Ask the Experts, Question 12:

What is the first thing you look for when you visit an applicant's site?

by Will Harbeson, Webmaster, SunsetSurfers Web Portal
15 September 2002

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Wendy Sears, Webmistress Assess Risk Web Award

Editor's Choice

The first thing that I look for is confirmation that an applicant's site actually qualifies for evaluation. Most programs have some criteria which sites must meet before an evaluation will commence. Some call this "disqualification criteria." Others may refer to it in friendlier terms, but the effect is the same. If elements are or are not present within the applicant's site, then the full evaluation process will not commence.

It is all too easy to be seduced by a site that uses the latest technology and has the most enticing of entrances. However, not all such sites — and there are many — will necessarily fall within the scope of my criteria. To prevent an unnecessarily long evaluation process, I take out a copy of the criteria that an applicant's site must meet — neatly printed on A4 paper — and go through each item to ensure it qualifies for further evaluation.

I must stress that there is a great distinction to be made between the first thing I look for and the first thing I see. On entering an applicant's site, the first thing I see is the entrance page. This is extremely important to remember, for first impressions do count.

A first page that stimulates and caresses the senses will always be viewed favourably if the site qualifies for further evaluation. Naturally, the site will be evaluated strictly in accordance with my specific criteria, but it may find itself reaping the benefit of that part of the criteria which allows for a greater degree of subjectivity on my part.

On the other hand, a site that does not fall afoul of disqualification criteria may find that any garish colours, enormous fonts and annoying animations on the first page have already left an indelible mark.

In short, the first thing I look for is that the applicant's site meets my basic criteria, but an enticing entrance is a valuable asset which may favourably influence the outcome of my evaluation process.

Geetha Thirunakkarasu, Webmistress
Geetha Zone Awards (program closed)

Visually pleasing pages grab the evaluator's attention. He'll look around and get a good impression of your site. First impressions are hard to erase, so never minimize the importance of layout and design. Make sure your pages are attractive and well laid out. Try to use colors, styles and fonts that complement each other and have a consistent theme throughout the entire site.

Download time is very important. Your website will be viewed at different connection speeds. Many evaluators don't have a cable modem or ISDN connection to the Internet, and they won't wait for large pages to load. You must make sure your pages load quickly, and the index page loads even faster.

Many award programs have a list of disqualifiers they use before checking against any of the major criteria. If your site has any of the disqualifying elements, it will be immediately disqualified and will not be considered for an award.

First impressions are lasting ones. Try to create a good first impression so the evaluators will be happy to evaluate your site.

Luuk Francken, Webmaster
LTS Grail Award

The first thing I look at is the welcoming page of the site. After all, I don't have much choice! It should tell me a lot of things at first glance. Does it impress me? Does it give me a feeling of expectation, of eagerness to see the rest of the site? This page is the most important of the whole site, no matter whether there are only 5 more pages or hundreds. It should reflect the design and content of the whole site.

I know, we have "Flash" nowadays. Yes, I agree that wonderful things can be done with it. And, of course, it can give you an idea of the rest of the site. In fact, it should. But to me, it's not the welcoming page. That's the one I get to when I sit out the intro, or when I hit the "skip intro" link.

The welcoming page (often called the "Home" page), should tell me what the site is all about — the theme or subject. It should wet my appetite to see the rest. If it's dull or full of all sorts of animated graphics and commercial banners, then I've had it. I'm no longer interested. This may be a great pity, for the rest of the site could be terrific.

Commercial pop-ups are even worse. I know that some of the so-called "free" providers have the nasty habit of placing these things on your pages, whether you like it or not. But there are some free providers that have the decency not to do this. It's your choice. If the pop-ups are there, it's the end for me. I don't want to keep on closing them just to see your page properly.

The content of the site must be presented in a way that makes me want to continue. Too many times I see sites where the welcoming page doesn't tell me what the site is about. I automatically want to leave, but I don't because I have dedicated myself to evaluating sites that apply for my award.

The welcoming page is really important. Just by seeing it, I can nearly decide if the site is going to be a winner or not. The first impression is worth that much. The final decision is often based on it!

