The huge checklist: 341 tests to make your site perfect!

Hi all,

It’s sometimes difficult to know if a site is good or not. You paid a web designer to create a website but you have no idea if he did a good job or not? You are a web designer yourself, and you want to make sure you didn’t forget anything to make a great website? Whoever you are, this huge checklist is for you. It features 341 tests to make sure your site is perfect!

Web Standards

1. Does the site use a correct Doctype?
2. Does the site use a Character set?
3. Does the site use Valid – strict – (X)HTML?
4. Does the site use Valid CSS?
5. Does the site have any JavaScript error?
6. Does the site have a separate CSS Print sheet ?
7. If your site has a RSS feed, is it valid?
8. What is the degree of separation between markup and CSS?
9. Does the site use CSS hacks?
10. Does your site use some kind of CSS reset?
11. Does the site use deprecated markup?
12. Does the site use unnecessary classes or ids?
13. Does the site use unnecessary <div> and <span> containers?
14. Do the classes and ids have semantic value?
15. Is the code well structured and commented?
16. Are all decorative images in CSS and not in markup?
17. Does the site use browser-specific tags like or IE page transitions?
18. Does the site use <hr> bars?
19. Does the site use nested or full-page tables?
20. Has the site been hand-coded or created with a WYSIWYG editor?

Usability

1. Is the purpose of the site clear within a few seconds without reading much or no text copy at all ?
2. What is the single most important thing you want a visitor to do? Is that clear from looking at your site?
3. Is the home page simple and effective?
4. Does the site use a splash screen?
5. Is your home page doing you any favors or is it merely an “Enter Site” gateway?
6. Does the site make users register before they can enter?
7. Does the site follow the « Z »-shaped reading pattern?
8. Is there a clear visual hierarchy?
9. Is important information quickly available?
10. Does the important content fit above the fold, without scrolling?
11. Is the site organized with a consistent structure?
12. Does the site require horizontal scrolling?
13. Does the site use colors to convey meaning?
14. Is there a logo on the top left of every page ?
15. Does the logo link to the home page?
16. Is there a link to the home page on every page in the site?
17. Is there a search form at the top-right of every page, like that provided by Google Custom Search Engine, to make it easy for visitors to find what they seek?
18. If no – and if the site is big – can visitors easily search for what they want?
19. Does the site provide clear instructions on how to fill out the forms?
20. Do the forms have inline confirmation?
21. Do the forms mix up checkboxes and radio buttons?
22. Are the site’s error messages helpful?
23. Does the site have an “About” page? Is it easy to find?
24. Does the “About” page identifies the author of the content and credits the source for content that was not written by the site owner himself ?
25. Does the site have a “Contact” page? Is it easy to find?
26. Is your contact information readily available on every page – or at least from every page?
27. Does the site provide multiple contact methods?
28. Does the site have a (X)HTML sitemap page? Is it easy to find?
29. Does the site have a meaningful and helpful 404 error page?
30. Does the site provide a FAQ? Is it easy to find?
31. Does the FAQ answer real questions?
32. Does the site have a footer? Is it readable?
33. Does the footer provide at least copyright and contact information?
34. Does the site have a favicon?
35. Does the site have an RSS Feed?
36. If so, does the site provide a small RSS icon in the browser’s address bar?
37. Are the site’s URLs meaningful & user-friendly?
38. Are (X)HTML page titles explanatory & user-friendly?
39. Is main navigation easily identifiable ?
40. Are navigation labels are clear and concise ?
41. Is the site’s navigation consistent?
42. Is the site’s navigation above the fold?
43. Does the site clearly shows where the user is, and where he is going to?
44. What is the maximum number of clicks it takes to reach a page within the depths of the site?
45. How many clicks does it take for a visitor to give you money / do what you expect him to?
46. Is there at least 1 call to action on every page, no dead ends ?
47. Does the site breaks the browser’s back button?
48. Are links easy to identify?
49. Are links style consistent?
50. Are links labeled with anchor text that provides a clear indication of where they lead?
51. Does the site have links of more than 10 words?
52. Are links underlined?
53. Are visited links clearly defined?
54. Are special links clearly identified with well-know icons?
55. Are the site symbols and icons logical?
56. Do clickable items stylistically indicate that they are clickable?
57. Does the site have dead/broken links?
58. Is a response given immediately (0.1 seconds) after a click is made on a hyperlink?
59. How easy is it for a visitor to leave a comment or write a review?
60. Does the site automatically play a music file in the background when a page loads?
61. Does the site automatically load movies when a page loads?
62. Are download times for audio or video files indicated?
63. Does your site have banner ads? If so, are they annoying?
64. Does the site block right-click mouse button?
65. Does the site use « Under Construction » graphics?

