Status: O «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» A L L A B O U T W E B D E S I G N !(tm) "A Twice Monthly Resource Guide For Web Designers and Webmasters" Issue #4 July 1, 1999 «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Editor: Linda Anderson (aka windsong) All About Web Design!(tm) is a free, twice monthly newsletter that covers EVERY aspect of web design. Topics include web design, writing html, resources for web designers, web site utilities, javascript, cgi, designing for search engines, and much more! If you're reading this newsletter, it's because you either subscribed or some kind soul forwarded it to you. If you want to get it delivered to your e-mail address every month, you'll find "subscribe" instructions at the bottom of the page. If you want to STOP getting it delivered, the "unsubscribe" instructions are there also. Replying to this message will NOT remove you. It goes without saying that your e-mail address is NEVER made available to anybody else. Never, no way, no how. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» THIS ISSUE'S CONTENTS... «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPONSOR'S SPOT EDITOR'S NOTES BOOK REVIEW SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE Is Your Website 'Visitor Ready'? By Lee Benson LINKS OF INTEREST TO WEB DESIGNERS AND WEBMASTERS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CRITIQUE CORNER HINTS, TIPS, AND TRICKS THIS ISSUE'S CLASSIFIEDS HOW TO ADVERTISE IN "ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!"(tm) SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPONSOR'S SPOT «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» FREE .. "The Writers & Publishers Connection" Newsletter helps to "bring Writers and Publishers together." The content NEEDS of E-zine & Web-zine Publishers are listed, as well as NEWS about New Articles available from Web Writers! Make some Connections! E-mail us & say "W&P 4 Me" (or request a sample) «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» EDITOR'S NOTES «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Welcome loyal readers and all new subscribers! I have been informed that there is some tricky stuff going on for my AOL subscribers. I was told that if this ezine is over 20K that it is sent to AOL users as an attachment. Perhaps some of my AOL subscribers will drop me a note and let me know exactly how this works, so that I can do everything in my power to get this ezine to you in the most appropriate manner. If you haven't already subscribed to our sister e-zine, ALL ABOUT SEARCH ENGINES!(tm) take a moment and do it now. Just send a blank email to: mailto:AboutSearchEngines-subscribe@onelist.com If you'd like to have one of your articles featured in ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!(tm) ...send the article to me at: mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?subject=article (hint: it can also be a tip, or a trick.) But please stay on topic and keep it brief and to the point. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, complaints or advice, or just want to say 'hi', please contact me at: mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?Subject=AAWD-Feedback Sending a message to this address automatically means that you've given permission to reprint your message. Peace, windsong «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» BOOK REVIEW «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Build a Web Site the Lazy Way by Kathryn Toyer http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0028630181/businessoppor084 A lot of the people involved in building Web sites these days don't handle the gritty details of writing HTML and other computer code. They make decisions about how pages will look and leave the details of implementation to others. Build a Web Site the Lazy Way appeals to designers, offering them hints as to what looks good and what works on a Web site. Toyer addresses many issues involving aesthetics, such as when to use a bulleted list rather than a definition list and how to use tables to the greatest effect. She talks about forms, images, colors, and the other elements that jazz up pages. This book does a good job of familiarizing readers with Web design terminology, giving them an idea of what's possible and what's not. Learn to create a Web site from scratch, including a quick lesson on HTML. Tips are given on how to jazz up the site with graphics, special effects, audio and video clips, as well as how to boost hits and attract more visitors. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Is Your Website 'Visitor Ready'? By Lee Benson There are a lot of misconceptions related to website design, the most common one being 'anything goes'. However, nothing could be further from the truth.A properly designed website that's been planned and tested can mean the difference failure and success. If your website is just a mess of HTML code, with no real plan and no real means of easy navigation, then now's the time to start learning HOW you should go about creating your website. I've created a list of points that you should ALWAYS follow when creating a business website. * 1) Remember What Your Website Is For =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This is a key point. Chances are that your business website has been put on the web to do one thing: Sell your products or services. So always