TIPS ON FRAMES

DON'T USE FRAMES ON YOUR INDEX PAGE! There are good two reasons why you shouldn't.

  1. IT'S JUST GOOD MANNERS NOT TO EXCLUDE ANYBODY. Not everybody uses a browser which supports frames. If you launch into frames on your index page you are assuming that everybody can access it, and those you can't don't matter. If you want to use frames your index page could briefly announce your site, and give the reader the choice of a `FRAMES' and a `NO FRAMES' option.

  2. If you use frames for your index page there will be no text on it, as a frames page refers to other pages. This means that search machines will confine their attentions to the META NAME tags in the HEAD part of the page for information. Some search machines go into the BODY of the page in search for information. Using frames on your index page passes up a good opportunity to exploit this.

Like all other aspects of design be clear why you want to use frames. The most popular use of frames is to keep a menu on the screen. This means wherever you navigate on the site you always have options to hand. I also find it useful for links pages. I've used frames on the PORTFOLIO page on this site. With this I offer the reader access to other pages on other sites without leaving this one. That can be handy for retaining the readers interest in your site.

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