A basic look at your website from the other side!
- Does your site appear consistent in multiple browsers and mobile devices?
- Make sure your logo is clear and states who you are clearly.
- Is your logo linked to the home page. People are familiar with this system.
- People are used to navigation they can access from the top of the page or from
the side of the page, does your site do this? - Create and use a favicon to distinguish your business.
- Keep links to your home, contact us and about us page in a consistent location
throughout your site. - Let people know what page they are always on by having the page title
obvious. - Open all external links in a new tab or window. Do not do this for internal
links. - All the navigation on your website should be easy for people who have never
visited your site before. - Give your viewers what they came to see. Tell them why they need your
products or service straight up. - Always write ‘you’ and not ‘I’ or ‘us’. Keep the content customer focused.
- Write short and sharply. Read through your content and remove words that
don’t need to be there. Keep the sentences short and the paragraphs short. Spell
check. - All the required contact information should be readily available. Phone,
mobile, fax, website address, social media addresses and links, email addresses and any
forms you wish people to contact you through. - Some inquiries are asked over and over. Do you have a ‘Frequently Asked
Questions’ page where readers can see if the questions they need answered
are there? - If you have a site search, make sure it’s prominent. The upper right hand
section of the site is what people are used to - Most people skim content
Do you use headings (major and minor) to set content apart and keep it
organised? - Do you explain clearly your privacy policies and how the information you
collect is used and stored? - Are the colours used compatible and pleasing to the eye?
- Make sure that your website’s font size is large enough so that visitors can
easily read your content - Is an easy to find site map available?
- Check that all the links on your site work. Test the payment options too.
- If a site takes forever to load, people will leave it.
Does your site load fast? - Use 404 pages to give lost users links to where more information can be
found and make them feel like the rest of the site. - Does your homepage link to category pages, category pages link to sub-category
and product pages link to relevant category pages? - Do you have a print style sheet, and have you tested it?
- Do the images on your site have the appropriate alt text?
- Does the footer contain the copyright information and a link to the sites
creator? - Have you tested all the forms and social media links on the site and do they link back to the right page after completing?
- Remember to use only pictures that you have the right to use.
- Do you have visible calls to action on all your products?
- Are your analytics set up so you can track everything successfully?
- Can all your social media outlets be accessed from the home page?
- Do you have a blog on your website, if not consider putting one on. A blog
will interest readers and get people to your website if you make it consistent
and interesting. - Do you back up your site regularly?
