It’s Time for a Website Audit
It’s that time of year when everyone dreads hearing that word. You know the one I mean. Audit. But there’s one audit you should embrace if your business has an online presence. An annual website audit should be an integral part of your business strategy; here are three reasons why.
1. Your website has a job to do, just like your employees
Most businesses have specific job descriptions, expectations and review policies in place for their employees. The same should be true for the digital employee, the website. An audit is the best way to determine if the site is doing its job. In order to answer that question and determine the efficacy of the website, you have to know:
- The purpose of the website and each page
- Specific expectations for each page
- How well each page is performing
2. Consumers are doing their research
That means they visit both online and bricks-and-mortar stores before they act. As part of their research, they’re looking at videos on how things work, reading consumer reviews and researching product information. A website audit, which objectively reviews the on-page content, will show you what your potential consumers see:
- Does the page have up-to-date and accurate information
- Are the user-generated reviews recent or stale
- Do all of the on-page links, both internal and external, work
- Are you offering your visitors videos and high-quality images
3. Be intentional about search engine optimization (SEO)
It’s one of those terms that everyone uses and few really understand. But a strong SEO strategy is imperative in today’s world of digital business. As part of a thorough audit of the website, evaluating your current SEO strategy is a central part of the process. Reviewing your website analytics during the audit will tell you:
- How are website visitors finding and moving through your website
- How well is your content converting visitors into customers
- What is the ROI for your website
Most people cringe when they think about an audit, but they should embrace it. An audit is an exciting discovery exercise which reveals the state of health for a critical business tool. After you complete it, you’ll know what’s working and what needs attention. And knowledge is power. Rather than hoping and praying that you’re doing it right, you’ll have solid data for this year’s strategic decisions.
If you’d like to know more about how to do an audit, or if you’d like to outsource it, let us know.
Enjoyed this post? Read other articles by Kathleen.
Kathleen Gossman—Project Manager
