WebJunction

Use this checklist to make sure you are ready to publish your Web site.

Content

Is the content of the page important and appropriate? Is the content in the right location, or would it be better in another location on the Web site or in another Web environment (internet vs. intranet)? Do you own the content you are posting or are you trying to duplicate someone else's content? Have you notified anyone who will be affected by the posting of the content?

Timeliness

Does the page cover appropriate dates and times? Is posted information out of date or not allow users appropriate lead time for action?

Spell Check & Grammar Check

Has the page been spell and grammar checked? Always proofread your pages before your publish.

Meta Tags

Have you included meta tags in the page? What is a meta tag? This article from SearchEngineWatch.com will help you understand the basics: http://searchenginewatch.com/Webmasters/article.php/2167931.

Load Time

Does the page have an excessive load time? Your users may click away before your page loads. Pages will typically load faster from your workstation because of internal network speeds. Do not expect your users to have such bandwidth in their offices or homes. Reduce load time as much as possible.

Graphics Optimization

Have all graphics been optimized to reduce page size as much as possible without detracting from the visual effect desired? This can impact load times significantly.

Graphic Alternate Text

Have all graphics been described or labeled using alternate text?

Accessibility Check

Check your page for accessibility. Federal guidelines for ADA compliance are available online at http://www.section508.gov . The Web Accessibility Initiative at http://www.w3.org/WAI/ also has checklists on its site.

Link Check

Are all hyperlinks working correctly? URLs change quickly, so keep up with your link reports, and check your pages before publishing.

Browser Compatibility

Does the content display properly in a variety of browsers? Certain script and HTML functions work differently in different browser types, and a visual and functional check should be made to ensure the displayed results are acceptable.

Resolution Compatibility

How does the page look in the three most common screen resolution sizes (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768)? Some of your users may need a larger screen resolution because of visual impairments.

Viewers and Add-ons

Does your content require a specific viewer or add-on browser component for the user to access it (Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Media Player, Macromedia Flash)? Many users may not have these installed on their PC's, so consideration must be given to the benefit of using the special content format. Where free downloadable utilities exist, a link should be provided for the user to download the utility (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader).

Policies & Guidelines

Do you have internal policies and guidelines that must be followed for Web content? Does the page follow all items as stated in your internal policies, guidelines and style guides?