Creating Cool Web Sites with HTML, XHTML, and CSS- P9: This book walks readers through the process of creating a basic Web site from scratch using HMTL, the basis for billions of Web pages, and then jazzing it up with advanced techniques from the author’s award-winning sites. This updated edition features new material that shows readers how to attract visitors to a site and keep them there, including new JavaScript examples and coverage of cascading style sheets and XHTML, technologies that make building successful Web sites even easier. | 374 Creating Cool Web Sites with HTM L XHTM L and CSS Your target audience plays a big role in determining how you design your pages. For example if you re preparing a site for Macintosh multimedia developers you might assume that all targeted users will be able to play QuickTime movies. But that might not be the case however for a site directed toward a more general audience. Or if you re creating a site directed toward Netscape users you could use Netscape-specific HTML extensions but you might want to stick to the standard HTML and CSS for a broader audience. Do you want a lot of repeat visitors If so plan to change elements of the site frequently to keep the site interesting to the real Web zealots. For example some commercial sites are designed to change many times each day. When considering the audience think about which browser software you plan to support and therefore test with . And remember if you want to reach everyone you ll need to include text alternatives to graphics for Lynx users and visitors with disabilities of one sort or another. x-ref Usability issues are explored in Chapter 15. Another factor that may control your design especially in a corporate setting is who s going to maintain the site and how much time do they have to do it Many companies find that managing and maintaining Web sites and responding to all the inquiries they generate take more time and money than originally anticipated. If a company goes on the Web but can t keep up with the visitors demands for information or follow-up the company seems unresponsive. So make sure those issues are part of any discussion about a commercial Web site plan. Interestingly enough even if a commercial Web site doesn t include a company s Internet address launching a Web site often leads to more e-mail from the outside world sometimes radically more e-mail something else to factor in. Remember that it s called the World Wide Web for a reason. Whether you mean to or not you have a global audience.
