A Quick 5 Step Website Check Up
It's that time of year when we start to think about the past 11.5 months. We review things and think about what could have been done differently, what could have been better, what was great, and what we're proud of. In light of that, it seems like the perfect time to do a little year-end website check up. Don't wait until your site is on life support to identify areas of improvement. So here it is, your year-end top 5 website checklist:
- 1.
Do you have a mobile-friendly website?
It's clear that mobile-friendly responsive website design is not a trend. It's essential to keeping your site current, keeping your bounce-rates under control, improving SEO and staying relevant. Pew Research Center data from 2014 shows that 58% of Americans own a smartphone and 42% own a tablet. That's a lot of mobile usage. And going responsive doesn't mean having a separate site. With the right web development, you can have one site that recognizes what size screen (phone, tablet, laptop, desktop) the user is accessing it from and responds accordingly, displaying your site in optimal view. - 2.
Is your website well designed and easy to navigate?
If you have trouble locating information on your site, odds are your audience does too. In fact, according to SME Web Statistics, 48% of people cited a website's design as the #1 factor in deciding the credibility of a business. Take a look at your site from a strangers point of view. - 3.
How long does it take to find your contact info?
The answer should be less than 2 seconds (and zero clicks). Users should be able to access your contact information from any page on your site. It's a good practice to include contact information in the upper right corner of your homepage. Including contact information in the footer, which shows on every page, is a must. From mobile devices, users should be able to click the contact info to call, email or start a chat. All of these elements should be included in your website design. - 4.
Would you know within seconds of visiting your site what your organization does?
You should. Would you know what to do after visiting your site? Should you donate, check out testimonials, request a quote, pay your bill, shop? It should be immediately obvious to your visitors. If it's not, it might be time to make some adjustments. Well placed icons, text, and graphic design elements can all help to illustrate a clear call to action. - 5.
When was the last time content on your site was updated?
If it has been a while your site might be looking dated and your search engine rankings are sure to suffer. You want to be able to easily update your site with current information quickly and cost effectively. Search engines (and your audience) love new content. You should easily be able to edit, post and remove things like staffing changes, webinars, industry events, news, product offerings and more. The outside audience should never know that it was done by your internal staff; things like formatting issues, font inconsistencies, and graphic quality are obvious to the public and can damage your credibility and brand. A good CMS (Content Management System) will allow almost anyone you grant access to to make edits to your site, and with easy to use templates, the end result should be seamless.
So, how does your site measure up? Is it time to make some improvements? Whether it's a complete overhaul or easy updates (like adding a corporate blog or events calendar), these changes can make a big difference in lending credibility to your organization and enhancing your brand. This checklist just provides a quick snapshot of what your site needs to stay healthy and competitive in 2015, but there are a host of other things to think about, like photos, typography, and social connectivity. Get in touch with the website design and development experts at Greenleaf Media to begin bringing your website back to life.
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