Content Management: Miscellaneous Notes

A few tips for simplifying your web site, managing your content, and a better user experience:

Separate Content from Structure

Maintain consistent "look and feel" throughout the site. Use a CMS, preprocessor, database, or (ack!) WYSIWYG tool and change only the content, not the design.

Separate content into logical subdirectories.

Make the main page in each subdirectory an "index" page.

Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)

The easiest way to separate content from structure and maintain consistent fonts, colors, margins, etc. Allows for faster page loads, streamlined site maintenance, and instant global control of design attributes across multiple pages.

Use a spell checker!

Nothing says "amateur" like bad spelling! A little literary license is fine, especially if you're writing as you speak, but remember that many readers may not understand slang and will be confused by misspellings.

Comment your code

Especially if you use Javascript or Cityscript you'll want to remember how and why you did something 6 months from now.

Images

Optimize images, and specify sizes for faster loading. If the images are large, use thumbnails as links to the full image. Not everyone has broadband access.

If you must use background images, make it the same one on each page. Don't waste the user's time downloading a different background for each page.

If you've got a Flash-based site or intro make a link to bypass the animation for those users who have already seen it or just want to get to your site.

Don't use a "splash" page, it wastes user's time and may drive them away.

Have a brick & mortar location?

If you have a set schedule or "business hours" post them on your page! If you've got special "holiday" or other hours tell me.

Setup a map link, list landmarks. More than one location? Use a dropdown list to a seperate page for each location or region.

If you're a distributor or manufacturer tell the user where they can buy your products. Be specific, link to retailer's stores, provide an address & phone number, etc.

Have a product that needs instructions or comes with a manual?

Make it available online in HTML and a printable format. If you use a PDF file make it open full size in another window so all options are available. Don't make it open in a frame!

No, I don't always follow my own advice...