Benchmarking Exercises

Benchmarking Your Home Page

Aims of this Exercise

In the following exercises you will use a number of Web-based services to evaluate the size and look of your organisation's home page. You should carry out the exercises with a neighbour and make a note of your results and those of your neighbour's. This data will then be compared with other Web sites in your community in a benchmarking exercise.

Note Go to the page <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/ucisa-tlig-2002/benchmarking/#urls> and bookmark the page. This page contains the URLs used in the exercises.

Note If you do not have a neighbour to compare results with, go to the University of Wolverhampton UK Sensitive Maps at <http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/uk.map.html> and select an institution and use this to compare results.

1.1 The Size Of Your Home Page Using NetMechanic

Go to the NetMechanic Web site at the address: <http://www.netmechanic.com/toolbox/
html-code.htm> and scroll down the page to the HTML Toolbox Free Sample.

Enter the URL of your home page and personal details and test now.

Click on the link to View a Detailed Report on Load Time.

Once the results have been obtained complete the following table.

Total Page Size (you).

Total Page Size
(neighbour)

Total Graphics (you).

Total Graphics (neighbour).

Modem Speed.

Download Time (you).

Download Time (neighbour).

56k.

T1 (1.44 MB).

1.2 The Size Of Your Home Page Using DrHTML

Go to the DrHTML Web site at the address <http://www.doctor-html.com/RxHTML/> and chose the Single Page analysis link.

Enter your URL and click on the Submit button.

Scroll down the page to Squish HTML section and record the file size.

Total Page Size (you).

Total Page Size (neighbour).

Total Time (you).

Total Time (neighbour).

1.3 Comparison

How do you results compare with your neighbour's?

How do your total page sizes compare using the two tools?

If there are discrepancies can you think of reasons for them?

1.4 Other Tools

In your own time look at the products available at:

<http://www.somix.com/>

<http://www.entuity.com/>

<http://www.servicemetrics.com/>

<http://www.freshwater.com/SiteScope.htm>

<http://www.rswsoftware.com/>

<http://www.mercuryinteractive.com/>

<http://www.keynote.com/iw.html>

<http://www-heva.mercuryinteractive.com/>

1.5 The Look Of Your Home Page

Have a look at your home page and decide which of the following it has:

Home Page.

Tick if applicable (you).

Tick if applicable (neighbour).

Traditional menu structure.

Changeable page, with news feeds.

Personalised page.

Dynamic page.

Splash screens.

Spawns a new windows.

Pages requiring specialist browser functionality (e.g. plugins, Java support, etc.).

1.6 Your Organisation's 404 Error Page

Go to your Web site and then add a non-existent file name to the end e.g. <http://www.bath.ac.uk/foo>. Your Web site's 404 page will be displayed.

How useful is the page? Does it provide help information, navigational aids and have your organisation's look-and-feel?

You.

Neighbour.

YYYou can Compare your 404 error page with other Universities using the Rolling Demonstration of UK University 404 Error Pages at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/site-rolling-demos/
university-404-pages/>.

1.7 A Batch HTML Validator

Go to the address <http://www.htmlvalidator.com/> and read about the CSE HTML Validator Professional tool.

If there is time at the end of the hands-on session and if it is possible to install software, install the tool and use it to analyse a small Web site.

1.8 Viewing The Results Of A Batch HTML Validator

Go to the address < http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/workshops/webmaster-2002/HTML-analysis/batch-results.html> and view the output of the CSE HTML Validator Professional tool. This is the output of an analysis of the IWMW 2002 Web site, which contains a few dozen files.

What are the advantages of using a tool like this?

What are the disadvantages of using a tool like this?

1.9 Batch Versus Single File Tools

In general what are the advantages of using batch tools to evaluate Web sites?

In general what are the disadvantages of using batch tools to evaluate Web sites?

In general what are the advantages of using tools which process individual files?

In general what are the disadvantages of using tools which process individual files?

Is there a compromise solution?

