Check the usability of www.cinnamonhotels.com using 25-point Website Usability Checklist.

Hello everyone,   Web usability is about designing and structuring the web site so site visitors complete company’s goals for them quickly and efficiently. Usable web site can reap huge benefits to the web site and to the company. For check the web usability, I selected the official web site of the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts are one of a major star hotel chain in Sri Lanka. Let’s evaluate this web site according to following criteria. You all are free to check the usability of this web site and give your opinion on this blog post.

                                          www.cinnamonhotels.com

ACCESSIBILITY

ü     Site load time is reasonable:

Site load time of www.cinnamonhotels.com is reasonable when compare to other competitive hotels’ web sites.

ü     Adequate text‐to‐background contrast:

When you visit the web site you can see calm white background with dark color text. It will enhance the heritage pride of the Hotel.

ü     Font size/spacing is easy to read:

Fonts are blurring a little and Size of the tab fonts is fine. But there is no description in home page.

ü     Flash & add-ons are used sparingly:

This aspect is also in satisfactory level in this web page. They used image slider in home page. They used a virtual tour in home page.

ü     Images have appropriate ATL tags:

There are no specified ATL tags in the home page. Because they are used some flash image sliders.

ü     Site has a not found/ 404 page:

Yes. There is an error page in this web site. This page is very clear to read.

IDENTITY

ü     Company logo is prominently placed:

The Company used their logo in left op in the web site. This logo is placed in every page of the web site.

ü     Tagline makes company’s purpose clear:

We cannot see any tagline in this web site.

ü     Home page is digestible in 5 seconds:

Yes, this condition is satisfied in www.cinnamonhotels.com

ü     Clear path to company information:

There is no company description in the web site. They are using this web site to give direction to their hotels separately.

ü     Clear path to contact information:

Yes. There is a clear contact form that visitors can contact every hotel in the chain. And also there are addresses, Phone/fax Numbers, Email addresses of each hotel in the Hotel Chain.

NAVIGATION

ü     Main navigation is easily identifiable:

As shown in the image main navigation is clear and really satisfied.

ü     Navigation labels are clear & concise:

The tabs are upper in the web page, but labels are not much clear to identify.

ü     Number of buttons/links is reasonable:

We can satisfy with the number of buttons/Links to other pages in the home page.

ü     Company logo is linked to home page:

Yes. When we click on the company logo it directed to the Home page very quickly.

ü     Links are consistent & easy to identify:

Links are consistent, but they are not much clear to identify. But links are place in very good manner.

ü     Site search is easy to access:

We cannot see a site search tab or page in this web site.

CONTENT

ü     Major headings are clear & descriptive:

Major headings are clear and that helps to visitors in order to get what they want.

ü      Critical content is above the “fold”:

Critical contents such as reservations, special offers, Latest News, virtual tour are displayed in the home page very clearly.

ü     Styles & colors are consistent:

Styles, Colors in headings and text in the body are very attractive. They are also using the local time and the temperature of various hotels is displayed in image slider.

ü     Emphasis (bold, etc.) is used sparingly:

As mention above main heading are bold and used colors to get the attention of the visitors.

ü     Ads & pop ups are unobtrusive:

There are no pop ups or Ads in the web site.

ü     Main copy is concise & explanatory:

This web site is working as the mother web site of the hotel chain. This directed visitors to the individual hotel’s web sites.

ü     URLs are meaningful & user friendly:

URL is describing the website very clearly. (http://www.cinnamonhotels.com/). This is mother web page off all cinnamon hotels.

ü     HTML page titles are explanatory:

<title>Cinnamon Hotels &amp; Resorts</title>

This is the HTML page title of the home page. It is clearly defining the web site.

These are just my opinions about the Cinnamon Hotels’ Official web site. You can visit the web site and give your comments according to the usability check list.