50+ SAMPLE Website Checklist

What Is a Website Checklist?

A website checklist is a document that companies and website developers use to guarantee that a particular website is set up correctly and functioning properly. Since creating a website can be a daunting task, the similar is true by editing, upgrading, or improving an existing website. Designing websites are a lengthy and complex process. It does not stop with a web designer and web developer sticking their faces in front of computer screens all day. These individuals also deal and communicate with clients, design website prototypes, code, program, and test the efficiency of the website. Working on a website consists of different things. In website designing, mistakes are bound to happen, tasks are left unfinished, and technology isn’t always as accurate as one expects. Utilizing the right tools and the right help makes the process of creating a website very manageable. Come up with a good plan by arranging and identifying tasks that are urgent and by taking notes to keep track of milestones. A website checklist considers all the key issues that web developers and designers need to accomplish.

According to an article by Martin Armstrong for Statista, ten websites exist online during 1992. The year 1994 rolled in, and the total number of websites rose to over three thousand, one of which is the early stages of Yahoo! with the name Jerry and David’s Guide to the World Wide Web. As of August of 2021, a record number of 1.88 billion websites are live and functioning, increasing at an incredibly rapid rate.

Components of a Website Checklist

Depending on the website that a programmer or designer works on, some similarities and differences apply in terms of content and appearance. First, they must adhere to what the client wants to see on their personal or company website and work their way on making it functional and appealing to audiences. Despite having starking differences in terms of design and content, most websites share similar functions and information if they want audiences to receive the essential information from viewing the website. Below are some components of a website checklist that helps developers and designers work their way through the final product.

Curated navigation menu: One of the most crucial elements of a website is its navigation menu, helping the audience to move through the website and look for the information they need with ease. For an effective navigation bar for a website, utilize straightforward titles. Menu items must range between five to ten to avoid clutter, choose between a horizontal or vertical menu bar, and keep it consistent. Ensure that all items are visible and readable, and incorporate shadows to emphasize the navigation bar. Make sure that there is an emphasis on the page where the audience is currently viewing. Prioritize vital links like signup buttons and use icons as necessary. For consistency, take note of the website pages and categorize them according to their relation.Clear call to action: For each landing page on the company website, there must be a clear call to action statement. The call to action that needs to be present on the website depends on the goals of the company. For example, a sales page can contain purchase and signup buttons as audiences continue to navigate a particular page. Aside from these call-to-action navigation buttons, links, forms, pop-up windows also encourage audiences to take action to generate leads, gain subscribers, and convert views. Scannable text elements: When developers create new pages for a website, estimate the amount of text on the page and determine the best way to present the information. Since different audiences navigate a company’s web pages, the development team must find a way to provide these individuals with their preferences. To ensure that the web page is pleasing to the readers, write brief sentences and paragraphs, utilize easy-to-read fonts and font sizes, highlight vital words or phrases by using bold, italic, or underline styles. It is also best to structure paragraphs with headers and use different font sizes for emphasis. Utilize white space to allow the webpage content to breathe.Intentional visuals: In the website checklist, developer teams check if the images are functional, eye-catching, purposeful, and tell a story. The audience can tell the contents of a webpage just by looking at the opening photo. There are various ways developers and designers utilize images and other visual elements. Large and small images blend well together to represent lively and interactive content. In selecting the images, companies can use their own or stock images from the web. Ensure that the target audience relates with the visuals in the website to give them a sense of inclusion. It is also necessary to write ALT texts for images. Aside from aiding people with unstable internet and visual impairments, the website also ranks up in search engines. Strategic color schemes: Color theory contributes greatly to communicating the marketing message. Many websites utilize a monochromatic palette using two to three colors with contrasting colors for emphasis. If the web designers choose to use minimalistic schemes or muted colors, most of the call to action (CTA) buttons are in bright and captivating colors to catch the audience’s attention. Responsive website designs: The website checklist also guarantees that the website has a responsive design that functions seamlessly on any device. Before the development team publishes the website, they must view it from different screens and devices. Interactive webpage elements: One of the items in a website checklist reminds the development team to include interactive elements in web pages. Incorporating these segments into the website gets the attention of passive readers. Some of the features that a website can provide its audience involve quizzes or survey questionnaires. Another technique is to get people to subscribe to newsletters and mailing lists to get their results from the quiz.A unique about page: The company’s homepage, feature page, signup page, and pricing list will most likely attract the most number of visitors. The website checklist allows the developers to guarantee that the about page also grabs the attention of audiences. The about page tells the readers who the company is and what it does. It is where the organization aims to establish a trusting relationship and authenticity with its customers. It contains information about the beginnings of the company, including its company vision, mission statement, core values, organizational culture, real pictures of the team, and honest feedback from customers lie. An accessible contact page: Similar to an about page, the contact page is an essential part of a company website. It allows potential customers and website visitors to efficiently contact the store or company, whether it is through incorporating a contact information form, social media pages, email addresses, or phone numbers. If there is no customer services support team to manage the queries from visitors, sharing the contact information of the company boosts credibility. The development team can also incorporate an email automation system that delivers auto-reply emails or messages that notifies about longer response times. A FAQ page also helps lower the number of inquiries and requests. If the company has a large community, the development team can create a separate support page, much like an online forum, to explain multiple topics.Search engine optimization (SEO) elements: It is necessary to include SEO elements in the website checklist. Many marketing plans utilize SEO to organically rank the web page on search engines, like Bing or Google. That is why the website checklist also focuses on incorporating research keywords that best describe the website, incorporating these keywords into texts and paragraphs to add value to customers.Website analytics: When the website is slowly gaining hits and traffic, it is advantageous to look at data analytics to see how each web page performs. Having this information allows room for improvement to engage and attract more potential customers. One of the programs that many companies use that is accessible and comprehensive to many is Google Analytics. It comes with simple instructions to apply on your website that the company can utilize to track key performance indicators, including website visitors, average time, new subscribers, and conversion rates.

