Website Usability Checklist
A usability checklist is essential for a website that is designed or planned to be designed because a website, in practice, is considered successful only when it is useful for those who visit the website. It is also true that visitors who land up in the website after searching for specific keywords in the search engines obviously look for informative details in the website and get frustrated and move out of the website if they do not find what they are looking for.
The usability checklist discussed here lists the key factors which would increase the possibility of the visitor staying longer in the website. The first and foremost point concerns the simplicity of the navigation system. It is important to take note of the point that the navigation system should be clear and as simple as possible. It is also essential for the navigation system to follow the same format and be consistent throughout the website. It is always advisable to use text links, which should obviously be self explanatory so as to explain to the visitors where the link is going to take them. Links are always considered better than menus as many users find it difficult to use the mouse for making selections in menus. A link to the home page should be in all the pages and the link from the logo of the website should also divert the visitor to the home page.
Next is the importance of web site content for any website. In an attempt to showcase something very different, the content should not be made too complicated. Complicated content would not be of help to the visitors who might have limited knowledge about the language. The content should be search engine-friendly with enough competitive keywords in it. It is always ideal to put across the best part of the content either in the first or second stanzas of the content as it is not sure that the visitor would be reading the last part of the website content. The text colour should also be selected with care, not making it too contrasting with the background colour or image.
Another important point is about the maintenance of consistency within the website. The colours used in the website, typefaces, page layout and navigational links are some of the items which should certainly maintain consistency as inconsistency in these areas will confuse the visitors and drive them out of the website. This would not only reduce the stay time of the visitors who visit the website but would also, in the long run, reduce sales or the number of conversions from visitors to customers.
Availability of a ‘Contact Form’ or ‘Feedback Form’ is very crucial for any website as this could be the only way you could collect the details of the visitors who visit your website and get back to them later. Otherwise, a visitor once gone is gone forever. Care should also be taken to see that your message is not offending or forcing the visitor to fill it. Either way, the visitor is sure not to fill the form. And last, but the most important phase, is to have the web site tested with REAL users. Though quality checking would help in tracking the bugs and errors in the website, the actual defaults could only be pointed out by a real user.
XEL Web Design, before starting any project, plans in advance all these key points, develops and completes the website satisfying the entire checklist. We strive hard to make sure that this is done because delivery of usable, efficient website is what we promise and deliver.
