subsections. Visitors can travel through your site without any restrictions. This type of navigation ties all the areas of your site together so any page can be accessed from another in as few clicks as possible. Hierarchical navigation is best used on sites that are filled with information and to be utilized like a library.


Sitemaps for navigating through your website

Sitemaps provide a list of organized links to the content of your website. The same way a table of contents tells you what is inside a book, a sitemap does the same for your website. Your visitors are given a one page view of the information structure that your site is based on. Sitemaps are not meant to be your websites primary navigation but more as a compliment to it.


Navigation bars

A navigation bar gives your visitors the ability to move between the different sections of your website. It should be placed on every page of your site and should be consistent as well. Placement of the navigation bar is entirely up to you. The navigation bar can go on the left side of your page because most people read from left to right. It can also be placed on the top of your page so it is the first thing your visitors see. Some people place it on the right hand side of the page intentionally making a visitor browse through content to then be able to navigate the rest of the site.


Theme and navigation links

The theme for a website is created with the way you use color, fonts and images. During the theme creation process, remember to not clutter your pages with unnecessary content that will draw your visitor's attention from the main content. There are many ways to create a theme. One example might be a newspaper look consisting of black and white colors with a plain font. Themes give a website character and often leave a strong visual impression on the visitor. Your website theme needs to be used on all your pages which helps tie your site together.


Navigation

Navigation of a website should be an easy process and not require the visitor to take much time in figuring out how to move through your site. Visitors have come to your site looking for information and should be able to find it easily. If a visitor has to waste time figuring out how to get what they want, they will go to another site. Navigation is not just for people, but search engines as well. Set up the navigation to allow search engines to follow the links to index your entire website. Your navigation scheme should appear in the same place on all pages. When a visitor navigates through your site, make sure they can flow through it. Do not set it up so a visitor has to use the back button of the browser to access another page. Through navigation, your visitor will have access to pages in your site, to other sites and to different sections of the pages on your site. You will need to place navigation menus in more than one area on your pages. There are many good ways to help the visitor move through your site. The most simple is a text link. The next is a navigation bar placed on the top or sides. Another is the use of graphic buttons created to help compliment the overall look of your site. It is always good idea is to include links at the bottom of your page in case someone does not feel like scrolling back to the top. Through navigation, your visitor should be able to get where they want quickly, know where they currently are on your site and be able to access other pages on your site for additional information.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more information about developing and creating a website.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Tools for Website Construction http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/tools-for-website-construction.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/tools-for-website-construction.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Construction tools

Whenever something is built, the proper tools are needed to accomplish that task. Starting out, you will need a computer, monitor, printer, a connection to the internet and software. Since the first four are most likely already in place, we will go over choosing software. There are many ways to obtain software necessary for you to make your website. There are freeware programs available that can get you up and running with a few clicks of your mouse. These programs offer no warranty but some of the more popular ones provide a large amount of support in the form of forums and FAQ pages. Another way to get software is to use a trial version. This type of software gives you the ability to use it for either a specified amount of time, with limited features or possibly both. Either way, trial versions can help you decide whether or not to actually purchase a full version based on your opinions from previewing it. The final way is to purchase a fully licensed copy with warranty, instructions and full support if there are any issues.

Editor software

There are ways to design the pages in your website. One is with a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) editor and the other is with a text editor. WYSIWYG editors provide users the ability to see how their pages will look as they are being created. These editors also give you the ability to type in code as well with a built in text editor. In the commercial market, Adobe has Dreamweaver and Microsoft has Expression. Each offers a trial version with the option to buy but just as with the graphics software, you might be on a budget. Kompozer is a free WYSIWYG editor that has many features available to beginners as well as professionals.

