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15 Replies Last post: Nov 27, 2007 2:37 PM by hsidesign

Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch?

Jul 21, 2007 7:13 PM

Click to view Housing Deals's profile Founders Housing Deals 8 posts since
Jul 20, 2007
Should I switch over my website that has a frame-based design to one that has cascading style sheets? It seems like most new sites have cascading style sheets so that updates are easier and it is easier to change the look and feel. However, I'm not sure how much work it will be to switch over. Also, since its a newer approach, are there any issues with people accessing websites in this format? Any guidance is much-appreciated.
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Click to view akgold's profile Founders akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007
1. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Jul 22, 2007 5:06 PM
For now it looks like the future is cascading style sheets. Unline the tables and framed based websites of old, cascading style sheets seem to be the best way to separate the content from the formatting of the content.

A key point is that none of these options is perfect. CSS does not render the same on all browsers so you will quickly find that you will have to find lots of workarounds so that your design looks the same across Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, etc.

If your site is working, you may want to leave it as is. Cars built in the 1970's still work. However, if you have a compelling reason to add a new technology or to overhaul your site, you may want to consider making the investement in upgrading it to CSS. Like everything else in life, there are time and cost considerations and you have to know what you would like to accomplish in the end.
Click to view DustinSteller's profile Founders DustinSteller 14 posts since
Aug 8, 2007
2. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Aug 27, 2007 11:20 AM
Yes. It is worth the effort. Frames can actually be fatal to a website's success as far as usability, browser compatability, content management, search engine optimization, and mobile content are concerned.

CSS has been around for a long time. It is not a new thing at all (4+ years now...which is a long time in internet land). Also, CSS actually makes a website MORE accessible and standards-compliant (meaning it should work more uniformly in more browsers, including gracefully working in ancient browsers).

I recommend hiring a reputable designer and SEO expert and making that investment to build a beautiful and modern website that will serve your needs for the coming future.
Click to view emmagination's profile Professional emmagination 8 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
3. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 10, 2007 8:09 PM
I would say yes also. CSS is a file that is downloaded to the cache and used over and over to display the website information. By removing all the formatting in the HTML, search engines can read more into the website and get a better idea of the website's information. Instead of reading "<font style="arial" size="4" color="#e9e9e">Hello there</font>" - the search engines just read "Hello There".
Click to view ScubaDive's profile Founders ScubaDive 36 posts since
Jul 22, 2007
4. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 10, 2007 8:12 PM
in response to: emmagination
You see a lot of new sites that use CSS also. It appears that the Small Business Online Community is using CSS for all of the formatting. I guess the biggest issue is how the various browsers implement certain CSS properties. There are always inconsistencies and that can add a lot more work for those who are not prepared to have to make changes so that the same page can look good in multiple browsers.
Click to view emmagination's profile Professional emmagination 8 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
5. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 10, 2007 8:27 PM
Yes. CSS brings on new challenges especially if you're doing more advanced formatting, overlays, absolute positioning, etc. It does bring the HTML pages down significantly so the page loads faster. You can analyze your website to see which are the most popular browsers your vistors are using. You can focus your CSS development compliance around that. Usually it's Internet Explorer 5, 6, 7, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari on MAC.
Click to view NatOnline's profile Mogul NatOnline 670 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
6. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 10, 2007 8:49 PM
CSS once the main setup is in place, it is easy to manipulate or to update. Frame based design are not very good for SEO.
Click to view Housing Deals's profile Founders Housing Deals 8 posts since
Jul 20, 2007
7. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 12, 2007 1:24 PM
in response to: NatOnline
It sounds like a resounding yes from the team -- I'm going to take the plunge in order to reap the benefits. Wish me luck... And thanks for helping me and providing such great posts.
Click to view NatOnline's profile Mogul NatOnline 670 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
8. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Oct 12, 2007 1:32 PM
in response to: Housing Deals
You're welcome, good luck :-)
Click to view Biz Online's profile Mogul Biz Online 71 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
9. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 5, 2007 11:41 PM
Absolutely go with CSS! Definitely drop the frames, that so 90's and not search engine friendly.
I would recommend Dreamweaver if you are going to do it yourself (I think the latest version is in CS3 from Adobe). It has build in CSS style sheets, so it will save you hours of time trying to build one from scratch.
OR, there are many FREE website templates with 100% CSS style sheets included.

One of my favorite sites is openwebdesign.org and click on Most Popular.

Good luck!
Cliff
Click to view LUCKIEST's profile SCORE LUCKIEST 7,935 posts since
Aug 6, 2007
10. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 6, 2007 7:42 AM
Only you and your associates in your company can make the decision to switch.
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g.
fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents.
The easiest way to start experimenting with style sheets is to
download one of the browsers that support CSS
The World Wide Web Consortium proudly celebrates ten years of http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS
Good luck, LUCKIEST
Click to view akgold's profile Founders akgold 51 posts since
Jul 19, 2007
11. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 6, 2007 3:07 PM

CSS is great however there are issues with different browsers which can require some time and expertise to properly implement.
Click to view MP_of_MP's profile Professional MP_of_MP 6 posts since
Oct 10, 2007
12. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 8, 2007 6:48 PM
I'd say yes, primarily because you mention a frame-based Web Site and that can create problems with the search engines. As others have mentioned, there is not a single cross-platform standard for CSS that will ensure your pages display correctly in all browsers. There's a multitude of potential benefits to be found in creating a CSS-based site...too many to go into here...but I would recommend a few resources for you:

1). I've used BradSoft's TopStyle Pro (http://www.bradsoft.com/topstyle/tslite/fullver.asp) for years, long before CSS gained its current popularity. Whether you write straight HTML code or use a WYSIWYG editor, TopStyle Pro is a great tool to have.

2). Eric Meyer's considered something of a CSS expert and authority, and has written a number of books. One of my favorites is published under the Lynda.com banner, "Hands On Training: CSS Web Site Design." The advantage of this book is that you get a CD with QuickTime movie tutorials and exercise files from the book.

3). Joseph W. Lowery is another Web expert, and his CSS Hacks & Filters: Making Cascading Style Sheets Work" is another book worth investigating.

Good luck!
Click to view websignia.net's profile Professional websignia.net 14 posts since
Nov 25, 2007
13. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 26, 2007 5:35 PM
I would echo the "yes" sentiment also. Take a look at a good site (csszengarden.com) and click on some of the design links on the right, for reference points on some of the dynamics of CSS.
Click to view david28078's profile Mogul david28078 64 posts since
Oct 11, 2007
14. Re: Are cascading style sheets worth the effort to switch? Nov 27, 2007 8:16 AM
in response to: websignia.net
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