Catch404 is a jQuery and CSS3 Modal Plugin for showing broken links and 404 errors without users even having to leave the page after they click the actual link. The plugin uses the power of AJAX to check the target clicked link in the background. If the URL is not broken nor generates a 404 error, then the page will load for the user. Otherwise, the visitor would be prompted through an Inline jQuery Modal Window that he is trying to access a non-workable URL address.

Let’s pretend that this is a broken link. Can you imagine that when your users click this link, instead of them being redirected to a 404 error on your site, a friendly modal message pops up on your current page saying that it’s not available?. In that same message box you can then give them a sense of direction so that they’re not lost – you could ask them to click on a contact link to report the link’s broken, offer an alternative mirror, recommend they do a site search for the file or just say that you’re experiencing hosting issues and the file will be back up soon.

Daniel Scocco, the owner of DailyBlogTips.com (a blog I personally enjoy reading) released a new project called “How to make a website – Free tutorial” that basically teaches you how to get a site up and running in a matter of hours. He covers how to choose the domain, how to get the hosting plan, how to install WordPress, how to choose a nice template and how to customize the website design.

HowtoMakeaWebsite.net offers a free 26 pages e-book titled “50 Mistakes to Avoid When Making Your Website.”. This is for beginners, but I am sure even the experienced web developer will pick some good points by reading it. Here’s an excerpt from the book:

16. Using The Wrong Font Color / Background
Apart from using a large font, you should also makesure that the font and background colors are producing a good contrast.
For example, it is very hard to read a yellow font on a white background. If possible stick with the basic color palletes: dark font on white background or white font on dark background.
17. Not Testing On Different Browsers
Different browsers interpret HTML code differently, so it is important to check how your website is loading at least on the major browsers (e.g., IE 8, IE 7, Firefox, Safari and Opera).
You can use a tool called BrowserShots.org for this purpose. It is free and easy to use.
18. Making Links Look Like Normal Text
Your visitors must must be able to identify what is clickable and what is not on your website.
The standard is to underline links. Alternatively you can change the color of the links.
19. Not Changing Color of Visited Links
It is also important to change the color of visited links. This is a common practice around the web, as it allows visitors to know what pages they have been to in the past.