Although CSS layouts have been around for years, they haven't become so commonplace until recently. This was basically due to limited browser support (especially from Netscape 4) - nowadays though, CSS 2.0 (which introduced positioning) is compatible with over 99% of browsers out there (check out the browser stats over at http://www.thecounter.com/stats/2004/August/browser.php).

So, why should you convert your website from its current table-based layout to a CSS layout? It'll make you money. Simple really. And here's four reasons to explain why:

Reduced bandwidth costs

Web pages using CSS for layout tend to have much smaller file sizes than those using tabular layouts. It's not unusual to see reductions of 50% or more in file size when switching from CSS to tables. Smaller file sizes obviously mean reduced bandwidth costs, which for high traffic sites can mean enormous savings.

The main reason for this dramatic decrease in file size is that presentation information is placed in the external CSS document, called up once when the homepage loads up and then cached (stored) on to the user's computer. Table layouts on the other hand, place all presentation information inside each HTML, which is then called up and downloaded for every page on the site.

Additionally, CSS can be used to replace JavaScript image rollovers, again allowing a large reduction in overall page size. See the article, CSS navigation menu for more on this (http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/css/css-navigation-menu.shtml).

A higher search engine ranking

A CSS-based website will appear higher in the search engine rankings for three reasons:

The code is cleaner and therefore more accessible to search engines

Important content can be placed at the top of the HTML document

There is a greater density of content compared to coding

A higher search engine ranking means more site visitors, which, provided your website is usable, should lead to an increase in enquiries or sales.

Faster download speed

A faster download speed will make you money? Well, yes. Slow download speed is often cited as one of the biggest usability complaints for websites. A faster download speed therefore leads to increased usability, and a web usability redesign can increase the sales/conversion rate by 100% (source: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20030107.html).

CSS downloads faster than tables because:

Browsers read through tables twice before displaying their contents, once to work out their structure and once to determine their content

Tables appear on the screen all in one go - no part of the table will appear until the entire table is downloaded and rendered

Tables encourage the use of spacer images to aid with positioning

CSS generally requires less code than cumbersome tables

All code to do with the layout can be placed in an external CSS document, which will be called up just once and then cached (stored) on the user's computer; table layout, stored in each HTML document, must be loaded up each time a new page downloads

With CSS you can control the order items download on to the screen - make the content appear before slow-loading images and your site users will definitely appreciate it

Increase in reach

The more people you can reach, the more visitors you'll get to your site and the more enquiries or sales you should get. A CSS-based website is compatible with PDAs, mobile phones, in-car browsers and WebTV. Don't underestimate the importance of this: In 2008 alone an estimated 58 million PDAs will be sold (source: http://www.etforecasts.com/pr/pr0603.htm) and one third of the world's population will own a wireless device (source: http://www.clickz.com/stats/markets/wireless/article.php/10094_950001).

You can make an additional CSS document specifically for handheld devices, which will be called up in place of the regular CSS document, thereby ensuring your website is accessible to this lucrative market. This isn't possible with a tabular layout.

Conclusion: Switch to CSS!

Switching your website from a table layout to a CSS layout can be a long, arduous process, especially for large websites. Given the money making possibilities though, it could very well prove to be well worth it.


About The Author


This article was written by Trenton Moss. He's crazy about web usability and accessibility - so crazy that he went and started his own web usability and accessibility consultancy (Webcredible - http://www.webcredible.co.uk) to help make the Internet a better place for everyone.

No More Font Tags! Seven Reasons to Hire a CSS Web Designer

CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) offer a way of keeping content and design elements separate. Because this separation allows us to include more meaningful content on each page, Web sites designed with CSS often provide their owners with significant advantages

CSS Templates for Search Engine Optimization

Most Search Engine Optimizers already know that Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) has great advantages on Optimizing web pages for the search engines but some may not be aware that most CSS Templates also helps the web masters in saving a lot of valuable time

Web Page Accessibility - Placing Content First With CSS

Search engines give more weight to a web page that has content closer to the top of the HTML document. I am refering to the source code not the visual content you see in your browser. If you incorporate this in the design of your web site, it may just giv

How to Style an A to Z Index with CSS

I've always been taken with the way that the BBC styles their A-Z index using a simple list and CSS. However, because they use pixels to set the dimensions of each list item, the design breaks when you increase the text size.

Use Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to Maximize the Performance of Your Small Business Website

Cascading Style Sheets, or CSS, is a method of website design that allows for the separation of content and design. By incorporating CSS into the design of your small business website, you can increase the ability of search engines to spider your website,