We talk to a lot of small business owners and most of them are incredibly smart, driven and creative people. However, most have no idea how to get real information that will inform their decision about making their online presence more effective.
A website audit can provide the analysis you need to make informed decisions about where to spend your time, energy and money.
We believe that every small business website should have a job. Most of the time the website’s job is to generate leads. Turning website browsers into buyers is called “conversion”.
The overall purpose of a website audit is to help you take the next step in maximizing your conversion rate. A good website audit will cover the following item. Keep in mind there is no silver bullet. All of the following items work together to create a beautiful user experience and an effective website.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Visability
Gone are the days of just stuffing your site full of keywords. Today’s search algorithms consider everything from page load speed, to broken links, to meta descriptions. A website audit will pinpoints strengths and areas of concern.
Website Messaging
Is your value proposition clear? Do your browsers instantly know what you offer and how to take advantage of your product or services.
Usability and Navigation
Is your site easy to navigate. Can they find what they’re looking for within 2-3 clicks? Does your site look good on smart phones? All of these factors will effect the number of people who stay on your site as well as your search rankings.
Site Security
This is especially important if you are collecting customer information. Do you have secure hosting, are your plugins and themes up to date? Hackers target out of date sites all the time. A website audit will identify those weak spots.
Next Steps
A good website audit doesn’t just show you what is wrong with your site, it guides your through the next right steps for your business. It gives you insight into impact of each item, which helps your prioritize the most important things to upgrade the health of your website.
Ready to take action?
Center Street offers a comprehensive WordPress Website Audit that runs a myriad of tests. At the end of the audit you’ll get a detailed report that you can take with you.
A website audit is a great first step toward having an effective website that helps you grow your small business. Start making informed decisions today.