Graphics software

In order for your website to have images on them, you are going to need some form of graphics software. Adobe seems to have the biggest hand in the commercial market with products like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop Elements. Since most people just starting out are on a tight budget, and by tight budget I mean no money to invest, then getting some of the free software available will be something to look into. Gimp is one such software, which is fairly easy to learn. There are many tutorials that are linked to the Gimp download site. Photo and graphics editors come in many types from the most basic to high-end software capable of making any modifications you could think of. No matter which path you choose, make sure the software can not only edit and create the images you want, but also save them in a format that is web friendly. When designing your website, image optimization is a must. The amount of bandwidth available to visitors varies. Your first step towards the optimization process is to use the proper format. Choosing the correct format alone can cut your file size in half or even more. These include: GIF, JPEG and BMP. Once that is done, simply manipulating a few settings should reduce the file size without losing any or much of the images original integrity.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more information about developing and creating a website.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Building a Website http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/building-a-website.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/building-a-website.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 Taking baby steps

By breaking down the project into small and manageable tasks, the overall job of creating a website becomes easy and less overwhelming. By following a set of steps you will see the site evolve from a simple idea, to a fully functional presence on the web.


Website Concept

Visualize the reason for making a website. When coming up with the concept, you will determine who your target audience is, the theme of your site and the method in which you intend to deliver information.


Website organization

This is the step where you determine what your page is going to look like. After figuring out the look, you will need to determine how people are going to navigate through your sight without getting lost. Once these two tasks have been completed, the method of delivering your content that is to be included needs to be developed.


Creating the site

Here is where all your hard work so far, pays off. Now you will create your sitemap, homepage, create your template pages and implement your content. When you are creating these pages, make sure the folders are set up so information of the same type is grouped together. If you do this while you are creating the site on your computer, it will be much easier to manage after it has been uploaded to your host. Another point to keep in mind is to always allow for expansion. Remember that your site is never completed, but rather an ongoing process of continuous improvements and updates.


Maintaining your site

The content you provide on your site needs to be fresh and up to date. This is done through research and by coming up with new ideas. Some of the ways to spark your creativity is to visit other sites that have the same interests. You can come up with new ways to present your content, different methods of navigation or just a whole new look. Remember that when you are updating or doing an overhaul, to never shut your site down. You should also try to not rename pages because they have already been indexed by search engines. You have worked so hard to get you information recognized by the search engines and if you change the foundation of the site, it will be like starting all over to get your pages ranked. Putting a feedback form on your site also gives you visitors the ability to help by making suggestions of what you could change or include. You need to keep in mind that the site is for them, not you. When it comes to development and content, the best critiques are the people who visit your site on a regular basis.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more information about developing and creating a website.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> Your Website Concept http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/your-website-concept.html http://www.articletrader.com/internet/web-design/your-website-concept.html Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600 What are the goals and purpose of your website?

Every project needs to begin with clearly defined and understood goals. This step in the website creation process is critical to development of your online strategies. An easy way to develop objectives that fit these parameters is to create SMART objectives. SMART is an acronym that means Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time specific. Creating a list of your website goals will help in the decision making process for content, navigation, theme and layout. Without goals, your web site will fail to deliver your content clearly.

Writing down what you are trying to achieve and who you are attempting to reach will help as you progress through the development stages for your site. This step must be referenced continuously to help maintain the focus of the project. Setting goals gives you the ability to break those goals down into smaller and more manageable tasks.

Clearly defined goals are also measurable. Your site will provide the information needed to gauge its success in the form of visitor feedback, number of visitors or how many sales you have made if you are running an e-commerce site.


Who are you creating this site for?

When creating a website, it is important to be familiar with your visitor’s potential needs and preferences. When you know these facts, you have created your target audience. When you know who your target audience is, you will be able to deliver relevant content and suit their needs. Following these steps will help you get the best possible feedback.

When analyzing this prospective audience, you must know the limits of your visitors, their knowledge of the subject matter and their feelings pertaining to your main topic. If you do not put your efforts into providing for your target audience, then the chances of having a successful website will not be possible.

Regardless of how you segment your visitors, your primary target audiences should be those who make up the bulk of the traffic that access your site. Once you have defined your target audience, you must learn how they relate to you and the content of your site.

