What is CSS: Benefits for your business

Most entrepreneurs, except those with an IT background, will not encounter the issue of programming languages or styling until they open a business. online business. At that moment, they will realize that they also need website creation, by a developer/designer, but also by various IT solutions. 

If you've read the title and are wondering what CSS means, then this article is for you. We'll explain what CSS is, how it relates to HTML, how you can use the two languages, and what advantages there are to using CSS. 

What does CSS mean?

CSS is short for Cascading Style Sheets, which is not a very appealing name. In fact, although we generally refer to CSS as a programming language, like HTML, the subject of our article is more of a styling language for HTML elements. 

CSS is used to define the styles used for a web page, from design to layout and display variations for different screen sizes and devices. With the help of the styling language, you will establish the fonts, colors, paragraphs and most of the configurations for your site. If the style chosen is appealing to the eye, the end user will have a pleasant browsing experience and will be happy to return to your site. 

How to use CSS? Some examples of changes you can make with CSS include: 

• paragraph formatting;
• changing the letters;
• Underlining or ununderlining links;
• changing the colors for links between pages;
• creating link buttons or text boxes;
• adjusting the edges;
• alignment of elements. 

History of CSS

The history of CSS begins in 1997, when it was created for web developers who wanted to define the visual appearance of the pages they created. Its goal was to allow the separation of content and code structure from visual design, something that had never been seen before. 

However, the language's popularity only grew in the 2000s, when web browsers began to use more than the basic fonts and colors that CSS provided. Today, every modern browser supports all levels of CSS and most web designers use it. 

Types of CSS

There are three ways a designer can write CSS in an HTML file. The first is Inline CSS, which is where the style is defined directly in the code for each element. The second is Internal CSS, which is where the style is defined directly in the HTML code. The last is External CSS, which is where the style is defined in an external file. 

Features of the CSS styling language

In general, CSS is a programming language that is not very difficult to use, and it is recommended for simplifying the presentation process of web pages. The styles for a page can be defined in the Head of an HTML document, in the Body part or in an external CSS file. This styling system offers the freedom to override an already defined style, using the following hierarchy: 

• first, the style defined in the external file will be taken into account;
• the second considered will be the style defined in the Head area;
• Last on the list of importance will be inline CSS. 

Among the most popular CSS code editors are: Atom, Brackets, Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Komodo Edit (the simplest), Espresso (for Mac OS users) and Notepad++ (suitable for HTML & CSS). 

All styles will be defined by tags, more precisely codes, and can be used for: 

• the color of a page;
• selecting background images;
• character spacing in a text and other text editing options;
• adding tables;
• Entering URLs;
• 2D transformation of elements on the page;
• adding animations to elements;
• pagination;
• adding buttons;
• image configuration and much more. 

It's also worth learning the most important terms in the CSS programming language: 

• Selectors. Used to identify the element in the HTML code to which the style is associated. They can include multiple selections or a single element;

• Values. Used after elements have been selected and their appearance has been established. Values determine the properties of the elements. 

The relationship between CSS and HTML

Photo source: https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-turned-on-laptop-computer-943096/

What are HTML and CSS? As I said above, two programming languages. However, there are some differences between them. HTML is more of a markup language, not a styling language like CSS. Although they are different programming languages, which have different codes, they complement each other perfectly. 

If HTML provides the browser with information about how the elements on the page are structured, CSS tells the browser how this information will look. Basically, to present a document to users, you will need to transform it into a form that is usable by the public. Even though HTML can be used without CSS, you will lose the aesthetic component of your website. It will work, but that's about it. If you really want to attract the attention of users, you will also need CSS knowledge, preferably provided by specialists. 

Benefits of using CSS

From a technical point of view, using CSS means a better measured page layout and a reduced file size, so less bandwidth, and consequently faster loading times. However, we don't think you're that interested in the technical aspects. You probably want to discover what are the benefits of using CSS for your business website. Here are the most important ones: 

• Save time. The designer can write the code once and then use it again and again in all HTML pages. In addition, there is the possibility of creating a definitive style for each HTML element, which can then be transferred to any web page that needs it;

• Any formatting changes are easier. CSS allows you to edit only the style sheets that correspond to the element(s) and the code will be applied to all pages that use that element(s);

• Pages will load faster. Technically, I've already mentioned this, as it's obvious that a page will take longer to load as you add more code to it. CSS allows you to use less code by applying rules to all the tags in an HTML file. So your clients will have less time to wait for each page to load. 

• The user will benefit from a more pleasant experience. It will be much easier for customers to navigate if the text and buttons are well organized and placed in logical places, from the readers' perspective; 

• Compatibility with all devices. You want your customers to be able to access your website regardless of the device they have, right? CSS ensures optimal visibility and intuitive navigation, no matter how small the screen of the devices used by customers is; 

• There are global web standards. If you use CSS, you ensure that your pages will be compatible with all types of browsers, so the entire market is accessible to you;

Simply put, CSS is better suited for styling than HTML, offering a wider range of attributes and customization options for your website, whether we're talking about creating or website restoration. If you need any other advice regarding your website, don't hesitate to contact us. IT consulting. We recommend both services, as well as IT equipment which you will need.