Test your Website: A 57-Point Checklist for Maximum Usability
So you’ve got a website, but do you know whether it’s usable or not? The answer to this question can make the difference between a successful site and one that’s just ignored. Go through this checklist to make sure your site is up to snuff.
- Do you answer your user’s questions?: Users visit a site because they want answers, so it’s vitally important that your site gives them what they are looking for.
- Is your navigation clear and simple?: Make sure that your navigation lets the user know where they have been and where they can go in a clear, consistent manner.
- Do you provide anchor text?: Ensure that your visitor always knows where links are headed by discussing the site before you ask them to "click here."
- Does your design guide the eye?: Use color, position, size, and more to create a specific flow for your site.
- Do you start link names with important keywords?: Use important keywords in your links so that users know when they’ve found the right information.
- Is your wording straightforward?: Take a look at your language to make sure it’s simple enough for all users to understand.
- Does your writing look like an inverted pyramid?: Give web users the instant gratification they want by offering the most important information early on.
- Do you have "white space?": By placing too many elements too close together, you may overwhelm users. Spread things out a little.
- Have you offered contact information?: If your site doesn’t answer all of a visitor’s questions, they will probably want to speak to you about it. Allow them an easy way to contact you.
- Do you change URLs?: Don’t. This creates linkrot, in which links to your site are broken, and discourages other sites from linking to you in the future.
- Do you have a site map?: A site map is very important for a large site, because it helps lost users find their way and also makes it easy for search engines to spider your site.
- Does your information look like an ad?: Users will ignore information if it resembles a promotion, so avoid using large red text and other design elements found in advertisements.
- Does your site require unnecessary plugins?: Be aware that not everyone’s browser is fully decked out. Use a plugin only if it adds value and is absolutely necessary.
- Have you enabled graceful degradation?: Be sure that even if your site can’t display certain elements, the rest will still function properly.
- Does your logo link home?: Users expect that your site’s main logo will always link to your homepage, so make sure you’ve done this.
- Have you grouped information?: Make it easy for users to find what they’re looking for by arranging related information together, such as your corporate history alongside your career offerings.
- Do you provide visual clues for links?: Make sure that you’ve made your links obvious with colored, underlined text.
- Have you used color properly?: Avoid placing light-colored text on a light-colored background, or it will be hard for visitors to read your content. The same goes for dark-on-dark.
- Do you support deep-link users?: Check all of your site’s pages to make sure a user could orient themselves if they arrived on that page before any other place on your site.
- Is your site organized with a consistent structure?: Be sure to include headings, lists, and a unifying structure from page to page.
- Do you show users where they’ve been?: Differentiate between visited and unvisited links so that visitors can navigate with ease.
- Is your text annoying?: Use bold, italic, and upper-caps text sparingly.
- Do your graphics mean anything?: If your graphics seem irrelevant or frivilous, users won’t be impressed, so make sure that any images you use are directly related to the content.
- Do you date your content?: Don’t make users guess about which content is current and which is obsolete. Add dates to articles, press releases, and other content.
- Is your site full of animation?: Cut down on unnecessary animations to avoid overwhelming the user.
- Have you optimized your writing for the web?: Ensure that your text is short, scannable, and to the point, offering answers and common language.
- Do your links work?: Always double check your site for broken links, as they’re one of the worst user annoyances out there.
- Do you have a tagline?: Use a tagline to give visitors an extremely quick summary of what you do and what the site’s about.
- Do you offer prices?: If you’re using your website as a sales tool, it is vitally important that you answer what is almost certainly your customer’s biggest question-how much is it?
- Do your error messages help?: Take a look at your error messages, and consider whether they just tell the user they’re wrong, or if they actually provide suggestions for how to remedy the problem.
- Have you tested alternative browsers?: Although the majority of the Internet is still on Internet Explorer, it’s vital that you make sure your page renders correctly in browsers like Firefox, Safari, Opera, and more.
- Does your content require horizontal scrolling?: Cut down on user annoyance by ensuring that your page’s width does not exceed your visitor’s browser.
- Have you added descriptions to images?: Let your users know what purpose an image serves by placing information in the ALT and TITLE attributes.
- Do you link within a page?: If so, cut it out. Linking to a different position on the same page will confuse visitors and undermine their understanding of the browser.
- Is your design consistent?: Don’t leave users guessing whether they’ve stumbled upon a different site. Use similar colors and typefaces throughout your entire site.
- Is your name and logo on every page?: Don’t assume that just because a user is on your site, they know who you are. Place your name and logo prominently on your site.
- Have you accelerated to the next step?: Make it painstakingly easy for users to see where they’re supposed to go next.
