Web Checklist

Organization

• Have information three clicks or less from the homepage.
• Have a clear structure.
• Make your organization student-centered.

Navigation

• Use consistent, logical navigation. Let people know where they are in the site.
• Use text-based navigation menu.

Links

• Change the color of visited links.
• Use a washed out color based on the active link color. Avoid colored text unless it’s a link.
• Use link titles if you’re going off site or for some reason need to tell users where the link will take them.
• Make it obvious what is clickable.
• Don’t include active link to the homepage on the homepage. Users may go in circles.
• Check links.

Individual Pages

• Put important info above the fold.
• Webpages should be three screens or less.
• Make sure pages download quickly.
• Have a “last updated” on each page.
• Have contact information on each page.
• Use title tags with information-bearing words in the front. Don’t start with “the” or “welcome.”

Writing Style

• Write to support scannability.
• Use bullets, subheads, short paragraphs, highlight key words.
• Use inverted pyramid style with most important first.
• Don’t use library jargon, or if you do, explain it.

Section 508

• Use a concisely written "alt" for every image, video or audio file, etc.
• Use an empty "alt" for decorative images with no purpose, spacers, etc.
• Multimedia files must have captions.
• Don't convey information only with color.
• Pages should be readable even without a stylesheet.
• Identify row and column headers, using the , unless the table is for layout only.
• Create a text-only version if you must, but try to make your "main" version accessible. If you create a text-only version, keep it current.
• Create a way to skip over a long list of links.

Miscellaneous

• Don’t fix the font size. Specify font sizes in relative terms to let users resize as needed.
• Avoid anything that looks like an advertisement, people avoid ads.
• Keep design conventions like other sites. Users spend more time on others’ sites.
• Avoid PDFs.
• Don’t open a new browser, it disables the back button, and some might get confused.
• FAQs: Answer peoples’ real questions.
• Use liquid layout.
• Use graphics for content, not for decoration.
• Have a site map.
• Check for errors regularly.
• No frames or Flash.
• Use clear labels.