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The 5 Golden Rules of Professional Design
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3. Metatags Make your Site Search Engine Friendly
Metatag content is still used by many search engines to create for each site a listing that will be displayed when users search the engine on particular keywords. Usually, professional designers include at least three metatags in their sites: title, description and keywords.
<META NAME="Title" CONTENT="Title here">
<META NAME="Description" CONTENT="Description here">
<META NAME="Keywords" CONTENT="Keywords here">
The great thing about metatags is that they're so easy to implement: simply type the relevant content between the appropriate tags. Though there's innumerable ways to increase a site's ranking for particular keywords within a search engine's listings, metatags are absolutely essential in the search engine optimization process.
4. Provide a Method of Contact
Always, always provide some method of communication by which users can get in touch with the site's owners. Many Web developers include on their sites email links and feedback forms. This approach serves two purposes:
- it tells users that the people who run the site care about their opinions
- it encourages visitors to share their thoughts and ask questions, which in turn gives the site owner a chance to build a rapport with their audience
Be sure, then, to encourage your clients to check their email often. There is nothing more frustrating for a user than to have to wait a week or more for the site's owner to respond to their email.
If the server supports a server-side language, like Perl, ASP, Cold Fusion or PHP, you can design a feedback form, or download one from a script repository such as:
5. Design with the Little Guy in Mind
In this day and age, all we think about are the bells and whistles, especially when it comes to slick new designs. Not only are these new technologies often misused, but they can slow the speed of your site dramatically, especially if you use large animated .gifs and complex Flash movies.
Although it's true that there are now more broadband users than ever, don't make the mistake of designing specifically for this small audience. There are still 28.8k modem users out there, and if it takes those using low-end connections -- the probable majority of a site's visitors -- more than 10 seconds to access a page, they'll quickly head off to a competitor.
As Web designers, we need to keep our sites simple. Far too many, especially newer designers, have fixed their eyes upon the gold when they have not yet mastered the silver. Only use graphics where you need them. Never use .gif animations unless they're absolutely, unavoidably necessary. And don't use large, intricate backgrounds on your pages: they'll only hinder the readability of text, and increase load time.
The moral of the story is: design with the end user in mind. Assume your users are connected through a 28.8 modem with a 15" monitor at 800x600 resolution using Netscape. Trust me, your visitors will love (and support) the site for it.
Wrapping it up
We've looked at 5 tips every designer needs to keep in mind as we do the work we love. Although communication is essential, steps can be taken to decrease the amount of spam the site's owner receives.
As designers, we must also make sure our typography is easily readable and logically designed. Moreover, search engine friendly sites are often popular sites, and those who design for the little guy greatly improve compatibility for all potential users -- which will only make your clients happy!
Using these tips will lift your sites to another level, and ensure that every visitor gets the content they're looking for, and every one of your clients is happy with the job.