Your website is a critical component of your business or organization, but it may not always get the attention it deserves.
We get it, it happens.
The good news is that it’s quick and cost-effective to undertake a website audit to identify new or missed opportunities, remain compliant, and maximize the value of your site.
Maximizing Your Website
The internet moves fast.
It’s easy to fall behind on changes to cookies and the death of internet explorer or to lose track of the alphabet soup of internet regulations (GDPR, CPA, WTF… OK, we made up that last one). But if you’re not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and a number of other requirements, you could run into problems.
Instead of reacting to all of these fast-moving changes, we encourage a proactive approach. Don’t wait until you’re facing fines or lawsuits to take action. You should actively monitor, adjust, and invest time into ensuring your website remains functional, compliant, dynamic, and visually appealing.
Clearing clutter leads to better performance, security, and customer satisfaction while avoiding legal and regulatory challenges.
That’s where an audit comes in. Here’s what you’ll want to consider:
1. Technical Audit
From a technical perspective, we’ll make sure you’re aware of and in compliance with the latest web standards that impact you. This can include internet-wide updates like Chrome’s removal of third-party cookies as well as general ADA compliance and privacy regulations. During a technical audit, we also review your overall site performance as well as third-party apps and integration you may be using.
2. Design Audit
In addition to a general design audit (using your brand standards as a guide), we use tools like HotJar to evaluate the site for UX optimizations. We’ll also ensure you’re meeting the latest ADA standards and that your website is accessible.
3. Content Audit
Your content should reflect your current offerings and always be geared toward your evolving audience(s). In addition to a more tactical review of the basics (misspellings, broken links, etc.), an audit is a great time for us to do a general review of how the site is living up to your content strategy. Need a strategy update? We have Discovery Workshops to help with that too!
Through the audit process and beyond, you should monitor metrics including SEO scores, page speed score, engagement, and conversion rates. (Side note: make sure your team is aligned on metrics!)
Oftentimes, an audit can lay the groundwork before undergoing a broader website update. If you’re considering making large changes to your site or doing a full redesign, we HIGHLY recommend performing an audit beforehand. It will save you a lot of wasted time and help you make much more confident (and data-driven) decisions along the way!
Positioning for the Future
Before you get too caught up thinking about the next big project, make sure to put another set of eyes on your website as it stands today.
A wide-ranging audit will provide deep insights into the state of your website and how it should be evolving. It’ll give you a better website that keeps you in compliance, delivers valuable data-driven insights, and serves your customers.
Without it, you could be at risk of poor customer engagement on your website, or even fines and lawsuits from a compliance standpoint.
At Makeway, we know what to look for, where the pitfalls lay, and what a strong gameplan entails. After an audit is completed, we’re able to help you implement the plan that aligns with the investment you’re looking to make.
We also recommend you make an ongoing commitment to clearing clutter and boosting site performance. Even if you just completed a full overhaul, ongoing maintenance is a good idea because you’ll get better performance, security, and customer satisfaction.
Let us provide you with the insights and strategies you need to keep your website performing at its peak, ensuring compliance, enhancing user experience, and driving better results for you. Reach out to makeway.is/contact and see if it’s time for a website audit.
