25-points for Website Usability Checklist

25-points for Website Usability Checklist:

The list is split into 4 roughly equal sections,

 (I) Accessibility,

 (II) Identity, 

(III) Navigation, and

 (IV) Content.

I. Accessibility:

          This section contains not only traditional accessibility issues, but anything that might keep a visitor from being able to access the information on a website. If no one can load your site, or the type is too small to read, all of the usability in the world won't matter.

1.  Site Load-time Is Reasonable
2.  Adequate Text-to-Background Contrast
3.  Font Size/Spacing Is Easy to Read
4.  Flash & Add-ons Are Used Sparingly
5.  Images Have Appropriate ALT Tags
6. Site Has Custom Not-found/404 Page

II. Identity:

     7. Company Logo Is Prominently Placed

     8. Tagline Makes Company's Purpose Clear

     9. Home-page Is Digestible In 5 Seconds

     10. Clear Path to Company Information

     11. Clear Path to Contact Information

III. Navigation:

     12. Main Navigation Is Easily Identifiable

     13. Navigation Labels Are Clear & Concise

     14. Number of Buttons/Links Is Reasonable

     15. Company Logo Is Linked to Home-page

     16. Links Are Consistent & Easy to Identify

     17. Site Search Is Easy to Access

IV. Content:

     18. Major Headings Are Clear & Descriptive
     19. Critical Content Is Above The Fold
     20. Styles & Colors Are Consistent
     21. Emphasis (bold, etc.) Is Used Sparingly
     22. Ads & Pop-ups Are Unobtrusive
     23. Main Copy Is Concise & Explanatory
     24. URLs Are Meaningful & User-friendly
     25. HTML Page Titles Are Explanatory