IS YOUR SITE USABLE? Here's a simple checklist to optimize usability

IS YOUR SITE
USABLE?Here’s a simple cHecklist to see if tHe usability in your site adds up.
be Honest, your results are for you.

call us! 212-987-0076 | info@studiokandm.com | one grand army plaza | brooklyn, ny 11238 | www.studiokandm.com

APPEARANCE 1 (NOT AT ALL ) – 5 (YES, DEFINITELY)

is tHere a clear visual HierarcHy?
When the page first opens do you know where to look or do you feel overwhelmed by all the choices?
your site should use visual clues to help users understand where to look first, second and third..

is tHe style and color consistent?
if your pages all seem to fit together it will be much easier for your user to navigate. once they digest
the homepage they will have a sense of how the site is structured. remember, if you stray dramatically
from your theme your user may think he has landed on another site.

are tHere lots of moving objects?
many sites have rotating banners or other flashing objects. this works if they are used sparingly and
do not distract from the rest of the content. as a rule, nothing should move on the site within the first
3 seconds, and all moving objects should be easily ignored by the user. these should automatically
stop or give the user the option to turn it off.

is your logo and/or site name easy to spot and read on every page?
it doesn’t need to overwhelm the page but it should be clear and easy to spot and the user should
be able to identify it as the company logo/ site name. 84% of websites put their logo in the top left
corner, and that is where users will look for it.


USER UNDERSTANDING
does your Home page clearly define your company?
does your home page clearly define your company?

is your teXt easy to read?
is the font size big enough? can it be read easily against the background?

is tHe content easy to digest?
people don’t read on the web, they scan. omit needless words, isolate important content, use bullets
to font size to establish what people need to read.

are your images easy to understand?
studies show that most people don’t even look at the images on a site, so does it make sense that
they are there? copy should support image content. are they of good quality and easy to see what is
pictured?

do you knoW WHat can be clicked?
people are very used to surfing the web these days, and it is no longer too important that a button
looks like a button, but clickable text and buttons do need to be distinct from other non-clickable
objects.


NAVIGATION
WHen you are on a page, do you knoW WHere you are?
is the page or section title easy to spot and read on every page?

is it easy to find links to otHer pages on tHe site?
typically your user will first look at the top of the page to find a navigation bar, or down the
left of the page (although this is more often for page specific navigation). your navigation bar
should stand out visually from the rest of your content.

do you knoW WHere you are going to cick in 5 seconds?
your homepage should be understood within 5 econds and you should be able to easily know
where to click next in this time.

are you overWHelemed and dont knoW Were to click?
generally over 7 links in the main navigation is overwhelming for your user. too many choices
actually paralyses your user and they will leave your site and probably never come back.

is your navigation universal?
navigation should stay in the same place on every page. you can tailor navigation to each
page, but the main elements should stay in the same place and be called the same thing on
every page. ditto for your logo and page titles.


FUNCTION
does your site load fast?
anythinng over a couple of seconds will lose your audience. slow load times also make the site seem
less professional.

does your logo link to tHe Home page?
you may not know this, but web conventions use your logo as a link back to your homepage. some
even do it without realizing it! this alleviates the need for a home page link in the navigation, allowing
you to have more options.

is your contact information on tHe Home page?
Web conventions put contact info at the bottom of the page, so many people will look for it here. if
you do not put contact info on the homepage, that’s ok, but a link to a contact page should be very
easy to spot.

do all tHe pages Have appropriate Html page titles?
the Html page title is what appears at the very top of your browser above the url. these can be
very helpful in identifying your site especially when, like most of us, your user is browsing with many
windows open. and these titles are critical to your search engine optimization.


HOW DID YOU DO?
add up your points to see WHere you stand.

90-81 Would you like a job? you clearly understand usability and your site helps users get just
what they need with minimal frustration. you deserve a cupcake!

80-61 not bad. some slight tweaks may help your users navigate your site better and help
your business grow.

60-37 uh-oh. you clearly have some issues with your sites usability.
it may be time to think about a redesign.

36-00 yikes! now you know where all your customers are going, the competition. give us a
call, we’ll help you come up with a solution that will have your users thanking you.

QUESTIONS, feel free to give us ring, 212.987.0072 or send us an email info@studiokandm.com if
you have any questions or comments. check out our blog and be sure to follow us on
COMMENTS twitter @studiokandm for more great resources on usability.


IS YOUR SITE USABLE? Here's a simple checklist to optimize usability

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