- Does your FAQ answer real questions?: If your FAQ is full of questions that you only wish your visitors would ask, you need to reassess. Make sure that you’re actually featuring frequently asked questions so that the FAQ is actually useful.
- Can users find information quickly?: Follow the 3-click-rule, which states that users will stop using a site if they can’t find the information they want within 3 mouse clicks.
- Is your information cluttered?: If so, you need to break pages down into different sections.
- Are your forms too much trouble?: Cast a critical eye on your forms to make sure you’re allowing flexible inputs and not asking for unnecessary information.
- Is your site accessible for users with disabilities?: Check to make sure your site is readable by those with disabilities, especially the blind.
- Are your fonts readable?: Make your text readable by avoiding small font sizes and allowing font resizing.
- Is your site broken down into digestable chunks?: Follow the 7, plus or minus 2 principle, which states that users can retain only about 5-9 things at one time.
- Does your page load quickly?: Make sure your pages load quickly so that your website is friendly to those on slow Internet connections, or who have to pay per minute of Internet access.
- Is your title descriptive?: Make sure that your page title makes sense for the content you offer.
- Does your site render correctly in different screen resolutions?: If you’re only optimized for 1024×767, you’re rendering your site incorrectly to a lot of visitors.
- Offer a search function: Make it incredibly easy for users to find information by providing a search box.
- Have you outlined a privacy policy?: It drives users crazy to give away their contact information without knowing what will be done with it. Make it explicitly clear whether you’ll sell their email address, and how often they’ll get email from you.
- Do you have a liquid layout?: Frozen layouts and fixed page widths make it difficult for large browsers to render your page, and this design poses problems with printing.
- Does your content have spelling errors?: Check your content for errors in spelling or grammar, and don’t rely solely on a spell-check function because sometimes that software’s online engineering isn’t perfect.
- Use tabs responsibly: Use tabs to change views while still in the same context, and make them incredibly readable and logically broken up.
- Is your splash page absolutely necessary?: Most users prefer to get right to the content instead of watching and waiting for a splash page to complete.
- Do you have a brandable URL?: Use a short URL so that it can be easily relayed from one user to the next, and you’ll make viral marketing easier to come by.
- Have you filled out TITLE and META tags?: Make sure you’ve filled out this information to let users and search engines know what your site’s all about.
- Do you emphasize high-priority tasks?: Make sure that your homepage highlights the important actions you’d like visitors to make.
- Do users know when they’re clicking an email link?: Ensure that users know when to expect their email program to pop up.
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September 4th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Where have you been… Great post as usually…. Almost deleted you off of my Google Reader….
September 5th, 2008 at 4:57 am
Thanks for this great list, and I absolutely agree with all of these points… except for number 52! It’s clear that this statement comes from useit.com, but I don’t follow it. I think for a rather simple site, tabs used for the main menu are perfect “for letting users change the view while staying in the same place.” (citation from useit.com), ‘the same place’ being the entire website, and ‘the view’ being the different parts of the site, of course. I don’t see the problem, but if I’m wrong, please explain!
September 7th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Thanks ! Great list. Bookmarked it.
September 7th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I really like how many of these points are simply rewordings of previous points. Also number 50 is my favorite, given this very site is fixed width. However there were still some valid points.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:36 am
Thanks Jessica ! I was actually looking for such tips to increase the usability of my site. Indeed very helpful! Bookmarking it right now
September 8th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Most websites fail to combine an appealing design with an usable interface. Both aspects are critical, but usability is not so easily judged at a first glance. That’s why this list becomes so useful.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
its a helpful list but it would have been better with examples
September 8th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Thanks,
This is a great posts with many simple concepts that most people don’t think about when designing their website or new content. Great job. Keep up the post.
September 8th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
re: #50
Physician heal thyself!
September 18th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Thanks for your support my friend
October 1st, 2008 at 3:03 pm
very timely article since we are in the process of redesigning our library’s website
October 7th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Some of these points are well intentioned but based on hearsay. The 3-click rule is nonsense for example.
Very few people actually use sitemaps they are more important for your SEO than they are for the usability of your site. If people use your site map it’s usually because they have exhausted every other option and they are totally stumped.
Only offer a search if it is actually a good one. No search is better than bad search.
Point 53 should read “Get rid of your splash page it’s totally unnecessary”
Point 56 should be point number 1 because it is the most important in my opinion. But your high priority tasks are generally not your choice, they are your users’ choice. I would sum it up as “Can people do what they came to your site to do?”
December 16th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
While I agree with many of the points, I wonder how usable a 57 point checklist actually is.
