Avoid most serif
fonts. They look great when printed but are rendered
virtually illegible at small sizes. The following is the
same size text used first in a serif font (Times New Roman)
and then in a sans serif screen-ready font (Verdana).
serif legibility
serif legibility.
Even these are likely to appear
differently to you than they do here.
Avoid page-width text
areas. They induce the feeling of endless dull reading and
unless the leading is correct, it is easy to lose where you
are. Try and keep line length to around 70 characters.
Do not mix more than
three fonts on a single page. Instead use colours and
font-weight (Bold) and size.
Try and avoid using
Italics, they appear jagged and harder to read than their
counterparts.
Avoid using
"Tiny" Text. Search engines may penalise you and
it may be rendered illegible on some browser platforms.
Do not underline text
unless it is a hyperlink.
Remember not all
browsers render colours the same. Be careful when using
similar colour, or even similar hue, back and foregrounds.
Remember to set a font
family for browsers to default to if your chosen sans serif
font is not available on the viewers browser.
Copy
Ensure your text is
easy to understand and does not drift from the point you are
trying to make.
Avoid the use of
Victoriana unless you back it up with a simplified version.
Always have a third
party check your spelling, do not rely on software or
yourself. A good example of this is at allmyfaqs
Avoid over usage of
"flowery" adjectives. They become monotonous and
infer padding rather than good clean copy writing.
Keep it simple,
visitors are after information and don't want to read your
personal opinion on a subject. The overuse of
adjectives can turn a good topic into a personal opinion.
If you state a fact,
then make sure you quantify it, ensure you specify where the
information came from.
Ensure your pages are
structured correctly, every page should have an
introduction, main body and conclusion. The
introduction will assist the visitor decide if they should
read further.
Backgrounds
Avoid loading large images as
backgrounds to pages. Experiment with colour to get your
message across instead.
Avoid using garish or bright
coloured backgrounds that interfere with the legibility of
your text.
Never add a sound file to the
background of your page without the option to turn it ON.
Not everyone is supposed to be looking for your product at
the place they have access to the internet. You will have
forced these customers upon your competitors. Equally
damaging is the size of sound files. They will drive
customers away in their droves if they cannot begin reading
your page in under 6 seconds.
Remember that not all browsers can
have a fixed (non scrolling) background If the background is
critical to the design avoid setting it as fixed.
Avoid background images in tables
and cells, many browsers still do not recognise this
technique, use colours instead.
...And Finally
Always remember your target
audience, it is their browsers you need to design to, not
your own.
Do not forget to update your site.
Regular visitors like to see a "live" web site, it
may be their only way of knowing you are still in business.
Check your web site on as many
browsers and systems as possible. Do not expect it to look
identical on every platform but it should "hold
together" both effectively and logically.