Accessibility

1. Do you need to download anything on your computer to even see the site?
2. Does the site force visitors to install weird plugins?
3. Is the site Flash-based?
4. Is content structurally separate from navigational elements?
5. Does the site display what software was used to create it?
6. Do all image have “alt” tags?
7. Are « alt » attributes used for all descriptive images?
8. Are “alt” tags empty on all other images?
9. Does the site use graphics for text for more than just the logo?
10. Are text-based alternatives in place to convey essential information if this is featured within images or multimedia files?
11. Are Flash & Add-ons used very sparingly?
12. Are captions provided for each audio or video file used?
13. Does the site use white or off-white background color?
14. Does the site use black or dark text?
15. Is the text-to-background contrast sufficient to make reading easy on the eyes?
16. Are fonts size & spacing big enough to make texts easy to read?
17. Does the site use relative units rather than absolute units for text size?
18. Do any aspects of the layout break if font size is increased?
19. Can text be resized through the browser or do CSS settings restrict size alteration?
20. If the site uses a splash screen, is a text-based alternative also available?
21. If navigation feature is provided in a Java/JavaScript/Flash, is a text-based alternative also available?
22. Is every page accessible at least via a single plain (X)HTML Link (no JavaScript or Flash Link)?
23. Is the site load-time reasonable?
24. Is there delayed responsiveness for dropdown menus?
25. Does the site use accessible forms?
26. Does the site use accessible tables?
27. Does the site use <ul>, <ol> and <li> for lists and navigation?
28. Is color alone used for critical information?
29. Is color alone used to show that links are links?
30. Is the site working fine in grayscale?
31. Are the color choices visually accessible? (For example high enough in contrast to assist the colorblind and visually impaired in reading the site appropriately)
32. Is the content accessible with CSS switched off or not supported?
33. Is the content accessible with images switched off or not supported?
34. Is content accessible on a computer without Flash?
35. Is content accessible on a computer without JavaScript?
36. Does the site work in text browsers such as Lynx?
37. Does the site work well in Hand Held devices?
38. How does your site look on a mobile device? An iPhone? Blackberry?
39. How does your site look in every Grade A web browser?
40. Is the website cross-browser compatible?
41. Does the site work well in a range of browser window sizes?
42. Does the site have pop-up windows?
43. Does the site use frames?

Typography

1. Are heading levels easy to distinguish?
2. Are major headings clear & descriptive?
3. Do the site’s headings use ligatures when possible?
4. Do all the important pages (e.g. content items) print correctly?
5. Is main body of text constrained between 72 and 110 characters per line?
6. Is text broken into small, readable chunks to assist in skimming?
7. Does typography follow a regular rhythm for line height?
8. Does the site have enough white space between chunks of text?
9. Are the text sizes consistent?
10. Are the text colors consistent?
11. Are text styles consistent?
12. Does the site use a lot of words in all-caps?
13. Is there a lot of text in bold and/or italic?
14. Do the site use centered text on more than just headlines?
15. Do the site use justified text?
16. Do the text use underlined text on more than just links?
17. Does the site have moving text in the status bar?
18. Does the site use blinking or moving text?
19. Are the font faces appropriate for the targeted audience?
20. Are the fonts easily readable on various screen resolutions?
21. Does the site use more than 2 font-faces on a page?
22. Does the site use efficient, ordered, font stacks in CSS?
23. Does the font stack work well for computers with common fonts only?

Writing & Content

1. Has the content been proofread?
2. Is there any spelling or grammar mistakes?
3. Is there incorrect punctuation marks, quotation marks and hyphens/dashes?
4. Is there any remaining test content on the site?
5. Is there a « welcome to… » on the home page?
6. Is your home page too wordy?
7. Is the site copy written for the customer, not for you?
8. Does the copywriting style suit the website’s purpose and ’speak’ to its target audience?
9. Does the content style consistently reflect the editorial or brand voice?
10. Does the content use the most appropriate techniques to influence or engage customers?
11. Does the copy’s tone adjust appropriately to the context—for example, sales versus customer service?
12. Is the site copy specially written for the web and not print media?
13. Does the content read, look, or sound as though it’s professionally crafted?
14. Is the site copy written at readability level consistent with the user’s knowledge level?
15. Are your messages clear? (Instead of saying « click here, » let your visitors « contact the company, » or « locate a store. »)
16. Is information easy to find?
17. Is the website copy succinct but informative?
18. Do you repeat the vital points often enough?
19. Is some of the site’s content offensive or politically incorrect?
20. Is the content full of jargon or unexplained acronyms?
21. Is there any widow/orphan terms in important paragraphs?
22. Does the content contain factual errors?
23. Within articles, there should be links to more detailed explanations of subjects, or definitions of jargon terms. Are you doing that?
24. Is the site’s content divided into logical categories and subcategories?
25. Is the content easy to scan or read?
26. Is the content in a usable format, including headings, bulleted lists, tables, white space, or similar techniques, as appropriate to the content?
27. Do images, video, and audio meet technical standards, so they are clear?
28. Is your style/vocabulary consistent?
29. Are tenses/grammar choices consistent?
30. Does the site use consistent abbreviations?
31. Does the site’s copy have recurring/common phrases (e.g. ‘More about X’ links)?
32. Does the site’s copy have variations in words (e.g. Websites vs Web Sites, or UK vs US spelling)?
33. Are all the bulleted lists consistent (e.g. periods or commas at end of each item)?
34. Is the site’s content regularly updated?
35. Is the site’s content dated?
36. The date of the last revision and/or copyright date is accurate
37. For how long will the content be useful? Has its usefulness already expired?
38. Does the site have up to date calendar information?
39. Does the content meet user needs, goals, and interests?
40. Does the content meet business goals?
41. Does the site answer the readers/customers questions?
42. Does the content follow search engine optimization (SEO) guidelines – such as keywords density – without sacrificing quality in other areas?
43. Can customers find the content when searching using relevant keywords?