December 18th, 2008 at 5:18 am
wow! thanks!
March 1st, 2009 at 10:27 pm
hey, is there a section just for latest news
March 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
You sound like a very smart individual!
April 2nd, 2009 at 12:00 am
Thanks for keeping us educated.
April 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 am
Very good website you have here.
April 3rd, 2009 at 6:20 am
Nice site! Thanks for the great post
April 3rd, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Great website. Good start on the translation. Keep up the good work
April 13th, 2009 at 10:26 am
To start earning money with your blog, initially use Google Adsense but gradually as your traffic increases, keep adding more and more money making programs to your site.
April 17th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
good stuff here bro.I like it
April 19th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
ohhh nice info
April 22nd, 2009 at 3:55 pm
great stuff. good work
April 23rd, 2009 at 9:48 am
who is he/she authore article”test-your-website-a-57-point-checklist-for-maximum-usability/
April 27th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
This is a great posts with many simple concepts that most people don’t think about when designing their website or new content.
May 1st, 2009 at 3:13 am
הסיאליס שתביא לך את הנעורים חזרה
ולמשך שלושה ימים
May 1st, 2009 at 3:14 am
כל המידע על ויאגרה
אפשרויות רכישה
May 1st, 2009 at 3:14 am
הטכנאי הטוב ביותר לתיקון המחשב
May 3rd, 2009 at 11:34 pm
אבודים זו הסדרה שלא נגמרת לעולם
כולם מחפשים את הסוף
נמסטה
May 5th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Wow. Great Post. So many of these things I did not know
May 5th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I think that deep link submission is going to be the next big thing. Everyone is focused on linking their home page, but don’t think about linking their other pages. This is key!
Very good post.
May 17th, 2009 at 2:47 am
Your blog is so informative
May 24th, 2009 at 1:32 am
אתר דיאטה של מר ישראל - אראל אורן. פורטל דיאטה מספר אחת בישראל המרכז את כל שיטות הרזיה הקיימות.
May 24th, 2009 at 1:34 am
ספא שמיים בארץ - טיפולי ספא ברמה הגבוהה ביותר בישראל רק אצלנו בספא שמיים בארץ!
May 24th, 2009 at 1:35 am
דיקור סיני עושים רק אצל המומחים - עוז שבתיאלי, המומחה מספר אחת בישראל לשירותי דיקור סיני .
May 24th, 2009 at 1:37 am
עוז שבתיאלי הוא המומחה לטיפולי רפואה סינית גם דיקור סיני מתקדם.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:10 am
הוצאה לפועל אצל עורך דין הוצאה לפועל הכי תותח בישראל - קובי רום !
May 24th, 2009 at 9:56 am
טכנאי מחשבים -תיקון מחשבים על ידי מומחים!!!
May 26th, 2009 at 1:56 am
ארז מנעולן - חברת מנעולנים הגדולה ביותר באיזור המרכז תשלח אליכם עד הבית פורץ מנעולם מקצועי ומיומן שיודע לפרוץ מנעולים בצורה המקצועית ביותר. מנעולן מקצועי מספר אחת!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:45 am
חברת הלבשה תחתונה מספר אחת בישראל - תחתונים של פריגו עם פטנט ייחודי לגברים.
May 31st, 2009 at 10:30 pm
יבוא אישי על ידי חברת יבוא בשירות אישי - הכי שווה בישראל!
June 8th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
משפחתון מעניק את כל התנאים הסביבתיים לילדות מאושרת ובטוחה והכי חשוב ילדיכם יקבלו את מיטב תשומת הלב והאהבה שאפשר לתת לילד
June 8th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
הפסקת עישון זה קל! גמילה מעישון - לא דבר קל אבל מומלץ!
June 8th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
תיקון מחשב באזור המרכז!
June 9th, 2009 at 2:42 am
טכנאי מחשבים עד הבית בכל איזורי ישראל.
June 9th, 2009 at 2:44 am
פוליש צח - מבצעים פוליש וגם חברות ניקיון בכל איזורי הארץ. פוליש איכותי חברה אמינה מספר אחת!
June 12th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Да все понятно, спасибо за сообщение.
June 14th, 2009 at 7:48 am
very good post .thanks .
June 18th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Да, такой блог по-любому надо раскручивать сильнее - что б как можно больше читателей о нем узнали!
June 20th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
After reading through the article, I just feel that I need more info. Can you share some more resources please?
p.s. Year One is already on the Internet and you can watch it for free.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Good site, thanks!
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Good site, thanks!
June 22nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm
great post,tnx a lot!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:57 pm
Great Post!!! Thank you!
