How long has it been since your website went live? Most people are super into the details of their website when it is under construction, but then tend to forget about it as time goes on. We recommend reviewing your website at least once a year to make sure it is doing everything you want it to do…we’ve put together a quick list of things to check…
Does your website have a secure certificate?
Secure certificates (or SSL) used to only be recommended for ecommerce websites. All a secure certificate does is scramble data in transit between your website and another. So when customer’s enter their credit cards details and then that information is sent to the payment gateway provider the information is safe. However most browsers will now check websites for a secure certificate and tell users that the site may be unsafe if the site doesn’t have one, so unfortunately if you don’t want to lose visitors pretty much all websites now need a secure certificate. It does have the benefit of securing personal data (like names and email addresses) sent in any forms on your website too.
Is your website responsive?
Most people are now familiar with the term ‘responsive’ – it means that your website layout will adjust to fit a user’s screen if they are on a mobile phone. Not only is this great for users (as at least 50% of website visitors these days are likely to be on mobile), but it is also one of those things that Google likes to see. If your website was built more than 5 years ago it may not be responsive and unfortunately it is also likely that you will need a rebuild and not just a few tweaks. However even responsive websites need adjustments as devices and browsers change, so take some time to check your website still works well on mobile.
Is your website clear about what you offer?
This is an interesting one because it is rare to find a website that doesn’t have any mention of what a business does (not impossible though). However sometimes, and especially if the content was written in-house, the website is not very clear to consumers. You are experts in your industry and at what you do, but make sure that your content is clear to ALL of your prospective customers. Also ensure that the process is made obvious for clients.
Does your website offer evidence of what you do?
Now this is something that is often missing from websites. As mentioned above it is rare to find a website that doesn’t say what you do. However prospects need convincing to get in touch, or buy, and this is often missing. Users want to see a portfolio, case studies, client stories, reviews, testimonials… whatever works in your industry to demonstrate that you can do what you say you can.
Does your website demonstrate that you are experts?
Another part of the perfect website that is often left out, is demonstrating expertise. It is all very well to say you know what you are talking about, but can you prove it. The best way to do this is with a blog (ta-da) or an expert advice or tips section. Remember that if this section is dated then you need to commit to updating it regularly otherwise it looks unprofessional.
Does your website have clear call to actions?
A call to action is where you tell the user what they should do next. So firstly you want to push users from one section of the website to another, for example from a service page to a case study or a blog that relates to that service, or from a product page to related products or reviews. You also want to let users know what they should do if they have decided to get in touch. In a product based business this will be straight forward – add to basket, but make sure the process of checking out is straight forward. In a service based business do you want them to call? email? fill out a form? Ensure it is clear and easy to do.
Do all the links work and is everything spelt correctly?
Great job for an intern or apprentice…they can familiarise themselves with your company whilst checking the basics are right.
Does your website have analytics and do you check website visitor statistics regularly?
There are lots of analytics packages out there, but the most commonly used is Google Analytics. Does your website have it and do you check it so you know what’s working and what isn’t. You can read our tips on Google Analytics here…
How do I get Google Analytics?
What stats should I look at on Google Analytics?
Does your website have a Privacy Policy and Cookies notice (if applicable)
If you collect personal data on an enquiry form in your website you are legally obliged to have a Privacy Policy. If your website uses Cookies (Google Analytics uses them, so if you’ve installed that then it does) then you are legally obliged to have a Cookies notice…make sure you do.
So that’s it… we offer a User Experience report on your website, which checks all these things as well as much more and gives you a tick list of things to think about or fix… get in touch if you would like to know more (and that is how you do a call to action…)