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Tips for setting up a Web page

Rehab Regs, March 25, 2003

Here are some guidelines from Michael Moran, PT, ScD, an associate professor of physical therapy at College Misericordia in Dallas, PA, with a doctorate in training and learning technology, on setting up a Web page:

Determine the purpose of your Web site. What do you want to accomplish with your Web site?

There are different levels of sophistication you can aim for, says Moran. If you want to use it simply to give people another way to contact you, you can just list basic information about yourself. But if you also want to disseminate information, you should consider other factors, such as who your target audience is, what content you want to include and how accurate the information is, and any necessary disclaimers.

"But the single biggest thing is, What do you want it to do for you, and what are you willing to do to maintain the [Web] page," says Moran.

Do some comparison shopping. Shop around to find out what different consultants will charge to construct your Web site and then upload the site to an Internet service provider.

Also find out how much the consultants will charge to maintain your Web site; to do such things as adding or removing links, and updating information such as phone numbers or patient programs. Moran says you could also check with colleges to find a student to maintain your site. He points out that the job could even be done by someone in another state.

Make it easy to use. Moran is a big believer in "less is more." He suggests avoiding the use of extensive graphics since this makes your Web site harder to navigate.

"Make it straightforward, and remember, we're dealing with people who have disabilities and we need to make the [Web] pages accessible."

While graphics will enhance the look of your Web page, Moran recommends using them sparingly, pointing out that people with visual and auditory disabilities may be limited to using text-only browsers, so it's better to set up links using text in addition to graphics. Other visitors to your site may be using software that reads the text on a Web page to them, making the use of graphics a problem.

Moran also recommends choosing background and foreground colors carefully. Some colors enhance reading speed, which can be reduced as much as 50% on computer monitors as compared to reading on paper. Reducing bordering and other visual effects also improves readability.

Include a search tool. Moran says that a common problem with Web pages is that they don't contain a search tool. Even if your Web page is well designed, you should still offer the tool to help visitors find what they're looking for so they don't abandon your Web site out of frustration.