After years of working with entrepreneurs who developed their first web site using an image-based editor,
new world of internet marketing has placed a stronger emphasis on web development that conforms to technical concerns such as search engine optimization and multi-browser compatibility. Wigging Out
WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get, pronounced “whizzy wig”) web site editing programs can allow anyone to develop rich, full-feature web sites without a working knowledge of HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). Many of these programs feature a “drag and drop” user interface, accomplishing eye-catching web site development in much same way one might perform desktop publishing.
However, many, if not most of these programs generate HTML files that oftentimes results in compatibility issues. A few key concerns in developing web sites using WYSIWYG editors include:
* Text content may not be positioned at top of HTML file, which search engines like Google use to determine search engine ranking; * Font sizes may not be fixed, displaying garbled or overlapping text; * Content placement may not appear uniformly in less popular, yet fully functional browsers; * Future expandability of your web site may be limited to program’s design interface.
Although many WYSIWYG programs are capable of developing visually appealing web design, HTML automatically generated by program for upload to World Wide Web may limit your web site’s compatibility and expandability, long-term.
Coding by Hand
Coding HTML by hand can be a challenging, yet worthwhile endeavor, as flexibility of hand-coded HTML measurably outweighs time required to become familiar with language.
Although a relatively simple programming language, HTML is a diverse subject with many facets that can be used to create a dynamic, rich web presence. There are a number of on-line tutorials offering basic and advanced HTML guidance, as well as HTML’s secondary offshoot languages, such as DHTML and XML. A search on Google (http://www.google.com) using terms such as “HTML how to” or “HTML tutorial” will produce a myriad of results for new and advanced programmers.