keep this goal in mind. It's surprising how many website designers seem to forget that their goal is to sell. A personal website can get away with all the cute little animated gifs, and the multi-colored text, but with a business site, it's a whole new ball game. So don't overload your site with slow-loading technology, 'cause people just aren't prepared to wait. * 2) What's All This HTML Stuff? =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Don't worry, you don't need to be a master HTML programmer to create a website. But you DO need to know the basics. There are a lot of good 'What You See Is What You Get' website building programs out there, so shop around and pick one that you feel comfortable with. Check out http://www.softseek.com and do a search for web building programs. You can download the software for free on a try-before-you-buy evaluation period. You don't want your website visitors to feel as if they're in the hands of an amateur, so give the right impression by learning the basics of HTML. * 3) Create An Easy Navigational System =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Don't make a site that needs a rocket scientist to figure out how to get from one page to another. Your website should be easy to navigate at all times. An important thing to remember is that not all of your visitors will arrive at the main page. So, what options will you give them to navigate your site? Don't force your website into a linear navigational pattern. By this, I mean don't force people to visit certain links. They should be free to visit any page they want, so remember to provide text or graphical links to every page. If you're creating a big website with lots of page, a site map or index page wouldn't be a bad idea. * 4) Give Your Site A Constant 'Look & Feel' =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- When someone clicks on a link to another one of your pages, you want them to know they're still on the same website. Therefore, maintain a constant look and feel to your website. This can be as easy as creating a HTML template, and just filling in the blanks for each page. This way, your visitors soon become aware of how to navigate your website with ease, which your visitors will love you for. * 5) Fresh Content Is The Key To Repeat Visitors =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Update your website as often as possible. By constantly updating your pages, you're giving a reason for visitors to return to your site. If someone returns to your site, and notices that your pages have been updated, there's a good chance that they'll continue to browse through your site. If they see your site hasn't been updated since their last visit two months ago, then you can guarantee they'll be gone with the click of a mouse button - probably never to return again. Why not add a 'What's New' section to your website? This way, people can see 'at a glance' exactly what's new. * 6) Grab Their Attention FAST! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Within a few seconds of visiting your website, your visitors need to know the benefits you'll be providing for them, otherwise they're just likely to continue surfing somewhere else. The best way to do this is with your headlines. Near the top of your main pages, add a powerful headline that will catch the attention of the visitor. If they're interesting, then chances are they'll continue exploring - or at least bookmark your site for a later visit. * 7) Providing Contact Information Is a MUST! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= It surprises me to see how many websites are missing out their contact information. It's vital that you provide it! How can you expect your visitor to trust you into selling your product or service to them, if they don't even know who you are!? Put up your mailing address, your phone number, fax, email addresses etc - The more contact options, the better. * 8) Do Something To Capture Your Visitors' Details =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= How many times have you let your visitors slip away without knowing who they are? The best way to generate repeat visitors and capture their email address is by offering an opt-in subscription to some kind of publication. What, you mean you don't have your own newsletter? This is a must! Starting your own opt-in mailing list is one of the most powerful marketing concepts ever created. At the very minimum, you should publish a periodic newsletter to inform visitors of new product updates or website changes. If you're a beginner when it comes to publishing newsletters, I suggest you start off with a free mailing list provide like OneList at http://www.onelist.com * 9) Allow Your Visitors To Provide Feedback =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- How do you know if your visitors like your website? How can you improve your site? What do your visitors want to see from you? All of these questions and more can by answered by simply providing a feedback form. Visitors are twice as likely to fill in a feedback form than they are to click on an email link and send you a message. You don't need to be an expert programmer to provide a feedback form. Free services such as FreedBack at http://Freedback.com/ctap/?111051 have been set up to offer you a FREE feedback form for your website. It's easy! * 10) Most Importantly, Offer Content That's Worthwhile! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- No matter what traffic building tools you add to your website or what marketing methods you employ, they're not worth squat if your website is full of rubbish. No-one is going to spend their time reading rubbish. Therefore, do everything you can to provide your visitor with worthwhile information. Even better - Make sure you provide something for free. Freebies are a great way to spark up extra interest, so offer what you can. It is said that at least 50% of your website content needs to be related to providing your visitor with something free. In fact, my website at http://www.cyberprosper.com offers at least 95% of free content -- and I can tell you that this sure helps your sales. So get out there, and start building your site today! --------------------------------------------------------- Get a FREE Membership to the Internet's FREE Marketing Resource Center. Sign-up Online for FREE at http://www.cyberprosper.com/?WD --------------------------------------------------------- «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» LINKS OF INTEREST TO WEB DESIGNERS AND WEBMASTERS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» I am giving you only one link in this issue. Why? Because this one link will keep you busy almost forever. I really want you to study some of this, so you can grow as a web designer. http://www2.utep.edu/~kross/tutorial/ «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» I listen to feedback. If you have particular likes or dislikes about "All About Web Design!"(tm) please let me know by sending your thoughts, ideas, critisisms, and comments to... mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?Subject=AAWD-Feedback Sending a message to this address automatically means that you've given permission to reprint your message. ________________________ Stuart Blake writes: Hi windsong, Congats on the maiden issue, may it bloom and grow ! I'm an aged marketer and total novice on the scene, blown away by "webspeak" and finding navigating the net a very frustrating experience. Bit of a luddite really, but I see the potential and want to start a business on the web. Me and six trillion others! Since info is power ... and you know where to find it ... I'm gonna be learning everything I can from AAWD. Sooner or later, I had to trust someone and I like your style ... so your it! Sincere good wishes .... peace and love. Luddite Stu. (editor's comment) Thanks, Stu. With subscribers like you I can't fail. ________________________ Dear Windsong, I wish to commend you on your maiden issue of AAWD, and say that I can't wait for the next issue. Your e-zine was recommended to me by none other than UKJ. But I'm sure that you knew that. I have been an avid reader/subscriber of his, so when UKJ made his recommendation, I knew it had to be good. Well, that combined with how much he talks about you, I almost feel like I know both of you already. I wish you continued success, and I can't wait to see the next issue. Happy Writing, Maggie (editor's comment) Yep! If it hadn't been for UKJ, neither of my ezines would have ever happened. I owe him one. And I thank you for the kind words. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» CRITIQUE CORNER «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Submit your site for a mini-evaluation. This will not be an extensive critique, but will be a general analysis. We can cover specific questions about your site, or analize just one aspect if you wish. There will be only one or two critique's published in each issue. If I receive more requests than that, some may not be published. I will try to critique them all and send you the results. Requesting the review constitutes permission to publish the results. If you do not wish to have this published, then please do not request the review. mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?subject=critique _________________________________ Peter Morgan wrote: I'd like you to have a look at my public-service site: http://www.nisgaa.org (editor's critique) Hi Peter: Took a look at the site....from a design point of view it is pleasing to the eye and is professional. I know nothing of the subject matter, so really can't comment on that. However, it appears that you have covered all the bases. If I was looking for information on this topic, I am sure your site is one I would bookmark. You asked about search engines: First, I would lose the frames. Search engines choke on frames. If you have multiple pages, they will never get indexed. It is important to have all your pages indexed, as you can never be sure where the entry point is for people finding your site. hint: subscribe to my new ezine: All About Search Engines!