- Visible address bar
- Fully functional navigation tools
- Visible status bar
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- Site works in multiple browsers
- No browser hi-jacking
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Site logo (click heading for additional details)
- Displays company name clearly
- Isn't hidden among clutter
- Links to home page
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- Unique and original
- Use tagline consistently across site
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Design considerations (click heading for additional details)
- Instant site identification
- Crisp, clean image quality
- Clean, clutter-less design
- Consistent colors and type
- Whitespace usage
- Minimal distractions
- Targets intended audience
- Meets industry best practices
- Easy to navigate
- Descriptive links
- Good on-page organization
- Easy to find phone number
- Don't link screen captures
- Skip option for flash
- Consistent page formatting
- No/minimal on-page styling
- Avoid text in images
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- Font size is adequate
- Font type is friendly
- Paragraphs not too wide
- Visual cues to important elements
- Good overall contrast
- Low usage of animated graphics
- Uses obvious action objects
- Avoid requiring plugins
- Minimize the use of graphics
- Understandable graphic file names
- No horizontal scrolling
- Non-busy background
- Recognizable look and feel
- Proper image / text padding
- Uses trust symbols
- Works on variety of resolutions
- Works on variety of screen widths
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Architectural issues (click heading for additional details)
- Correct robots.txt file
- Declare doctype in HTML
- Validate HTML
- Don't use frames
- Alt tag usage on images
- Custom 404 error page
- Printer friendly
- Underlined links
- Differing link text color
- Breadcrumb usage
- Nofollow cart links
- Robots.txt non-user pages
- Nofollow non-important links
- Review noindex usage
- Validate CSS
- Check broken links
- No graphics for ON/YES, etc.
- Page size less than 50K
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- Flat directory structure
- Proper site hierarchy
- Unique titles on all pages
- Title reflects page info and heading
- Unique descriptions on pages
- No long-tail page descriptions
- Proper bulleted list formats
- Branded titles
- No code bloat
- Minimal use of tables
- Nav uses absolute links
- Good anchor text
- Text can be resized
- Key concepts are emphasized
- CSS less browsing
- Image-less browsing
- Summarize all tables
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Navigation (click heading for additional details)
- Located top or top-left
- Consistent throughout site
- Links to Home page
- Links to Contact Us page
- Links to About Us page
- Simple to use
- Indicates current page
- Links to all main sections
- Proper categorical divisions
- Non-clickable is obvious
- Accurate description text
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- Links to Login
- Provides Logout link
- Uses Alt attribute in images
- No pop-up windows
- No new window links
- Do not rely on rollovers
- Avoid cascading menus
- Keep scent from page to page
- Targets expert and novice users
- Absolute links
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Content (click heading for additional details)
- Grabs visitor attention
- Exposes need
- Demonstrates importance
- Ties need to benefits
- Justifies and calls to action
- Gets to best stuff quickly
- Reading level is appropriate
- Customer focused
- Benefits and features
- Targets personas
- Provides reassurances
- Answers WIIFM
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- Consistent voice
- Eliminate superfluous text
- Reduce /explain industry jargon
- No typo, spelling or grammar errors
- Contains internal contextual links
- Links out to authoritative sources
- Enhancing keyword usage (SEO)
- Date published on articles/news
- Web version of PDF docs available
- Consistent use of phrasing
- No unsubstantiated statements
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Content Appearance (click heading for additional details)
- Short paragraphs
- Uses sub-headings
- Uses bulleted lists
- Calls to action on all pages
- Good contrast
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- No overly small text for body
- No overly small text for headings
- Skimmable and scannable
- Keep link options in close proximity
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Links and buttons (click heading for additional details)
- Limit the number of links on a page
- Avoid small buttons and tiny text for links
- Leave space between links and buttons
- Avoid using images as the only link
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- Link important commands
- Underline all links
- Accurately reflects the page it refers
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Home page (click heading for additional details)
- No splash page
- Instant page identification
- Provides overview of site
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- Site purpose is clear
- Robot meta: NOODP,NOYDIR
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About Us page (click heading for additional details)
- Adequately describes company
- Shows team biographies
- Shows mission statement
- Up to date information
- Note associations, certifications & awards
- Links to support pages:
- Contact page
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- Investor relations
- Company news
- Registration info
- Job opportunities
- Newsletters
- Link to social media profiles
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Contact Us page (click heading for additional details)
- Easy to find
- Multiple contact options:
- Phone
- Fax
- Email
- Form
- Chat
- Customer feedback
- Street map
- Hours of operation
- Final call to action
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- Multiple points of contact:
- Customer service
- Tech support
- Inquiries
- General info
- Job applications
- Billing
- Management team
- Ad-free
- Form requires only essential info
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E-Commerce considerations (click heading for additional details)
- Mini-product basket always available
- Displays payment options:
- CC
- Paypal
- Google Checkout
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- No multiple paths to dupe product pages
- No tracking IDs in URLs
- Exclude shopping cart pages
