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Web Site Testing Checklist

This document provides information about testing your Web site for usability, accessiblity, credibility, and search engine readiness.

Table of Contents

Usability Review

Usability is about how easy something is to use. It is a measure of how well a Web site can be used by targeted visitors to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. It goes beyond just being ‘user friendly’.

General Web Site Usability

  1. Is the Web site easy-to-use and useful?
    The most important thing you can do with your Web site is to make it easy to use and useful. Do not distract users; they may not care about your cool technology as much as you do.
  2. Does your Web site use a consistent layout on every page?
    With a consistent layout, visitors do not need to keep re-orienting themselves as they move from page to page.
  3. Does your home page clearly identify the Web site's purpose?
    Do not waste a visitor's time by not communicating the purpose of the Web site on the home page.
  4. Does your Web site use familiar names and terms?
    Acronyms and jargon should not appear on Web pages without definitions or explanations.
  5. Does your Web site handle acronyms and abbreviations properly?
    Do not assume that users understand your abbreviations or acronyms. When using acronyms or abbreviations, you should explain the first occurrence on a page. Subsequent instances should use either the <acronym> or <abbr> tag.
  6. Is the department's or customer's logo located in the header or banner of every page?

    7. Consistent use of logos helps establish a brand identity and a uniform "look and feel" for your Web site.
  7. Does your site use consistent navigation?
    Users will try to anticipate the location of certain items on your Web site. Make sure the navigation is easy to find and use so that visitors can easily get around your Web site. This is particularly important for visitors who use a screen reader.
  8. Does your Web site reasonably limit the number of navigation items in a single group?
    In general, the maximum recommended number of navigation items is nine.
  9. Do all pages on the Web site contain navigational options?
    Avoid orphaned pages, unless presented in a secondary pop-up browser window.
  10. Does your Web site require horizontal scrolling?
    Visitors can become easily annoyed with horizontal scrolling.
  11. Is your Web site printer friendly?
    It may need a different cascading style sheet (CSS) for printing.
  12. Do your pages resize correctly?
    Use relative sizes in your CSS. Use percentages to specify table widths. Use percentages, em, or the terms larger, smaller, etc. for font sizing.
  13. Does your Web site display unnecessary windows or graphics?
    These include windows or graphics that pop-up or pop-under.
  14. Do your pages have a consistently quick download?
    In general, a page should load in less than 10 seconds.
  15. Does your Web site contain links to any necessary plug-ins?
    Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, if you provide a link to a plug-in download page, that page must also be compliant. Most plug-in provider pages are compliant, but if they are not, do not use them. For more information on Section 508, go to this link: http://www.section508.gov/.

Usability of Web Page Contents

  1. Can users easily skim the content on your Web site?
    Research has shown that users do not read carefully when they are on a Web site; they skim. Allow users to quickly find what they are looking for with conversational-style writing and liberal use of headings.
  2. Does your Web site provide a consistent cue for links?
    Do not just use color to cue for links. Underline or bold them for those who are color blind.
  3. Are the links on your Web site descriptive? If a link is read outside of the paragraph, is it understandable?
    For example, avoid using 'click here' or 'more,' use 'click here for more conference information.'
  4. Is the content on your site appropriately conversational?
  5. Are the headings and the first sentence of each paragraph descriptive and engaging so users can read and decide whether they want to continue with the paragraph?
  6. Are the images on your Web site relevant and appropriate?
  7. Is the content on your Web site legible?
    Provide legible fonts and sufficient contrast.

Accessibility Review

Accessibility is not just an issue for people with disabilities. Your Web site should be accessible for all users with a variety of assistive technologies. This includes the following:

  • Voice browsers or screen readers that read Web pages aloud to people with sight impairments.
  • Braille browsers that translate text into Braille.
  • Hand-held browsers with very little monitor space, teletext displays, and other unusual output devices.

Can the Site Be Browsed With Different Browsing Technologies?

