Locating and evaluating the individual components of your current web site is a good place to start when deciding what kind of upgrade that you may require. Cybersurfers has created an informative checklist to help you analyze your web site and note areas where improvement(s) may be necessary.

Read each item of our checklist carefully and determine the components pertinent to your web site. When you are finished, click on the calculate button at the bottom of the page and view your score. Click on the [±] to expand a detailed description of the question.

GRAPHICS
YES	NO	Item Description & Comments
		Does your web site display your company logo or graphically display your company name? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] It is important that your company name be incorporated into your web site through the use of a graphic to increase the overall impact of your web site. Even if you do not have a company logo--at a minimum--you should make sure that a simple graphic representation of your business name be created and blended into your site with a professional stock photo image. Just typing the name of your business and "sticking it" on the main page is not a professional option as it will reduce the overall appearance of your web site. To learn all about logo styles and view examples, contact us today.
		Is your logo formatted properly for the web? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Having your logo/company name graphic on your web page is a good start; however, did you provide the developer with an electronic version? For graphic artists to effectively use your logo/company name graphic requires that the logo have either a pure white background (with no shadows) or a transparent background. Transparent backgrounds enable the graphic to be incorporated throughout your web site as opposed to having your web site incorporated into your logo. To learn all about proper formats of logos for the web and view examples, contact us today.
		Do you have at least one professional photo or custom graphic on each page of your web site? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Each page of your web site should be "eye pleasing." This means some type of photo or custom graphics should be placed strategically on the page in order to increase the overall look of your content. Photos are always a nice touch and help "fill up" a page in addition to showing potential clients industry specific visuals. Using at least one professional photo or graphic image per page will give your web site a higher impact and eliminate "eye strain" resulting from multiple paragraphs of continuous text. To learn all about how stock photos should be selected and used and to view examples, contact us today.
		Do you have some type of custom graphics or collage that gives your site a high impact look and message? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Sit back about 6 feet from your computer monitor and describe what you see. What is the overall impression? Even though you most likely can't read the text, can you see well defined sections of the site instead of a blur of black and white text? Making sure that you have professional graphics that help divide your page into sensible sections will add to the overall impression. To learn all about custom graphics and to view examples, contact us today.
		Does your web site have a consistent color and overall theme? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Have you ever been to a web site where clicking on a button displays a page that looks like a different web site? Making sure to keep a consistent color theme as well as an overall theme is important to give a web site good "flow." Switching the overall look or colors--page by page--often distracts web visitors from reading your valuable content thus resulting in their paying too much attention to the new style of page. A good web theme will allow a user to start reading the first internal page and become comfortable with the style and to concentrate on the content. To learn all about themes and to view examples, contact us today.

CONTENT & HTML FORMATTING
YES	NO	Item Description & Comments
		Does Your Web Site Have An Intuitive Navigation Menu On Every Page? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Every main category page of your web site should always be only one click away. This is achieved by proper menu design. In addition to having a menu on every page, the items on the menu must be worded so the common visitor will understand their meaning. Make sure that the menu is in the same place on each page so the user becomes familiar with its location. Also, choose a menu style that is a good fit for your site. To learn all about menu design and to view examples, contact us today.
		Is each page organized using carefully crafted boxes/tables, bullets, and efficient layout? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Each page of your web site should look "clean". This means making sure that there is an organized layout that is not "jumbled" or crowded. Make sure that a page does not contain too many consecutive paragraphs of text. Highlight the points of information and the things that are most important. This can be achieved by boxing off information and using tables, bullets, and other thought out HTML design. Too much text without an organized layout usually results in your visitors leaving your page of information without reading it. To learn all about proper layout and design and to view examples, contact us today.
		Does every link on the web site work, leaving no "dead" links? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] There is nothing more annoying to a site visitor than pointing them somewhere that leads nowhere. Every link on your web site MUST resolve to the information specific to your link. Links can sometimes be difficult to maintain if you are providing links to information located on other web sites. There are tools available that will help you make sure that the links on your web site are not "dead". To learn all about links and to view tools and examples, contact us today.
		Is there enough meaningful content that will help answer most questions that potential customers may have? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] The reason most individuals are looking at your web site is because they are seeking information about your business. Make sure that you provide the information that they want and need. The web is becoming the field of battle for information. Visit your competitors web sites and find out what they are doing well, then make sure that you do it better. The more informed a potential client is about your business, the better chance you will do business with that individual. In addition, you will save time required to convince a customer in person or over the phone to choose your business if you have already convinced them online. To learn all about meaningful content and to view examples, contact us today.
		If you link to another web site, do you have the linked site appear in another window? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] The purpose of having a web site is for you to provide information about your business so that you have a better chance making potential customers become paying customers. When linking to outside web sites, always use a new window. It defeats the entire purpose of having a web site if you encourage people to leave your web site. If you must provide information from other web sites to your customers, using a new window will allow your visitors to view that information, but still have your web site at their fingertips. To learn all about new window links and to view examples, contact us today.

FUNCTIONALITY
YES	NO	Item Description & Comments
		Does your web site have a database managed contact form for users to fill out? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] If you wish to allow site visitors to contact you, it is best handled if you prompt them to provide you with the information you will need to answer their questions more efficiently. Using a contact form not only helps a visitor to provide more clear information, but helps keep their focus on the questions at hand as opposed to lengthy stories that do not include the pertinent information required to help them. In addition, it will save you time and money by automatically entering this information into a database that can be imported into just about any program that you use for follow-up, marketing, or contact lists. Why pay employees to do double and triple record entry when it has already been done by the potential client. To learn all about forms and data collection, and to view tools and examples, contact us today.
		Does your web site have an e-mail collection tool? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Start collecting e-mail addresses last year! If your web site had an opt-in e-mail collection tool a year ago, chances are you would be sending hundreds if not thousands of potential customers your specials and promotions BECAUSE THEY ASKED YOU TO! Unlike spamming strangers--because you don't have your own e-mail list--using an e-mail collection tool lets you build your own online customer database legitimately. To learn all about opt-in e-mail collection and to view tools and examples, contact us today.
		Does your web site have a Tell-A-Friend tool? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Everyone knows the importance of word of mouth when trying to promote your business. Have you ever seen some information or a product that your friends or family might want to see? How many times did you forget to tell them because you didn't have a quick and easy way to do so? Using a tell-a-friend type web application allows your site visitors to spread your word. Make sure they have a way to easily do this. To learn all about tell-a-friend tools and examples, contact us today.
		Do you have a way to manage the content of your web site yourself using an updateable page tool? CLick here to expand this section with more details: [±] Some pages on your web site may need to be updated several times per year. Things such as pricing, specials, phone numbers, news, etc. can be easily managed by you or your staff, saving you time and money. Sometimes, in the same amount of time that it takes you type up a fax or an e-mail with material and instructions for changes, you could have done the changes yourself. Updateable pages and content management applications are not a "cure all" solution; however, for many styles of content pages, it is a time and money saver. To learn all about no programming required updateable pages and content management tools and examples, contact us today.
		Does your web site have a survey, calculator, quote generator, etc. that is helpful to your potential customers and/or saves you or your staff time? Click here to expand this section with more details: [±] Sometimes you can really add to the functionality of your web site by providing tools that will help your visitors and your existing customers. Remember, it is not only about getting new customers, it is also about retaining existing customers through the use of efficiency and customer service. Providing industry specific web tools can positively enhance the overall experience your visitors get. To learn all about custom web tools and see examples, contact us today.

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