AccessibilityAnd Validation

Aims Of This Exercise

In the following exercises you will use a number of Web-based services to check the accessibility and validity of your Web site.

This data will then be compared with other Web sites in your community in a benchmarking exercise.

2.1 Bobby

Go to the Bobby

NOTE Only a limited number of Bobby analyses are allowed per hour. If the limit has been exceeded, move to the next exercise.

2.2 WAVE

Go to the Wave 2.0 Web site at the address: <http://www.temple.edu/inst_disabilities/piat/wave/>. Enter the URL of your Web site.

2.3 Vischeck

Go to the Vischeck Web site at <http://vischeck.com/vischeckURL.php3>. Use this service to see how your home page looks to a colour blind person. Are any of the key features no longer obvious?

2.4 W3C's HTML Validation Service

Go to the Web address: <http://validator.w3.org/>

Enter the URL of your Web site and click on the validation button. Does your page have any errors? Approximately how many? (neigbour). Why?

2.5 Dr Watson

Go to the Web address: <http://watson.addy.com/>

Select the options to analyse the HTML syntax, regular and image links, search engine compatibility and site link popularity. Make a note of any errors or problem areas detected.

2.6 Link Alarm

Go to the Web address: <http://www.linkalarm.com/>

Enter your details and Web site URL in the box. Fill in the further details and submit your Web page for testing. Make sure you give just your home page URL (e.g. index.html) to avoid the whole site being checked. Add the report URL to your favourites, it may take some time and you can return to it later.

How many broken links were there on your home page? (neighbour)

Statistics and Web Site Popularity

Aims Of This Exercise

In the following exercises you will use a number of Web-based statistical packages which can be used to monitor the number and profile of visitors to your Web site. You will also look at services that monitor the number of links to your Web site.

This data will then be compared with Web sites in your community in a benchmarking exercise.

3.1 LinkPopularity

Go to the LinkPopularity Web site at the address: <http://www.linkpopularity.com/>.

Enter the address of your Web site.

Complete the following table.

Search Engine.

Numbers of Links (you).

Numbers of Links (Neighbour).

AltaVista.

Infoseek.

Hotbot.

3.2 NetMechanic

Go to the NetMechanic Web site at the address: <http://www.netmechanic.com/> and follow the link to Promote. Then select the link to the Free Sample to Track Your Website at <http://www.netmechanic.com/powerpack/tracker.htm#free>.

Enter the address of your Web site followed by a likely search term e.g. University of Bath. Then click on the Submit button.

Is your Web site in the top 40?

3.3 Cultivate Interactive

Go to the Cultivate Interactive Web site at the address: <http://www.cultivate-int.org/>.

Scroll to the bottom of the window and click on the multi-coloured icon to the left of the Copyright statement.

What is the average number of visitors per day?

Use the Recent Visitors menu to the left to find out how recent visitors were referred to the Web site.

Go to <http://www.cultivate-int.org/issue3/presentations/> and click on the blue icon to the left of the copyright statement. How many visitors have read this article? Compare with other articles.

Do you use Web statistics (either externally hosted or purchased) about your Web site? How many visitors access your site?

Evaluating Different Browsers

Aims Of This Exercise

In the following exercises you will use a number of Web-based services to view your organisational Web site using a number of browser emulators.

This data will then be compared with other Web sites in your community in a benchmarking exercise.

4.1 How Many Browsers

How many different browsers do your think there are, besides Netscape and Internet Explorer?

Go to the Browser Archives at <http://browsers.evolt.org/>. How many browsers are listed?

4.2 Browser Emulators

Go to the DejaVu Web site at the address: <http://finnegan.metamatrix.se/dejavu/>. Select the Emulator link. From the image first choose the option to use NCSA Mosaic.

Click on the Open� button near the bottom of the window and enter the URL of your Web site.

How different does your Web site look in the NCSA Mosaic browser? Is your Web site usable in this browser?

If you have time, use other browsers, such as HotJava.

