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Choosing sample pages to test
As part of this process, you will be evaluating different pages on your website and recording the results in a spreadsheet. It's usually not necessary to test every page on a site. Typically, pages on a site share similar elements, such as navigation, headers, and footers. A carefully selected sample of pages can provide enough information to understand the general accessibility of a site. Your sample should include high-traffic areas, such as a Home page or entry page, as well as login pages. The rest of the samples should include a variety of content types and elements:
- a typical page with text and graphical content;
- a data table;
- a form collecting user input (including error and validation messages);
- a complex graphic, such as a chart or diagram;
- a video;
- animation;
- Page features that control the display of content, such as expandable content areas or tab panels; and
- complex controls for selecting data, such as datepickers and sliders.
A sample with a variety of content elements will yield a better sense of the overall state of the site. Some elements may be on low-traffic areas of the site. However, if it was important enough to be placed on a public site, then it is important enough to be accessible to everyone.
Constructing a user journey
Whenever possible, include 1 to 5 pages in your sample that are part of a user journey: a scenario of how a person interacts with the site to perform a task.
For example, a prospective student is deciding to which program they want to apply. They might do the following:
- arrive at a home page,
- locate information about a specific program or topic,
- locate contact information for a question, and
- fill out an online registration form
User journeys help highlight the usability of site as a whole. In the example, an accessibility issue at any page along the journey may prevent the user from successfully completing the desired task, e.g. - filling out an online registration form.
Common tasks on websites
- Browsing to a page giving key information for a particular audience.
- Filling in a form, submitting data and reviewing results.
- Comparing options and making a choice.
- Finding contact details in order to communicate.