Web Site Check List by Joel Heffner JHeffner@aol.com Making a home page for the World Wide Web is pretty easy. Unfortunately, there are too many home pages that should have never been made. Making a good one is hard work. The check list that follows was designed to make it a little easier for you. Some of the points may be very easy for you. Others you may not have even heard of. You should be able to answer all of them comfortably in order to create your page. Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome. Good luck on the Web! Enjoy. BASIC HOME PAGE CREATION [You may not need to know the answers to each of these first 14 questions, however, if you don't you'll never be sure if you could have made your site even better.] 1. Do you have an HTML authoring program to create your home page? 2. Can you create a basic HTML file with paragraphs, lists, headlines, and links? 3. Can you make .GIF or .JPEG graphics? 4. Can you create an image map? 5. Can you add 3D effects using VTML? 6. Can you make animations using JAVA? 7. Can you add a counter to your site? 8. Can you add what is needed that will allow viewers to send you email? 9. Can you make a table? 10. Can you create a frame? 11. Can you create a background? 12. Can you create a sound file? 13. Can you create a video file? 14. Can you create a form? PLANNING YOUR HOMEPAGE [Planning is the key to making a home page. If you don't spend time on this you will waste a lot of time later on.] 15. What is the purpose of your site? 16. Who would want to view your site? 17. Have you created a story board or flow chart to previsualize what you home page will look like? 18. What alternative designs for your site do you have in mind? 19. Who will make the graphics? 20. Who will write the copy (text)? EVALUATING YOUR SITE [These are tough questions. They require honest and objective answers.] 21. On first glance, would someone want to continue to view your site after looking at it for the first few seconds? 22. Do the colors you selected complement each other? 23. Will folks who view your site easily know how to contact you and submit orders? 24. Did you ask for the order? 25. Have you tested your site using different browsers? 26. Have you carefully checked your site's text for spelling, grammar and punctuation? 27. Have you tested all the links in your site? 28. Have you asked non-computer types to try to get around your site? 29. How long will it take someone to view your opening screen with a slow modem speed? 30. Did you provide options for the handicapped (i.e. a text version of your site for those who are visually impaired)? 31. Have you provided the viewer with an option to "take home" a downloadable electronic brochure about your product or service? 32. Have you suggested that they create a bookmark so that they can return to your site again? 33. Have you given reasons why viewers should return to your site? 34. Can you simplify things on your site? 35. Does your site best serve the purpose you originally had in mind? ADVERTISING YOUR SITE [The best site in the world is no good...if no one sees it.] 36. Have you added your site's address to your business card, stationery, brochures and all you other advertising? 37. Do you post messages on mailing lists to become known to people on the list? 38. Have you created an informative signature to use in your messages? 39. Have you provided links to other sites who might want to reciprocate? 40. Have you requested that you requested that links to your site be added? 41. Have you solicited advertisers (if your site generates a substantial number of hits)? 42. Have you posted your site to the various search engines such as Yahoo, Webcrawler and ALL the others? SELLING THROUGH YOU SITE [Most sites have something to sell. It may be a product, service or even yourself. You must know how to sell in order for your site to be a success.] 43. Have you provided a telephone number (preferable an 800 toll free number) for orders? 44. Have you provided for email ordering (preferable through a secure email ordering system)? 45. Have you provided a way to send orders by mail (preferably to a real street address and not a post office box)? 46. Have you provided for a fax number for orders? 47. Do you have a fax on demand setup to provide instant information on your products or services? 48. Have you asked the viewer to order your product? THE BOTTOM LINE [Here's another time for total honesty. This measures your success. Good luck.] 49. How many hits do you get? 50. How many requests for information do you get? 51. How many actual orders do you get? 52. How many links have been created to your site? 53. What will they remember about your site? 54. Is your site making a profit? Joel Heffner is a creativity and communications consultant based in New York City. He is The Web Professor in America Online's Web University. He can be reached at: JHeffner@aol.com (c) 1996 Joel Heffner