We believe it’s critical to regularly take pause and assess your company’s online presence. This includes reviewing your website to see where there is room for improvement or updates.
Your website sets the tone for your customer experience. While the old adage may be, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” people definitely judge a business by its website. Here are a few things to be mindful of when reviewing your website. (Note: This is by no means an all-inclusive list!)
Easy to find on search engines. A website can only be “good” if people can find it! How often do you search your business on Google to see where it ranks? It’s also important to check your Google Analytics to gauge how visitors are finding your site and what they are clicking on most. This data can help inform future decisions you make about your website, such as refreshing the content and navigation. This information can also help guide the decisions you make about any online advertising you choose to do to generate more traffic.
Mobile friendly. These days, websites must be built with the mobile experience in mind. Google reports that Google searches occur more often on a smartphone than a computer in the U.S. Content should be easy to navigate, and key pieces of information — such as how to contact you — should be quick to spot no matter which page a visitor is on.
HTTPS encrypted. Now, the Google Chrome browser marks all websites that are still HTTP as “not secure” and warns visitors before they can click into that site. This will undoubtedly deter individuals from visiting an unsecure site.
Fresh content. While this may seem obvious, it’s important to stress: Keep your website up to date. We often see people with great intentions launch a new website, only to have content go stale months later. If you offer a holiday discount that is still on your homepage come flip-flop season, it’s likely time to reassess your web management. This also goes for features like a blog; while it’s a wonderful tool to reach audiences, your website looks less credible if you haven’t updated it since 2015.
Strongly represents your brand. We think it’s important to regularly assess your website to make sure it strongly represents your brand identity and supports your market positioning. Does your website reflect what your brand stands for? Does it show your potential customers who you are as a company and what makes you different? Does your website successfully communicate your company culture to potential employees who may be interested in joining your team? As your brand evolves, it’s important that your website evolves with it.
Links to your social media accounts. People are on your website because they want to interact with your business. Keep them engaged by linking out to your company’s social media pages. As with previous points, make sure these social media pages are updated often; don’t just have one to have one.
Clearly written (and proofed!) copy. Avoiding grammatical and spelling errors on your site is critical. Your homepage reflects who you are as a business, and it should be as professional as possible. A professional copywriter will hear about your company’s history, offerings and mission, and develop text that accurately reflects the message you want to convey in the tone you’d like.
Clean look and easy to navigate. We understand there may be a lot of information you want to communicate to your potential and current customers. But information coming at readers in all directions does not make for a pleasant visitor experience. Plus, having widgets and videos housed right on your website (rather than embedding a video from YouTube, for example) can make a website slower to load. People may simply get frustrated and close out of the browser before they explore what your business is all about.
Ready to take an audit of your company’s website? We’d love to hear from you.