Does this Web site work? Eastern New Mexico University (www.enmu.edu). (First Click).

BEST FEATURES

* The home page navigation system is right on target. It's set up by information resources and audience links. Similarly, the sub-page navigation is consistent and the "breadcrumb" feature (ENMU >Campus Services> Admissions Information) is also a great addition.

* Essential information and navigation tools are placed within a browser "safe area" of 600 x 300 pixels, and do not exclude users with smaller screens, or those with laptops.

* The site is effective in its use of alternate text for browsers that fail to load images, as well as for visually disabled viewers requiring text readers.

* Pages are consistent in format, neat and clean, and presented in a simple drill-down outline of click-on links. (No garbage to wade through.) And if you don't want to use the links format to find what you need, Site Search on every page and can get you directly to what you want.

* The overall color scheme is pleasant and consistent. For the most part, pages are nicely proportioned and spaced, contributing to an overall airy feel. There is consistency in style, typographic elements, and placement of navigation elements.

* High marks for "pushing" the campus visit on the home page with a Visit link embedded in the opening paragraph.

* Admissions information is very detailed and includes fee sheet, tuition waiver alerts, dining options, and educational requirements. The online application is also easy to fill out.

* The Student Life page explains in depth about social activities, provides an events calendar, describes various sports and support groups, etc., and gives contact information.

* The "Apply Now" button is a real boon. As a parent helping my child wade through many sites, drilling down through menu levels to get to that online application was a chore.

* The ability to e-mail the department chairs under each major is valuable.

NEEDS WORK

* In terms of accessibility, drop-down menus are inherently problematic, especially for those using older browsers and those requiring font sizes greater than the default.

* The site is lacking an easily accessible general e-mail, or Contact Us link.

* The small links in lower left-hand corner of home page look like an afterthought. They take you to ENMU Roswell, an Instruction Center, and the radio station, but once there, you can't get back to the home page unless you go into your browser's saved "Go" URL list. (My "Back" button would not even activate.) To avoid user frustration, simply provide a link that says "Back to ENMU Homepage."

* Be careful that art doesn't indicate a function that's not there. On the home page, "Welcome to ENMU" and "ENMU Top Stories" look like they are buttons, and I kept clicking on them until I realized that they were just headings. On a Web site, people think that anything that looks like a button is a button. (Check other pages for this confusing button art, as well.)

* The user is forced to choose between three competing columns on the home page. Interior pages, which are devoid of this extra column, read more clearly.

* At times, the site is difficult to read because it uses light green rollover effect over white text on a dark green background, and light green on gray background. But there is not enough contrast between green and gray. The Quick Links are also difficult to read because they are tiny and serifed.

* Beyond "high quality, low-cost," we don't learn much about ENMU, its students, faculty, or alumni. More distinctive positioning is needed to deliver the university's marketing messages. The site is also lacking student opinions of the school or thoughts on school life, etc.

* The inquiry form is buried. And the completion response isn't very compelling: "Thank you for filling out the form. We will be contacting you shortly." Will I get stuff in the mail? E-mail? Will someone call me?

SUGGESTIONS

* Implement a general info e-mail link accessible from either the home page, or a related page, such as the About ENMU page.

* Develop a navigation system that eliminates the use of drop-down menus.

* Keep type simple, sans serif, not stylized, and make it large enough to read.

* Redesign the Apply Now button. I almost missed it because it looked like a caption under the right-hand visual. Now, that should have looked like a button, and should have been free-standing, not looking like part of a motif.

* Use more photography to deliver a stronger sense of place.

* Don't forget about decision influencers--parents. Parents and students use the Internet together and independently to build a short list of schools and winnow out top contenders. Most parents will be pleased to see content areas developed with their specific concerns: cost, safety, and value. How about including parent-to-parent communication via chat rooms and guided forums, or current student/parent profiles?

* Use alternative voices to tell the ENMU story and deliver marketing messages. Who fits in well at ENMU? I was hoping to learn about some of the university's faculty stars, read success stories about alumni, and stories about (and viewpoints of) current students. Prospective applicants also look for photos of current students, e-mail links, chat opportunities, and student Web sites, to get information "under the radar" of the university.

* Deliver an alphabetical list of the undergraduate programs available, with links to pages that give greater detail on the major, faculty, and outcomes of successful graduates. Don't expect prospective students to understand the academic structure of the university's programs.

* Make the virtual tour more visible and accessible, and promote it on the homepage with its own button. It's what all prospective students want to see first. (I had to drill down two levels to find it.) In addition, the tour captions should play prominently alongside the visuals, not in microscopic print in a band at the bottom of the page. And prospective students need more information, per page, about the school.

WEB SITE EVALUATION PANEL

Stephanie Geyer directs Web Site Development and E-communications Services for Noel-Levitz, consultants, specializing in higher ed student recruitment, financial aid, student retention, market research, publications, and Web development.

Bret Goodwin is currently a senior at Bristol Eastern High School in Connecticut.

Kathy Grayson is the parent of a recently prospective college student.

Ken Lalli is professor of Web and Graphic Design at Norwalk Community College, CT, and is a freelance Web designer.

Liz LeFrancois is a guidance counselor at Bristol Eastern High School in Connecticut.