#20324
Evaluating Your Web Site's Content 
Whether a web site is in its creation stages or it has been in place for a while, it can benefit from evaluation. Like all technical communicators, web authors must determine who their audience groups are, determine their needs, and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the site based on the needs of the audience groups.
Funkhouser, LaVonna F. STC Proceedings (1998). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#25857
Evaluation of Digital Libraries Using Snowball Sampling 
This article describes how snowball sampling was applied in two different cases to evaluate digital collections. The first digital library was evaluated by conducting in–person interviews with survey participants. For the second digital library, an e–mail survey was mailed to site users. The results are compared and a cost–benefit analysis is provided. The author concludes that the convenience of an e–mail survey is not necessarily the most effective way to survey users.
Peterson, Elaine. First Monday (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Surveys
#10411
Guidelines for Designing and Evaluating the Display of Information on the Web 
These guidelines are intended to assist Web designers, authors, and editors in their efforts to create Web pages that effectively reveal—rather than obscure or confuse—the information they are trying to present. These guidelines are also intended to be used to assist in the evaluation of existing Web sites. Of course, the design of a Web site can, to some degree, be modified by the user or by the characteristics of the browser or monitor enlisted to display it. The guidelines, consequently, acknowledge that in a very real sense, users may also assume the role of designer. The guidelines, therefore, are also intended to help users make informed decisions about how to make a display easier to use.
Williams, Thomas R. Technical Communication Online (2000). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Visual Rhetoric
#32002
How C.R.A.P is Your Site Design?
Eons ago when I was taking the Freshman web design course in college (okay, it was only 4 years ago) I was taught about the acronym of all acronyms, the one by which all other web design acronyms were judged. We learned that good design is based on the C.R.A.P. principles where C.R.A.P. stands for Contrast Repetition Alignment Proximity, and when Creative Directors tell you that your design is crap, they’re actually giving you positive reinforcement. Okay, that last part was made up, sorry. “Crappy work” is probably not a term of endearment but rather an indication that your pixels smell.
Rundle, Mike. Vitamin (2008). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#30439
How to Determine Monthly Web Site Visitors
If you pay another business to host your Web site, give them a call. Tell them you want monthly traffic reports delivered to you each month.
Costello, Rick. STC Chicago (2003). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Log Analysis
#31560
Measuring Search Engine Marketing ROI
Spending on search engine marketing (SEM) is rising dramatically, yet surprisingly few companies are measuring the effectiveness of their campaigns. In a short survey conducted by web analytics vendor NetIQ, more than 800 participants responded to questions about their search engine marketing efforts and their attempts to measure success. The survey responses provide interesting insights into the state of search engine marketing ROI.
Sherman, Chris. Communication World Bulletin (2003). Articles>Web Design>Marketing>Assessment
#26929
The Myth of Optimal Web Design
Perfection in design is not possible. No matter how much is known about a given business, user group or technology, you can not simultaneously satisfy all possible objectives. For any website or user interface, there are no mathematics, and no algorithms, for deciding which objectives to satisfy in a single design, or even forThe swiss army knife: a balance of interesting design tradeoffs accurately defining an optimal solution within any of those objectives. There are usability, design and business methods that effectively evaluate and illuminate promising directions , but they are sensitive tools, that work more as guides, rather than maps. In general, any form of design involves too many simultaneous possible objectives and forms of solutions to enable any overall mathematical or algorithmic based confidence. An optimal design, in the broadest sense, is a mythical idea.
Berkun, Scott. ScottBerkun.com (2001). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#24230
Not Getting Personal: Assessing Website Effectiveness
Websites are sometimes evaluated primarily on first impressions or personal preference. More difficult to ascertain is their success in terms of communication. Assessments of websites can benefit from research and developments from fields such as usability studies, linguistics, professional writing, and rhetoric.
Durham, Marsha. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Usability
#26638
Putting A/B Testing in Its Place
Measuring the live impact of design changes on key business metrics is valuable, but often creates a focus on short-term improvements. This near-term view neglects bigger issues that only qualitative studies can find.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#26282
RoI: How Hard is Your Web Site Working?
Accountability is a good thing — as long as it's based on sound objectives. ROI objectives can represent tangible things such as cost savings and intangible tings such as the projected impact your Web site will have on customer perception and behavior. They identify how you plan to use the Internet recover your financial investment and to achieve some specific communication goals and marketing efforts.
Janisch, Troy. evolt (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#25216
ROI: How Hard is Your Web Site Working?
Every web site needs to provide a tangible and timely return on investment (ROI). Your company's web site should be one of the most active and accountable members of its marketing team.
Janisch, Troy. Icon Interactive (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Marketing
#26148
Seven Tests for Quality Web Content
Do these quick tests on every web page you write or edit. Use the tests for quality control of web content.
McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2004). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#26134
Stanford's Web Credibility Study
In this study, 2,684 people evaluated the credibility of two live web sites randomly assigned from one of 10 content categories. A total of 100 sites were assessed. The Stanford credibility team analysed the comments to discover how consumers evaluated credibility online.
