A thorough website analysis will look at both SEO and usability factors in a website. A SEO analysis measures a website’s ability to get traffic through the search engines. A usability analysis measures how easy the website is to use once a visitor arrives.

User friendly websites make it easier for visitors to find what they are looking for and have higher conversion rates. The first few seconds of the user experience on a website are the most critical. This is what creates a lasting impression of your company.

Usability Checklist

Initial Impression

• Did the page load quickly?
• Images optimized for fast loading?
• Flash optimized for fast loading?
• No automatically starting audio?
• Industry appropriate look and feel to site.
• Clear call to action on home page?
• Clear understandable layout for first time visitors?
• No use of pop-up windows?

Navigation / Links

• Site wide uniform backbone?
• In a logical flow?
• Do link names match page names?
• Clearly understandable names?
• Check for broken links
• Site wide search?
• Returning visitors see change in hyperlink color
• Breadcrumb navigation on larger sites
• Does logo link to home page?
• Backbone navigation at the bottom of each page?

Content

• Is information presented clearly?
• Inverted pyramid writing style? Start with conclusion.
• Visitor focused rather than on company?
• Solves a need?
• Text easy to scan?
• Written in active not passive words.
• Check for misspelled words.
• Forms designed for easy entry
• Not using PDF’s for content (OK for manuals and ebooks)

Accessibility

• Adjustable font sizes (for people with poor eyesight).
• Descriptive ALT text in images (blind users)
• HTML validation (W3C)
• Browser test all major browsers
• Site map present
• Provide redundant text links for image links or image maps

Security / Trust

• Privacy policy
• Terms of use
• Refund policy
• Testimonials
• FAQ / Sales support
• Digital certificate / data security
• Copyright statement on every page?
• Well written “about us” page
• Address and phone number on contact page

Related posts:

1. Usability Means Designing for the User Experience
2. Focus on Usability to Improve Website Conversion
3. SEO Consequences of a Website Redesign
4. What is Your Website Saying About Your Business?
5. Web Site Navigation can be like adding a GPS