Alt Tags and Title Tags in HTML

(Paylov, 2016)

Defining Alt Tags and Title Tags

Awati (2022), in an article, defines in simple terms alt tags. "Alt attribute", also called alt text, or simply alt tag, is a description for an image. It helps people understand what the image truly is, and it's also useful for search engines and special software that helps uninformed people use the internet. This description is fundamental, especially if the image does not load or is corrupted. It is used to improve websites for both search engines and the people who visit them.

Example:

<img src ="img_phone.jpg " alt="The belt cardigan - Black - Ladies | H&M GB 2"">

On this figure, it is featured a snippet of HTML code on the screen, it refers to a form of alt tag. The phrase "The belt cardigan - Black - Ladies | H&M GB 2" helps the user have an understanding of what the image is about. For instance, if a user with vision problems comes across this image, he may have conflicts to see the image, consequently, the user may opt to read the snippet of code displayed on the screen.

On the other side lie title tags. In the same article, Awati (2022) outlines, title tags tend to add extra information about an HTML element. Its value is displayed as a tooltip when a user moves the cursor over that element.

Example:

<p title="Title"> content = "Welcome to Steam"</p>

In this figure, it is noted the "Welcome to Steam" as a link, in other words, this is a meta tag, and once clicked it redirects to a specific section or page of a website. Title Tags are used to give the internet user an understanding of what is the page about. 

(Koščová, 2018)

How Does Alt and Title Tags Improve my E-Commerce Website?

These HTML tags may be useful and beneficial for my e-commerce website in distinct ways, such as: 

-The use of alt tags and title tags enhances the chances of your website being found on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo, making your website visible on search results. 

-Alt and Title tags help to connect websites on search engine systems.

-Alt and Title tags are useful to optimize websites for mobile devices as well.

-Alt and Title tags may optimize not only the website itself but also specifically site pages for search engines. In other words, it allows us to optimize or make visible different sections of our website, such as the About Us page, the Homepage, etc.

Reference(s): 

Awati, R (2022) TechTarget Available at: What are attributes in computing? (techtarget.com) (Accessed: 03/09/2023)

Koščová, G (2018) Spotibo Available at: The difference between ALT text and Title text - Spotibo blog (Accessed: 07/08/2023) 

Paylov, I (2016) Monitor showing java programming Available at: Monitor showing Java programming photo – Free Computer Image on Unsplash (Accessed: 03/09/2023)