McAlpine, Rachel. Quality Web Content (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#27938
The relative popularity of a site's pages, the number of visitors referred by other sites, and the traffic from search queries continue to follow a Zipf distribution.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2006). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Log Analysis
#19213
Usability and Gratifications -- Towards a Website Analysis Model 
This paper discusses website usability issues. Specifically, it assumes that the usability of a website depends more on the perception of the user than on the objectively assessable usability criteria of the website. Two pilot studies, based on theoretical notions of uses and gratifications theory and similar theories, are presented. In the first study, experts evaluated three websites on the national park Mesa Verde in a more formal approach based on criteria defined in the literature. In the second study, non-experts evaluated the same three websites in a more informal and personal approach, using concurrent, or “thinking aloud,” verbal protocol methods. Results show that overall assessment of the websites differs between experts and non-experts. Specifically, overall the website assessed as worst by the experts was liked most by the non-experts. Cognitive and emotional needs as defined by uses and gratifications seemed to make more of a difference with regard to website use, and less with regard to website evaluation. Results from these studies provide the basis for a user-centered website analysis model that may make use of but not depend on usability criteria defined by the literature.
Bunz, Ulla K. Rutgers University (2001). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Usability
#29704
Using Scenarios for the Evaluation of Municipal Web Sites
It appears to be difficult for experts to predict the problems users of documents and websites experience. Realistic usage scenarios may help experts to achieve better prediction rates, since they focus the experts' attention explicitly on the users and their use situations. We developed a set of scenarios for evaluating municipal websites, and used them to evaluate 15 websites. In this paper, we will describe the scenario evaluation method, and the feedback it helps to provide. The results suggest that a scenario-based evaluation method may be a fruitful way of enhancing experts' sensitivity for detecting user problems. open, except for the instruction to concentrate on potential reader problems.
de Jong, Menno D.T. and Leo R. Lentz. STC Proceedings (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Government
#26492
Measurement is a crucial part of a successful search marketing campaign, but understanding and using web analytics tools can be daunting. A new book demystifies the process, showing you how to implement your own effective measurement strategies.
Sherman, Chris. Search Engine Watch (2005). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Log Analysis
#25851
What's the Buzz About? An Empirical Examination of Search on Yahoo!
We present an analysis of the Yahoo Buzz Index over a period of 45 weeks. Our key findings are that: (1) It is most common for a search term to show up on the index for one week, followed by two weeks, three weeks, etc. Only two terms persist for all 45 weeks studied — Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez. Search term longevity follows a power–law distribution or a winner–take–all structure; (2) Most search terms focus on entertainment. Search terms related to serious topics are found less often. The Buzz Index does not necessarily follow the "news cycle"; and, (3) We provide two ways to determine "star power" of various search terms — one that emphasizes staying power on the Index and another that emphasizes rank. In general, the methods lead to dramatically different results. Britney Spears performs well in both methods. We conclude that the data available on the Index is symptomatic of a celebrity–crazed, entertainment–centered culture.
Bladow, Nicole, Cari Dorey, Liz Frederickson, Pavla Grover, Yvette Knudtson, Sandeep Krishnamurthy and Voula Lazarou. First Monday (2005). Articles>Web Design>Search>Assessment
#32432
What Does a Good Web Page Need?
Starts to examine different pages, thinking about what items should appear on them, and considering issues such as consistency, usability, and accessibility.
Francis, Mark Norman. Opera (2008). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#32438
I fully acknowledge that a whole lot of very clever thinking went into the construction of Acid3 (as was true of Acid2), and that a lot of very smart people have worked very hard to pass it. Congratulations all around, really. I just can’t help feeling like some broader and more important point has been missed.
Meyer, Eric. MeyerWeb (2008). Articles>Web Design>Standards>Assessment
#32606
Measuring Website Performance: Part 1
Establishing a set of reliable metrics for measuring the performance of your web site in the real world is a key success factor. In the next few articles, we will explore what can be measured, how to do it, and how to turn that data into some useful intelligence for your business.
Shreves, Ric. Water and Stone (2004). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#32607
Measuring Website Performance: Part 2
In this column we will continue with our examination of website metrics. Last column introduced the idea of performance metrics and the basics of what to measure. In this column I would like to go a little further into discussing the implications of those metrics.
Shreves, Ric. Water and Stone (2004). Articles>Web Design>Assessment
#32608
Measuring Website Performance: Part 3
Your web server archives the information needed to generate these numbers and many others. The raw data is stored on the server in what is known as a log file. The statistics referenced above are best accumulated through the use of a log analysis program to convert your hard-to-read server log files into an understandable format.
Shreves, Ric. Water and Stone (2004). Articles>Web Design>Assessment>Log Analysis
#32637
Designers are, as a rule, a fussy bunch, and when it comes to their own business communications they’re even more so. Designing a website for an award-winning design firm verges on the impossible. A design firm’s web presence primarily serves as a tool to attract new business from a global community—and, secondarily, as a means to show off. Designers are by far their own worst critics, and their websites have to tread a fine line between being cutting-edge so as to attract young new business, and more traditional so as to appeal to established or more conservative businesses.
Elam, Kimberly. Digital Web Magazine (2008). Articles>Web Design>Business Communication>Assessment
#32843
Assessing Assessments: The Inequality of Electronic Testing
Computer and Internet based tests are used for a variety of purposes. From entering education or employment, to improving basic learning, people everywhere are taking electronically formatted tests. With the advancement of testing from traditional paper-based tests to technologically advanced electronic tests, people reap the benefits of easier access to tests, faster response times, and greater reliability and validity of tests. However, persons with disabilities are being left out of the picture and out of many typically-administered tests.
Lyman, Michael, Cyndi Rowland and Paul Bohman. WebAIM (2006). Articles>Web Design>Accessibility>Assessment
