RSMUS.comOn Saturday, November 22 I presented a session at SharePoint Saturday Twin Cities in Bloomington, Minnesota called “25 Usability Tips for SharePoint 2013/SharePoint Online Sites.”
I have a passion for web site usability in general, and over the years I’ve noticed that SharePoint isn’t always the most user-friendly platform, especially right out of the box. However, there are several things that site owners can implement on their sites to make them easier for their users to interact with.
As I was putting this list of tips together, I discovered that many of them had a very similar theme. Below are all 25 tips, broken out into five categories:
Navigation
1. Primary navigation links should always be visible and consistent no matter where you are on the site
2. Limit the number of primary navigation links to 9 or less
3. Use function-driven navigation when possible (verbs instead of nouns)
4. You should have a link back to the home page on every page of your site
5. Hyperlinks should open in same window if going to the same site, or new window if external site
6. Even though it’s tedious, be sure to test all hyperlinks on your site
Forms Etiquette
7. Identify required fields and other validation on forms
8. Set default values on fields when it makes sense
9. Group fields logically on forms
10. Hide unnecessary form data from users
11. Let users know that their form submission was successful
Content
12. Avoid too much content on the home page and landing pages
13. Only show relevant information to the user
14. Change the default views on lists to a view that is more useful
15. Use descriptive names for content (lists, libraries, documents, items)
16. Be sure to continuously add fresh content to your site
Design
17. Your site should have a consistent look and feel across all sub sites and pages
18. Use good balance of images, text, and white space
19. Optimize all graphics to reduce page download times
20. Use contrasting colors in your design to improve readability
21. Use consistent hyperlink colors and styles
Metadata
22. Don’t use folders (unless you really need to use folders)
23. If you must use folders, be sure to set default metadata on them
24. Pay attention to what your users are searching for
25. Only index the things that you want to show up in search results
It’s worth noting that most if not all of these tips also apply to SharePoint 2010 and SharePoint 2007.
The slides for my session are posted to Slideshare and can be found at the following link:
#SPSTC 25 Usability Tips for SharePoint 2013/SharePoint Online Sites by @SharePointWendy
To find out more about this or other ways that RSM can assist you with your SharePoint needs, contact McGladrey’s technology consulting professionals at 800.274.3978 or email us.
