Web development - very important stuff

What is important for the site? To make it work. But everything else is not secondary. Grosh price site, which has a bad design, security holes, no usability and functionality. And there are still "little things" that many developers do not pay attention. Like, the main thing that works! That's about the "little things" (in fact, very important) and will be discussed.

1. URL's

Rule: the URL must be clear to the user; the use of different languages ​​and transliteration is unacceptable (with the exception of cases when the URL is generated dynamically from the Russian text).
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This is not news - this has been said for a long time. But some still do not reach. Example: the page on which the original of this article is located has an address like this:
sap.in/en/interactive/theme/very-important-stuff


Everything is clear here - you are in the Russian-language part of the site, in the “Interactive” section and read the topic “Very Important Trivia”. Imagine that the link would look like this:
sap.in/index.php?page=interactiv&thema=12&lang=en


Beautiful, isn't it :-)? Not only is it ugly, you still don’t understand what language. Here's another example (real): on the website of one hoster (!) The link to the payment section looked like:
http: // [domain] /index.php?page=oplata&tip=webmoney


It's a shame. Well, it cost the programmer to sit for 5 minutes and make a normal URL, for example:
http: // [domain] / pay / webmoney


But he still was. Or did not even know that it was possible. I thought, probably, that on sites with such paths, real directories are created :-). In general, the first rule, I think, is clear, we go further.

2. Active menu item

Rule: the active menu item should be highlighted and should not be a link.

This is also not news. And also does not reach many. The user should see, and not guess where he is; referring to the page itself is meaningless. The same applies to languages ​​(with multilingual site). Active must be selected and not be referenced. Do not select the active element - lamerism and disrespect for the user.

3. Spelling and punctuation

Rule: spelling and punctuation errors in the text should not be.

Spelling is understandable without words. Punctuation is a little more difficult. Playing the role of not only the correct placement of punctuation marks, but also the signs themselves. The most common mistake - quotes and dashes, instead of which put the characters in. And hyphen. Another important point - punctuation, as a rule, should not be included in the links. Example:
Google is one of the best search engines.


This is illiterate. The correct option is:
Google is one of the best search engines.

4. References

Rule: links should be underlined (exceptions can be directories where links are listed); links should be different from the main text color; links should change their appearance when you hover over them; Links should not open in a new window; Links on the page should not refer to it; Links should not lead to nowhere.

Very often they do not comply with the first rule - they are prescribed in CSS a: link {
text-decoration: none;
} This is a violation of the basic principles of building interfaces and, again, disrespect for the user. Almost any user knows that if something is underlined, then this is a link. And so he is forced to guess. From here there is one more rule - nothing, except links, should not be underlined. The exceptions are directories - lists of links. The reason for the second and third rules is the same. The fourth rule - do not open links in a new window dictated by the same attitude to the user. The user can open the link in a new window if he wants. No need to impose it on him. The fifth rule, in my opinion, is obvious. There is no sense in invoking yourself. And finally, the last thing - it’s just unacceptable to use something like that. Frankly, I don’t understand why this may be necessary at all. To highlight something? But there is no other way, no? It is necessary to confuse the user so that he sits, clicks, and thinks why nothing is happening. Idiocy. If the link does not lead anywhere - it means it is not needed.

5. Advertising

The rule: advertising should not be annoying.

The use of pop-up windows and blocking advertising more than 20% of page space is unacceptable. Ignorantly and simply abominably place more than three ad units on one page. And if advertising does not make up the main profit of the site - it is better to refuse it altogether. It is undesirable to use animated ads. When the Internet was just beginning to develop, the animation was something new and interesting. Now the only effect of animated advertising is irritation. Static banner much better informs and attracts attention.