- Featured Columnists
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Table of Contents
- Welcome
- Web Basics
- Publishing on the Web: Putting Files on the Server
- Web Design Process and Workflow
- Project Management
- Mark My WWWord: HTML and XHTML
- Standards Compliance
- Layouts
- Forms
- Meta Tags and Search
- Usability
- Accessibility
- Enhancing Web Page Interaction
- Web Graphics
- Web Page Optimization
- Multimedia
-
Content
- RSS: What’s it for?
- Emphasize Hyper in Hypertext
- Give 'em Something to Talk About
- What's a product without a selling point?
- Site Matters
- Organize This!
- Inverted Pyramid – No Toppling
- Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder
- Whizzy Things and Other Distracting Objects
- Don't Make Me Read Twice
- What the Font Does It Say?
- No Flaunting Creative or Fancy Lexicon, Better Yet Cut to the Chase
- Cut the Fat
- Text Harmony and Understanding (and Consistency)
- Peace and Link Love
- Tale of Two Proofs
- Just the Facts, Ma'am
- Books and e-Books
- Online Resources
- Overview of Servers
- Server Programming Basics
- Careers in Web Design
- Tools
- Tutorials
- Intellectual Property for Web Designers
Just the Facts, Ma'am
Last updated Oct 17, 2003.
While doing research for the book, I crossed many sites that referenced, "a study indicated that over 75 percent of shopping carts are abandoned due to poor navigation." I wasn't comfortable using the data without knowing who conducted the study and the methods used. When I first drafted an article about legal issues, several experts pointed that it had inaccurate information. The resources are reliable, but the law is difficult to translate without losing context.
The moral? Use links to back up claims, facts, and statements. Give credit where credit is due. These little things add more credibility to a site.
Following the laws, guidelines, and suggestions for creating content will get your site a step closer to putting cufflinks on eye balls to keep them around longer.
Tip #10: Check your sources.
10 Secrets for Working with Content
Keep content concise.
Make content scannable.
Write objectively.
Write for the audience.
Validate text visibility.
Keep it simple.
Use short paragraphs.
Be consistent.
Proofread, proofread, proofread.
Check your sources.
