• Validate!  You often hear that it is important to validate your site.  What does it mean to validate?  It means putting your URL into a program which reviews the coding on the page or site to make sure it is done correctly so that it will work best for as many browsers as possible. There are validators to check your HTML, CSS, and a bunch of other things.  There are several validators available free for your use on the internet.  Go to one or more of these sites and check that your site follows World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) rules for web design:
  • Bobby
  • W3C Validators
  • W3Schools
  • SiteReportCard
  • CSE HTML Validator Lite
  • NetMechanic Validator
  • Dr Watson

  NOTE:  Sometimes the RootsWeb ads will show as an error with the validators.  If that's all that shows wrong on your site, you're doing great!
   

• Click-Click-Click.  Go through all the pages on your site and click on all the links to make sure that they go to the right places.  The only exception might be if most of your website was generated by a genealogy program or GEDCOM to HTML program.  Those pages usually have pre-programmed good links - just check the additional pages that you set up.  There are some programs that can help with this process
  • Some web design programs have link checkers (i.e. FrontPage - View / Toolbars / Reporting / Reports / Broken Links)
  • World Wide Web Consortium's link checker. http://validator.w3.org/checklink
• Now you see it, now you don't.  Check that pictures show where they should.  If you see a box with a small 'x' in it - that's your clue that the picture is either not uploaded or is linked incorrectly. 
   
  • FreePages runs on a Unix server which treats items with different capitalization as different items.  Pictures must have links with exact names or they won't show.  Pictures called JaneDoe.jpg and janedoe.JPG are not the same to a Unix server.  If there is a link on your page to JaneDoe.jpg, but the actual picture is named janedoe.JPG, it won't show on the page.  To find out what the picture is coded as on the page:
    • Right-click the empty box and choose Properties.  The name of the linked picture should show there.  OR
    • Choose View / Source and find how the picture coding is on the page. 
    • Then go to File Manager and check the name of the picture.  If the two are not an exact match - including all capitalization - you'll need to change either the name of the picture or the link. 
       
  • If, when you go into File Manager, the picture is not there at all, there are a couple possibilities:
    • You put the picture in a different directory than the link is looking for.  Either move the picture to the directory the page is calling for, or change the link on the page to point to the correct directory where the picture resides.
    • You didn't upload the picture.  Just upload it to the correct directory at RootsWeb and it should begin showing on the page.
     
• I see, you see, we all see?  One of the realities of today's web world is that all computers are not the same.  Check your website in various scenarios so you'll know that it looks good to the most people. 
  • Browser Check - There are many different browsers out there that individuals use - Internet Explorer, Netscape, Opera, and Firefox to name a few of the most popular.  Lynx is also a good one which is a text-only browser used often by the visually impaired.  Some things work well in one browser or another, but not in all.  And different things work well on different versions of each of those browsers.  Remember that not everyone uses the same browser, or even the same version of one.  Either download several browsers to your own computer and test the site in each of them - or find some friends who use a different browser and ask them to check out your site and let you know what doesn't work or looks odd.  You may also want to check out your site on AnyBrowser.com which will help check how your site looks in various browsers.
  • OS Check - There are also multiple versions of PC operating systems.   Of course you can't test it in all of them yourself, but see if you can find others with different operating systems who could help test your site.
    • Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4, 2000, XP and who knows what else in the future
    • Mac OS 7, 8, 9, 10 and all those in between and released in the future
  • Resolution Check - Screen resolutions can also make a big difference in how your site is viewed.  Again, you can find friends to check out your site, but you can also change the screen resolution on your own computer to see how it looks:

Right-click on your desktop and choose "Properties" from the menu that appears.
Click on the "Settings" tab.  At the bottom left is the "Screen Resolution" indicator.  NOTE:  First note the resolution your computer is currently set for so that you can return it there later if you want. You can drag the pointer left or right to choose different resolution settings.  Choose one and click OK and the screen resolution on your screen will change.
You will immediately get a message that the settings will revert back to the old ones if you don't choose "Yes" to change them.  Once you say "Yes" they are changed for good until you change them again.  So you can then test your site in a different resolution.
It's a good idea to check your site in several different resolutions.  Older computers often use the 800 x 600 resolution, so that's a definite must.  It's a good idea to check it in at least two or three other resolutions.

• Design for accessibility - Some individuals have problems or disabilities which can make it hard for them on the web.  Make sure that your website is designed to make it as easy as possible for them to enjoy your website. 
  • Check images for alternate text - for those who have graphics turned off, or are visually impaired, you need to have alternate text for all images
  • Check that text can be re-sized - for those who have vision problems and may need to make the text larger to read - in Internet Explorer, choose View > Font size > Largest and see if the font size changes
  • Check that it makes sense without audio - if you include an audio file, does the site still make sense without the audio?  Turn off your sound and see how your site appears to someone who can't hear

  Check out the Usability and Accessibility Work Group for more information on accessibility.