Newsletter issue #6 - 1st September 2004

This issue

Hello and welcome to the September edition of the Webcredible newsletter! Accessibility and usability are hot topics in the Internet industry at the moment. But did you realise just how much they have in common? Our feature article this month will reveal all... Enjoy!

In this issue:

• Feature article: The secret benefit of accessibility: Increased usability
• Top tip: Write an effective contact page
• Useful programs: HTML & CSS validators
• Top link: CSS Vault
• New articles in August
• Webcredible news in August

Enjoy!

The secret benefit of accessibility: Increased usability

There are so many benefits to web accessibility: A dramatic increase in the reach of your website, an easier to manage site, legal compliance and compatibility with PDAs and mobile phones. Well, now add one more benefit to this list: improved usability.

Read this article in full at www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-accessibility/web-accessibility-usability.shtml.

Top tip: Write an effective contact page

The contact page is one of the most important pages on your website, as it's effectively your online business card. For many websites the aim of the site is for site visitors to contact you. Follow these essential guidelines to make sure you get it right:

1. Encourage contact Don't be afraid to show some enthusiasm! ‘Please fill out the form’ doesn't really show me that you actually want to hear from me. Far better would be: ‘We'd love to hear from you - simply fill out the form below and we'll do everything we can to get back to you with a day or two!’ Now that would encourage me to get in touch.
2. Provide a variety of contact means Don't only provide an online form. Be open and transparent by providing me with an e-mail, phone number and physical address. Anyone can put up a website so providing this information is one way to prove to your site visitors that you really exist.
3. Guarantee a maximum response time A maximum response time encourages site visitors to contact you because they'll have more confidence that they'll receive a prompt response. Be careful not to guarantee a response time that you're unable to fulfil.
4. Send out an auto-responder E-mails don't always get through. Forms don't always work properly. After sending you a message there's no way the sender knows for sure that you received it. An auto-responder can put these fears to rest.

Useful programs: HTML & CSS validators

It's incredibly important that the HTML and CSS code for your website validates, as there's so many different technologies being used to access the Internet: PCs, Macs, PDAs, mobile phones, in-car browsers, WebTV and screen readers. For each of these there's a wide range of browsers, each of which has a number of different versions still being used. To avoid unpredictable effects on the way your site is displayed in these browsers, ensure the HTML and CSS documents validate to published standards.

The W3C provide two very handy programs to check for HTML and CSS errors. You can access these at validator.w3.org and jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator.

Top link: CSS Vault

CSS Vault is a site devoted to all things CSS. Featuring examples of CSS-based websites and a huge resources area, it can provide you with all the inspiration you need when designing and developing your site with CSS.

Check it out at http://www.cssvault.com.

New articles in August

• Why a CSS website layout will make you money
• Why do you have a website anyway?
• Separate text-only version? No thanks!
• Writing effective link text
• Hiring a search engine marketing company

Read these and many other articles at www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources.

Webcredible news in August

• Usability & Accessibility Working Group launches website
• Webcredible sponsors Internet Works magazine
• Web accessibility training course announced

Read these news stories in full at www.webcredible.co.uk/about-us/latest-news.shtml.

Web accessibility training course

We've recently announced the date of our open web accessibility training course. The training has received remarkable feedback from participants and due to a massive influx of enquiries we're putting on this extra course. The training will take place in our training centre in Liverpool Street, London on 1st November.

To receive a £60 discount on the course, for more information and to reserve your place before it fills up please consult our web accessibility training page.

Web accessibility & CSS support packages

We now offer a range of accessibility and CSS support packages, offering you access to one of our accessibility consultants anytime you like. Please read more about this innovative service in our web accessibility and CSS help section.

About Webcredible

Based in London, UK, Webcredible is a user experience consultancy. Tailor-made usability, accessibility & design solutions include:

• User-centered design
  • User research & persona creation
  • Focus groups
  • Card sorting & site map creation
  • Wireframe design & testing
• Accessible web design
  • CSS web design & build
  • CSS / XHTML coding
  • DOM scripting & accessible JavaScript
• CMS services
  • Accessible CMS
  • CMS consulting
• Usability
  • Usability testing
  • Eye tracking
  • Usability website evaluation
  • Ongoing usability support
  • Intranet usability
• Accessibility
  • Web accessibility evaluation
  • Accessibility testing
  • Web accessibility guidelines creation
  • Accessibility & CSS help
• Training
  • Writing for the web training
  • Web usability training
  • Usability testing training
  • Web accessibility training
  • Intermediate CSS training
  • Advanced CSS training
• Website review lite

Please contact us on 0870 242 6095 or info at webcredible.co.uk, or consult www.webcredible.co.uk for further information.

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