  1. Do all pages render adequately in different browsers using different operating systems?
  2. Does your site use alternative descriptions for informational images and graphics (the <alt> tag)? Is the alternative text meaningful? Does it adequately describe the image or graphic?
  3. If your Web site uses pop-ups, are visitors always informed when an action will spawn a pop-up window?
    Many screen readers do not know when a new window has opened. This can be avoided by using alt = "… This link opens in a new window." Users should be provided a simple way to close the pop-up window. Also, the window should be resizable to accommodate variations in text size.
  4. Do you use alt="" for non-functional images?
    Images that do not add anything to the page do not require a description. In fact, adding a description is an annoyance to users who use screen readers and can cause search engines to index items unnecessarily. However, not using the <alt> tag is not an option. An empty text string in the <alt> tag should be used to prevent screen readers from finding and reading the file name instead.
  5. Does your Web site require the use of Flash or JavaScript for content?
    Some technologies cannot make use of Flash or JavaScript. Some users may disable these technologies, further hampering their use. While these technologies can make Web sites more usable, do not create content that relies solely on them for functionality. Make sure your page works with JavaScript disabled.
  6. Does your site's JavaScript use multilevel drop-down or fly-out menus?
    These can be difficult for limited mobility users to navigate. If you use these types of menus, be sure to leave plenty of room for the mouseover.
  7. Do the pages on your site render acceptably with CSS turned off?
    CSS is not supported by all browsers and should only be used for presentation. Also, some users may set their browser to ignore your defined style sheet in place of their own.
  8. Do the pages on your site provide an option for skipping the page navigation and other repetitive links and going directly to the content?
    If you are following the usability rules, a set of repetitive links should be at the top of your Web site pages. For people using assistive technologies, waiting for all of the repeated links to be read can be tedious. Provide an invisible link to skip to the main content. Use 'skip navigation' rather than 'skip to content,' as screen readers often read the word 'content' as kun-'tent rather than 'kän-tent.
  9. Does every page on your site have a meaningful, keyword-rich page title?
    The title is by far the most important attribute on your page. It is the first thing a search engine or screen reader sees as readable content on a page. Every search engine supports the <title> tag to some extent. Make sure that it adequately describes the content of the page.
  10. Is the content of your Web site pages organized using headings with appropriate levels of importance?
    The most important idea on your page should use the <h1> tag, the second most important idea(s) should use the <h2> tag, etc.
  11. If your site uses frames, are they titled with text that facilitates frame identification and navigation?
    While it is recommended that frames be avoided, if you must use them, make them as accessible as possible.

Are Forms On the Web Site Usable and Useful?

  1. Are the text and labels on your form sequentially arranged?
    Your form should be readable in the order that you intended. When CSS is not active, the form should still be functional, with the text label for each form element positioned next to the element it describes. Screen readers read left to right, so position the labels immediately to the left of the elements they describe.
  2. When using HTML controls, are text labels/prompts associated with the corresponding input element using the label element with the <for> attribute? Or, if the text is not available for the label, is the title attribute used on form controls?
    Be sure to use the appropriate equivalent tags and attributes for ASP.NET controls.
  3. Is your Web site usable without a mouse?
    Some users may not have access to a mouse when completing your forms. Make sure that users can use the keyboard to complete a form.
  4. Does your site automatically select default text in form fields?
    This feature automatically clears the default text from the field when the visitor begins typing and can make the forms more usable. This can be implemented using JavaScript.
  5. Does your site provide visual hints to the user on mouseover?
    This can be done with CSS or JavaScript and can also make your forms more usable.
  6. Does your site use client-side form validation?
    This enhances usability and can be done with JavaScript. But remember to always use server-side validation as well.

Are Data Tables On the Web Site Accessible?

