What is a Website Audit? Why Do I Need One?

All too often, a small business owner is referred to Kreative Solutions and explains “I already have a website. I need help with marketing and selling more.” Since every project begins with a website design or redesign at Kreative Solutions, this scenario can go one of two ways:

  1. If the current website is truly awesome and optimized to help the business owner reach their goals, Kreative Solutions will gladly pass the referral onto one of the amazing marketers in our network.
  2. If the current website needs work and the business owner is open to suggestions, Kreative Solutions will recommend a Website Audit and go from there.

As a tangible and data-based tool, a website audit can be enlightening and exhibit the need for a website redesign.

What is a Website Audit?

A website audit evaluates the effectiveness of your website. Our website audit focuses on the following 5 factors:

  1. User experience – The strategic process of user experience and design aims to enhance a website by integrating visual elements, promoting usability and accessibility, fostering user-friendliness, and leveraging an intuitive design.
  2. Digital branding – Branding is the process of translating the intangible brand perception into a tangible brand identity. A logo is a great starting point, but there is much more to your brand identity. Consistency is key for brand recognition. Brand recognition is a prerequisite to creating brand awareness and eventually building brand loyalty.
  3. Conversion Optimization – Conversion optimization is the process of increasing the percentage of website visitors who take the desired action. It is all about designing your website to fit the customer’s journey to increase the number of visitors who take the desired action (i.e. sending a contact form request, purchasing a product, signing up for a demo, etc.).
  4. Search engine optimization (SEO) – Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the online visibility of a website in the organic, unpaid search results. The higher your search engine ranking, the greater the website’s exposure and potential traffic. SEO helps your consumers and prospects find your business online.
  5. Performance and technology – To improve the visitor’s experience and increase conversions, make sure your website is secure and performing as expected. The technology directly influences performance!

Each of the five sections detail key factors that influence the effectiveness of your website. Your website will receive one of the following grades for each factor:

  • Proficient – This factor is implemented and performing well.
  • Developing – This factor is a work in progress and can be improved.
  • Incomplete – This factor is not implemented or not performing correctly.

The grades will highlight your website’s strengths, areas for improvement, and weaknesses. To help you prioritize, each of the factors range from high impact to low impact based on how much the factor influences your website’s conversion and search engine rankings.

From there, it is completely up to you to implement and improve your website accordingly. A website audit is a great way to build a case for an investment into a website redesign.

Why do I need a Website Audit?

Here are a few great reasons for considering a website audit:

  1. Identify Strengths & Weaknesses – A website audit will highlight the website strengths that you want to ensure carry over to the new website, but also the website weaknesses that can be improved upon in the new website.
  2. Build a Case for a Website Redesign – A website is expensive. All-to-often, excuses are made and the investment is pushed off indefinitely into the future. With a website audit, you have tangible and data-based recommendations to share with key decision makers.
  3. Identify the Right Provider for You – A website audit is a great way to vet potential web designers. The website audit can shed light on the website provider’s priorities. Some web developers are all about the code, while sacrificing content marketing and search engine optimization. Others are all about the marketing while leveraging website tools and platforms for optimal performance.

Are you convinced yet? If you are curious to see the details of our website audit, you download a blank copy below. For a full analysis of your website, contact us for a website audit.