Design & Identity

1. If the site is based on a template, has its design been customized?
2. Is the site’s design aesthetically appealing?
3. Does your site look professional, or does it look like a teenager’s MySpace page?
4. Is the site’s design unique, and not a copy of another site?
5. Are the colors used harmonious and logically related?
6. Is the design audience appropriate?
7. Is the whole site’s design consistent?
8. Does each graphic used serve a clear purpose?
9. Design elements are put where visitors expect them
10. Is white space used effectively?
11. Is the logo prominently placed and above the fold?
12. Does the logo look professionally made?
13. Does the site have a tagline that makes its purpose clear?
14. Are the site’s header, logo and navigation area consistent?
15. Does the site use a trailing cursor?
16. Does the site use clip arts and/or animated GIFs?
17. Is there any unnecessary design element?
18. Does your competitor have a slicker site? (All other things being equal, users will gravitate to the site with more visual appeal)
19. Does the site use beveled and/or embossed images?
20. Does the site use images with heavy shadows?
21. Does the site use background graphics that repeat themselves and are not tiles?
22. Does the site have a hit counter, or a visit counter?
23. Does the site graphics look like ads?

SEO

1. Do page titles have relevant keywords in them?
2. Does each page have its own meta tags?
3. Does each page have its own meta description?
4. Are metas for Robot and Keywords set up properly?
5. Does the site have a Robots.txt file? If so, is it configured properly?
6. Does the site’s URL work with consistent « www »?
7. Is your site ranking highly in search engines for relevant keywords?
8. Is there enough websites linking to your site? How many backlinks does the site have?
9. How old is your site’s domain?
10. Does the site’s domain name have important keywords in it?
11. Is the site visible on many social websites such as Digg, Stumble Upon, Delicious, etc.?
12. What’s the site PageRank?
13. Is the content marked-up semantically (<h1>, <h2>, etc.)?
14. Is your main keywords density between 2% and 5%?
15. Do your “title” tags have your site’s main keywords?
16. Do your “alt” tags have your site’s main keywords?
17. Do your links anchor text have your site’s main keywords?
18. Does the site have a XML sitemap available?
19. Does the site have a (X)HTML sitemap available?
20. Is there a link to both XML and (X)HTML sitemaps in the site’s footer?
21. Has the (X)HTML sitemap been submitted to Google (and Yahoo)?
22. Has the site been submitted to the main search engines?
23. Has the site been submitted to CSS galleries?
24. Has the site been submitted to the best directories?
25. Are Google tools (Webmaster & Analytics) set up for the site?
26. Does every page have at least some text in the content?
27. Is every individual page only accessible via a single URL or are several URLs available (and worse, used) to access the same page?
28. Does the site avoid duplicate content issues?