  1. Are the tables on your site properly formatted?
    Screen readers and search engines have special functions built in for understanding data tables. If the table has been properly formatted, screen readers can read table summaries and repeat header and row names. If you must use tables for layout, do not use the same markup, even though accessibility tools will often flag it as required.
  2. Does the summary and/or caption attribute describe the table and provide information on the number of rows and columns?
    For tables with a large number of rows and columns, provide a link allowing visitors using assistive technology to skip the table altogether.
  3. Are column headings in the first row and row headings in the first column?
  4. In table heading cells, are <th> tags with the scope attribute used in place of <td> tags? Is the <id> attribute provided in the <th> tag of each heading cell?
  5. In complex data tables (those with two or more logical levels of row or column headers) is the appropriate string of ids used as the header attribute in the <td> tag of each data cell to identify the heading cells for the data cell?

Does the Site Separate Structure and Style?

  1. Does your Web site make proper use of HTML tags?
    For screen readers and other assistive devices to understand the meaning of your Web page,  use the HTML tags such as <title>, <abbr>, <label>, <h1> appropriately and not just for the purpose of presentation.
  2. Is your site XHTML compliant based on the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) standard (http://www.w3.org/)?
  3. Is your Web site laid out with CSS instead of tables?
    The presentation of a Web page should be completely defined with style sheets, while the content resides entirely in HTML. Using CSS make pages smaller, easier to change, more accessible, and easier to index by search engines.
  4. Does your site avoid using discontinued or non-standard HTML tags?
    Many HTML tags have been discontinued because they are a presentational element rather than a structural one. Examples of tags to avoid include <font>, <dir>, and <center>.

Does the Site Use Special Controls?

  1. Is there text on your site created through graphics?
    Text displayed as an image is not easily readable by search engines or screen readers. If a user has images disabled, the page may not make sense. If you must display text as an image, be sure to use the <alt> tag to describe it.
  2. If your site uses server-side image maps, are redundant text links provided for each active region of the map?
    When regions of the image maps are definable with available geometric shapes, client-side image maps should be used in place of server-side image maps. Server-side maps require the use of a mouse, and many disabled visitors cannot use a mouse.
  3. Does your Web site avoid screen flicker?
    Five percent of people with epilepsy are photosensitive. Flicker in the range of 2 to 55 Hz may cause seizures in these people.
  4. Does you Web site avoid timed responses?
    While timeouts are important for security reasons, disabled users may have difficulty filling out forms before the timeout occurs. When a timed response is required, be sure to alert the visitor and allow them to indicate when more time is required.
  5. Did you listen to your pages?
    Screen readers do not always pronounce words as you intended. Avoid words with misleading pronunciations.

Are the PDF Documents on the Web Site Accessible?

  1. Does your site use PDF documents created as a scanned image?
    If so, use the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature of Adobe Acrobat to convert the image to searchable text. If the document cannot be converted to text, consider converting it into an HTML file. If using OCR to convert the document to text, be sure to review the resulting text for portions of the document that could not be recognized and accurately converted.
  2. If your site uses a converted text document that was intended as an interactive form, were form fields added?
    Use Adobe LifeCycle Designer to add form fields to PDF documents.
  3. Are all PDF documents on your site properly tagged?
    There are three ways to ensure that your PDF document is properly tagged:
  4. If your site uses PDF documents that include images and graphics, do they have meaningful alternative text descriptions?
  5. Does your site use the document language setting on all PDF documents?
    The screen reader reads the document in the selected language. Each document must have a language tag.
  6. Does your site have the correct tab order settings in all PDF documents?
  7. Do the links to PDF documents on your site indicate that visitors will be taken to a PDF and that it is accessible by certain screen readers (i.e., Jaws, Window Eyes, or Adobe Read Out Loud)?

Is Multimedia Content on the Web Site Accessible?

