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Every website can use an audit from time to time. Whether it’s out of date, not functioning correctly, or the content isn’t entirely clear – sometimes small updates or even a full redesign is necessary.
This is why we’ve compiled our very own Hey Now! Media website audit checklist – our list of how we decide if a website is a top tier. These steps may vary at other companies, however, we’ve found this to be an incredibly effective way to review a site. Let’s start ticking some boxes – here we go!
1. Reviewing Design / Development
A. Does the design match the brand?
Everything on your website should be cohesive and flow nicely. All branding should remain consistent – including graphics, fonts, content, and more.
B. Is the site dated in appearance or functions?
You can usually tell just by looking at your website if it could use some freshening up. This could just be a few simple changes or may require a full redesign depending on how outdated your site is and how it was designed.
C. Do any graphics appear pixelated or blurry?
You want all of your graphics to be at a 2x resolution, this way they look sharp no matter what platform you’re using to visit your website. This is an easy fix – check out our blog ____ to find out how!
D. Are all of the pages consistent in appearance?
You don’t want one page on your website to be the “oddball” out. Your website visitors will notice this, trust us!
2. Reviewing UI/UX
A. Is there a clear understanding of what the site is trying to accomplish?
Whether this is getting you to purchase their product, lead generation, or just an educational tool – this goal should be clear immediately when you visit the website.
B. Can users easily navigate through the site?
This is pretty self-explanatory, you don’t want to have any trouble when navigating through your website. This is a clear sign that something is broken.
C. Is there a core Call to Action button on the page?
Every website should have a can’t miss call to action that is bold and in the first fold. But that’s not all, you must then include plenty more CTA’s throughout each page of your site.
D. Do we offer proper incentives for users to submit information?
Whether this be a discount code, access to material, a newsletter, and more – customers don’t want to give their information to just anyone, there needs to be a reason!
3. Reviewing Responsive Breakdown
A. Does the site break down responsively across standard desktop, mobile, and tablet widths?
No matter what platform you are visiting your website on you want it to work effectively and look up to par.
B. Does the top navigation change to reflect an easier way to visit pages on mobile devices?
You may have noticed that many websites navigate much differently on mobile than desktop, this is to make the visitor experience easier and more effective.
C. Is all content available across desktop, mobile, and tablet?
Your visitors should be able to access your website from ANY platform, if they can’t – we need to go in and readjust.
D. Are there any differences in how pages or functions are displayed in various browsers?
There may be small differences in the appearance of your website on different platforms. However, it should be easily recognizable that you are on the same page, regardless of the device you are on.
4. Reviewing Content / SEO
A. Are there any spelling mistakes or inconsistencies in how something is written?
This can quickly make people lose trust in your business. Be sure your content is being spell checked and proofread by multiple people.
B. Is any content hidden in collapsible containers or carousels?
You don’t want your content to be difficult to find, your website can be visually appealing without being confusing to the user.
C. Have the various headline classes been properly set up for optimal search engine crawling tools?
Be sure to utilize H1, H2, H3, etc. headers in order to properly set up SEO on your website. This will ensure your website ranks higher on search engines.
How many boxes were you able to check off? If you can’t say all of them, you may need to go back to the drawing board. You don’t have to go through this alone, we know updating your website can be overwhelming and maybe even a little scary.
