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Tips, Tricks and Hints

Secret or hidden information about Web related activites is become quite scarce. During the past year:

• over 50 books have been written about the Internet and the World Wide Web
• millions of users have gained access to the Internet (by some estimates there are as many as 20 million users online on the Internet!)
• on-line tutorials and information archives are widely visited
• newspapers, television and radio have a new Internet story almost every day
• every major school and university in the country offers Internet access to its students and faculty
• most businesses, from SOHO to Fortune 500, are using the Internet for productivity, communications, commerce, and research
• advertisements and commercials now give Internet addresses as contact information

With all this going on, there isn't much left to bring out into the open. Even though we aren't presenting anything new here, you may have missed some of this stuff the first time around. Here, we've listed a few tips, tricks, and hints on multiple topics that may just aid you in becoming a WebMaster.

Browser Usage

Learn to use your bookmark/hotlist utility

As you explore the Web, you will find many places you want to return to once or often. The only way to return to a site is to use its URL. Your Web browser has the built-in capability to capture and save URLs for future use. USE IT! Every time you see a page you want to see again, add it to your bookmark list. You can always delete it later, but it's next to impossible to return to a site that you don't have the URL for.

Turn graphics off when you need speed

Turning off graphics auto-loading is the best way to increase transfer time for Web pages. After the HTML text is loaded, you can always reload with graphics if you need them.

Experiment with your browser

You need to be aware of what your browser can and cannot do. Can you spawn multiple windows? Is there built-in WAIS support? Does it handle Java applications? If you know what your browser can do, only then can you decide if you need to move on to something with more abilities.

Go for the gusto, but have a backup!

Many browsers are beta releases, and many of them work great. But just in case there's a bug that prevents you from using it effectively, always keep a working copy of your previous browser. That way, you'll have a sure-fire way to stay connected if your beta's broken.

Get some help

Locate, install and configure every significant helper application available for your browser. If you prepare for multimedia and a wide range of Internet services, you won't have to install a new utility every time you encounter another service or file type.

Document Authoring

Remember your content and keep it whole-y

It is easy to stray from presenting solid and meaningful content. Organize your Web site so valuable content is easily accessed and leave the frills to secondary pages.

Structure is the best foundation

Always lay out your Web page before you start coding. Use a flow chart utility or a pencil and paper. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Watch out for proper use of tags

It's too easy to forget to close an anchor, heading or even the body. Always use a syntax check on your Web site before going public.

KISS

Keep It Simple, Stupid. Strive to use the least amount of graphics and layout elements possible. HTML is designed to present content, not a complex design conglomeration. Use structure and layout elements to highlight and emphasize content, not to overpower your audience.

Be widely supportive

Use proprietary extentions sparingly. If you do use a specialized markup tag, test your pages with browsers that do not support the special tag to see if the result is acceptable.

Update and revise regularly

It takes a short amount of time for a Web site to become stagnant. Make a habit of altering, editing and improving your Web pages on a regular basis. Try to keep your Web site in step with your life or your business.

Don't be linear

Hypertext is a generation beyond printed material. Don't fall into the trap of creating Web pages that are as dull as a travel brochure. Make the extra effort to add value to your content with hyperlinks to multimedia and other resources.

Design Tips

Use a common layout for all the pages in a single Web site.

A common design helps integrate all the pages at your site.

Use simple repeating graphics as navigation buttons.

By using the same graphic for the same navigation function on each page will speed loading time and allow users to gain familiarity with the controls.

Use white space effectively.

Blank sections of a page should balance the look of a page as well as provide a structure to the content.

Use physical and descriptive markup tags sparingly, for emphasis.

Reserve the use of font altering markup tags for specific content enhancement.

Use good graphics well.

A few crisp relevant graphics communicates a concept better than a thousand hyperlinks.

Split your content up into manageable chunks.

A good rule of thumb is to keep Web pages less than three full screens long. This will reduce scrolling, allow greater navigation control, and speed transfer time.

Feedback is good, both ways.

Provide an avenue for viewer feedback, to let users comment on and criticize your work. You'll be amazed at what you overlooked or didn't think about. And give your viewers information about changes and updates when you revise your site. Remember, the purpose of the Web is to communicate.

Quality Control Solutions

Test, test, test

Always test your Web site before going public. Every link, anchor and image should be examined at least twice, but the third time's the charm.

Spell Check!

Spelling errors on a Web page is bad form, bad taste, bad education and bad netiquette. ALWAYS check your spelling before putting it up!

Regularly check all external URLs

The dynamic nature of the Web guarantees that links go bad over time.

Beta testing is not just for software any more!

Recruiting others to thoroughly test a new Web site helps you find the kinks and bugs before the world sees them.

Run it by the legal department

If you're designing a Web site for any business or organization, always run every word of copy by the man in charge or the one at whom the buck stops. Otherwise, you may find that your own bucks have stopped!

Productivity

Cut-N-Paste

Learning to use the cut and paste features of your system reduces keystrokes and speeds up activity. Most browsers allow selection of text right from the main viewer area.

Check out right (and center) mouse-button menus

Many browsers provide powerful and useful pop-up menus that may be accessed with a mouse-button click. Try all the buttons out, and see what happens!

Use the right tools for the job

There are numerous shareware and commerical utilities available for every aspect of Web production and use. Some perform multiple functions, some only one. Find tools which do the specific jobs you require, and learn how to use them to their maximum extent.

Must-Have Web Tools

Text Editor

String Search and Replace Utility

File Finder

Spell Checker

Compression Utility

Drawing Program

Screen/Image Capture Utility

Graphic Converter Utility

Transparent GIF Utility

Link Tracer

Surfin' Techniques

Don't wait

Most browsers have a status line, where document request information is displayed as the browser and server interact. Once you select a hyperlink to follow, watch the status line. If after 5 seconds you do not see the line change from contacting to receiving, you need to stop the browser and try again. Sometimes Internet traffic, server load, and connection noise interfere with Web document requests.

Stop it!

Once a page begins to load, if you notice a significant delay in information/image loading, such as 5 seconds, stop the page from further loading. If you need to reload the page, do so. Often, page loading delays are caused by large, complex or multiple images. By stopping page load activity, the browser usually displays the text content with white space where the images would have been.

Explore both breadth and depth

When looking for specific or topical information on the Web, take time to pursue interesting off-site links a page may offer.

Use the Back button

When using a search engine or other fill-in form page, instead of clicking on a link to return to the first page, use the browser's back button to reload the document from the cache.

Use the history list

Many browsers keep a session's link history under a pull-down menu. You can use the history list to quickly return to a page visited earlier.

Best Sites

C|Net's Best of the Web

A weekly updated list of the top sites with in-depth reviews

David Siegel's High Five

A weekly site is awarded the "Excellence in Site Design" award

Yahoo Most Popular Categories

The 50 most frequently accessed, asexual categories/documents in Yahoo

The Lycos 250 and Hot Lists

Top 250 by actual accesses

The WebCrawler Top 25

WebCrawlers top 25 by accesses

Club Web Platinum 100

The Top 100 Interesting and Unique Sites Chosen by Our Judges.

The Bottom 95%!

When you've seen the best, this is what's left.