  1. Are video files on your site captioned?
    The captioning should include the spoken word, as well as synchronized descriptions of any relevant background noises and action taking place on screen.
  2. Does your site provide a text transcription for all audio files?
    The text transcription should be stored as an HTML file and made available as a hyperlink immediately preceding or following the video link.
  3. Does your site provide a synchronized audio description for significant video information?
  4. Does multimedia content act as a barrier to site entry or navigation when a screen reader is used?
  5. Does your site avoid using embedded multimedia?
    Allowing visitors to view content through a standalone player usually provides the visitor more control options.

Credibility Issues

Web credibility is about building your Web site so that it comes across as trustworthy, stable, and knowledgeable.

  1. Is contact information for the department or agency prominently displayed on the Web site?
    Make sure that visitors to your Web site can easily find and use contact information. This helps prove that you or your organization really exists.
  2. Is the content on the Web site up-to-date and fresh?
    People place more credibility to sites that show they have been recently updated or reviewed. Make sure that all out-of-date content is either updated or removed from your Web site.
  3. Does the Web site avoid errors of all types?
    Typographical errors and broken links hurt a site's credibility more than most people realize. Also, keep your site up and running at all times.
  4. Is your Web site designed to look up-to-date and professional?
    People quickly evaluate a site by visual design alone. When designing your site, pay attention to layout, typography, images, and consistency. 

Search Readiness Review

If your Web site is following the usability and accessibility guidelines described in this document, it is search engine ready and has already been optimized to some extent. Search engine optimization is the process of improving a Web site for higher search engine rankings. Only after optimization can you launch a site and anticipate good results. The following guidelines will help you complete the optimization process.

Are the Web Site Pages Structured for Search Engine Optimization?

  1. Do the pages on your Web site have the minimum amount of text content?
    Most search engines rate 200 words as the minimum amount of text required on a page to be considered useful. If your page is below this threshold, it may not be indexed.
  2. Does your Web site use keywords in the URLs as much as possible?
    Some search engines place importance on the URL name, as it is assumed to describe the page.
  3. Does your site have appropriate meta keywords on every page?
    Meta tags are the core of describing what your page is about. Although some search engines now put less emphasis on the content of the meta keywords, you should still have them. You should include five to ten targeted key phrases in the <meta> tag.
  4. Does your site avoid using JavaScript to produce links?
    JavaScript was not intended to produce links on Web sites. Search engines cannot follow JavaScript links, and therefore, will not be able to index all the pages on your Web site.
  5. Does your Web site avoid using links inside of a frame?
    Search engines cannot follow links through frames, and therefore, will not be able to index all the pages on your Web site.
  6. Does your Web site avoid using links inside of an image map?
    Some search engines cannot follow links through image maps, and therefore, will not be able to index all the pages on your Web site.
  7. Does your site include a text-based site map?
    Search engines have instant access to your entire Web site through the site map. By using as many keyword phrases in your site map as possible, search engines can more accurately determine what each page is about. The Site Mapping Tool available at http://www.auditmypc.com/site-maps.asp can be used to generate an HTML site map.
  8. Are bullets and icons called as background images in the style sheet?
    Removing them from the HTML makes the file size smaller and improves search engine ratings.

Accessibility Testing

A variety of free accessibility and usability testing tools are available. While no site is 100% accessible, taking advantage of these tools and using a thorough but practical test plan will ensure your site is as accessible as possible.

Recommended Tools for Accessibility Testing

A Practical Accessibility Testing Plan

  1. Test with your browser.
    Tips: Turn off images. Do not use the mouse. Turn off your speakers. Increase the font size. Change the window size.
  2. Test with the toolbars.
    Tips: Turn off CSS. Turn off JavaScript. Set to grayscale. Display structure (headings, lists, etc.). Check color contrast.
  3. Run online accessibility tests on representative pages.
    Tips: Use more than one tool.
  4. Listen to your pages.
    Tips: Use JAWS or Home Page Reader.
  5. If you have access to proprietary tools, test with them as well.
  6. Obtain hands-on accessibility testing with users who have disabilities.
    Their suggestions will help all users.
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