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The Role of HTML in Web Design

Emmanuel Elekwachi's photo
Emmanuel Elekwachi
·

8 min read

Hypertext Markup Language(HTML) is the standard language used to create webpages. It provides a way to structure content, add links, and include multimedia elements, like music and video. HTML was written in 1993 by Tim Bernes-lee, and since then HTML has come a long way, including having newer and newer versions of it released, of which the latest is HTML5. it is a very essential language in creating websites, regardless of device or browser. Every page that exists on the internet stems from it.

Basic Structure of an HTML Document

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document</title>
</head>
<body>

</body>
</html>

This is the typical structure of an HTML document and the tags inside perform various functions which include:

  1. The <!DOCTYPE html> is an instruction to the browser on the version of the HTML language that is being used.

  2. The <head> tag is used to wrap metadata(data about data). Metadata is the data about the HTML document, but it is not usually seen.

  3. The <meta> tag defines metadata about an HTML document. This tag always goes inside the <head> element, and are typically used to specify a character set, page description, keywords, author of the document, and viewport settings.

  4. The <title> tag defines the name of the webpage, and can be named at the discretion of the developer.

  5. The <body> tag is where the contents of the webpage go into. Everything that is shown on the webpage goes into the <body> tag.

Semantic Markup

Semantic markup simply means using HTML markup to indicate the meaning and context of content within a webpage, rather than just its appearance. It allows developers to describe the purpose of content using HTML tags and attributes.

Semantic markup is important for several reasons. First, it makes webpages more accessible to people with disabilities by providing additional context and structure to the content. Second, it helps search engines better understand the content of a web page, which can improve search rankings. Finally, semantic markup makes it easier for other developers to understand and work with the code, since the meaning of the content is explicitly stated in the markup.

Some examples of semantic HTML tags include <header>, <nav>, <main>, <article>, <section>, <aside>, <footer>, and <time>. These tags provide additional context to the content within the webpage, making it easier for both humans and machines to understand the purpose and structure of the content.

HTML and Accessibility

Accessibility in web development simply means that the content is reaching the widest possible audience. Web users are very diverse, including people accessing from phones, computers, tablets, and any other devices out there. People with disabilities are also part of these diverse users and making webpages accessible ensures that no part of this diverse demographic is left out.

HTML can be used to create accessible webpages in several ways which include:

  1. Use semantic markup: As mentioned earlier, semantic markup is important for providing context and structure to the content within a web page. By using semantic HTML tags and attributes like <header>, <nav>, and <main>, web developers can create more accessible and understandable web pages.

  2. Provide alternative text for images: Images are an important part of many web pages, but they can be a barrier to accessibility for people with visual impairments. By providing alternative text (alt text) for images using the alt attribute, web developers can ensure that users with assistive technologies like screen readers can understand the content of the images.

  3. Use descriptive link text: Link text should be descriptive and provide context for the content being linked to. Avoid using generic link text like "click here" or "read more", and instead use descriptive text like "Learn more about our services" or "Download our brochure".

  4. Provide captions and transcripts for multimedia content: Multimedia content like videos and audio files should be accompanied by captions or transcripts to make them accessible to users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

  5. Use proper form markup: Forms are an important part of many web pages, but they can be difficult to use for people with certain disabilities. By using proper form markup, including labels for form inputs, clear instructions, and appropriate error messages, web developers can create more accessible forms.

  6. Test for accessibility: Finally, it's important to test web pages for accessibility using tools like screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and color contrast checkers. By testing for accessibility and making necessary adjustments, web developers can ensure that their pages are accessible to the widest possible audience.

HTML and Search Engine Optimization(SEO)

SEO as a concept has been around for a while and has become a very important concept in web development. It is visibility that gives life to webpages because a webpage that isn't seen, isn't visible. SEO helps webpages to rank well on search engine result pages. It also increases traffic to a website. If a website is visible, it brings more people to it, and as such can cause increased earnings for the website.

