General Assessment

Does the home page/content pages contain detailed text and explanations as opposed to only lists of links to other pages? Does the text appear complete and well written? Are illustrations and images clear and professional? Is there a sufficient amount of content “coverage” throughout the different areas of the Website?

Is the institution using a content management system (CMS) for website updates? Does the CMS meet the needs of the University and support the website in an effective way?

Is the navigation structure organized in a logical hierarchical manner? Are there common global elements present across all pages? Does the site contain major search elements (alphabetical site map, hierarchy site map, “bread crumbs”)? Are navigational menus present to local areas of the site? Are standard locations used for navigational elements? Are they consistent? Are different groups of individuals (e.g., current students, perspective students, alumni, faculty, and parents) accurately represented in the organization of the content?

Is information easy to find from one section of the Website to the next? Will users often get lost, or not know where information is being kept on the Website? Does information seem to be ordered logically in sections of the Website, relevant to the other surrounding content/links?

Are major sections of the Website consistent in the use of institutional branding, logos, and colors? Do template designs and structures throughout the website use modern web design trends and techniques to display content in the most professional, clean, and easy to use manner? Are website templates coded properly with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript?