As part of the eligibility criteria a member’s website must pass through a review procedure. The purpose of the review is to ensure that members present their business with a website that supports the aims and objectives of the Web Group.

The review is conducted by the Review Committee (RC) which consists of the Chief Executive and at least 2 members of the board. The RC decision is final.

The RC will look at the website and make sure that it meets the standards required. If it is deemed to fall short of those standards, the prospective member will be given a report, either verbally or in writing, outlining what he must do to correct the shortfall. Failure to meet the standards will mean that he will not be accepted as a member.

A website must:

• Comply with all legal requirements in line with best practise
• Contain the company’s contact details

The review will also look at how well the website performs in the following categories:

• Design – it has to look good
• Speed – it must load quickly
• Validation - to W3C standards
• Accessibility – in line with WAI guidelines
• Navigation – must be clear
• Functionality – if there are specific functions on the site they must work correctly
• Link validity – all links should be working and necessary
• Information and content – valid and well written
• Fit for purpose

To be eligible a website must score well in the majority of these categories. It is not expected that a site should achieve a high rating in all of them.

This process should be viewed as a positive experience for all those who submit their sites. They are in effect getting a free evaluation of their website. We will also offer guidance, where required, on how any shortfall can be corrected.