Before a website goes live, checking the page structure is essential to ensure smooth user browsing and correct search engine indexing. Many issues—such as broken navigation, layout errors, and faulty links—often go unnoticed during development and only surface after launch. The following checklist is organized by inspection category to help enterprise website builders or operators verify each item step by step.
1. Navigation and Section Structure
- Is the main navigation complete? Core sections like Home, About Us, Products/Services, News, and Contact Us should be present with clear labels.
- Is the navigation hierarchy reasonable? Generally, no more than three levels deep. Dropdown menus should expand properly on hover or click, without overlap or misalignment.
- Breadcrumb navigation: Internal pages should have breadcrumbs, consistently placed, allowing users to navigate back to parent sections.
- Site search: A search box should exist, returning results for any keyword without errors.
2. Homepage and Key Page Layout
- Above-the-fold content: Core business information (brand name, main services, contact details) should be visible without scrolling, avoiding pure images or blank spaces.
- Carousel or banner: Images load correctly, transitions are smooth, no broken links or misalignment.
- About Us: Company introduction should be authentic and complete, ideally including team, qualifications, or development history.
- Product/Service pages: At least one sample page with proper text and image layout, clear pricing or descriptions, and functional contact buttons.
3. Content Pages and Common Modules
- News or article list: Pagination works correctly; clicking leads to detail pages with proper text formatting.
- Contact information: Address, phone, email (and form if present) should be provided, with submission feedback—never left empty.
- Footer: Includes copyright notice, ICP filing number (if obtained), and links to privacy policy or terms of use (depending on website type).
4. Link and Redirect Check
- All clickable elements: Image links, buttons, icons, etc., should redirect to correct targets without 404 errors.
- External links: Partner or industry links should open in a new tab and be valid.
- Anchor links: In-page anchors (e.g., back to top) work correctly.
5. Responsive and Device Adaptation
- Mobile: Navigation should be collapsible, text size and spacing appropriate, images responsive.
- Tablet: No excessive white space on sides; content is complete.
- Touch-friendly: Buttons and links are sized for finger taps, with adequate clickable area.
6. Code and Tag Basics
- Title tag: Each page has a unique, descriptive title; the homepage should include the company name and core business.
- Meta description: Homepage and important pages have concise descriptions summarizing page content.
- Image ALT attributes: Key images (e.g., product photos, logo) include descriptive text.
- URL structure: Page URLs are clean, using English words or pinyin (e.g., /about), avoiding long number strings.
7. Function and Form Validation
- Online inquiry/contact form: Required fields are marked; submission shows a success message or redirects to a thank-you page.
- Error messages: Clear text prompts for input format errors, no system errors displayed.
Final Recommendations
The above checklist applies to most corporate websites. Before launch, have at least one non-project colleague walk through the entire process—starting from the homepage, simulating a real user browsing several key pages and submitting a form. Fix issues promptly to avoid last-minute fixes after launch. Website structure maintenance is an ongoing task; after each content update or redesign, use this checklist to spot-check core pages.