"What You Should Know About
Site Layout, Frames and Tables"
by Azam Corry
Frames Vs Tables
Some people like to use frames on their sites. I would recommend
you avoid them if you can ... and you probably can.
Frames can be useful on occasion but "the pain is greater than
the gain". Too many people complain of problems with frames than
you can afford to ignore. So if you insist on using them, you'll
need to create an alternative no-frames set of pages for these
users. Honestly ...
... it's just not worth the trouble!
As If that wasn't enough reason, many search engine spiders also
encounter difficulties with frames.
This means you'll either have to spend additional time learning
how to overcome these shortcomings or be doomed to low search
rankings. Convinced?
I hope so - for your sake!
In most of the situations in which you might feel you need to use
frames you can usually use tables equally effectively. If not on
their own, then in conjunction with SSI - Server Side Includes -
which also allow you to write separate pages for inclusion in
another 'main' page.
The left column navigation bar, for example, is one area that it
may seem appealing to place in it's own frame. The content
remains the same on every page and should you need to change it,
you can effect a global change just by altering a single file.
What many people don't realize that you can achieve almost the
same result by using an SSI callout in a table cell within the
page. This will reference another file on the server which will
be written into this location when called. To browsers and search
engine spiders alike the page appears as a normal web page and
doesn't give rise to any of the problems associated with the use
of frames.
For tutorials and a look at other uses for SSI on your site,
visit these free resources:
http://hoohoo.ncsa.uiuc.edu/docs/tutorials/includes.html
http://www.ora.com/www/info/cgi/ch05.html
The Long Wait!
Whilst we're on the subject of tables...
... don't make the same mistake I did when first using them!
Tables are great for page layout - you can put things just where
you want them to appear on the page. So I made one big table for
the whole page, split it up into various rows and columns, then
put (nested) other tables inside these and in some places yet
smaller ones inside them ...
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!
Those of you that are quietly chuckling can stop now, thank you!
Don't pretend you've never made the same mistake!
Where was I ...?
Oh yes ... tables. Now the thing with tables is that the browser
downloads all the contents of the table BEFORE it actually draws
anything on the screen. This includes the contents of any nested
tables. So what did that mean for my beautiful page?
It took DAYS to download!
Actually, it didn't really take that much longer, but it *seemed*
like it did. The page remained completely blank until the browser
had downloaded every single component and then suddenly flung
them all onto the page at once! Leaving your visitors staring at
a blank page for ages like this is not a good way to keep them on
your site!
As ever, learn from your mistakes - or my mistakes! - and split
your page up into several separate tables. Keep the whole lot as
simple as possible and try to avoid nesting more than one layer
of tables inside another. Browsers also take longer to draw
tables if you don't specify the sizes. This is because the
browser has to calculate how big the table needs to be to fit in
all the contents.
You can also employ tables to add color to a page in preference
to slow loading graphics. Or to effectively draw attention to
text placed in a colored box on the page.
Tidy and Businesslike
Forget about loud colors, blinking or scrolling text, fancy
animated graphics ...
... anything that distracts the eye.
Your visitor needs to concentrate on your text if you want to get
them to 'bite'. Compare your site to it's offline 'brick and
mortar' equivalent.
Would you paint that bright yellow and deck it out with flashing
lights?
... 'Nuff said!
Keep your pages clean and well organized. People must be able to
find things easily.
Imagine calling into a supermarket in a strange town to buy a box
of tissues. You're in a hurry. To your dismay you find that none
of the isles are labelled and you are forced to walk all over the
store to find what you want.
How annoyed and fed up would you feel?
Sure, you'd still buy ... but only because of the hassle involved
in leaving the store and going to another. Online this is as easy
as ...
... click ... "I'm outta here!"
Actually, when you go to a supermarket you'll normally find that
everything's neatly labelled and tidily displayed in rows with
signs above them... build your online store along the same lines.
Apply what I call 'the three clicks rule'... make sure your
visitor can find whatever they're looking for within three
clicks. If not you run the risk of them becoming frustrated and
leaving.
© 1999-2000 Azam Corry "Do it Better. Do it Faster. Do it Right!"
Online since 1998, Azam Corry Helps Newbies Develop a Winning
Web Marketing Strategy with Great Free Guides, Tools and Resources.
Also Discover
Resale Rights eBooks & Resell Kits That Make Money Fast!
==> Special from Azam:
Subscribe now to my Biz Bits Marketing eZine & get the Net's most
Comprehensive ecourse PLUS real-value ebooks completely FREE!
Back
"Do you wait for pages to load?"
(756 words)
Most surfers wait for pages to load, use these simple techniques to avoid wasting all that time. | 
English 
Français 
Español 
Deutsch 
Italiano 
Portugues 
