Best Practices

The Web is a visual medium. Using high-quality images in appropriate ways helps make your site more attractive and professional.

• Do not upload a file that is larger than needed. Larger images take longer to load, which can frustrate site visitors and lower your ranking in search engine results. For most purposes, start with an image that is about 300 pixels wide. If needed, use image editing software to reduce an image's dimensions before inserting it on a Web page.
• Do not try to "stretch" an image to make it bigger. Stretched images look blurry or pixelated. It is better to start with an image that is larger than what you need, and then reduce it to the needed size with image-editing software.
• Use panoramic images for headers. The space available for header images is wider than it is tall (landscape orientation). Attempting to insert an image that is taller than it is wide (portrait orientation) can cause layout problems.
• Add alternative (alt) text and titles for images. Some users cannot view site images, either because of a visual impairment or a technological limitation. Alt text is a brief description that displays in place of the image. Adding alt text for images also can raise your rankings in search engine results.

Research shows that most people do not read onscreen text thoroughly. Instead, they "scan" for the information they need. Use these techniques to break text into short, easily digestible chunks:

• Write in short sentences using a conversational style. Shorter is better. Sentences of 12 words or fewer are ideal. Rewrite any sentence that is 25 words or more.
• Keep paragraphs short. Readers may only read the first few words of a paragraph, so limit the paragraph to one idea.
• Use subheadings and bullet points. Both subheadings and bullet points make it easier for a reader to find the information they need.
• Update content on a regular basis. New content gives visitors a reason to come back to your site. It also can help your search engine rankings.
• Keep the Home page clutter-free. Use links to point to other pages, rather than trying to fit everything on one page.

Many of the best practices listed above can help raise your rankings in search engine results. In addition, keep in mind the following:

• Include keywords in headings, page titles, links, and in other prominent areas. Do this only in instances where it makes sense to do so. Do not try to "stuff" keywords in where they wouldn't naturally occur.
• Make page file names relevant to the page content. Avoid generic names like page1, page2, etc.
• Limit the number of meta tags you use. Instead, use custom pages to create pages for niche markets.