Checklist For A Good Website
1. Good First Impression
- Simple address URL - A domain name simple enough to tell a person at the bus stop
- See title immediately - see something almost immediately
- show the selling message now -
show objective or Unique Selling Proposition
- See substantial text content in eight seconds -
avoid using images for text
- Attractive -
make each visit a pleasurable experience
2. Friendly Image
- Show key info above the fold - only 30% of visitors will scroll down the page
- Easy to read
. avoid lines of text too long for easy reading
. ensure contrast between text and background
. appropriate fonts and sizes
- Images are useful
. Images should contribute to the content and not be just decoration
- Images to have ALT= and be sized
. in case the visitor has his images turned off
. or the internet is slow
. explain what this picture supposed to tell
. images must be sized for speed of loading and avoid juddering of the page
- Display friendly
. horizontal scrolling is a no-no
. must contract elegantly for visitors with small browser windows
. or computers with small displays
. or visitors who have opted for larger fonts
. ensure frames allow enough space for meaningful text
- Printer friendly
. mixed text light-on-dark on same page as dark-on-light will not print
. if printing is important, use tables so that page breaks will occur correctly
. avoid frames unless absolutely appropriate as they are difficult to print
- Technically Sound
. works with IE and other browsers
. avoid spelling mistakes, poor punctuation, poor grammar
. no broken or missing links
. no 'under-construction' pages
3. Easy Navigation
- Clear structure
. ensure the site has structure
. minimise number of links on the homepage, 10 is the max.
. too many links will confuse the first time visitor
. links to key pages are above the fold
. useful content within three clicks of the homepage
- Clear text links
. additional text links at the bottom of each page
. links should look like links
- Consistent
. navigation should be consistent thoughout the site
. clear description of where the link goes to
. avoid drop-down or clever pop-up menus
. if links are JavaScript then alternatives provided
. external links should show URL
. and should tell what will be found there
- Search Tool and Sitemap
. provide a sitemap and a website search tool if more than 7 pages
4. Useful Content
- Clear Objective
. what is the website trying to sell me
. how will it make money for the owner
- Clear target audience
. who will want to look at this site
. what age group
. appropriate tone for the target audience
- Clear target area
. what geographic area are we talking about
- Quality content
. there is some meat in there
. Educational, Entertaining, or Expedient way of presenting the product
. something which will encourage visitors to come back
. a source of reference information or useful links
- Good Organisation of content
. Regularly updated
. it must be current
. no out of date items
- Useful links
. links to useful information add credibilty
5. Appropriate for Audience
- Appropriate style and tone
. Access for disabled
. if appropriate, according to Bobby rules
- Easy order-processing
. E-Commerce sites to obey accepted rules
. provide clear security for On-Line Payment
6. Clear Contact Information
- Branding on every page
. consistent headings to give brand image
. consistent layout of pages for each topic
. show domain name URL to reinforce image
- Contact Email on every page
. Name, address, phone
. why have a website if it is difficult for your visitors to contact you?
.
Name, Address, Telephone, Fax, Email all on the homepage
.
if complex, very clear links to the contact page
7. Good for Search Engines
- Good META statements
. useful and descriptive TITLES on all pages
. correct METAs at least on the first (index) page
- Clear text with keywords
. text on the homepage shows key words
- Clear text links
. clear links to other pages
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