Image replacement techniques are used by web designers to add visual appeal to a web site while maintaining information that is important for search engines and people using a screen reader.

Where a web designer needs to use specific font for things such as logos and headings on a web site they will often use graphics in stead of text. This is because they cannot ensure that the person visiting the website will have the required font on their computer.

By using a graphic instead of text for key elements of the site such as headings and logos they are able to maintain the organisations brand identity. However, a lot of the important word that would benefit the organisation in search engines are lost because graphics have been used instead of text.

To ensures that brand identity and the meaning of the text in headings etc is preserved image replacement techniques are used to present:

1. text to people using a screen reader because they have a visual impairment or are blind
2. text to the the search engine to ensure that the important keywords are preseved
3. graphic versions to people using an ordinary web browser

Because screen readers and search engines are only  interested in the text of a page they ignore the parts of a web page that deal with presentation. It is therefore possible to write some presentation code which moves certain pieces of text such as the name of the company and article headings off screen and replace them with an image using the companies house font. The majority of people will see the fancy graphics, while the search engine will derive the meaning from the text and the screen reader will read the text out loud.

Current developments in web browser technology mean that in future it will be possible to download the required font  along with the web page making image replacement techniques unnecessary.

IMA, stands for Internet Merchant Account and is one means for web site owners to accept payment for goods and services from their web site.

Most off line businesses process credit and debit card payments using a Merchant Account. Merchant accounts are mostly used in scenarios where the buyer is present, e.g. in a store or at a trade fair.

To process credit and debit card payments online, organisations also need to have an Internet Merchant Account. You can apply direct to your bank for one or if you are signing up with a payment processing company such as World Pay, they may help you apply for an IMA.

Some methods of taking payment online such as PayPal, do no require you to have an IMA.