(tm) and learn more about getting listed in the engines. The first issue is due out on June 7th and has a bit about frames and why search engines can't index them. You can subscribe by sending a blank email to: mailto:aboutsearchengines-subscribe@onelist.com Took a look at your keywords. For the most part, you should use keyword phrases as opposed to single words. The search engines will find the single words in the phrases, but cannot put together phrases from your single words. Also be aware of keyword dilution .....it is best to have as few keywords as you can get by with as it gives you a higher relevance for each keyword. (there will be an article regarding this in a future issue of All About Search Engines.) Also, do NOT repeat a keyword. Use it only once. It is important that the first 200 words of text on your page is loaded with keywords. Also the meta description should be loaded with keywords, as should the title. As far as the organization of your links, I am afraid I can be of no help in this area. It would take someone who is keenly aware of the subject matter to handle this. One thing I would suggest: the frame at the left of the page should perhaps be a page unto itself. I am visualizing the page as an actual index to the other pages. You might play around with that idea...bearing in mind that there must be content as well. All pages should be tied together (linked) and be easy to navigate. This is important to keep visitors coming back. I hope I have been of some help. Bear in mind that I only took a quick look at the page and am trying to keep the advice as simple as I can. If I can be of any further assistance, feel free to email me anytime. Peace, windsong «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» HINTS, TIPS, AND TRICKS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» 1. If you have Paint Shop Pro, here is a trick you can use to generate a good background quickly. First, open a new image file. Then, click on Image in the menubar. Next, click on Special Filters. Finally, click on Add Noise. Now, experiment with different settings until you find a suitable background. 2. Use inline graphics. Instead of linking to graphics on other servers, link to graphics on your own server. This will make your web pages load up faster. 3. Be considerate to people who have text-only browsers like Lynx, and those who have turned images loading off. Use the ALT tag for all your important images. In addition, some search engines index the text within ALT tags. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» THIS ISSUE'S CLASSIFIEDS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Learn the Secrets To Making Money On The Information Super-Highway at ADVANCED INTERNET SOLUTIONS. They will help you turn your computer into an automated cash machine. href="http://www.aismedia.com/secrets/index.htm?LA3949x0011 ____________________________________ Corey Rudl gets over 2 million visitors to his websites yearly, does 2.6 million dollars in sales online each year (yes, that is $2,600,000), and personally makes hundreds of thousands of dollars from his online businesses...all from his one small office. So listen to what he has to say as he knows what he is talking about when it comes to starting and promoting a business on the internet. Visit his site at: http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/3527/ ____________________________________ Your Personal Financial Resource Center has everything you need to keep your personal finances in order, from unsecured credit cards, to debt consolidation, to stopping forclosures, to legal credit repair, and much more. Check it out at http://www.beevy.com/card_search/usa?58-4501 ____________________________________ Work The Web Ezine - Free weekly ezine dedicated to providing our subscribers and members with the tools and techniques to promote their online business in an ethical and effective manner! subscribe at: mailto:wtwsubscribe@work-the-web.com or visit us at: http://www.work-the-web.com/wtwupdate.shtml _____________________________________ AMAZING FREE REPORT: 12 Dynamic Ways To Increase Web Site Traffic And The Single Biggest Secrete To Internet Sales. Get Your FREE Copy Today at: http://www.aj2000.com «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» HOW TO ADVERTISE IN "ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!"(TM) «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Classified ads will be limited in number. Ads will be placed on a first come, first served basis. If your ad doesn't make it in the current issue, it will be run in the following one. We confirm all ads by email upon receipt of payment and notify you of the run dates. We reserve the right to refuse any ad for any reason. For advertising rates and to order by check or credit card: http://marketing-resources.com/creditcards.html For advertising rates by autoresponder, send blank email to: mailto:webdesign@myreply.com «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» To subscribe to All About Web Design!(tm) send a blank e-mail to: mailto:allaboutwebdesign-subscribe@onelist.com To unsubscribe send a blank e-mail to: mailto:allaboutwebdesign-unsubscribe@onelist.com Copyright 1999 © Linda Anderson (aka windsong). All rights reserved. Please do not reprint, or host on your web site, without explicit permission. We disclaim any liability for the use of any contributed information contained herein. We also claim no responsibility for the legality or accuracy of the subscriber's advertisements or articles submitted and reprinted by permission. From webmaster@marketing-resources.com Tue Aug 24 16:11:28 1999 Received: from lanfear.nidlink.com (root@lanfear.nidlink.com [216.18.128.7]) by locust.etext.org (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id QAA21752 for ; Tue, 24 Aug 1999 16:11:26 -0400 (EDT) Received: from enaila.nidlink.com (root@enaila.nidlink.com [216.18.128.8]) by lanfear.nidlink.com (8.9.0/8.9.0) with ESMTP id NAA01652 for ; Tue, 24 Aug 1999 13:11:24 -0700 (PDT) Received: from marketing-resources.com (pm5-31.nidlink.com [216.18.141.38]) by enaila.nidlink.com (8.9.0/8.9.0) with ESMTP id NAA12518 for ; Tue, 24 Aug 1999 13:11:20 -0700 (PDT) Message-ID: <37C2FCD2.F66071D2@marketing-resources.com> Date: Tue, 24 Aug 1999 13:13:06 -0700 From: windsong X-Sender: "windsong" <@mail.nidlink.com> (Unverified) X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.5 [en]C-FLASHNET (Win95; I) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: www@etext.org Subject: Submitting content (ezines) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Status: O «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» A L L A B O U T W E B D E S I G N !