Listen to what people are saying when they visit your site, or when you are visiting someone else’s site, pay attention to what they say to each other. Stop by some of the places your target audience might visit to get even more insight on their outside lives. Simply paying attention to the people who are coming to your site is a great way to get insights on what they are thinking.

As you learn more about your target audience, keep track of their opinions. Then decide what your primary objectives are. You want your visitors to spend more time on each visit. Using the information you’ve gathered about your target audience, you can then decide how to best achieve your objectives by creating a website to accommodate their various needs.

The more clearly you define your target audiences, the better you can reach them and encourage them to support your site. As you track the effectiveness of your site targeting different audiences, be sure to periodically update research data on your target market. Your visitors will become enlightened when they come to your site the first time and it is important for you to continually adapt so they have a reason to come back.


What type of website to create?

Once you have determined your target audience, the task of how to present information to them must be determined. There are many templates available for download, but coming up with your own turns out to be much more satisfying. Look at different sites relating to your content and write down the things you like and dislike. The look of the site needs to be inoffensive, meaning wild and flashing type or text that doesn’t show up well on the background. There is nothing worse than trying to read yellow text on a tan background.

Coming up with a theme for your website will help tie all your topics content. First look at your own strong points and interests. What areas do you have knowledge and experience in that might attract people to your site? You want to build a site that offers your visitors valuable content that is also search engine friendly. Do research on your topic and come up with content that is rich with relevant information that will attract users to your website. You will generate more traffic with better information and this should be one of the goals you have already specified.

The results of your efforts need to be an easy to use website structure with a simple navigation scheme in place. The site content needs to be easily updated which will allow you to effectively manage your website’s content in a current and timely fashion.


Providing information in an effective method

You have a target audience and you have a theme. Conveying your content is next on the list of tasks in creating a website. When you researched other sites, did you find their way of presenting information done in such a fashion that made it a pleasant visit? What would you have changed? Look at what could be added or subtracted to make the delivery of information a better experience. Make your website simple and to the point so your visitor isn’t distracted by unnecessary content. Another method of effective communication is giving your visitors the ability to send you feedback. If you are setting up a blog then allowing comments would be a way to for them to express their opinions. Information sites will have a contact page with an email address in case there might be some additional questions or if something in your content needs to be clarified, corrected or updated.


Determining your content

Start by figuring out what you are going to need. What media are you going to include? If you are including video on your site, then finding the programs to make that happen will need to be found. Getting the scripts for RSS feeds or feedback forms might be something to look into. When starting this process, create a project folder. This is where you will store all your research and anything else you feel is relevant to the development of your content.

An important thing to know about Web users when determining content is that they do not like to read large, unedited blocks of text. Users prefer sites where the content is more readable on their computer screen.

Chunking content is the process of breaking up large portions of text into smaller portions that are easier to read and faster to download. Put emphasis on the areas you want visitors to access most or first. Guide users to these areas by providing direct links on the index page.


The demographics of your target audience

Determining the demographics of your target audience directly affects how you design and market your website. Their age, sex, geographic location and how much they earn need to be taken into consideration when choosing colors, method of delivery and content. By creating a profile, you will be able to establish a way to deliver your content that will achieve the best results. Successful websites are based around users’ needs. In order to develop and maintain your website, you will need to consider all the aspects of your target audience. Create a list of questions to identify the demographics of the target audience and then develop a plan to meet their needs with your website.


The psychographics of your target audience

If you can figure out what your target audience is looking for, then you can come up with a way to give it to them. Psychographics pertain to the emotional and behavioral qualities of your target audience. They are the thought processes behind the decisions to examine your content. Psychographics include your visitor's interests, groups, activities they participate in and many others. Psychographics also allow you to analyze everything from motivations to the particular attitudes of people and the groups they belong to.

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Pat L. started out creating a few niche sites and during that process gained huge amounts of knowledge in the website development process. You can visit http://www.abundantarticles.com for more information about developing and creating a website.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>