Let’s talk audits...

What is a website audit?

And - more importantly - why does your business need one?

In a fast-paced digital world, a website shouldn’t be viewed as a static space on the internet - it’s your online digital hub, your knowledge base, and the place where all of your customers should be able to find out what they need. At least that’s how we feel.

A website should be a dynamic, ever-evolving entity that requires ongoing attention and care to keep it effective and relevant - just like your business, in fact. And, just as a routine health check is essential for maintaining our overall well-being, a website audit is crucial for ensuring your site performs optimally and aligns with your business goals.

So, what exactly is a website audit, and why should it be a part of your digital strategy?

Understanding a Website Audit

At its core, a website audit is a comprehensive ‘health check’ for your website. It provides an in-depth review of the site’s structure, performance, and content, assessing how well it is performing and how effectively it’s meeting your objectives. A good audit will evaluate key areas such as technical SEO, user accessibility, and content quality.

For example, search engines must be able to ‘crawl’ your site - scanning and indexing your content in order to show it in search results. An audit will determine whether your site is crawlable, indexed properly, and optimized to be found by potential customers. (For a deeper dive into website crawling, you can explore more here.)

But if you take anything away with you about why regular audits are important, let it be this: regular audits enable you to keep track of your website performance over time, allowing you to see the impact of any changes, address any issues that may have arisen, and better understand shifts in traffic and user engagement.

What does a website audit cover?

Website audits cover several core areas, each essential for a website's health and effectiveness:

1. Website performance/technical SEO

• Accessibility for search engines: Ensuring search engines can crawl, rank, and display your site in search results.
• Site speed and structure: Addressing load times, navigation, and the overall experience, as well as page indexing and crawlability.
• Mobile optimisation: Checking if your site offers a smooth experience on all devices, as mobile browsing grows steadily.

2. On-page SEO

• Optimised titles, descriptions, and keywords: Titles, meta descriptions, and keywords help search engines understand and rank your content. The audit will ensure keywords are well-utilised without ‘stuffing’.
• Content quality: Evaluating whether your pages contain valuable information for visitors.
• Linking strategies: Ensuring both internal and external links are relevant, working, and effective.

3. Backlinks

• External links to your site: Links from other websites boost your credibility, but low-quality or spammy links can harm your ranking. A good audit assesses both the quantity and quality of your backlinks.

4. Social media presence

• Platform optimisation: Examining the optimisation of your social profiles, from profile and cover images to bios and link placements.
• Content and engagement: Review whether your content resonates on each platform, post-performance, and engagement levels, as well as growth in followers or likes.

Why your business should invest in regular website audits

Audits aren’t a one-time exercise; they’re a recurring necessity. A regular website audit provides your business with insights that keep you informed about your digital presence, user engagement, and potential improvements. Here are some benefits:

• Traffic and performance data: Audits provide data on website performance, giving you insights into user engagement, traffic patterns, and visitor behaviour.
• Problem identification: Early identification of any current or potential issues helps you address them before they impact user experience or rankings.
• SEO improvements: With technical and on-page SEO insights, an audit highlights areas for improvement to keep your website competitive.
• Enhanced user experience: Understanding how visitors interact with your site can inform adjustments that increase engagement and conversions.
• Compliance and security checks: Ensuring that cookie policies and other compliance elements are in place is crucial for user trust and regulatory adherence.
• Actionable next steps: With a clearer view of your website’s strengths and weaknesses, an audit gives you a roadmap to prioritise improvements.

In the competitive online marketplace, an audit equips you with the data-driven insights you need to make your website a valuable asset.

Ready to make a website audit part of your regular business routine to keep your digital presence strong, user-friendly, and optimised for success? Get in touch with the team.