| Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are used within the | | | | content is generally displayed in one block, rather |
| HTML behind your Web site as a way of controlling | | | | than being split up into less readable chunks by HTML |
| how each page is laid out and what elements on it | | | | just to fit it in to your design.Using 'semantically |
| look like. For instance, you can use CSS to make | | | | correct XHTML' - ie heading tags around the headings |
| headings in your copy a standard size across the | | | | and sub-headings in your copy, and bold or strong |
| whole of your site.CSS has been around for several | | | | tags around content you wish to highlight - tells the |
| years and is supported by all the major browsers | | | | search engines those words are the most important |
| available today, including Internet Explorer for the PC | | | | on the page. This helps give the page a boost for |
| and Mac, Firefox, Safari and Opera.Using CSS to | | | | searches which match the words which are marked |
| control your Web site will give you several | | | | as more important in this way.Helps in passing the |
| benefits:Makes your Web pages snappierBy using | | | | Disability Discrimination ActUsing good CSS and |
| CSS and writing your HTML code to match standards | | | | XHTML makes it easy for people with disabilities to |
| like 'XHTML Transitional' or 'XHTML Strict' you can | | | | change your pages the way they may need to for |
| decrease the 'render time' of your pages. This is the | | | | easy reading. This may be through increasing or |
| time it takes between downloading the page and | | | | decreasing the font size, or having it read to them |
| actually showing it on screen to your Web site | | | | through a screen reader. The clean page coding that |
| visitor.When using tables for layout - the traditional | | | | goes along with using CSS means screen readers can |
| alternative to using CSS - and 'font' tags to control | | | | easily navigate through your page and find the |
| how the text on the page looks, the browsers have | | | | content, giving a good experience to visually impaired |
| a lot more work to do before they show the page. | | | | users.Using CSS and XHTML also helps you comply |
| Using CSS and the proper DocType for the pages | | | | with the UK Disability Discrimination Act rules for |
| means the browser knows what to expect from the | | | | accessible Web sites. This is a valuable side-effect of |
| code and can display it much more quickly.In practice, | | | | using this kind of coding and takes no extra |
| converting to a standards based CSS layout on one | | | | development time to be compliant.Helps browsing |
| client's Web site reduced the time it took the page | | | | from different devicesAs well as helping screen |
| to display by almost a quarter of a second. Although | | | | readers, using CSS means alternative devices like |
| this is a very small amount of time, it is more than | | | | mobile phones and PDAs can show your content |
| enough to make a Web site feel much more snappy | | | | effectively and easily. Although the current market in |
| and responsive, helping it give a good impression to | | | | the West for browsing the Web through mobiles is |
| your potential customers.Makes your Web site | | | | small, it is growing and by using CSS you can create |
| quicker to updateAs well as making your pages | | | | a Web site which is easily viewable on these devices |
| display quicker, CSS makes it easier to make global | | | | with little extra effort,. So as more people use them |
| updates to your Web site. Say you're having a minor | | | | it will be simple to convert your site to work with |
| change in corporate image and want all your page | | | | current or future devices..DownsidesCurrently, Web |
| headings changed from blue to green. With CSS | | | | browsers treat CSS slightly differently, so when your |
| controlling how your headings look, that means | | | | Web site is created you may need slightly more |
| changing the colour in one file and the whole site | | | | cross-browser testing, and you will need to find a |
| shows the change - a two minute job rather than | | | | Web designer who understands how to build a site in |
| having to edit every page on the site.This flexibility | | | | CSS correctly. Most professional designers and |
| gives you the opportunity to do more with your | | | | developers are now seeing the benefits of creating |
| Web site. Want to show your support for Red Nose | | | | standards based CSS sites, but it is worth ensuring |
| Day? Again, one file change can put a little red nose | | | | that anyone you hire to make your Web site does |
| next to all of your headers, turn the text red and | | | | know CSS before starting a project.But the |
| even make them display in a silly typeface. Turning | | | | downsides are small when compared to the |
| them back to normal for the next day is, once again, | | | | immediate and ongoing benefits of a CSS-based Web |
| a single file change.Good for Search Engine | | | | site.Paul Silver and David Rosam are Head of |
| OptimisationBecause using CSS removes lots of | | | | Technical SEO and Head of SEO Copywriting at Web |
| HTML from your pages as layout and the look of | | | | Positioning Centre ( Paul has been involved with the |
| text is controlled through the CSS file, it makes your | | | | Web commercially since 1996 and David has been |
| textual content much more prominent within your | | | | writing marketing copy for 20 years, and writing for |
| HTML. This means the search engine spiders can | | | | the Web for a decade. |
| easily find your textual content, and that your | | | | |