| Webmaster Resource Center |
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Tips And Tricks
Many Tips & Tricks that can be used by both the hobbyiest and the professional. The hobbyiest can have an amateur site that doesn't look amateurish. Professional sites can have the polished, business look. |
Justified Paragraphs
Have you ever noticed that professional publishers always justify the paragraphs for printed material? Book, Newspaper, Magazine, and Brochure publishers, all will use justified paragraphs because: |
B: it fits the words into
a very neat space, and
C: it is easier to read,
Have you ever wanted to use justified paragraphs. I think that it is the most professional looking text. I wanted to create justified paragraphs, but I did not want the lines of text to go to the outer reaches of the screen. All of that eye and head movement can get tiring for the surfer. I also wanted to have various margins. Sounds great, but I had no idea how to do it. I experimented with different setups, until I got the look that I wanted. When I showed other web masters, they were impressed. This is similar to captions, but a little different. |
Queen Mab's Realm Logo and graphics, and Castle Keep Mall Logo and graphics, have been created exclusivity for Queen Mab's Realm, and are copyrighted. No part may be reproduced without expressed written permission. Other trademarks and trade names are the property of their respective owners and Queen Mab's Realm disclaims proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. These include but are not limited to: |
The coding for it is very simple:
<table width=''50%'' bgcolor''FFFFCC''><tr><td align=''center''><p align=''justify''><font size=''1''>
This is the area that you add your text. You can enter as much text as you wish. The table will surround the text, because you only have one table row and one table data. All of your lines of text will justify to fit within the table. |
The paragraphs on these pages are justified in this way. As I said, I think it gives the page a more polished and professional look. Also, by not changing the background color or font size, the table blends seamlessly on the page. I hope you like the look enough to try it. |
Using Tags
There are many different "tags" for a web master to use on his site. There are meta tags, graphic alt tags, and title tags. Each of these service a useful purpose. If you are not using them, you are not maximizing your web site. Meta Tags are written for the search engines. Your title, description tag, and keyword tag should have as many key words a possible. People will enter keywords into a search engine (say,Google) to find any site. With those words in your tags, they will (hopfully) find you. You want these key words. |
Quotation Marks
Quotation Marks are part of HTML coding. So how do you use quotation marks where they appear as code? One way is to type " &# 034 ". Java programers use ''& quot ;''. (The first and last quotation marks are coded. The symbols and letters inside are the code I used. A space was added between the symbols and the letters, so that you could see them.) An easier way is to simply use four apostrophes. You ''WILL'' get the same effect, without all of the coding, which takes up more bandwidth. This will be useful inside different "tags" i.e. for graphic alt tags, title tags, or discription meta tags. It may not work with some Java scripts. I know that it did in the few that I tried it in. It sounds too simple. That's why I thought of it. My brain likes the simplest solutions. Real Computer Geeks like complex code, then real complex code to undo the complex code. |
Target Blank
New windows can be very important to a web master who want surfers to see different areas of the web, without leaving the site that the web master has put up. This is most important to Affiliate Advertisers who want to sell Affiliate Merchants' products, but do not want the buyer to leave the site when there are other stores to buy from. The Affiliate Merchants don't want their code played with because they want to know who is really selling, and that the right checks get to the right people. The Affiliate Programs don't want code changed because they want their percentage. So how can you let people leave, and yet have them stay? Target Blank is the answer. This bit of code takes the surfer to a different web site, but opens a new window. The other web site sits in the background until the surfer closes the new window. Many advertisers will allow you to add a Target Blank to their code, but you must place it in just the right place. Others will not allow you even this much. Many have Target Blank for some links, but not for others. So how can you open a new window, without changing their code. Easy, place all of their codes on a separate page, then put a link from your main page to that one. You guessed it!!! Open their page.html target="_blank" and you don't have to worry about their code. Don't forget to put a space between html and the word target. This is most helpful for those Search Box Links, which are great for sales, but none I found, can be opened in a new window. I use a link to a Target Blank page. I list it at the bottom of the Merchants page. It reads, "Can't find (or Don't see, or something like that) what you want? Try our Search Box!" If target="_blank" does not work, try target="new". To see an example of a target blank in action, click Here. |
Java Script Games
Java Script games are fun, easy to find, and many are free. I like playing java script games, but I found that some don't have a reset button. Once the game is done, you have to refresh your browser. This may be O.K. at home, but on your web site you want a reset button. I don't know enough to rewrite jave scripts. I'm learning still. I have, however, found that I can place a link back to the same game page. Your computer will not care that you are already on that page. It will seek, find, and load the linked page. Instant Game Restart. As long as you can fit it all "above the fold" (the top of your page, before you have to scroll down), nobody will be able to tell the difference between a reload, and a reset. I have also experimented with changing pictures in java games. Most of the time it works, some times it doesn't. To see an example of a java game that I have changed, click Here. |
Graphics
I have experimented with combining pictures. With the picture of Queen Mab in the top left corner of this page, I found that I could not get just the right look. Either the Blue would turn purple, the Black would turn red, or the skin would turn green. I have four versions using different color palettes. I layered different parts of three pictures together, onto the fourth. Now I have just the right shades of blue, black, and skin tones. |
Template
One important aspect of you web site is astetics. You want it to look great. You want it to reflect you. You also want each page to blend with the other pages. Call it branding. Call it what you wish. It is important. The format should be the standard on every page. While exceptions may be necessary, too much deviation would look unprofessional. Each page must look like it is only a part of the whole, and standardization is the key to the look of continuity. I create a Template Page for each of my web sites. All pages start from this one template page. When I need to start a new page, I open the Template Page, and "Save As" the new page's title. All of the meta tags, the design layout, and Home Page back link are in place. I use the name "Ztemp" so that it is the last page in my directory. I know right where it is, and it is not in my way when I a searching for another page. I also use it as a place to hold on line information (such as java scripts), until I can cut and paste it in just the right place. To see a Template Page, click Here. |
