Web Templates: Outlining the Issues Behind the HTML vs. CSS Debate

As a web template customer, searching the Web for available website template options, one can find a vast array of possibilities. In the midst of finding a web template with the right design appeal, one must also consider how usable a pre-formatted web template will be- based on one’s particular web savvy. Online one can find web templates referred to as HTML templates, (sometimes called Dreamweaver templates), as well as what are commonly referred to as CSS templates. And on other occasions, a web template will not indicate which of these formats it is functioning with. And this can make the process of choosing amongst the variety of web templates available that much more difficult.

The reason why these differences in template formatting exist is because there is more than one way to “cook the chicken” – so to speak. Both CSS and HTML (or a combination of the two) can be used to design a template. And right now, there exists a great degree of difference of opinion regarding which is the best option to go with. The article below recounts the history and issues lying behind the HTML versus CSS template debate.

When websites were in their early days design appeal was not a real priority. With the less than impressive data-crunching abilities of the average personal computer at the time, not to mention the archaic use of dial-up Internet technology, throwing time and energy into web design was a questionable pursuit anyway. After all, if your site takes ten minutes to download, who’s going to wait to see it- even if you were able to make it impressive?

But times changed. Soon computers could process more information, much faster, and dialup connections were replaced with high-speed access. As a result, web designers were able to ply their craft and see it represented on the World Wide Web. However, there soon arose another issue: the use of HTML for design elements. You see, from that time – right up until the present – there has been a bit of a debate going on. The debate has to do with whether or not HTML should be used for website presentation.

In the 1990’s something called CSS (cascading style sheets) were created. Cascading style sheets were created to allow web designers a greater sense of control over the presentation of a particular site. The idea was that CSS allows for a more common rendering of a website in a variety of web browsers. Of course, this was only as true as was a particular browser’s commitment to CSS.

In addition to allowing for a greater degree of control over the design elements of a particular website, CSS also offered the ability for design elements (which can clutter up standard HTML) to be imported onto an external form. This cleaning up of HTML code allowed for sites to be downloaded more quickly. Another major advantage of CSS was that it allowed for one simple change in one place on the external cascading style sheet to effect a universal change throughout the site. Before this time, designers would actually have to go through, page by page, instance by instance, to make those changes.

Once CSS was in the picture, many people (primarily left-brained programmers) lobbied strongly for all presentation elements to be imported to the external cascading style sheet. These people argued, logically so, that HTML was never designed to take care of presentation. In the purest sense, HTML was designed to display tabular data- period. So using HTML to color, structure, and shape a site, so that it’s pleasing to the eye is considered inappropriate.

There is real weight to this argument. HTML really isn’t designed to determine the display of most design elements. And not only was it not created for presentational elements, but it’s also not terribly good at doing so. Or perhaps it’s more accurate to say that various browsers don’t interpret HTML the same way. So for those who value consistency, HTML and design certainly do not go hand in hand.

However, while this argument is a logical one, there are many who also think you cannot apply it universally. In other words, for another set of people (who tend to be more typically right-brained) one should not turn this into an absolute rule. Why? Well, for the most part, because it is just not practical to do so. Computer program coders are idealists and practicality is not necessarily a chief concern. That’s understandable. And that mathematical commitment to pure coding is what makes them so good at what they do. But for designers, website managers, online business owners, etc, the end user experience has to be considered- first.

Take for example the issue of pre-formatted web templates. Depending on the web template design company, you will find quite a variety in the way web templates are structured. Why? Well because in balancing coding ideals, web standards, and end-user functionality you will find that different parties find different middle-grounds. There are some web template companies that design purely in CSS. These website design firms are certainly adhering to the latest in coding standards. And these CSS templates will certainly render well in various platforms, for now and for a long time to come.

The only problem lies in the percentage of web template purchasers who are actually savvy enough to use these CSS templates. To some people, who are either less code savvy, more visually intuitive, or both, making design changes purely in CSS code, and not in the design view of a typical HTML editor like Dreamweaver, is not at all common-sensical or comfortable. These web template customers are used to applying the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) method. In other words, they’re familiar with the kind of web template customization where a change in the design view of an HTML editor will render similarly when it’s actually displayed in a browser. Now admittedly, many of the users could quickly learn the great flexibility availability with CSS, if they would simply take the time to learn how to use it. But many simply will not take this step. At least, many are net yet taking this step. And when such is the case, the common business adage that “the customer is always right” comes into play.

For web template companies who are trying to be customer-friendly this is a concern that must to be considered. After all, what use is it to design web templates purely in CSS, only to have access to 50% of the greater web templates market available to you? What isn’t customer-friendly, many would argue, is simply not good business practice. Now perhaps some web template companies are looking to capture the niche market of pure CSS templates, and for these firms, being a stickler for CSS design makes sense. But again, for companies looking to appeal to a broader base of customers, the issue is not so cut and dried.

There is yet another issue that arises in the debate about using HTML versus CSS to achieve various design aims. While CSS is generally much more astute and efficient in taking care of the presentational elements of a website, this is not necessarily universally the case- in every situation. Sometimes, though admitted it is a rare occurrence, it’s actually less code-intensive to present via HTML as opposed to CSS. CSS purists don’t like this fact; but again, one should remember that the major reason for the advent of CSS in the first place was for efficiency’s sake.

Those web templates companies that are really trying to “stay ahead of the curve” while not abandoning a major percentage of their customer base, are choosing a middle of the road method- offering their web templates in both CSS and table-based versions. Sometimes, these companies will offer web templates that utilize a little bit of both techniques. By offering multiple formats, for the same templates, these companies are able to design in compliance with the latest in W3C standards, without excluding usability for a large percentage of potential clientele.

In the end there is no black and white, right or wrong answer regarding the use of HTML versus CSS elements for the presentation of web templates. The World Wide Web is and has always been a diverse universe, and one that is constantly in flux. In such an environment it should not be surprising that adherence to standards is anything but universal. When the Web is made up of such an incredibly diverse collection of individuals, all representing such a vast spectrum of web savvy, web template companies will have to try different approaches to meet the needs of the total audience. In this environment some web template companies will offer the purity of CSS templates, others will offer the practical usability of HTML templates, and some will offer a combination of the two.