Over the years we have come across numerous useful websites; sites that communicate useful information on web development, standards implementation and more. A few are listed here (we’ll update this list as time goes on…)

Standards

The following sites provide detailed information on web standards. Please remember that all of sites should adhere to applicable web standards! Use these sites to ensure your code complies with the relevant standards.

• 508 – accessibility compliance standards
• CSS Standards
• HTML Standards
• Semantic Web Best Practices
• RDF and SPARQL Standards
• Web Ontology Language (OWL)
• w3c
• Web Standards Group
• The Web Standards Project
• XML Core Working Group

Tools

• Dynamic Drive- Scripts and add-ons
• Cleanup your CSS
• CSS Menus & More (Stu Nichols)
• CSS Page Layouts
• Morgue File- Free Open Source photos
• Rounded Box Generator
• Spiffy Corners- generate nice css boxes
• Stock Xchange- Free Open Source photos
• WebSite Audit
• WebSite Grader

Tutorials

• Ajax Tutorials
• CSS Listmania
• Fix IE Bugs- Explorer Exposed
• w3schools Tutorials (html, css, and more)
• Web Style Guide
• W3c compliant Site Listings

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The most important part of your web site is the actual text content. Use the following tips regarding content:

1. Site Navigation Scheme – Using index cards or smaller pieces of paper, write down all the items that you want included in your web site (Brainstorm here!). Now separate them into Categories, understanding that one index card may end up in more than one category. When you have something that makes sense, you have just created one navigational scheme!
   • If you need more than one level of hierarchy, create additional piles. Ensure that those items which you know your audience will want to get to are not too far down in the navigational scheme. Will your audience have to click more than two times to get to the item? If so, consider using a Quick List on higher levels of your site which will get your audience quickly to these popular items.
   • Repeat the above process until you come up with one or more navigational schemes for your site. Now decide how you want to ” label ” each of the Categories so that it is brief and yet descriptive for your audience.
2. Static vs Dynamic – Determine which elements of your web site will be relatively static in nature, and which elements are dynamic, requiring frequent updates. You may decide in this step NOT to include something on the web site, if you will not be able to maintain it.
3. Page Size – For large documents, decide whether you will break it into separate web pages, making each page printable on its own.
   • Your alternative is to make one large document with a table of contents or index at the top with target links to specific areas of the document.
4. Page Identity – Make each page in a group of web pages understandable on its own. This means that you will need to title each page consistently. If your site has several layers of content, consider the usage of footprints on your pages. (Ex.Home & gt; & gt; ITS & gt; & gt; Documents).
5. Print vs Web – Content that typically needs to be revised when converting printed media to the web include:
   • contact points (email addresses in addition to mail addresses, room numbers and telephone numbers)
   • if you include a phone number, use complete phone numbers with area codes
   • when referring to a date, spell out the month. While the US uses month / day / year, the rest of the world uses day / month / year
   • for forms to be placed online, you will need to rewrite the instructions. For example, remove / reword sentences such as ” Complete back side of this form. “
6. Link descriptions – Part of your documents will contain links to other information. These links should alert the user to what they will see if they select the link; in other words they should be brief and yet descriptive. In some cases, it is also appropriate to describe the ” where ” in the link. For example, if a link will take the user to another web site, convey that information in the link text. Avoid terminology like ” click here ” or ” press the right arrow “; browser methods of choosing links vary.
   • provide ” return to ” statements on pages of your web site to help users get back on track.
7. Stale content – Tell users, in words, how often a page is updated.
8. Original content -
   • Make the content of your home page original. Do not duplicate documents that appear elsewhere on the Internet. Instead, link to them
   • Be aware of copyright regulations that apply to existing Web sites.
9. In development – Avoid under Construction pages. If you intend to eventually include an additional page or section on your web site, you may say so on a completed page of your web site, but do not put up a page which only states Under Construction.
10. Spelling errors – Spell check and proofread your pages as you would any other publication.

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Suggested alpha Standards

1. alpha Review is final internal review of a website for the purpose of internal quality inspection
2. all local coding is completed and local developer reviews are completed
3. the developer believes that the product will meet call client requirements and will pass management examination and sign-off
4. alpha sites still run on development servers and have not been published to the internet

alpha Readiness Checklist

Please note that all the below criteria, in the checklist, must be met before considering the site as being ready for alpha Review.

Checklist for main page of web site

Does the page have the following?

1. a name of index.html or equivalent (ie. home.php for WordPress) ? By naming your main home page index.html, users will be able to access your site without supplying a filename at the end of the address.
2. a title which contains the name of your web site followed by “, CompanyName LLC “. For example: CompanyName LLC
3. the CompanyName brands used correctly!
4. the full name of the person to contact regarding your web site .
5. an email link behind the name of the contact person with an ” @ mail.com ” email address. For example, in the link Sue Jones, the code ” mailto: sjones @ mail.com ” is stored behind the Sue Jones link. If you need an alias for your email contact, contact: webmaster @ CompanyName.com.
6. META Tags to identify your web site to search engines. We recommend that you use the author, keyword and description META Tags

Checklist for each page of web site

1. tables

Use sparingly and with caution! Avoid table use in documents whenever possible.
Table use in CSS or base html should be prohibited!

2. animated images

Design an animated image so that it stops animating after a few seconds and doesn ‘ t loop continuously. Images that flicker (with a repetitive strobe) should be designed so that the frame rate is not faster than two frames per second. This is especially important for larger flickering images or images which flicker between highly contrasting colors.

To check a web page for accessibility issues, use a tool like the free tool named A-Prompt Toolkit.

Checklist for your entire web site

1. Have you changed all link references to www.CompanyName.com?
2. Remember any copied links must be reachable.

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