Understand the Goals of the Site First

The best reviews assess a site against the organization’s goals and the needs of the site’s users. For example, an entertainment site is likely to have very different goals and users than a small business site. So, I like to begin every site review by first learning about the organization, its goals, the users and their goals. From there, we can do an expert review of the site. The checklist we use has more than 150 items we consider. Usability testing, like structured walkthroughs, can really nail what users expect of a site. Having said that, there are features I always look for when reviewing a site.

Features Every Website Should Have

1. Speed. Users are impatient. If a page doesn’t load quickly enough, they’ll move on. That means you need to be mindful of any plug-ins your page requires (e.g., Flash player). If users don’t have it, won’t install it or can’t install it, it could slow down the page or prevent it from loading correctly.
2. A visual design that enhances the user’s experience while reflecting your brand. A design that’s simple yet engaging, one that doesn’t dominate the content, is best. Remember, visitors are primarily coming for the content, not the design (unless you’re an entertainment site). However, if the visual design gives your users a negative first impression, they may leave before they really get to know you. The design must be consistent too, right down to the colors and fonts used on every page.
3. Easy to learn, intuitive, follows common web layout and navigation models. Users expect to find a site search box and a home button. They expect navigation along the top and/or on the left. They expect a logo to be a link back to the home page. A clean navigation built on a solid information architecture will help users learn their way around the site.
4. Efficient to use, with short paths to the most commonly sought after information. Don’t assume visitors are willing to hunt and dig for your content. While you might be interested enough to do that, they probably aren’t.
5. Information that is fresh, timely, accurate, unique, and, most importantly, answers your users’ questions. So, you have to know your users, understand their needs, and then be able to update the site frequently. Barriers to content entry make for a stale site, so it’s important to understand the technology and skills needed to maintain the site. Images need to be timely as well (watch for outdated clothing, dates, or seasonal appropriateness) and reflect the diversity of the user community you serve.
6. Information that’s written for the web. People don’t read on the web, they scan. So you need to make good use of headings and lists, remove unnecessary words, remove the marketing tone and use common words.
7. There are no errors anywhere. No broken links, no missing graphics, no typographical errors. Poorly written HTML might display fine in a browser but can stop search engine crawlers in their tracks. Missing ALT tags on images may go unnoticed to many, but create a site that’s not accessible to people using assistive technology. So, no errors, inside or out. Period.
8. Contact information is easy to find, now and later. Your contact information should be easy to find on every page, both on screen and in print, which means, all your pages must be printer friendly.
9. Meets your business needs as well as your user’s needs. The site exists for a business purpose. Whether it’s marketing, self-service capabilities or building online communities, the site must help your organization while serving the needs of its visitors.
10. Is validated with real users. It’s hard to put yourself in your users’ shoes. For some, it’s impossible. Don’t risk missing the mark by going with your best judgment. Validate your ideas, the design, your content, the navigation – everything – with real users. Some basic usability testing (or even an expert evaluation) can find problems you weren’t aware of and give you recommendations how to fix them. If the site doesn’t work with real users, it doesn’t work at all.

What Makes An Exceptional Website?

The difference between a good website and an exceptional one is the details. Polish matters. Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying “Art is never finished, only abandoned.” The same can hold true for your website. You can tweak and twiddle endlessly to get every detail perfect. Of course, there’s the law of diminishing returns and the value you’ll get from your investment of time. While we have to draw the line some place, if you want an exceptional site, consider your users in everything you do, focus on the details and validate what you’re doing. The result could more than a work of art. It could be a site that helps your organization achieve its goals while delighting your users.

What do you think? Would you add any features to the list? Disagree with ones I’ve listed? I welcome your comments.