4.3 Lynx Emulator

Go to the Lynx emulator at the address: <http://ugweb.cs.ualberta.ca/~gerald/lynx-me.cgi?url=URL> or see the list of public Lynx browsers at
<http://www.trill-home.com/lynx/public_lynx.html>.

Enter the URL of your organisational Web site to see how it looks using a text-only browser such as Lynx.

4.4 SiteViewer (i)

Go to the AnyBrowser Web site at the address: <http://www.anybrowser.com/>.

Select the SiteViewer link to the page at <http://www.anybrowser.com/siteviewer.html>.

Scroll down to the Other Compatibility Levels section. Enter the URL of your organisational Web site and select the HTML 2.0 option. Then click on the View Page button to view your Web site as a HTML 2.0 compliant browser would see it (e.g. without support for tables).

Return to the SiteViewer and choose the option to view your Web site using the HTML supported by WebTV.

4.5 SiteViewer (ii)

Return to the AnyBrowser Web site at the address: <http://www.anybrowser.com/>.

Select the Screen Size Test link to the page at <http://www.anybrowser.com/ScreenSizeTest.html>.

Enter the URL of your Web site and select the 600 x 480 button to view what your Web site would look like at this screen resolution.

Return to the Screen Size Test page and choose the option to view your Web site at other screen resolutions.

WebWatch Benchmarking Surveys

Aims of this Exercise

In the following exercises you examine WebWatch benchmarking surveys and discuss the possibilities of applying such a methodology across your own community.

5.1 WebWatch Benchmarking Audits Of UK Universities and FE Colleges

UKOLN's WebWatch work has carried out various benchmarking surveys, primarily of the UK HE community (see <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/webwatch/articles/#latest>).

What other benchmarking surveys would be useful?

5.2 Comparing Your Results With WebWatch Surveys

Compare the results of previously published WebWatch surveys (at <http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/webwatch/articles/#latest >) with your own institution.

Survey.

Findings.

Your Results.

Your Position.

Nos. of Servers

Search Engine

Size of home page

What's Related

Web Server Software

Links to site

404 page (what's missing).

5.3 Running Your Own Benchmarking Audits

Do you feel there is a need for you to run testing and benchmarking of Web sites within your institution? If so, give details.

Do you feel it would be useful for you to run testing and benchmarking of Web sites across your community - for example, across FE colleges within the region? If so, give details.

Use Of Commercial Tools

6.1 Use of a Commercial Web Testing Tool

Read the information about the Web Stress application at
<http://www.web-server-tools.com/tools/WebStress/>.

Is such a tool needed for use to test your Web service?

Would you be willing to pay for such a tool?

Do you have any comments you wish to make

6.2 Use of Commercial Web Benchmarking Software

A wide range of commercial Web testing and benchmarking software tools are available (e.g. see <http://www.softwareqatest.com/qatweb1.html>).

Are such tools needed for testing Web services within your institution?

If the answer is yes, what types of tools are needed, and how would you go about the procurement process?

6.3 Use of Commercial Benchmarking Services

A number of commercial Web benchmarking services are available e.g. see <http://www.business2www.com/>. Read about their Web auditing services.

Would a commercial Web audit of your Web service be useful? If so, how much would you be willing to pay?

6.4 Licensed Desktop Checking Tools

The CSE HTML Validator Pro tool was discussed in a previous exercise. Read about the software at <http://www.htmlvalidator.com/>. How much does the software cost? Would it be of interest to you?

A downloadable version of CAST'sBobby accessibility checking tool is available. This version can be used for checking entire Web sites, and not just individual files. Read about the software at <http://bobby.cast.org/html/en/pricing.jsp>. How much does the software cost? Would it be of interest to you?

A licensed version of the Web-based NetMechanic service HTML checking service is available. This version can be used for checking entire Web sites, and not just individual files. Read about the software at <http://www.netmechanic.com/toolbox/signup.htm>. How much does the software cost? Would it be of interest to you?

“Benchmarking Web Sites" Workshop