Steps To Follow in Developing a Website Using a Checklist

Considering that websites are unique to each company, a good website design leaves a positive first impression on visitors. When constructing a website for an organization, it is necessary to look at the current trends surrounding designs to bring out the personality and highlight the brand. There must be a balance between the visual quality and functionality of a website. The section helps you develop a company website that showcases both using a website checklist.

  • 1. Consider a Domain Name for the Website

    The company must register a domain name for the website. Fortunately, there are different web hosting services available to register a domain name with ease. Figure out which domains are the best fit for the business. Consider using .com or .org for domain names. The domain name for the website must be a clear representation of the brand and its products. It is also customary to have the domain name in a hosting service.

  • 2. Understand the Goals of the Company

    The first thing you need to do is elaborate on why you need to build a website for the business. It is helpful to list down the goals you want to achieve and the purpose of creating the website. Different goals drive the creation of a company website, and it is critical to understand the micro-goals you have before developing a website. Support these goals with a research study. Through outlining specific objectives, there is a lower risk of building a website that does not meet the needs and expectations of the organization.

  • 3. Identify and Research the Target Audience

    Knowing the audience includes acquiring demographic information, including their age group, sex, location, income, and education, among others. After identifying audience demographics, the next step is to place how to connect with them. Along with considering the goals you wish to achieve, align them with the target audience. Begin developing the website while keeping in mind the point of view of the reader. Constructing customer profiles or customer personas gives the company a better understanding of potential clients and how the company can appeal to them.

  • 4. Understand Basic Web Design Principles and Consider Advanced Features

    Web developers dedicate multiple hours to perfect their craft. They also continuously learn about recent developments in the industry, including design principles, technologies, techniques, and best practices. One of the most critical principles in web design is its optimization capabilities that allow seamless access to different devices. Web developers and designers must also consider the possibility of incorporating additional features that will help the functionality of a website. An example of incorporating advanced features to a website is for e-commerce webpages. A web developer must indicate product listings and secure payment processing systems. It is necessary to research the advanced features that you want to offer audiences while keeping in mind the associated costs of these additions.

  • 5. Understand Competitor Markets

    Competing with other competitors in the online marketplace requires an organization to put in the time and effort to ensure that the company website is better or just as good as a competitor’s. Performing competitive analysis and research before proceeding to develop the website. An organization can learn more about the leading websites in similar niches and industries to produce better results for you and your business website through competition and comparisons. The company can also lookup leaders in similar business segments.

  • 6. Ensure Effective and Efficient Communication With the Audience

    Ensure you include an effective communication method with customers that visit the website. You can start with setting up an email account accessible to the website where guests can send their concerns and inquiries. Including several contact information makes the company and the website more credible to consumers. Make it a habit to check on the contents of email and answer queries within a day of receipt.

FAQs

What makes a good website?

A good website must be functional, portray brand consistency, be simple yet attractive, answer customer queries, and rank in search engines.

What are website requirements?

Website requirements are specifications that a website must have in terms of functions, characteristics, and capabilities, along with the plans for creating it. It must outline the purpose of the project, including its goals and objectives, deadlines, budget plans, among others.

What are the basic contents of a website?

According to Hubspot, there are different fundamental elements for an effective website. It consists of the headline, subheadline, calls to action, supporting images, benefits, social proof, navigation bars, content offers, features, and success indicators.

Creating an attractive and functional website for a company requires time, effort, money research, and dedication. Since the website represents the company and its brand, it must leave a positive first impression on visitors. For many web developers and designers, having a website checklist keeps them on track and ensures that development up to the release of the website goes smoothly with little to no complications. Guarantee that the next company website is functional and attractive to customers by utilizing a website checklist from the 50+ SAMPLE Website Checklist in PDF downloadable from the article above.