Evaluating Websites
There are numerous attributes that constitute good and bad, the speed at which the site loads, the impact of the homepage, ease of navigation, the quality of information provided and its use of multimedia to name a few. Most web pages are really good nowadays due to the continuous evolvement of the web.
The homepage, being the first thing that any visitor sees coming to the site should be designed for a good user experience communicating clearly what the site is about, setting expectations for the user and following this through. A homepage therefore needs to appeal strongly to the eye and hold the users attention immediately. It needs to be clear so the user is able to tell where they are instantly. If this information is unclear a user will navigate away from the site. Most users do not read the entire page, they scan taking in only a low percentage of the content. The Homepage therefore needs to be concise and not contain reams and reams of information as it wont be digested, peoples needs have not altered with changes in technology; usability is still about basic human capabilities.
How the page is laid out is therefore extremely important in order to provide the user with the information required. If faced with a large block of text the user would intimidated if not bored and would probably come out of the site. Users firstly see shape and colour, then contrasting elements between the fore and background. Finally specific information is picked out, firstly from graphics and then from the text.
Providing an easy to use navigation system is one of the most important issues to consider when designing a website. You need to ensure your visitors can find what they are looking for easily. It is helpful to include a “return to top” link at the bottom of each page to save your visitors from having to scroll back to the top. The same can be said for a “return to homepage” link as you do not want your visitors to have to keep clicking the back button in order to do this.
TBC
