Often, when a new client comes to us with a problem – maybe they are losing out on conversions, have seen their search position decline, or can’t figure out whether they need a new web presence or not – the first thing we advise is a website audit. This is not always greeted with the kind of enthusiasm we would hope for.
At the heart of the issue is the fact that most business owners don’t really understand what a website audit is, or why they might need one. And so, they think it could be a waste of time or an underhanded way to sell them something. To help clear up any of those misconceptions, today we want to tell you what a website audit is really about, and why you probably need one…
A Website Audit is a Look Under the Hood
A website audit is similar (conceptually) to a financial audit. It just means having a professional web design team evaluate your pages, and the underlying code, to see how things are performing. It includes a look at the structure of your site, as well as all of your content and the relevant analytics. It’s perfect for assessing the health of your web presence.
It’s a Great Way to Get a Fresh Perspective
Business owners tend to have two problems when assessing their own websites. The first is that they don’t have the technical background to understand everything they see. The second is that they are too close to the challenge. They simply don’t see things that are right in front of them because they are too familiar with the issues. That’s why having a creative professional take a fresh look can be invaluable.
There Could be Technical Issues Bogging Your Website Down
There are a lot of reasons a website might load slowly, stop generating conversions, or rank poorly on search engines. Things like broken internal links, content duplication, and bad hosting are all common culprits. So are errors with mobile coding or issues with plug-ins. These are the kinds of things we can find and fix during a routine website audit.
A Good Website Audit Includes an SEO Review
You probably want to improve your visibility on Google as part of your ongoing web marketing efforts. With an in-depth website audit, our team can analyze your incoming search traffic, assess any technical problems with your site, and find areas for improvement. When they’re all done, you’ll have a plan you can use to bring more buyers to your website going forward.
Website Audits Lead to Cost-Effective Solutions
In contrast, to be a sales tool, a good website audit can often reveal simple problems with easy solutions. In other words, having a professional web designer take a deep look at your existing web presence might be what’s needed to figure out you don’t need a re-designed site. More often than not, there are more affordable solutions to pursue.
If you’ve not had a professional website audit before, the insights you need to grow your company online might be closer than you think. Why not call us today to see if we can uncover some new ways to improve your site?