# Website Audit & Improvement Plan ## Dominica Bureau of Standards — dominicastandards.org --- ## AUDIT FINDINGS ### 🔴 Critical Issues 1. **Broken / Missing Images** - Logo images fail to load (empty `` tags with no visible alt fallback) - Hero/slider images (dbos_slider_01–04) show as blank — the homepage carousel is entirely non-functional visually - Unit logos are broken (all listed as "Logo of the Unit" with no rendering) - Director photo does not render in the "Key Official" section - These failures make the site look abandoned or broken on first load 2. **Severely Outdated Content** - Latest news item is from **August 2024** (Standards Catalogue) - Next three news items are from **March 2022** — nearly 4 years old - No indication of recent activity, undermining the organization's credibility 3. **Footer Copyright Year Bug** - Footer reads **"Copyright © 2026"** — this is a dynamic script likely misconfigured. It reads as a future year, which looks like an error. --- ### 🟠 Major UX & Design Issues 4. **No Clear Call-to-Action on Homepage** - Visitors don't know what to *do* — no prominent buttons like "Apply for Certification," "Submit a Complaint," or "Download Standards" - Three quick-link buttons (Services, Forms, Gallery) are buried and generic 5. **Slider/Carousel with No Content** - A broken 4-slide hero carousel occupies prime real estate but communicates nothing - Should either be replaced with a static, impactful hero banner or fixed with real content 6. **No Mobile Optimization Evident** - Navigation collapses into a mobile menu but layout and asset loading suggest the site wasn't built responsively - Government sites have a diverse audience — mobile-first design is essential 7. **Search Bar Appears Twice** - The search input appears both in the top navigation and duplicated in the mobile menu — likely a template bug 8. **"We're on Facebook" Widget is Empty** - The Facebook embed section appears blank — the widget likely requires an API update or was never properly configured 9. **Useful Links Has a Typo** - "Goverment of Dominica" — missing the 'n' in "Government" --- ### 🟡 Content & Structural Gaps 10. **No About/Team Page Content Visible** - "Key Official" section has a broken photo and no name, title, or bio shown 11. **No Online Services or Forms Portal** - Forms page likely just offers PDF downloads — there is no digital submission pathway, which creates friction for users and staff 12. **No Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Basics** - No visible page titles, meta descriptions, or structured data — the site will rank poorly in Google for relevant searches like "Dominica product certification" 13. **Accessibility Concerns** - All images appear to have generic or missing alt text (e.g., "Logo of the Unit") - No skip-navigation links visible - Color contrast unknown but site appears low-effort in this area 14. **No Newsletter Signup / Contact Form** - Contact page likely lists only an email address — no web form, no live chat, no ticketing 15. **Standards Catalogue is a Raw PDF Link** - The Standards Catalogue is linked as a direct PDF file, not a searchable/filterable database — a major usability gap for the core function of a standards body --- ## IMPROVEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS ### Quick Wins (Week 1–2) - Fix the broken images (logos, slider, director photo) - Correct the "Goverment" typo - Add a real hero banner replacing the broken slider (static image + headline + CTA) - Update copyright year script - Add meta descriptions and page titles to all pages ### Short-Term (Month 1) - Publish 2–4 new news/events posts to show the organization is active - Add name, title, and bio to the Key Official section - Fix or remove the broken Facebook embed - Add a simple web-based contact form - Make the site mobile-responsive ### Medium-Term (Month 2–3) - Redesign homepage with clear CTAs for top user tasks (certifications, inspections, forms) - Convert the Standards Catalogue from a PDF to a searchable online catalogue - Add online form submission capability - Improve SEO across all pages - Add accessibility improvements (alt text audit, contrast check, skip-nav) ### Long-Term Vision - Build a self-service portal for businesses to apply for certifications, track status, and download certificates - Add a public standards database with filtering by category - Integrate a news/events calendar - Launch an email newsletter system --- ## OUTREACH EMAIL **To:** info@dominicastandards.org **Subject:** Website Improvement Proposal — dominicastandards.org --- Dear Dominica Bureau of Standards Team, I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I recently had the opportunity to review your website at dominicastandards.org. I have a background in web design and development, and I wanted to reach out with some observations and a genuine offer to help. Your organization plays a critical role in upholding the quality and credibility of Dominican goods and services, and I believe your website should reflect that importance. Based on my review, there are several issues currently affecting the site that I'd like to bring to your attention: **Immediate Issues:** - Hero images and unit logos are not loading, leaving key sections of the homepage visually blank - The most recent news item is from 2024, with the majority of news from 2022 — this may give visitors the impression that the bureau is inactive - The Facebook widget and director photo are not rendering - A typo appears in the footer links ("Goverment of Dominica") **User Experience Concerns:** - There are no clear calls-to-action to guide businesses and citizens toward your services - The site may not be fully optimized for mobile devices - The Standards Catalogue is a raw PDF link rather than an accessible online resource I have prepared a full audit with a phased improvement roadmap — from quick fixes to a longer-term vision for a modern, accessible, and functional government services website. I would love the opportunity to present these findings and discuss how I can support your team in improving the site. I am happy to schedule a brief call or send over the full audit document at your convenience. Thank you for the important work you do for Dominica. I look forward to hearing from you. Warm regards, [Your Name] [Your Email] [Your Phone / LinkedIn] --- *Reference: Full audit document available upon request*