Jennie Mahon, Webmistress
JeM of the Net Award

I continue to get excited with each new day when I log onto my email program and find applications waiting for a review. I am honored to visit any site that submits for my award. I know the owners are proud and have worked hard to bring public awareness to their given subject matter. They are looking for recognition.

I am happy to provide this recognition, but the review process is long and takes up a lot of valuable time. As such, I would like each site owner to read my set criteria carefully prior to pressing the send button on the application form, ensuring the best possible chance to achieve my Award.

Sadly, this is not the case in all instances. On the first pass I have to check the quality of the applications against my set criteria and, regrettably, dismiss those that don't meet the required standard.

For this reason, I can't stress enough the importance of spending the time it takes to read all the award program's criteria. Making changes to meet the set criteria prior to your submission will further your chances of gaining the highest possible score and winning an Award.

I spend an average of 3-6 hours reviewing each site that is submitted to me. I don't think I'm being too unfair when all I ask of the applicants is 10-15 minutes of their time in return. Do you?

Jerry Tucker, Webmaster
JerryD's Online Award Program

What we look for the first time we visit an applicant's site is "load time." This to me is the most important thing a webmaster needs to address. If it takes too long to load the first page, most likely it will be the only page we look at. If your site takes more than 20 seconds to load, we highly recommend that you place a "skip intro" button at the top of your entrance page.

In addition, the other pages should be structured in such a way that the viewer can move around the site with ease. They should be able to get to any page they wish to view with no more than 3 clicks of the mouse.

Last, but very important, is appeal. The worst thing a site can have is lots of pop-ups and the annoying flashing or blinking graphics. This will automatically send the viewer running, and it's usually the biggest reason why some sites take so long to load. In most cases, these sites will not be considered for an award.

Nikola Kitanovic, Webmaster
Absolut Awards (site closed)

In a logical manner, of course, I first try to determine what is the mission of the site. A site without a mission is simply an empty site, which is why I think that looking for the mission is the logical first step.

Next, I look at the basic design of the site. A site without a basic design reminds me of a computer without a processor. The basic design is the "heart" of a web site. A site without it is a dead site.

And finally, I look for secret, creative links between the mission of the site and its basic design. If there are no links, it reminds me of a surgical procedure where the wrong organ is transplanted. The surgeon removes a kidney and replaces it with a liver. Where is the logic in this?

All of these steps are on the logical level, and I believe that I act as described in most cases. However, I remember one of my favourite award programs, "Believe2Achieve," where one of the criteria was "If I like your site." Perhaps, if we are completely honest with ourselves, and with others, we first look to see if we like a site when we visit it.

A lot of people will not admit this because it means the evaluation is subjective to some extent. The real truth, I guess, is that most evaluations are partly objective and partly subjective. By constantly improving our criteria and gaining experience, we reduce the level of subjectivity and increase our objectivity.

Personally, I like this process. Each award giver defines and objectifies his own personal likes and dislikes in the criteria for his award, and this separates his award program from all the others on the Web.

Will Harbeson, Webmaster
The Medals Of Excellence

Like any reader of publications, the first thing I see when I visit an applicant's site is the cover, splash or homepage. Exactly like the cover of a good book, it should welcome or invite me to come inside. It should be very clean and all seen in one field of view so I get an idea of what is in store during my visit.

I don't like to journey down a long first page past guest books, affiliations, vote for me's, send this site to a friend links and advertisements to find the way inside. I'm not saying those things don't have a place on a good site. I just think they can be left for inside the cover in order to make the first impression solid and on subject.

On the cover should be enough information to give me a decent idea of what the site is all about. A nice banner graphic for good branding is a decent touch followed by some text in a large readable font to further give me reason to open the cover. Too much information is a killer here. It's just clutter that tends to confuse the message.

Avoiding scroll bars in both horizontal and vertical formats allows the viewer to make a visual assessment of what can be found inside without searching all over the place for the handle to open the door. This is especially important to a business site where just like a brick and mortar store you will never get inside if you can't find the door. It's a good idea to make a graphic and a textual link clearly available for entering.

If the site has done these things, then it's easy for me to say, "OK this one is likely to win my award." It merits some more poking around, revisits and the full judging review processes.