(tm) "A Twice Monthly Resource Guide For Web Designers and Webmasters" Issue #3 June 15, 1999 «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Editor: Linda Anderson (aka windsong) All About Web Design!(tm) is a free, twice monthly newsletter that covers EVERY aspect of web design. Topics include web design, writing html, resources for web designers, web site utilities, javascript, cgi, designing for search engines, and much more! If you're reading this newsletter, it's because you either subscribed or some kind soul forwarded it to you. If you want to get it delivered to your e-mail address every month, you'll find "subscribe" instructions at the bottom of the page. If you want to STOP getting it delivered, the "unsubscribe" instructions are there also. Replying to this message will NOT remove you. It goes without saying that your e-mail address is NEVER made available to anybody else. Never, no way, no how. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» THIS ISSUE'S CONTENTS... «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPONSOR'S SPOT EDITOR'S NOTES BOOK REVIEW SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE (Clean up That Code!) (by: windsong) LINKS OF INTEREST TO WEB DESIGNERS AND WEBMASTERS LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CRITIQUE CORNER HINTS, TIPS, AND TRICKS THIS ISSUE'S CLASSIFIEDS HOW TO ADVERTISE IN "ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!"(tm) SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPONSOR'S SPOT «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» DalePubs Associate News is a FREE newsletter delivered every Saturday. It is primarily concerned with Associate Programs, specifically our two in-house programs. Tips on promotion and marketing all associate programs are included. Totally opt in and 100% original content. Freebies for all new subscribers! To subscribe mailto:dalepubs-subscribe@onelist.com «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» EDITOR'S NOTES «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Welcome loyal readers and all new subscribers! Wow! I can't believe how the numbers are growing. I have a few people to thank for that. You know who you are, and I love you all. Thanks, guys. Starting with this issue, All About Web Design!(tm) becomes a twice monthly publication. If you haven't already subscribed to our sister e-zine, ALL ABOUT SEARCH ENGINES!(tm) take a moment and do it now. Just send a blank email to: mailto:AboutSearchEngines-subscribe@onelist.com If you'd like to have one of your articles featured in ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!(tm) ...send the article to me at: mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?subject=article (hint: it can also be a tip, or a trick.) But please stay on topic and keep it brief and to the point. If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, complaints or advice, or just want to say 'hi', please contact me at: mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?Subject=AAWD-Feedback Deepest gratitude to my best friend and confidant, UKJerry for his continuing support and encouragement. Without him, this just wouldn't be happening. Subscribe to his marketing zine at: mailto:ezines@paychecks-online.com?subject=ws Peace, windsong «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» BOOK REVIEW «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Web Style Guide : Basic Design Principles for Creating Web Sites by Patrick J. Lynch, Sarah Horton http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0300076754/businessoppor084 This essential guide for Web site designers offers clear, concise advice on creating well-designed and effective Web sites and pages. Focusing on the interface and graphic design principles that underlie the best Web site design, the book provides anyone involved with Web site design with expert guidance on issues ranging from planning and organizing goals to design strategies for a site to the elements of individual page design. Shifting away from the emphasis of many authors on HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and glitzy, gimmicky graphics, Patrick J. Lynch and Sarah Horton discuss classic principles of design, how these principles apply to Web design, and the issues and constraints of designing complex, multilayered sites. They address the practical concerns of bending and adapting HTML to the purposes of graphic page design. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SPECIAL FEATURE ARTICLE «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» CLEAN UP THAT CODE! by: windsong How do you write your code so that it shows up on all or most browsers the way you want it to look? By understanding which browsers support which tags, and using a validation service to check your code. There are different tags that sometimes do the same thing. The problem here, is that some browers read some tags and not others. If the browser can't read your tags, it will cause your page to appear in some way other than what you intended. The trick is to write your code in such a way that all, or at least most browsers can read and display it the way it is supposed to be. You will find an HTML Tag List at: http://www.ncdesign.org/html/list.htm You can use this as you are writing your code and avoid some pitfalls. It only covers Netscape and Internet Explorer. These are the most used browsers, and probably includes about 80 percent or more of the online crowd. You can check your html code by going to a validation service like Net Mechanic. You will find a link to this and other validation services at: http://marketing-resources.com/utilities.html This can be a humbling experience. It checks your code and gives you all the errors and warnings. Do your corrections, and check it again. You may have to do this a couple of times to end up with no errors. There is no reason not to have perfectly clean HTML code. Learn the tags and which browers support them, and you are almost home. Then just run it through a validator. Now the world sees your page the way it really is. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» LINKS OF INTEREST TO WEB DESIGNERS AND WEBMASTERS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Here's a fun little toy. You can type in some code and then see what it looks like. Quick and easy. When you are satisfied with the way it displays, just copy and paste it. Check it out at: http://www.ash.udel.edu/ash/tutor/html/testbed.html _________________________________ Don't know javascript? Always wanted to do one of those pop-up boxes on your web site? Its easy. Take a look at: http://javascript.internet.com/messages/help-popups.html _________________________________ Want some CGI on your site? Don't know how to write it? Don't know how to install those free scripts you find on the web? Help is on the way! Here are scripts AND help to install them. http://www.lqidskin.com/ _________________________________ Here is a real eye opener! See what your site looks like in other browsers. I did, and was I surprised! Check it out: http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.htm «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» LETTERS TO THE EDITOR «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» I listen to feedback. If you have particular likes or dislikes about "All About Web Design!"(tm) please let me know by sending your thoughts, ideas, critisisms, and comments to... mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?Subject=AAWD-Feedback Also let me know if I have your permission to publish your ideas and comments. ________________________ Dr. MANI Sivasubramanian, M.D. writes: I want to learn about CSS and Server side includes - the very basics upwards, on how to implement CSS and SSI into websites. I'd appreciate it if you'd run a series of articles, or a collection of websites which carry good tutorials on these areas. Editor's comments: This area is probably more technical than many of our readers care to get into. For those of you who are more advanced, here are some links to get you started: A couple of links for CSS: http://www.hwg.org/resources/faqs/cssFAQ.html http://www.css.ksu.edu/useinfo/faqs/local.html A couple of links for SSI: http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/docs/tutorials/includes.html http://www.carleton.ca/~dmcfet/html/ssi1.html Hope this information helps. And for those of you who may be interested in healthy hearts and heart disease, check out Dr. Mani's e-zine: Get Dr. Mani's HEART BEAT Ezine - FREE http://www.dencats.org/heart/register.htm mailto:siva@dencats.org?subject=subscribe_ws Peace, windsong ___________________________ John writes: Dear Windsong, I'd like to congratulate you on a fine new e-zine. I am always looking for good web design resources and I found some gems in your e-zine today. I look forward to seeing your future issues. John Nesbit E-Zine AdSource Directory http://www.ezineadsource.com Find out all there is to know about E-Zine Advertising and promotion! Subscribe FREE to: E-Zine AdSource Weekly (e-zine) mailto:ezineadsource-subscribe@egroups.com Editor's comments: John, from you this is a tremendous compliment. For once in my life I am speechless. It really pleases me that I was able to provide information that someone in your position can utilize. I hope you never get bored with this e-zine. Peace, and deepest regards, windsong __________________________ Tracy writes: Thank you for the wonderful newsletter. I am mostly a stay at home worker. Having raised and trained Parrots for 20+ years I now want to develop an income that allows me to work from home. I have little knowledge of where to start although I can use graphic programs well. With your first issue I managed to write my first HTML page, and IT WORKED. Thanks especially for making sure the absolute novice found something here to work with. Good luck in your new endeavor. Your newest fan: Tracy gaff Editor's comments: I truly appreciate your kind words, Tracy. And I appreciate and empathize with subscribers like yourself. It was not that long ago that I didn't even know what HTML was. Time flys and the learning is not that difficult. Sometimes