It can be difficult to keep up with all of the developments in website design, but whether you are launching your first site or your fiftieth having the right information is necessary to make clear decisions. Which of the following statements about website design are based on fact?

A website design should always be viewed the way the designer intended-Fact or Fiction?

Fiction: it is impossible for this to be true when the method of viewing differs according to the type of browser software being used along with the difference in monitor sizes, resolutions and other user preferences that can be activated on the Internet.

In addition, people want the ability to control how they view websites; the more flexibility you offer them to customize their experience on your website to their liking the more satisfied they can be with the experience, providing of course that your content provides the information they need as well. If you limit your website design to be seen as you intended instead of giving people the freedom of choice, you may also limit your online business profitability.

How can you create website design for the browsers of your "target audience" when there is no way to know which browser and configuration your "target audience" is using and these are changing all the time? Are they a business owner on a laptop using Apple Safari in their hotel room or a person using Lynx to browse at the public library? Either way the browser they use does not influence their preferences in products or services. Website design that is created to be browser independent is your best option to reach your audience where they are and regardless of their computer specifications.

HTML 2.0 is the best coding to use for web pages to be accessible- Fact or Fiction?

Fiction: with the new backward compatibility features you can maintain web page accessibility using HTML 4.0, HTML 3.0, HTML 3.2 or HTML 2.0. The important thing to remember is to use features non-supporting browsers can handle, for instance using HTML tables can require extra attention and using style sheets provides an excellent workaround that can compensate for the short comings of some browsers.

In order for web pages to be accessible they must be created with boring content content only- Fact or Fiction?

Fiction: using style sheets in website designs affords you the ability to specify colors, fonts, and parameters allowing the visitor the option to see the style as designed or customize it to their preferences and still access the content. You can use the multimedia capabilities of the Internet to your advantage with images, video or audio and provide alternative content for those who do not want to utilize these features.

Writing accessible web pages is cost and time consuming-Fact or Fiction?

Fiction: if you pay careful attention to the authoring process, using HTML creates accessible web pages without additional cost. Where you may encounter expense is in the process of converting a website design that's poorly coded into an accessible site or in providing alternate content for Java applets. Your investment in time or money is worth the dividends; these web pages require less maintenance time and your website visitors will enjoy a more satisfying experience.

Internet is primarily a medium for imagination; there is no need to focus on text or audio -Fact or Fiction?

Fiction: the appeal of the Internet is because it is a medium that works with graphics, text and sound. For individuals with impaired vision or hearing, graphic images in website design can be adapted to be accessible to them from any browser.

So how many of the statements above surprised you? Internet technology is constantly changing – keep on top of your game and stick with the facts to make the most of your website design.