- No (or nofollowed) links to secure pages
- Keep secure cert current
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Product pages (click heading for additional details)
- Visible calls to action
- Clear contact info (phone #)
- Consistent layout
- Clear pricing
- Show additional fees
- Clear product presentation
- Show shipping cost
- Show availability
- Provide delivery options, details
- Estimate delivery date
- Link to site security info
- Return / guarantee info
- Allow "save for later"
- Related products & up sells
- Clear product image
- Describe images
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- Enhanced multiple image views
- Product description
- Product details & specs
- Product selection options
- Customer product reviews
- Product comparisons
- Printer-friendly option
- "Add to cart" close to item
- Secondary "add" button at bottom
- Standardized product categorization
- Clutter-free page
- Provide International pricing
- Provide product search
- Emphasis brand quality and trust
- Compare to offline competitors
- Short URLs with keywords
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Basket page (click heading for additional details)
- Obvious checkout link
- Product descriptions
- Product image
- Show availability
- Updatable quantities
- Ability to remove items
- Link to products
- Product price
- Payment options
- Promos/vouchers explained
- Link to security
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- Link to guarantees
- Show delivery costs
- Show delivery date
- Allow gift options
- "Continue shopping" link or options
- Show contact information
- No advertising/upselling
- Don't keep personal info w/o authorization
- Shipping questions answered
- International shipping
- International address forms
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Mini baskets (click heading for additional details)
- Make new products added obvious
- Link to full basket page
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- Allow removal of products
- Show order total
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Checkout process (click heading for additional details)
- No hidden fees
- No pre-registration
- Keep checkout process short
- Show benefits of registration:
- Faster checkout in future
- Access to order history
- Check order status
- Saved for later information
- Access to special promotions
- Personalization
- Joining a community
- Show checkout progress meter
- Effective after-order follow-up
- Receipt / Confirmation:
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- Printable
- Emailed
- Thank you message
- Order number
- Order date
- Items purchased
- Expected delivery date
- Payment method
- Cancellation policy
- How to cancel
- Return policy
- Address return costs
- After-sale guarantees
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Login & My Account pages (click heading for additional details)
- Easy to find login access
- Use security protocols
- Provide security assurances
- Link for new registrations
- Outline account benefits
- Reclaim lost password option
- "Remember me" option
- Link to privacy policy
- Logged-in status is clear
- Account info change access
- Confirmation of change info
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- Links to financial info
- Transaction history
- Invoices
- Balances
- Payment methods
- Choose method of delivery:
- Text email
- HTML email
- Snail mail
- Overnight
- Etc.
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Help and FAQ pages (click heading for additional details)
- Avoid marketing hype
- Allow Help search
- Provide printable text
- Link to additional resources:
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- User guides
- Product support
- Customer support
- Downloads
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Forms and errors (click heading for additional details)
- Flexible entry requirements
- Allow for tabbing between fields
- Proper tab order
- Clear field labels
- Text label above field box
- Only require necessary information
- Minimal instructions
- Instructions above field
- Friendly error output
- Errors obviously indicated
- Errors describe remedy
- Errors provide contact / help option
- Preserve data with errors
- Provide pre-selected choices
- Don't overdo choices
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- Note required fields
- Progress indicator
- Progress navigation
- Remove navigation
- Link to privacy information
- Final info verification check
- Confirmation/thank you page
- Stack fields vertically
- Proper use of radio buttons
- Keep "submit" close to fields
- Field boxes adequately wide
- No "reset" or "cancel" buttons
- Autocomplete=off as necessary
- Buttons denote action
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Site search (click heading for additional details)
- Located in top-right corner
- Search not case sensitive
- Properly labeled as "search"
- Link to "advanced search"
- Forgiving of misspellings
- Shows similar products
- Shows related items in results
- No "no products found"
- Provide refinement options
- Provide alternate spellings
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- Provide links to relevant pages
- Show search string in results
- Don't place results in tables
- Display exact matches first
- Display close matches second
- Bold query words in results
- Display titles with descriptions
- No more than 20 results p/ page
- Option to increase result p/ page
- Link to additional results pages
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Privacy and Security pages (click heading for additional details)
- Present info in easy to read format
- Make information easily scannable
- Provide section summaries
- Identify information types collected
- Explain how cookies are used
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- Explain how user information will be used
- Explain how info will be protected
- Provide additional protection tutorials
- Link to these pages in footer
- Provide links to contact info
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Site map (click heading for additional details)
- Keep information current
- Link to site map in footer
- Linked from help and 404 pages
- Provide overview paragraph
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- Provide intro to main sections
- Visible site hierarchy
- Descriptive text and links
- Link to xml sitemap in robots.txt file
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The Small Business Guide