If you've just finished building your new website (or revamping your old
one), how can you be sure it's "ready for prime time"? Or maybe your
site's been around for awhile and you think it may be due for a makeover.
Because Web technologies, techniques and standards change so rapidly, even
a website that seems "cutting edge" when it's built can look obsolete a
year later. Or maybe you started out with a barebones website and finally
have the time and/or money to take it to the next level. If you'd to give
your website the once over, here are ten aspects you should consider:
Compatibility: Will your website display correctly for most people
regardless of their computer hardware, operating system, browser and
monitor resolution? Make sure your site renders properly for as many users
as possible. If any features of your website require certain browser
plug-ins, provide a download link. Remember that not everyone will have
Javascript enabled and that graphics can be turned off by the user; make
sure your site will still work without them.
Completeness: None of your website should be "Under Construction".
Websites tend to evolve over time and are never truly "finished", but
that's no reason for your website look like a construction zone. If you
must include pages that aren't completed, at least put some informative
content on the page to motivate people to check back later. Otherwise
leave out the section altogether until it's ready for prime time.
Content: Do you need to update the text on your site? Have you added
services, expanded your product line, targeted new markets, or changed
your business strategy? Is your website's description of your company
current and accurate, including your contact information? Could the
content be written more clearly, convincingly, or succinctly? Could your
website be more informative, helpful, interesting or relevant? Would
customer testimonials or an FAQ section strengthen your sales message?
Check all of your site content for incorrect grammar, spelling errors and
typos.
Graphics: Do your graphics contribute to or detract from your website? A
website with no graphics would be uninteresting, but a site with too many
graphics, animations, and different fonts is overwhelming and distracts
from your sales message. The trick is to find the right balance. Use
animations sparingly, especially those that "loop" (play over and over).
They can easily become annoying and distract from your sales message.
Remember that banner ads count as graphics, too, and one or two per page
is plenty.
Interactivity: You might consider making your site interactive by adding a
mailing list, message board, poll, ezine or guest book. A contest or
trivia quiz can attract visitors and bring them back more often. Rotating
content like a joke, quote, or tip of the day keeps your website
interesting. Don't feel obliged to add all the latest bells and whistles
just because you can, but ask yourself whether some advanced features
might give your website the edge. If you don't want to provide the content
yourself, check into content available from syndicators (just keep it
relevant to your target market and your other site content).
Links: Are all the links on your website working? First make sure any
links between pages on your site are directing site visitors to the
correct page. Check all of your links to other websites, too; the
webmaster may have renamed the page or removed it altogether, and those
dead links will make your site look unprofessional and frustrate your site
visitors. If you've removed some of the pages from your own site, set up a
custom 404 page that redirects your visitors to your home page (or a
search page) when they try to access a page that no longer exists.
Speed: Does your site load quickly enough in the viewer's browser? The
"Eight Second Rule" is a good rule of thumb, meaning no site visitor
should have to wait longer than eight seconds to view the opening page of
your website. After eight seconds have elapsed, chances are good the
viewer will give up and go elsewhere. If you have graphics or animations
that take awhile to download, provide some engaging content to hold their
interest while they wait. Adding graphic elements always comes at a cost
in terms of slower loading times, so only include graphics if they really
contribute to visual impact of your website and strengthen your sales
message.
Navigation: Is it easy to find information on your site? The opening page
should tell visitors, at a glance, who you are, what you do, and how to
find what they're looking for. From there your visitors should be able to
follow a logical path to learn more about various aspects of your
business. If you list products or services on your site, organize them in
a logical way. If you decide to use graphic icons instead of text, make
sure their meaning is obvious. Make it easy for your site visitors to find
what they came for.
Search engine optimization: Is your website optimized to rank for
important keywords in the most popular search engines? Double check your
page titles and meta tag keywords and descriptions to make sure they are
accurate and descriptive. Did you work your keywords into the actual page
content as well (including variations)? Is your website focused on a
specific theme, and do you have plenty of informative content related to
that theme? Is your website spider-friendly (meaning search engine spiders
can access every page and read the most important content from the source
code)?
Style: Is your website's style consistent with your business goals? Ask
yourself what you want your business image to be, and make sure your
website enhances that image. Is your company's style polished? Friendly?
Trendy? High tech? The look and feel of your site should reflect that
style. Does your website still compare favorably with those of your
competitors? Your website should reflect favorably on your business and
help you to build your corporate image. If yours doesn't, maybe it's due
for a makeover.
Usability: Usability refers to how easily site visitors can use your site.
The best measure of usability is feedback from users -the people who visit
and try to navigate the site. If you have received complaints, comments,
questions, or suggestions from site visitors, change your site
accordingly. Of course, dissatisfied customers won't always let you know.
That's why you should also analyze your Web logs to see whether visitors
quickly abandon certain pages or don't visit some of your pages at all.
Think in terms of building pathways through your site that visitors can
follow. A well-designed website leads visitors deeper into the site
without frustrating or confusing them and doesn't lose them along the way.
Jane McLain is a Web developer and SEO specialist and the webmaster of
EClaunchsite.com, an online resource center for netrepreneurs with tools
and information to help you plan, build, launch and grow your e-business.
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