Accessability
This
section contains not only traditional accessibility issues, but
anything that
might keep a visitor from being able to access the information on a
website. If
no one can load your site, or the type is too small to read, all of the
usability in the world won't matter.
(1)
Site
Load-time Is Reasonable
Call me old-school, but I still like to see sites come in under 100KB
(60KB is
even better). If a site takes forever to load, most people will just
leave.
Yes, many of us have broadband now, but that makes our patience even
thinner.
(2)
Adequate Text-to-Background Contrast
Dark-gray on light-gray may seem stylish, but I'm not going to ruin my
eyesight
to read your blog. Eyes and monitors vary wildly, so keep your core
copy
contrast high. Good, old-fashioned black-on-white is still best most of
the
time.
(3)
Font
Size/Spacing Is Easy to Read
Opinions vary on the ideal size for text, but err on the side of
slightly too
big. Poor readability increases frustration, and frustration leads to
site
abandonment. Also, make sure your line spacing is adequate -
white-space is a
designer's best friend.
(4)
Flash
& Add-ons Are Used Sparingly
No matter how great your site looks, people won't wait 5 minutes for a
plug-in
to load. Use new technology sparingly and only when it really enhances
your
goals. Sticking to standard HTML/CSS is also a plus for search engines.
(5)
Images
Have Appropriate ALT Tags
Not only do sight-impaired visitors use ALT tags, but search engines
need them
to understand your images. This is especially critical when you use
images for
key content, such as menu items
(6)
Company Logo Is Prominently Placed
Put your logo or brand where it's easy to find, and that usually means
the upper-left
of the screen. People expect it, and they like it when you make their
lives
easy.
(7)
Tagline Makes Company's Purpose Clear
Answer "What do you do?" concisely with a descriptive tagline. Avoid
marketing jargon and boil your unique value proposition down to a few
words.
This is also a plus for SEO.
(8)
Home-page Is Digestible In 5 Seconds
In usability, we often talk about the 5-second rule. There's some
disagreement
over just how many seconds you get, but website visitors are a fickle
bunch,
and they need to get the basic gist of your home-page in just a few
moments.
(9)
Clear Path to Company Information
The good old "About Us" page may seem boring, but confidence is
important on the web, and people need an easy way to learn more about
you.
(10)
Clear Path to Contact Information
Similarly, visitors want to know that they can get in touch with you if
they
need to. It's also hard to do business if no one can contact you.
Preferably,
list your contact information as text (not in an image) - it'll get
picked up
by search engines, including local searches.
