Michael J Byers

A list of 247 web usability guidelines with a downloadable spreadsheet from User Focus. Great resource.

Usability usability

Don't force a new window on users unless there is a very good reason to do so. Here are some reasons why you should not open links in a new window:

• Opening links in a new window is disrespectful to your visitors. If they want the link to open in a new window they'll do it themselves.
• Unless you warn them, they will expect the link to open in the current window.
• It resets the browsers back button which is highly used in navigation.
• A new broswer window adds to the taskbar giving the user even more programs on the taskbar.
• It confuses or disorientates visually impaired or novice web users.

The only time I would use a new window was on a form to link to Help for the form or for the Privacy Policy related to the form. That way when the user is completing the form they are not taken away from the form to read the help or privacy policy.

Accessibility, Usability accessibility

It's time to lose a few pounds from your website. Having a website with hundreds of pages might seem like something you can boast about but it's not.

Take a look at your Google Analytics stats or whatever stats system you use and see what pages are not getting hits. If you have pages that are not getting a lot of hits then it's time to shed a few pounds from your website. They are not getting hits because they are of little interest to your visitors or because they are difficult to find either within your own site or from search engines. So ditch them.

Tone up your website by removing those unused pages and concentrating your effort on the pages that get the hits. Work on shaping and improving them with better content. Maximise revenue on these pages with adverts or better product descriptions that simplify the experience for your visitors.

Google Analytics, SEO services, Usability search engine optimisation, web analytics

net-guide is an accessible search engine promoting the accessibility rating of each website.

Whilst many search engines are easy to use for people with visual impairments, mobility issues, learning difficulties and other issues that impact on using a website, this is not necessarily true of the sites returned in the results. It is estimated that as many as 86% of websites present barriers to some or all of these user groups. Continually visiting websites that are not accessible can be a very frustrating experience.

net-guide is a search engine that gives an accessibility rating for every website returned for a search. Similarly, the directory entries also carry an accessibility rating.

Visit net-guide for more information.

Accessibility, Usability, Website Promotion accessibility, website promotion

I am currently improving the South Ayrshire Council website to meet at least the Double A accessibility standards. You will find that I have even surpassed that on many pages by making them Triple A compliant. Using XHTML web standards along with accessibility standards I have improved page performance and made the converted pages more accessible to users. Through Search Engine Optimisation techniques I have also improved the page rankings.

The updated pages are being built with ASP.NET using VB.NET.

More About South Ayrshire

South Ayrshire is an ideal base for family holidays. Long stretches of sandy beach, superb sports and recreational facilities and entertainment have helped make Ayr one of Britain's premier coastal resorts. Troon is also a popular holiday resort with its soft sandy award-winning beach overlooking the Isle of Arran. The towns esplanade offers various facilities for families including crazy golf and putting. Girvan is proud of its reputation for floral attractions and colourful displays which are situated in many parts of the town and include the Rose Gardens, Knockcushan Gardens and Orchard Gardens. The town is also a good base for exploring on foot or by bike the Carrick Forest and the many picturesque villages of the surrounding Carrick area.

From Burns Cottage to Culzean Castle, South Ayrshire is full of history and culture. The leisure is not too bad either! Play on some of the best golf courses in Scotland along with the world famous Royal Troon and Turnberry. Given its coastal location, there are also plenty of opportunities to take to the water for fun. Troons bustling harbour is a magnet for anglers, sightseers and yachting enthusiasts who can enjoy the first-class facilities of the Troon Yacht Haven, one of the Clyde's leading sailing centres. Sea-angling trips operate from Ayr as does the world's last sea-going paddle steamer PS Waverley which takes cruisers on trips down the Firth of Clyde during the summer.

.Net, Accessibility, General, SEO services, Usability south ayrshire council, accessibility, search engine optimisation, .net