The microsoft.com team has learned a lot in its short life. Since its days as an FTP site for product patches to its official launch to today, the Web team is quick to come with a list of tips for Webmasters.
Avoid image maps. In addition to being klunky, they are difficult to update. If one thing is wrong, the whole map needs to be altered. "Alt" statements for users without graphics are also tricky with image maps.
Don't use frames. Some browsers don't support them and printing framed pages is difficult. Instead, go for a framed look using tables.
Stay away from large graphics. They take too long to download and, depending on browser, can extend beyond the bottom of the initial screen.
Don't embed text into graphics. The resulting images take longer to download than a combination of graphics and HTML text. For sites that customize content for international users, this can cause headaches when trying to use different languages.
Always use "alt" statements in image tags. Many users turn off their images and, therefore, rely on these statements to tell them what they are missing.
Avoid large pages. Try not to go over 100K bytes. Even better is to stay in the 30K-to-50K-byte range.
Use a mix of text and graphics. Text-only is boring for readers with graphics turned on and they won't dig down in your site.
Use graphics smartly and judiciously. Make sure you know what you want from the graphic, whether it be to add to the text or substitute for it. Avoid screenshots unless you can make them clear enough to read.
Test your site often. Make sure that everything is linked properly and that its easy to get around. Click through yourself and have other do the same.
Don't use technology for technology's sake. If most of the people can't see what you're trying to do, then it's not worth it. Stick to what most browsers can handle.
