Let me begin by saying this book is one of the most important, if not THE most important, web design and development books in my personal library. It is a reference for CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) styles, but it is so much more. I read the book from cover to cover twice, and both times found it to be both an easy read and incredibly informative.

It opens with a chapter on how and why CSS evolved, and then Chapter Two goes into the basic rules for writing CSS code. The difference between block-level elements and inline-elements is clearly explained, as is when it is appropriate to use classes versus IDs and vice versa.

The rest of the book covers how the cascade works and defines terms such as specificity and inheritance. Chapter Five discusses the various options for using fonts, font weights, font families, styles, and variants. Chapter Seven explains the box model (a problem for many beginning web developers since different browsers sometimes apply the rules differently), while Chapter Eight goes into more detail, covering the differences between margins, padding, borders, etc.

All in all, it is a wonderful book that should be required reading for anyone who is interested in learning how to construct and style web pages properly.

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• Web development – many beginners use the terms “web design” and “web development” interchangeably. In fact, building a web site from scratch is a lot like building a house from scratch. Many subcontractors are needed to build the house, from plumbers to electricians to carpenters. Likewise, the construction of a web site, particularly a complex site, often requires many different specialists in a variety of programming or coding fields. The term “web development” is an all-encompassing term similar to “real estate development.” It includes every aspect of the web site construction process, from design through completion.
• Web design – this phrase refers specifically to the design aspect of building a web site. Again, using the home construction analogy, a “web designer” is technically like the architect of a building. He or she decides what the site will look like and how the various pieces, such as navigation bars, will function together. The designer may or may not be involved in actually writing the code that puts flesh on the design skeleton.
• Search engine optimization (SEO) – this is a part of the development process that few web designers are truly familiar with. It involves writing the code and content of the site in such a way as to make it more “authoritative” on a particular topic in the eyes of the various search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
• Search engine marketing – getting a site to rank well in the search engines is not accomplished solely by optimization. Other factors, such as link popularity, come into play. The phrase “search engine marketing” encompasses all of these and includes search engine optimization.
• HTML – the fundamental language of web pages. All novices MUST learn HTML if they are to ever be truly proficient at ANY of the web development specialties.
• Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) – like HTML, this is a fundamental language of web pages. The difference is that HTML is focused primarily on organizing your content, while the primary purpose of CSS is to make your content visually appealing.

Any prospective student of web design or development should begin by learning the disciplines listed above, then proceed to more advanced specialties as needed.

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1. Your site is confusing. Eye-catching is one thing, but is it clear to a visitor where important information about your business is located? I frequently come across sites which fail to provide easy navigation schemes, thereby hindering my quest to find the information I’m looking for. Make sure your site makes sense and that everything is easy to find and follow.
2. You still have a site that plays background music. Newsflash: this was cool, oh, about fifteen years ago, back in the days when everything about the ‘net was new and exciting. In this day and age, with sites like Youtube, ESPN, etc. sound is no big deal. Visitors want sound when they want it; they don’t want it shoved in their faces when they visit your site.
3. Your text is illegible. I’m frequently amazed at the sites that feature text that is too small, light against a light background, or dark against a dark background. What are these people thinking? Sometimes, in our quest to get “design cute”, we can go overboard. Make sure visitors can read your text.
4. Your site opens with a flash intro. See item #2, above. Like background music, flash doesn’t “wow” anyone anymore; I personally find it to be more of a nuisance to get through than anything. As a matter of fact, it can hurt your search engine rankings. Lose it.

Allways remember: an ugly, but well-structured, easy-to-read website with few hindrances is better than a beautiful, flash-heavy, hard-to-navigate site. Fortunately you can have the best of both worlds. And after all, aren’t sales/conversions really what you’re after?

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Aaron Computers has been in the IT service business since 1993 and has established a loyal following in Anderson County. After 15 years of excellence, they have decided to expand into the Greenville, Mauldin, and Simpsonville market. We welcome the move and look forward to working together.

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Considering the relatively low cost involved (web sites are available for as little as $400 plus $20 a month for hosting), any business that is serious about competing in the Greenville or Upstate area (or the modern economy in general) absolutely has to have a web site.

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Our SEO system combines the latest in modern search engine algorithm research with industry-specific time-test techniques and methods, as well as proprietary systems developed through our own research and analysis of search behavior.

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Aartek Systems has been providing website design and promotion services for years. Our web design and promotion skills are among the best in Upstate South Carolina. Whatever your needs for your existing or pending website, we are confident that we can provide you with prompt, excellent service. Call or email us today for your free quote.

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In addition, we offer hosting solutions and website promotion. Our website promotion packages include keyword analysis to determine which keywords to target for increased traffic, web site optimization to ensure that the search engines can effectively index your site, and link building strategies to drive new traffic to your busines through your web site.

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