Wrapping Up Page Layout & Usability
by Brandon Jubar
The layout of your Parish Web site must maintain a good balance between content
and navigation. The rule of thumb we recommend is the 80/20 rule: 80% content and 20%
navigation. Combine this with effective use of 'white space', and you are on your way to
an effective page layout.
Graphics are an important part of many Web sites, and yours may be no exception.
Carefully choose which graphics you will use, what file formats they will be in, and their
size and frequency of use. Don't rely on your graphics, though. Likewise, don't worry too
much about the 'presentation' of your content. Focus instead on the 'meaning' of the
different heading levels. And make sure you design your pages to look good in multiple
browsers.
Be very aware of the file size of your pages so that you can minimize the load time.
Optimizing your graphics and limiting their use will help. You can also use a few tricks
to make it appear that your page is loading faster. Use 'Alt' tags with images, make the
top of the page extremely relevant, and put the most important information in the top
level of any nested tables.
And finally, make sure the 20% of screen space that consists of navigation is simple,
helpful and easy to use. Giving your visitors text body links and additional resources at
the end of articles will round out your navigational toolbox.
If it is true that "Content is King" on the internet, then I believe that
"Usability is Queen". Without good layout of the information, support for
multiple browsers, fast page load times and effective navigational tools, your visitors
may never make it to your fabulous content.
And what good is a King or Queen without any subjects?
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