Web Publication Checklists
Web publishing checklist
- Use the template header and footer in either the 760 or 960 pixel width, available in the web templates download section.
- Copyedit your content before coding, then proof copy before publishing.
- For readability, use background colors that are light or white and type that is dark or black. Minimize use of background patterns.
- Avoid scrolling and flashing text and animation.
- Test all your links before publishing to make sure they work.
- Be sure to include your tracking code, such as Urchin or Google Analytics, before publishing.
- Make sure all your images have been saved for the web to reduce download time and have alt tags.
- Each page on your site should have a unique title and a <meta> tag with a unique description.
- Test and validate your web pages on various browsers and platforms, and use HTML and CSS testers; see Testing and Validation.
- Make sure your pages are accessible; see Accessibility and Usability.
Web template modification checklist
When using the web templates, there are certain things that you should change or update to reflect your specific site and to follow best practices for website publishing.
- Change/update meta tags.
- Make sure you have "alt" description text for all images.
- Update the information for the print style sheet if using it (recommended). If you're not using a print style sheet, the reference to the style sheet and the print code in the templates can be removed.
- Make sure all your coding is XHTML; see Resources for links to XHTML tools.
- Test your code for HTML and CSS errors.
- Test your site on various platforms and browsers.
- Check the Template Versions page for any updates or fixes to the template code before launching your site.
Download the web publication checklist (476 K PDF).