June 25th, 2009 at 2:35 am
wow, nice blog guys! But you need to clean all of this offtopic posts!
Have a nice day!
June 29th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Interesting post, just signed up to your RSS feed, hope to find some more great content here
June 29th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say
that I have really liked browsing your posts. Any way
I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
June 29th, 2009 at 11:27 am
Thanks for share this information. Great post… i will come next time
June 29th, 2009 at 11:28 am
I love this website! You are a brilliant and are doing some great work here.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
You are a brilliant and are doing some great work here.
June 29th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Great Post!!! Thank you!
July 5th, 2009 at 4:36 am
האתר מקשר בין לקוח ועשרות יבואני רכב….תבחר דגם שחפשת והיבואנים יפנו אליך עם הצעותיהם
July 5th, 2009 at 5:49 am
The answer to this question can make the difference between a successful site .
July 8th, 2009 at 4:41 pm
thnx a lot for the useful tips!
July 30th, 2009 at 10:02 am
בטלפון כבר תדעו שזה הכי טוב
August 2nd, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I appreciate this comprehensive list of tips. I am definitely bookmarking it and am going to refer to it whenever needed. Thanks!
August 4th, 2009 at 2:16 am
Very informative post. Thanks!
August 9th, 2009 at 10:35 am
סרטי סקס חינם באתר סקס Q !
August 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am
דירות דיסקרטיות בחסות האתר סקס Q .
August 9th, 2009 at 10:37 am
נערות ליווי במבחר - שירותי ליווי מגוונים באתר סקס Q
August 9th, 2009 at 10:38 am
סקס G מציג מבחר דירות דיסקרטיות איכותיות בתל אביב.
August 9th, 2009 at 10:40 am
דירות דיסקרטיות נט - פורטל מוביל
August 11th, 2009 at 2:00 am
השוואת מחירים כדאי לעשות בask4
August 11th, 2009 at 5:04 am
ביטוח חיים עושים בחברת אור ביטוח
August 11th, 2009 at 5:06 am
אדית לבני נשים הינה החנות הוירטואלית הראשונה ברשת ל לבני נשים ו הלבשה תחתונה
August 11th, 2009 at 5:11 am
ביטוח משכנתא!!
August 11th, 2009 at 5:31 am
ביטוח דירה!!!!!
August 11th, 2009 at 5:32 am
ביטוח דירה!!!!!@#$@#$@
August 11th, 2009 at 5:43 am
שטררררר חובבבבב
August 12th, 2009 at 12:55 am
בחברת הרטק אחראים לכל הנושאים שקשורים ל שרותי אינסטלציה , זיהוי וביצוע תיקוני אינסטלציה ע”י מחלקת ה אינסטלטור ים אשר מומחים בכל סוגי עבודות ותיקוני צנרת המים לדירה ומחוצה לה. החברה יכולה לספק אינסטלטור 24 שעות.
August 12th, 2009 at 12:56 am
אינסטלטור 24 שעות
August 13th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
אנו מבצעים עבודות הקלדה ותמלול לגופים הבאים:
שירותי הקלדות, קלדנות, הקלדה למשרדי חקירות
שרותי הקלדה, קלדנות, תמלול לעורכי דין
שירותי הקלדות, קלדנות, תמלול לסטודנטים
שרותי קלדנות, הקלדות, הקלדה לרואי חשבון
שירותי תמלול, הקלדות, הקלדה למגזר הפרטי
שירותי קלדנות, הקלדות, הקלדה למגזר העסקי
שירותי הקלדה, קלדנות, תמלול לרשויות ממשלתיות
שירותי הקלדה, תמלול קלדנות הרצאות
שירותי הקלדה, תמלול, קלדנות חוברות וספרים
שירותי הקלדות, קלדנות, הקלדה של ישיבות
שירותי הקלדה, קלדנות, הקלדות ועדות ערר
שירותי קלדנות, תמלול, הקלדה ישיבות בתי משפט
שרותי קלדנות, הקלדה, הקלדות פרוטוקולים
August 17th, 2009 at 2:49 am
חברת סתיו מוצרי פִרסום היא אחת מהחברות המובילות בתחום מוצרי פִרסום ומתמחה בשיווק מוצרי פרסום מגוונים ובמתן שירות אישי, מקצועי ומהיר.
August 17th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
דיוור ישיר- באמצעות נייר הדפסה A4 חדשני ללייזר ההופך למעטפית לאחר קיפולו ומוכן
ל- דיוור ישיר ללא צורך במעטפות. דיוור ישיר מהיר וקל.
עכשיו במיוחד לחגים! הפקת ברכות לראש השנה בשיטת ה דיוור הישיר .
