Part of our normal web maintenance is to review our client’s websites for the adherence to some basic design and functionality principles. Take a look at your site and see how you are doing with the following 25 point website checklist.
Accessibility
- Site load‐time is reasonable – you will need to empty your cache and reload your site to see how long it takes to load
- Adequate text‐to‐background contrast – this is a minimum ADA requirement
See ADA toolkit - Font size/spacing is easy to read – minimum ADA requirement
- Flash and add‐ons are used sparingly – Flash cannot be read by iPhone or iPads
- Images have appropriate ALT tags – tagged for visually impaired visitors
Identity
- Company logo is prominently placed and can be clicked to go home
- Tagline makes company’s purpose clear
- Home‐page is digestible in 5 seconds
- Clear path to company information
- Clear path to contact information or purchase link
Navigation
- Main navigation is easily identifiable
- Navigation labels are clear and concise
- Number of buttons/links is reasonable
- Company logo is linked to home‐page
- Links are consistent and easy to identify – use the same color for all links
- Site search is easy to access
Content
- Major headings are clear, relevant and descriptive
- Critical content is above the fold – so you can see the main items without scrolling
- Styles and colors are consistent with your brand
- Emphasis (bold, etc.) is used sparingly
- Ads and pop‐ups are unobtrusive
- Main copy is concise, relevant and explanatory
- URLs are meaningful and user‐friendly
- HTML page titles are explanatory
- There is a site map on your site
