There are just so many ways available out there to make your website design as flashy as you want it to be. Similarly, there are just as many ways to make it look unappealing to the eyes, or even take a toll on a visitor’s patience. Whether it’s your own website or someone else’s, giving website critique gives valuable information to a webmaster, as book reviews do for authors.
Now before you start wreaking havoc and berate websites using your internet anonymity, or worse- get paid for inappropriate bashing, here is a step-wise strategy with the top 5 ways to give proper critique to a website’s design.
1. Enter the website and see how it loads.
The biggest reason why we use the internet is for its fast delivery of information, and loading a website is the first step to get that info. You expect any webpage to load at a good speed on any browser, even with slow internet connection. A slow-loading site could mean it has too much bulk in it like very large picture files, or heavy flash content (tip: allow a bit of extra time if the whole website is full-on flash, but only a few seconds) The best websites don’t even give you the time to notice it loading. Doubting on the speed? Compare it to Yahoo and Google, which both load almost instantaneously.
2. Just take a look at the website theme and give a first impression.
Is it too bright that your eyes feel abused? Or are the colours refreshing? Take note if the background colour/image improves the readability of the text or not. Do they use a font that’s supported by most operating systems, or do you see boxes have to download something new? Does it feel too cluttered, or is a neat and organized? If the website already talks about something difficult to understand like rocket science, the layout should not be as confusing.
3. Every website has a purpose.
And that purpose should be easily seen at the homepage. Users want to know if they’re at the right place the moment they enter. What the website is about and who it is intended for should be easy to determine. And there’s a number of ways for a webmaster to supply this info. She/He can explicitly tell them what the website is for using a statement or a catchphrase, create an “about” page, list the general topics of its content restaurant-style (e.g. dumplings, noodles, tea), or show it using a format (like how the Google homepage shows a single search box at the center). If there’s a big picture of a block of cheese pasted on the homepage, one should not expect the website to be about PET bottles.
4. Check if you can navigate well around the site.
From the homepage, one should be able to get to the information he/she needs without getting confused with the links. If it’s selling a product, the name, picture, descriptions, and especially the price should all be given easy access to. Many of us may have entered a service website that tells you how great a product is, but doesn’t tell you how to get it. Get clicking and see if there are any broken links or pictures that don’t load.
Also assess how the website divides the information it provides. Multinational companies and news providers tend to divide their content into the countries they give services to. Others would pick out details that they want to share by listing of their most popular topics.
5. Lastly, look for tools you could use to communicate with the people who run the website.
A “contact us” page is essential for all company websites. And they should include details like an address, telephone number, e-mail, or have a short form to give communication to. Are they social? Look out for like, follow, +1 and similar buttons that allow you to share details about them and communicate with them through social networks. If you’re looking at a blog, see if you can give comments or “favourite” a post.
A website represents half of a conversation. It’s someone’s pitch of ideas to the world. And it is important to make sure that it is effective in getting a visitor’s attention and giving the right information with fast loading, a theme that’s easy on the eyes, a well-defined purpose, and user-friendly navigation. The other half is the audience, and a website should make sure that the conversation isn’t just one way, or self-centered. Remember this when you critique a website.
Author bio: +Celina Conner
Top 5 ways to give proper critique to a website’s design.
