Aggregated Indices in Website Quality Assessment

Abstract

Website users have increasingly high expectations regarding website quality, starting from performance and ending up with the content. This article provides a list and characteristics of selected website quality indices and testing applications that are available free of charge. Aggregated website quality indices were characterised based on a review of various source materials, including the academic literature and Internet materials. Aggregated website quality indices are usually developed with a less specialised user (customer) searching for descriptive information in mind. Their presentation is focused on aesthetic sensations. Most frequently, their values are expressed in points or percent. Many of these indices appear to be of little substantive value, as they present approximate, estimated values. These indices, however, are of great marketing value instead. Specific (“single”) indices are of a specialised nature. They are more difficult to interpret and address the subtle aspects of website and web application functioning. They offer great value to designers and software developers. They indicate critical spots which affect the website quality. Most of them are expressed precisely, often up to two or three decimal places, in specific units. Algorithmic tests for website quality, whose results are presented using indices, enable a reduction in the cost intensiveness of tests as well as an increase in their number and frequency, as the tests are repetitive and their number is not limited. What is more, they allow the results to be compared.

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“…Table 2 offers a complete list of all the tested attributes. The attributes for the evaluation of the website quality were selected based on results of past research [ 2 , 3 , 18 , 37 , 43 , 45 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. The list was then expanded with new aspects such as SEO audit, link audit, or the age of the websites.…”

“…Website quality assessment takes into account numerous attributes. Auditors inspect the degree of search engine optimization, content, accessibility, performance, usability, marketing potential, or links but they also use aggregate indices [ 18 ].…”

“…Recent years have brought an abundance of methods and tools for assessing the quality of websites [ 18 ]. Some of them are universal and can be applied to any website.…”

“…Other ones have been adapted to attributes that are characteristic of specific industries [ 36 ]. Website quality assessment methods can be algorithmic, expert-based, or user-based [ 18 ]. Algorithmic assessment of website quality most often employs web applications (run in a browser window), browser extensions, such as Lighthouse [ 37 ], or software installed on the machine, such as SEO SpyGlass, WebSite Auditor, or Screaming Frog SEO Spider [ 38 ].…”

“…Website quality assessment employs indicators or indices expressed with numbers, letters, or images. The indices reflect test results in an unambiguous and lucid way [ 18 ]. Other methods include checklists and the cognitive walkthrough [ 39 ].…”