Validating Web Codes

Whether you use a simple HTML+CSS combination, or you implement a complicated CMS-based core with templates, validating codes is essentially important. There are several benefits you can get from using online code validation. If you are serious about maintaining cross-browser functionalities, the only way you can achieve that is by using standard validated codes throughout your site’s web development process. Your site will also load better, allowing overall performance increase that is beneficial both server and client-side.

You can easily validate codes using several available online tools. The W3C Markup Validation Service can help you validate HTML codes and make sure your site is compatible with all browsers and the W3C HTML standards. You can also use The W3C CSS Validation Service to validate the CSS used on your site.

Code validation can also be done offline using available development frameworks. If you use web development software such as Adobe Dreamweaver, you can find similar code validation functions built inside the software. You can easily validate codes as you write them, allowing you to correct errors and non-standard use of codes instantly.

Whenever you are developing a site, make sure you use the common web standards and validate your site’s coding. It will greatly increase the site’s accessibility, making users enjoying the site a lot more satisfied.

Web Development Don’ts

The title says it all. There are things you shouldn’t do, or even unacceptable to do, with your site and how you develop it. You need to remember that the goal of web development is to satisfy users. With this basic principle in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the biggest mistakes in web developing.

Have you ever come across a site that is too complicated to use? The first big don’t when it comes to web development is stuffing features and elements all in one page without thinking about usability. Users need to be able to navigate and use your site features comfortably, so creating heavy Flash-based user interface with tons of features in it may not be the best way to go. Keep the site simple yet highly useful; the site will be much more valuable to users this way.

Another big web development don’t is the lack of planning. A web, or information in general, must be structured properly; the only way you can achieve that is by having a good set of plan before even coding the site. Organize information and features accordingly, and make sure they are placed properly on your navigation bar.

Web Development: How to Fuel Your Site

Having a nice looking site with tons of eye candies may not be enough, since you need visitors to use the available features to be successful. This is exactly why you need valuable content; it is the best way to fuel your site and keep visitors coming back for more. When it comes to web development, preparing quality contents is definitely as important as coding the site itself. There are three important aspects you should consider when you are writing contents for your site: readability, usefulness, and absent of errors.

Readability is important because most web users don’t really read contents thoroughly. Instead, they screen the entire page and catch keywords as they go. This is exactly why you shouldn’t use contents that are too long, too complicated to understand quickly, or simply too difficult to read.

The value of your contents relies on the contents’ usefulness. If you regularly present new articles, videos, or audios on something that many people need, such as simple how-to’s, news, or tutorials, your site will most likely get a steady traffic.

Last but not least, make sure the contents are error-free. As soon as users find errors in your content, the site’s credibility decreases substantially and you will lose visitors in an instant.

Client-Side Coding

There are two sides of web programming you can use to add features to your site. Server-side coding is used when you are programming the core of your web services. Programming languages and frameworks such as PHP, ASP, ColdFusion, CGI, J2EE or WebObjects, Ruby, Phyton, and a lot others are considered server-side since they are running on the server and stream results through the internet. Client-side coding, on the other hand, does the exact opposite. Scripts are run on client’s computers and results are presented instantly.

Microsoft Silverlight, AJAX, Flash and Action Script, JavaScript, and the JavaFX are among some of the most popular client-side programming languages available. As you can conclude, these languages and frameworks are generally used to develop user interface and client-side scripts.

The main advantage of client-side coding is efficiency. Since the information, input, as well as results don’t need to be streamed through the internet, you can generally reduce your server’s bandwidth usage substantially. You can also reduce the amount of server resources used by opting for client-side coding.

By using client-side coding, you can create a more fluid site for your users. The interface will be easy to use and navigate, making the overall experience of using your site a lot more valuable.

Hiring Web Developers

Web development is a broad term used to describe the process of developing a site of any kind. From designing to coding the site to function the way it can be useful for users, the process of developing a web requires distinct skills and expertise. However, not all web entrepreneurs possess these skills. Thanks to several available services and freelance web developers, developing your own online establishment can be done easily.

The first thing you would have to do when you are thinking about hiring web developers to help you is review their portfolios. A lot of new web developers are offering their services, so judging the quality of services provided by seeing track records or the number of sites they have worked on can be quite imbalanced. Portfolios, however, are the true mark of quality and the objective way to assess someone’s web developing skills.

You can also opt for web developing teams or companies. Since the process is quite comprehensive, hiring a team with experts in specialized fields working for you can be very beneficial. Of course, you should always make sure the services you are getting are affordable or within your spending budget so that you can use them efficiently for developing your own site.