WEBSITE EFFECTIVE-
NESS 
REVIEW

A tool to ascertain how well your website is performing

First Impressions are always important. If the website does not look professional and if it does not function in an efficient and effective way as well as being attractive, potential clients may be lost.

The checklist offers an approach to evaluating the effectiveness of a website using the following 13 key issues with regards to First Impressions.

1. URL (Intuitive) - The URL needs to be short and simple. The best URLs are intuitive.  

2. Download time – Size of home page. The most important factor in conveying an efficient impression is download time. A user will only wait so long for a page to download. All pages should be kept under 50k in size. The homepage should be especially small and quick to download.

3. Look and feel – Readability. Pages should be easily readable, clear and easy to understand. It is important that the site is not too cluttered with text and images. The font size needs to be large enough to be readable and clashing colours need to be avoided.

4. Need to download software - Asking users to download an application or a plug-in before entering a site can cause annoyance and confusion, hence driving them away.

5. Home page on one screen (above the fold) - Users entering the site will appreciate seeing everything in front of them without having to make the effort of scrolling up and down.

6. Unique Selling Point (USP) or Value Proposition - It is extremely important that the user immediately realises that the site is of potential use to them. The unique selling point of the site should be stated on the homepage.

7. Ability to take action (Key action point – KAP) - The site should be interactive and encourage user participation from the outset. There should be direct links to key action points immediately visible on the homepage.

8. Feeling of wanting more – Depth of site - The site should strive to create a feeling of wanting more in the user. The goal should be to get the user to stay as long as possible and to come back to the site again.

9. Contact details - Providing immediate contact details such as e-mail addresses and telephone numbers on the homepage will give the site an open feel and add a personal touch, thus increasing user confidence and trust in using the site.

10. Credential validation – certifications, associations etc. - Providing credential information is a useful way to build trust in the user.

11. Statement from management - This provides an opportunity for the surfer to see the business vision and values of the company.

12. Are users made to register to get into site? - Forcing users to subscribe or register on the home page before continuing will not be appreciated and may turn users away. Users will only identify themselves when they are ready.