1	A successful website: what pulls, what flops Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com
2	Domain name It should be short and memorable It should be one that can be guessed or assumed from the organisation name It should mention the range of products Consider having more than one domain name
3	Website structure Don’t put all your files into a single root directory Create folders/directories that clearly indicate appropriate sections for your site Choose sensible names for your web pages
4	Your home page Remember that it’s just one page on your site Keep it short Assert your authority quickly and simply Use your logo Date the page! Who wrote it?
5	Navigation Any page should be reached with a maximum of 3 mouse clicks Be consistent in your use of navigation aids Use a sitemap to direct visitors around the site Have a search option on the site Links should be clear
6	Graphics 1 Don’t go overboard with your use of graphics Graphics should be no more than 20-30K in size Larger graphics should be linked with a thumbnail or text link Information in a graphic should also be available textually
7	Graphics 2 Ensure that you have used the ALT tag for alternative text to your graphics Make sure that height and width attributes have been set Re-use graphics whenever possible
8	Readability Your text should be easy to read People don’t read, they scan – take this into account Avoid the use of different fonts Avoid the use of colours to highlight important text You have infinite space available to you – don’t cram everything onto a single page
9	Usability of your pages
10	Search Engines 1 Make sure that your site is listed by the major search engines Consider writing your content to appeal to search engines Optimise your pages for keywords or phrases Use these keywords on various ‘hotspots’ on the page
11	Search Engines 2 Title Major headings - <H1> to <H6> 1^st 25 and 250 words on the page Use keywords in Meta Tags Proximity of keywords Sensible links in context Links from other sites Repeat keywords/keyword density
12	Search Engines 3
13	Index/Directory search engines You must go to them – they won’t come to you Take time to look through the hierarchies for the best position for your site Consider paying for faster inclusion Choose good descriptions – avoid hype Yahoo! and DMOZ are particularly important
14	Common design errors Adding Flash to your web pages Being up to date with software versions Using frames Cramming a page with keywords Inappropriate repetition Hidden text ‘Under construction’
15	Some examples Sitemaps http://tinyurl.com/2u4w3 http://www.philb.com/sitemap.htm Cramming content http://www.languages-on-the-web.com/ Keyword stuffing http://www.fraserislandaccommodation.net/
16	Some more examples Flash http://www.houstons.com/ Forcing users to jump through hoops http://www.asinex.com/ Overly complicated http://www.metaplus.com/ Poor linking text http://www.theallineed.com/webmasters/webmasters-119.htm
17	Even more… One concept per page http://www.thebigproject.co.uk/ Poor use of graphics http://tax.law.emory.edu/ Use your ‘real estate’ effectively http://www.conservative-party.org.uk/ Don’t make people right scroll http://www.genealogyhelp.co.uk/Main_Menu/census.htm
18	Some good examples Clever use of keywords http://tinyurl.com/39f66 Personalised error messages http://www.brent.gov.uk/error.html Webpages for those with impairments http://www.hertsdirect.org/ Currency http://www.bbc.co.uk
19	Some more good examples Using weblogs to attract people http://www.philb.com/blog/blogger.html Using graphics imaginatively http://www.hpbradley.demon.co.uk/dollshouse.htm
20	Summary Presentation 1 Presence (who's site, what's on it?) Menu interface / intuitiveness Legibility / font usage (size of lettering, length of text) Use of graphics / styling Use of GUI's and icons
21	Summary Presentation 2 Use of colours Forms and formatting (use of frames, bleeding edges etc.) Character / branding of site Irritation factor (looping or repetitive animation / scrolling text etc.)
22	Summary Navigation 1 Ease of understanding navigation Consistency of navigation Menu Usability Pertinence of headline, heading and links text Related page groups access / simple u.r.l.'s Consistent URL's
23	Summary Navigation 2 General contents access Site manoeuvrability - related links Use of impeded routing (back button disabling, imposed channels) Unsolicited website actions / reactions (e.g. pop-ups / advertising / opt-out)
24	Summary Content Range / scope of content Currency of contents (up-to-date?) Completeness of contents (pricing, v.a.t., additional costs) Content relevance (does everything fit on the site) Personification of site / biographies (persona ex machina) Use of archive Use of nonsensical internet jargon
25	Summary Technology Browser support Access / download times Order logging and processing Personalisation / Targeting ability Overall website communications (e-mail / messaging / forums) Website search
26	Contact details http://www.philb.com philb@philb.com