Marketing

1. Does the site provide clear instructions on how to buy its products?
2. Does the site make users register before they can start the buying process?
3. Are you asking for too much information?
4. Does the index page entice a visitor deeper into the site or shopping cart?
5. Does the site link out to your other web presences (social network profiles, Twitter account, YouTube page, Flickr photostream)?
6. Have your site’s articles been submitted to Digg, Stumbleupon, Stumble Upon, etc.
7. Does the website contain elements designed to encourage future or viral visitation (i.e. a contest, newsletter, tell-a-friend feature, downloadable toolbar, RSS feed or similar)?
8. Are you commenting on blogs and building relationships with other site-owners in your niche?
9. Is your branding consistent between your site, your printed material, your storefront, and you as a person?
10. Is the site’s domain name good?
11. Can you tell someone how to get to your site without having to spell anything?
12. Has PPC/Google Adwords been set up where necessary?
13. Is the formatting of site results in SERPs good?
14. Does the site feature testimonials and/or reviews?
15. Is your products/services availability obvious?
16. Are your product reviews heavily moderated?
17. Is the site secure? Does the site explain to the user why it is secure?
18. Does the site “contact” page have your real address, phone number and contact form or email available?
19. Does the site have a “terms of use” page available where you specify what you do and why and what visitors have to agree on if they want to use your site?
20. Does the site have a “privacy policy” page (especially if you collect data, email, names, and web analytics tracking cookies)?
21. Does the site have a landing page? For each product?
22. Does the site have an “encore” page to offer more products once the user has executed the desired task?
23. Is it extremely easy to use and buy from the site?
24. Have many landing pages been tested so that you know what works best?
25. Does the site always offer confirmation to make users aware their actions were successful?
26. Does the site always offer enough calls to action?
27. Is there links to irrelevant information on your landing page?
28. Is the price of your products/services easy to find?
29. Do your product pages have many photos, enough information?
30. Are all your product pages consistent?
31. Is it easy to continue shopping after putting a product in the shopping cart?
32. Is the shopping cart called “shopping cart“ and doesn’t use any fancy name like “shopping bag“?
33. Is the shopping cart easy to edit?
34. Does the site provide many billing options?
35. Is your site taking advantage of up-sells, cross-sells and add-ons?

Testing & Stats

1. Has all bespoke/complex functionality been checked?
2. Has search functionality (including relevance of results) been tested?
3. Have cross-browser and cross-platform display been tested?
4. Have common screen resolutions been tested?
5. Have all forms, including anti-spam features, been tested?
6. Have emails, and emails responses, been tested?
7. Have all links (internal and external) been tested so that they are valid and active?
8. Have all scripts been tested so that they are free from errors?
9. Is the website free from server side errors?
10. Have the site’s stats been analyzed (visitors, bouncing rate, etc.) so that you know how what works and what doesn’t?
11. Has the display of the RSS feed been tested?
12. Has print functionality been tested?
13. Is the site back-end working fine, without any error?
14. Does the site have a log page? Is it easy to analyze?
15. Has the site been reviewed by a team of UX testers, and been modified according to their feedback?

Optimization

1. Are all the site’s images optimized and compressed?
2. Are all the site’s images in the right format?
3. Does the site use thumbnails that link to larger images?
4. Has proper caching been implemented?
5. Are all the components compressed with gzip protocol?
6. Are as many JavaScript scripts as possible placed at the bottom of the page?
7. Does the site have duplicate scripts?
8. Is the site pages size/download time as small as possible?
9. Are static files (JavaScript/HTML/CSS) minified/compressed?
10. Are comment removed from HTML and CSS files?
11. Are the CSS files fully optimised?
12. Are HTTP request kept to a minimum?
13. Is the database indexing optimised?
14. Do you monitor and respond to feedback? From the site itself? From social medias?
15. Do you use Google Analytics/Webmaster tools to optimize the site as much as possible?
16. Do you use any other tools to monitor the site success (Yahoo! Site Explorer, Feedburner, etc.)?
17. Do you use any other tools to monitor users activity (like ClickHeat for example)?
18. Does the site use a content-delivery network?
19. Does the site use expire headers to specify how long the content can be cached?
20. How long does it take your site to load at your mother’s house?
21. Is your site “fine for the moment” or is it flexible enough to be fine for the next 5 years?
22. Can the site run without you?
23. How long would it take to turn your entire site dark green with white text?
24. Is there a slash at the end of the site’s links?
25. Does the site avoid redirects when possible?

Security

1. Has backup schedule been configured? Recovery from backup tested?
2. Is the entire site backed up at the moment? In multiple physical locations?
3. Is all important information (client account, ftp account, etc.)backed up at the moment? In multiple physical locations?
4. Are sensitive pages (e.g. administration area) protected from users?
5. Are sensitive pages protected from search engine indexing with robots.txt?
6. Are private directories password protected via .htaccess?
7. Are public non-document directories (cgi-bin, images, etc) index able or are blank index.html pages or appropriate permission settings in place to block access?
8. Have security/penetration test been performed?
9. Can you fin any obvious security flaws?
10. Has verbose error reporting been turned off?
11. How resilient are forms to special characters?
12. Is customer data stored online? If so, is this database appropriately safeguarded against external access?
13. Are the email addresses protected from SPAM / robot harvesting?
14. Is it clear what content is protected by Copyright and what is free to take and re-use?
15. Are remote URLs for file handling functions disabled?
16. Is register global feature off?
17. Is what PHP can read and write restricted?
18. Is PHP safe mode correctly set up?
19. Is PHP configuration properly set up?
20. Is access to sensitive file type protected?
21. Are error messages correctly handled?
22. Is PHP presence hidden?

What now?

I’m sure this checklist will help you make your site perfect! But it’s impossible to test everything… so, did I miss something important? What else would you test?

Samuel Petit | 0