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Checklist: User-Friendly Sites

Thread title: Checklist: User-Friendly Sites
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09-12-2005, 04:32 AM
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  Old  Checklist: User-Friendly Sites

Today we'll go over the some of the things to create a user-friendly website that ensures return visitors.

Usability Checklist
Navigation and menu system that is easy to find
Good contrast in colors with regard to text, links and background
Distinguishable link to your home page
Clear description of each page
Include "alt" tags on every image
Include "title" tags for every link

Navigation and menu system that is easy to find
The majority of sites have one thing in common, a menu system that is at the top left. Most cultures, with the exception of a few, read left to right. The Internet is no different.

Good contrast in colors with regard to text, links and background
Next to navigation placement, choosing an appropriate color scheme is just as important. Think about complimentary schemes and colors that don't "tire" your eyes.

Distinguishable link to your home page
Make it easy for people to get back where they started from any location on your site. This is recommended for two reasons: 1) if a visitor gets lost, they always have a way to start fresh, and 2) make it easy for visitors to bookmark your site.

Clear description of each page
Make sure you have a clear description of your links and the pages they lead to. Remember to use common phrases and terminology. Don't try to be clever or creative with your titles because your visitors will most likely be confused and not know where to go.

Include "alt" tags on every image
This is something that is commonly overlooked and easily remedied. The "alt" tag, which stands for alternate text is used to accomodate the visually impaired that may be visiting your site.

Example:
Code:
<img src="images/myimage.gif" alt="This is my image">
Include "title" tags for every link
The "title" tag, like the "alt" tag works similarily and is just as important. Give a clear description of what the link will do when it is clicked.

Example:
Code:
<a href="http://www.mysite.com" title="Go back to the main page">Home</a>
By utilizing these simple tips, you can ensure that your website will be more user-friendly.


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09-12-2005, 04:45 AM
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Julian is offline Julian
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Nice article, it will certainly help people making more accessible sites, thanks

09-12-2005, 08:56 AM
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Include "alt" tags on every image
This is something that is commonly overlooked and easily remedied. The "alt" tag, which stands for alternate text is used to accomodate the visually impaired that may be visiting your site.
If they are visually impaired they won't be able to read it anyways. And they certainly aren't going to want their computer read out what you titled the images.

09-12-2005, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Animus
If they are visually impaired they won't be able to read it anyways. And they certainly aren't going to want their computer read out what you titled the images.
how can you be certain of that? personal opinion is one thing, but i strive for producing sites that are accessible to the majority of online visitors, regardless of disability or not. i used to think that it was silly to consider the visually impaired when developing websites, but that is naive and indicative of the designers and developers who haven't adopted web standards. quite frankly, it's bad business. of course, that is just my opinion.

09-12-2005, 02:41 PM
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Keith is offline Keith
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Originally Posted by Animus
If they are visually impaired they won't be able to read it anyways. And they certainly aren't going to want their computer read out what you titled the images.
Actually, that's exactly what people with screen readers want. That's what the alt tag is for. To help visually impaired (or blind) people know what the image is of.

09-13-2005, 07:29 AM
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But why would a blind person need to view a website? Don't they have helpers to do that stuff?

09-13-2005, 01:39 PM
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