all we need is someone to get us moving in the right direction. If you are interested in working from home, there are several avenues open to you. Perhaps one day you will become a famous web designer. Or you could get into internet marketing. The opportunities are limitless. Keep doing what you are doing and you will arrive. Peace, windsong «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» CRITIQUE CORNER «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Submit your site for a mini-evaluation. This will not be an extensive critique, but will be a general analysis. We can cover specific questions about your site, or analize just one aspect if you wish. There will be only one or two critique's published in each issue. If I receive more requests than that, some may not be published. I will try to critique them all and send you the results. Requesting the review constitutes permission to publish the results. If you do not wish to have this published, then please do not request the review. mailto:editor@marketing-resources.com?subject=critique __________________________ jR Rider wrote: critique would be nice. http://members.aol.com/RediRnosaJ/ thanx jR Hi jR: Took a look at your page. It was not immediately clear as to the purpose of your site. It has a very "under construction" feel to it. One of the first things I noticed was the horizontal scroll bar. You really need to get rid of it. It will discourage visitors. One of the first rules of web design is to never put up a page that is under construction. It will only serve to drive your visitors away. If this were my page, here is what I would do. First, I would come up with a plan. What is this site going to accomplish? What do I want visitors to do? How am I going to guide them around the site? What do I have to offer visitors? If you keep your design simple, it will be more attractive in the long haul. Keep navigation easy, and your visitors will return. I know this is very brief, but I am trying to cover the basics. If you start off with a simple plan, I think your site will develop in a natural fashion. Let me know if you need any other advice. Peace, windsong «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» HINTS, TIPS, AND TRICKS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Don't put your site or page online if it has to have a "This page under construction" sign on it. All sites and pages change and improve with time, but if yours is so unfinished that you need to warn your visitors, it's not ready. ___________________________________ Make sure all the links on your pages work, and that all the other features work properly. You'll only frustrate your site's visitors if they don't get what you promise them, or if they run into syntax errors and other weirdness. ___________________________________ Often times people tend to cram too many graphics and text onto one page and that just makes for one big huge mess. If your page has gotten too large and has too many graphics, break it down into separate pages. You don't even have to delete any graphics, just break your stuff up by subject, then people can get to what they are interested in much faster. «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» THIS ISSUE'S CLASSIFIEDS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» PROMOTE! 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Don't miss out; subscribe Today! mailto:freebies@paychecks-online.com?subject=ws http://www.paychecks-online.com/free/index.htm?ws ____________________________________ Register for our FREE courses on Winning the Affiliate Game. This training program, by Declan Dunn, offers a series of lessons and motivational tips to show you how to build traffic and increase YOUR sales. http://marketing-resources.com/course.html ____________________________________ Get MONDAY MEMO! every week in your email inbox. It's FREE, and each issue is jam-packed with Information, Business Opportunities, Humor, Free Stuff and More. FREE Ad & FREE Report to new subscribers. Subscribe online at: http://Globemark.net/MondayMemo.htm or: mailto:SubscribeMM@globemark.net «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» HOW TO ADVERTISE IN "ALL ABOUT WEB DESIGN!"(TM) «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» Classified ads will be limited in number. Ads will be placed on a first come, first served basis. If your ad doesn't make it in the current issue, it will be run in the following one. We confirm all ads by email upon receipt of payment and notify you of the run dates. We reserve the right to refuse any ad for any reason. For advertising rates and to order by check or credit card: http://marketing-resources.com/creditcards.html «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE INSTRUCTIONS «¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤»§«¤»¥«¤» To subscribe to All About Web Design!(tm) send a blank e-mail to: mailto:allaboutwebdesign-subscribe@onelist.com To unsubscribe send a blank e-mail to: mailto:allaboutwebdesign-unsubscribe@onelist.com Copyright 1999 © Linda Anderson (aka windsong). All rights reserved. Please do not reprint, or host on your web site, without explicit permission. We disclaim any liability for the use of any contributed information contained herein. We also claim no responsibility for the legality or accuracy of the subscriber's advertisements or articles submitted and reprinted by permission.