מותאם לחברות ועסקים.
צור קשר עוד היום!
August 17th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
מנעולן 24 שעות בפריסה ארצית.
מנעולן מוסמך ומקצועי לשרות במהירות הבזק.
כולל שרות מנועלן עבור פריצת דלתות, רכבים והתקנת מנעולים איכותיים במיוחד.
צור קשר עם המשרד הראשי לקבל אינפורמציה נוספת בכל הנוגע ל: דלתות פלדלת , מנעולים וכו’.
August 17th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
צ’קים - הבטיחותיים ביותר בישראל נגד זיופים! הדפסת צ’קים בדידים לכל התוכנות בהתאמה מושלמת והדרכה של נציגנו ללא תשלום. הזמנת צ’קים נוחה ומהירה.
ניתן להוסיף ל- צ’קים לוגו ברקע למטרת קד”מ.
August 18th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
vittorio.pozzato@mazzispa.it;
August 21st, 2009 at 6:35 am
pozzato1@gmail.com,pozzato2@gmail.com,pozzato.vittorio@gmail.com,index.html,textile,steel,iron,sewing,clothes,
August 21st, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I really appreciate what you are doing guys, thanks a lot!
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:00 am
הדפסת שיקים - הבטיחותיים ביותר בישראל נגד זיופים! הדפסת שיקים לכל התוכנות בהתאמה מושלמת, ביקור והדרכה של נציגנו ללא תשלום. הזמנת שיקים מהירה.
August 23rd, 2009 at 5:02 am
חשבשבת - הדפסת צ’קים בהתאמה מושלמת לתוכנת חשבשבת חלונות ותוכנת חשבשבת דוס - הבטיחותיים ביותר בישראל! עם כל אמצעי ההגנה עבור חשבשבת.
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:46 am
Thanks for these tips!
August 23rd, 2009 at 8:48 am
While I agree with many of the points, I wonder how usable a 57 point checklist actually is.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:23 am
I like 21. How about you use 21. YOU IDIOTS.
August 27th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Can a beginner read the info you provided and be able to control microformats?
September 7th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
thank you for the tips!very useful…
September 9th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
great list and very useful!
September 18th, 2009 at 6:35 pm
thank you for the tips!very useful…
Can a beginner read the info you provided and be able to control microformats?
September 18th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
10x!!!
September 18th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
great!!! thanks!!
September 21st, 2009 at 2:34 am
Good content, I will be back to read more!
September 24th, 2009 at 3:47 am
סליקת כרטיסי אשראי באינטרנט - מערכת תשלומית, הינה מערכת שפותחה לפרילנסרים, שכירים ועצמאיים אשר מעוניינים לקבל תשלום עבור עבודתם באמצעות כרטיס אשראי. אין צורך במספר ספק אצל חברות האשראי, אנחנו מבצעים את הסליקה דרכנו.
המערכת מאובטחת ופשוטה!
September 25th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really liked browsing your posts.
September 29th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Good post, adding it to my blog now, thanks
October 3rd, 2009 at 1:03 am
טכנאי מחשבים מומחה
October 4th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
October 6th, 2009 at 1:31 am
10x for the tips!
October 6th, 2009 at 1:39 am
thanks alot gracias mucho!
October 14th, 2009 at 10:09 am
למה לפרסם לינקים באתר שכל הלינקים היוצאים הם
external nofollow ??!
October 18th, 2009 at 12:03 am
tnx for the tips.
October 18th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Amazing tips.
Keep up the good work
October 31st, 2009 at 10:10 am
I’m gonna print this and check my site!
November 10th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Nice checklist.. thanks for sharing…
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:46 am
great post
November 23rd, 2009 at 2:48 am
thanks man
December 2nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
You are right in what you have said. I was only thinking this the other day but I think I will now dig a little deeper. Not sure what the last guy meant though!
December 6th, 2009 at 2:11 am
טכנאי מחשבים ורשתות מקצועי
December 7th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Awesome, thank you for sharing.
December 29th, 2009 at 4:27 am
Jewish Books, Jewish art and more.
January 4th, 2010 at 4:43 am
Meta tags aren’t important any more.
January 9th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
Great Jewish gifts. Passover is comming soon…
January 9th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Great tips thanks people
January 20th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
I want to thank you on the share, very useful for us, I’m learning accidental blog make. many thanks
January 22nd, 2010 at 3:11 pm
טכנאי מחשבים מבצע תיקון כל סוגי המחשבים הסרת וירוסים
שרות בבית הלקוח איזור עבודה מרכז הארץ
February 4th, 2010 at 7:45 am
реально полезная штука, спасибо огромное!