The new year is the perfect time for a website review so we have put together a Website Review Checklist for you.
It could have been a significantly long time since you reviewed your website (or possibly even looked at it!) but fear not! Our ‘Website Review Checklist’ will guide you through those all-important steps so you can be confident that your website is ‘good to go’!
Let’s get going. Here is our Website Review Checklist:
Review your content
It’s a new year, so have a quick check that you have no ‘this year’ or ‘last year’s in your copy (and check your footer copyright is up to date if you have one). And why not take this opportunity to re-read your content (let’s be honest, when do you think you last read it?) and make sure it’s still relevant, current and says what you want it to? Pay close attention to your call-to-actions too. Do they still have the same impact as they once had or does the wording or location need changing?
Conduct a user check
No website review checklist is worth its salt unless you actually try our your own site. Go through it with a fine tooth comb; check all of the call-to-actions, page links and send yourself an inquiry from your contact page. We also recommend asking a few ‘fresh eyes’ to use your website. You get used to seeing what you are expecting to see, people unfamiliar with your website could have valuable feedback that you have overlooked. Don’t forget to use it on your mobile too. Responsiveness is so crucial these days.
Evaluate your home page
Your home page is essentially your shop window. It needs to grab the attention of your visitor, answer their immediate questions and, most importantly, entice them to ‘browse’ other areas of your website. Now you’ve had a good look at your content and a good explore of your own site (and maybe had some objective feedback) is your home page hitting all the right spots? Does it clearly, and professionally, communicate what you do, where you are , who you are and why you worth their attention? This is a crucial part of the Website Refview Checklist as it is the first thing your ucstomers will see.
Critique your testimonials
Do the testimonials you use on your website effectively convey your USPs? Are there any better ones you could use, or more recent ones? Have you even read all of your reviews on Google and Facebook? Taking the time to really concentrate on your customer reviews can help you pinpoint what you are doing so well (and what you can improve). Testimonials are often entirely under-valued and under-used. And, if you are thinking ‘what testimonials?’ then this should be your first new year ‘to do’s!
Step into your customer’s shoes
If you have an eCommerce site, this is essential (if you don’t have an eCommerce shop please skip to the next one!) Again, it is very easy to become alienated from your customer’s experience so it’s important to experience your shop just as they do. Do you experience any frustrations, any glitches? How does the check out work? What communication do you receive? Is it still reflecting your branding and tone? It is such a powerful exercise. We know you’ll get a lot from it. (Don’t forget to refund yourself afterwards!)
Analyse your analytics
Do you have Google Analytics installed and do you look at them? We can all be guilty of the latter but there is such a lot of information that you get from how people are using your site (and, if you don’t have analytics then definitely add this to your new year to-do list too). If you’re not sure how to do this, or what to look for, get in touch with your web designer/developer for advice as part of your website review. They’ll be able to set you up and explain the key indicators you should be looking for.
Look behind the scenes
You may need your web designers help here too (in fact, we’d recommend it) but one of the first thing you can do is to check you have the little padlock next to your domain in the address bar. This means you have an SSL certificate. and extra security. If you can’t see it, contact your web designer or hosting company immediately. If you have a WordPress site it is is also essential that you keep the plugins updated. Your web designer will also be help you ensure your website is data privacy compliant too.
Do a bit of SEO research
This is probably the hardest part of the Website Review Checklist. Start by thinking how your customers will search for you. (Hint; it may not be the way you would!) Have a bit of a play. Search for phrases that you think your clients may be using. How do you fair? Do you notice any words/phrases that keep appearing? Do you use them in your content? Take a look at your meta-description too (that’s the small bit of text below your company name on the search results page). You may need your web designers help on this – reach out. We’re always happy to help when our customer’s do.
Check your domain expiry
And lastly, do you know when your domain expires? In layman terms your domain is the name of your website (that people type into the address bar to get to you) We tend to look after this for our clients, even if they have bought it themselves but check with your web designer or your hosting company, and if you are in control of it, diarise it now! Set alarms! You don’t want to lose your domain name. In the words of Craig Revel Horwood, that would be a ‘Disaster darling’!
We know, our Website Review Checklist covers a fair bit but taking the time now could save you time and hassle later and increase your engagement and sales.
If you’d like some help, we offer a website review service to give you a helping hand.
You don’t need to be a current client, or to have had your website built with us, we can support new and existing clients.
We hope our Website Review Checklist has been helpful and if you’d like us to help you go through it, drop us an email at hello@adventuregraphics, or call us on 0121 354 1010. We’re more than happy to offer our advice free of charge.
Together we can get your website ‘new year ready’.
For all our website services click here.
