Page Issues (15 % of overall score)

Language (7 points): Poorly written content is not professional and will quickly send visitors away. It is not necessary to be a grammarian, but try to write things in nice simple English so that visitors understand what you a trying to say. If you're not confident with English, then get someone to proof-read your work.

Page length (2 points): Long pages do not hold your visitors attention very well and people don't want to scroll down lengthy pages that seem endless. So keep your page length to a minimum and offer "up" links for easier within-page navigation.

Page Width (2 points): You must design your site with consideration for people with smaller monitors (800 by 600 resolution). You will be marked down if horizontal scroll bars are present at lower resolutions.

Fonts (2 points): Avoid using multiple font styles and colors - it only makes the page look messy and amateurish. Be selective and consistent with the fonts you use.

Errors (2 points): Check your site for errors! Visitors will not get a good impression of your work if there are visible errors. You only have a limited amount of time to attract a visitor, so don't lose that opportunity with blatant errors on your site.

Audio, Graphics and Scripts (10 % of overall score)

Audio (2.5 points): Only use sound if it is absolutely necessary for your site. It often slows page loading times and slows down older computers. This causes irritation and could cost you visitors in time.

Graphics (5 points): Be selective with the use of graphics on your site. Remember even optimised graphics can add valuable seconds to page loading time.

Scripts (2.5 points): If you're going to be using scripts (CGI, JAVA etc.) then make sure they are properly installed. Also make sure that they add value to your site. Using complicated scripts can slow down your site and may not add real benefit to the experience for your visitors.

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