Being a professional web designer doesn't just mean that you're able to create a good looking site. It also has to function professionaly. To function professionaly it needs to load fast, be optimized and most importantly cross-browser compatible. So here are 10 tips to help you out.
10 - Always compress (And keep an uncompressed copy offline) of all your javascript files. By using JS compressors such as http://javascriptcompressor.com you can knock off a few extra unneeded K thus resulting in faster loading time.
9 - Avoid using tables to design layouts. Many make the mistake to simply put a couple of tables within tables to design sites because it's simple and then they end up having problems at a later stage. Use DIVs, SPANS and everything else exactly as it should be used. Believe me, you'll have less headaches later.
8 - Multilingualization. This one is fairly simple. Either hire a good translator that is specialized in web content or don't offer a multilingual site. There's no greater embarassment than translating something with google translate only to find out in reality, it makes no sense. You will look unprofessional.
7 - When you create websites for clients, take it by default that the site has to be search engine optimized. Now i'm not saying offer SEO for free, I'm simply saying that when clients (especially those that are not so technical) as you build a site for them, they wouldn't know they need SEO until a later stage. Be pro-active and design it that way in the first place. You'll thank me for this one later!
6 - Use structured folders when you create a website. Don't just grab every file and put it in one big folder. Seperate Images, JS files, css files, html etc. Be tidy. Sloppy designers don't get very far.
5 - A common mistake that designers do to speed up their production is the lack of naming conventions and structured code. Use tabs, name your tags, use alt text, give meaningful names to your form elements. You'll realize its good practice when you're 5-6 months down the line where you have to look back at your own code to make some changes and spend the first 30 minutes figuring out where is what.
4 - Whilst tools like Dreamweaver certainly make the life of a designer easier, DO NOT rely on it. When I started out coding html there was no Dreamweaver, we did everything in notepad. Take the time and learn the stuff inside out. Don't be lazy and rely solely on auto-completion and intelli-sense to code for you otherwise at the glimpse of a slight problem, you'll be stuck looking at it for hours.
3 - As much as I'd like Internet Explorer to be abolished for being so hard-headed and not follow standards (IE 8 was a good step forward), it's still the major player in internet browsers. Make sure that whatever you do, works perfectly in IE. Take some time to study the differences between browsers, it will help you a lot in reducing your troubleshooting time.
2 - A Sitemap is your friend and most importantly, it's your user's friend! Providing a decent sitemap not only helps your users find information faster but also helps your SEO efforts.
1 - Keep yourself updated. What worked yesterday doesn't necessarily mean it will work tomorrow. Follow up on new technologies and trends. And most importantly don't get stuck doing the same stuff. Look around other designers' work to get inspiration and always try new things.
Feel free to comment or ask for any help in the comments section and I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
If you like this article make sure you look at my other article : Top 10 tips for starting web designers
10 - Always compress (And keep an uncompressed copy offline) of all your javascript files. By using JS compressors such as http://javascriptcompressor.com you can knock off a few extra unneeded K thus resulting in faster loading time.
9 - Avoid using tables to design layouts. Many make the mistake to simply put a couple of tables within tables to design sites because it's simple and then they end up having problems at a later stage. Use DIVs, SPANS and everything else exactly as it should be used. Believe me, you'll have less headaches later.
8 - Multilingualization. This one is fairly simple. Either hire a good translator that is specialized in web content or don't offer a multilingual site. There's no greater embarassment than translating something with google translate only to find out in reality, it makes no sense. You will look unprofessional.
7 - When you create websites for clients, take it by default that the site has to be search engine optimized. Now i'm not saying offer SEO for free, I'm simply saying that when clients (especially those that are not so technical) as you build a site for them, they wouldn't know they need SEO until a later stage. Be pro-active and design it that way in the first place. You'll thank me for this one later!
6 - Use structured folders when you create a website. Don't just grab every file and put it in one big folder. Seperate Images, JS files, css files, html etc. Be tidy. Sloppy designers don't get very far.
5 - A common mistake that designers do to speed up their production is the lack of naming conventions and structured code. Use tabs, name your tags, use alt text, give meaningful names to your form elements. You'll realize its good practice when you're 5-6 months down the line where you have to look back at your own code to make some changes and spend the first 30 minutes figuring out where is what.
4 - Whilst tools like Dreamweaver certainly make the life of a designer easier, DO NOT rely on it. When I started out coding html there was no Dreamweaver, we did everything in notepad. Take the time and learn the stuff inside out. Don't be lazy and rely solely on auto-completion and intelli-sense to code for you otherwise at the glimpse of a slight problem, you'll be stuck looking at it for hours.
3 - As much as I'd like Internet Explorer to be abolished for being so hard-headed and not follow standards (IE 8 was a good step forward), it's still the major player in internet browsers. Make sure that whatever you do, works perfectly in IE. Take some time to study the differences between browsers, it will help you a lot in reducing your troubleshooting time.
2 - A Sitemap is your friend and most importantly, it's your user's friend! Providing a decent sitemap not only helps your users find information faster but also helps your SEO efforts.
1 - Keep yourself updated. What worked yesterday doesn't necessarily mean it will work tomorrow. Follow up on new technologies and trends. And most importantly don't get stuck doing the same stuff. Look around other designers' work to get inspiration and always try new things.
Feel free to comment or ask for any help in the comments section and I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
If you like this article make sure you look at my other article : Top 10 tips for starting web designers