HTML as a language can be used to improve SEO in various ways, which include:

  1. Proper use of title tags: The title tag is an HTML element that specifies the title of a webpage. It appears in the title bar of a web browser and is also used by search engines as a primary factor in determining the relevance of a page to a search query. By using descriptive, keyword-rich titles that accurately reflect the content of a web page, web developers can improve the page's visibility in search engine result pages.

  2. Use of header tags: Header tags (<h1>, <h2>, <h3>, etc.) are HTML elements that is used to create headings on a web page. Search engines use header tags to understand the structure and hierarchy of a web page's content. By using header tags to structure content and including relevant keywords in them, web developers can signal to search engines what the most important topics on a webpage are.

  3. Proper use of meta descriptions: A meta description is an HTML element that provides a summary of a webpage's content. While meta descriptions do not directly impact search engine rankings, they can influence click-through rates from search engine results pages. By creating compelling, keyword-rich meta descriptions that accurately reflect the content of a webpage, web developers can increase the likelihood that users will click through to their site.

  4. Use of alt text for images: As mentioned earlier, alt text is an HTML attribute that is used to provide a text description of an image. Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images on a web page. By including relevant keywords in alt text and using descriptive, accurate descriptions of images, web developers can help search engines understand the content of their web pages and improve their visibility in search engine result pages.

  5. Proper use of structured data: Structured data is a standardized format used to provide additional context and meaning to web content. By using structured data to mark up content like reviews, events, and products, web developers can help search engines understand the content of their web pages and provide richer search results for users.

HTML and Dynamic Web Experiences

HTML as a language is used to create webpages, but in other to create dynamic webpages, it is used in conjunction with CSS and JavaScript. HTML creates structure, CSS creates the appearance, and JavaScript creates functionality. The combination of these three languages creates dynamic webpages, looks beautiful and appealing, and behaves in wonderful ways.

One might think, why not have one language for all these functions, such would be wrong. This is because separating the structure, appearance and behavior of a webpage affords many benefits which include:

  1. Improved Accessibility: Separating the structure, presentation, and behavior of a website makes it easier to create accessible web pages. By separating the content and the layout, developers can create content that is more accessible to screen readers and other assistive technologies. Also, separating the behavior layer allows developers to create interactive components that are more accessible to keyboard-only users.

  2. Better Maintainability: Separating the structure, presentation, and behavior of a website makes it easier to maintain and update the website. By keeping the content separate from the styling and behavior, developers can make changes to the website's appearance and functionality without affecting the content.

  3. Faster Development: Separating the structure, presentation, and behavior of a website makes it easier to develop and test each layer independently. This approach allows developers to work on different parts of the website simultaneously, which can lead to faster development and testing.

  4. Improved SEO: Separating the structure, presentation, and behavior of a website makes it easier to optimize the website for search engines. By using semantic HTML markup, developers can create web pages that are more easily understood by search engines. Also, by separating the behavior layer, developers can ensure that the website's interactive components do not interfere with search engine crawlers.

When this is taken into consideration, what was once

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document</title>
</head>
<body>

</body>
</html>

becomes:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8" />
    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <link rel="stylesheet" href="style.css" />
    <script src="myScript.js"></script>
    <title>Document</title>
  </head>
  <body></body>
</html>

The <link> tag is used to introduce the CSS file into the HTML document and the <script> tag is used to introduce the JavaScript file into the HTML document.

Conclusion

As this whole article seeks to show, HTML is a very important part of web development. It helps with structuring the webpage, adding links, adding multimedia elements, improving SEO, and so much more. this goes to show how important HTML is in the tech world.

HTML has been the foundation of web design and development for over two decades, and it continues to evolve and improve. While HTML5 was a significant step forward, but there are still many exciting developments in the works for the future of HTML in web design. The future of HTML in web design is bright, with ongoing developments and innovations that promise to make the web more immersive, responsive, and accessible than ever before. As web designers and developers, it is essential to stay up-to-date with these developments and continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with HTML.

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