In a world of digital modes of payment, shopping, meeting, playing and more, one must know the significance and the role applications and websites play in our lives. Be it a business, blog, or shopping experience, websites today play a remarkable role in our lives. So, if you’re a web developer, there are a few aspects such as website auditing that can help you manage the website in a much more efficient way.
While most of us know how to visit a website and navigate through it, there are people who find it difficult to interpret the content of a website. For those, websites and documents are often made accessible or are created to meet standards set by the governments. When it comes to managing a website, one ought to know how to audit it to eliminate unnecessary issues related to it.
First, let us understand what exactly is website auditing
A website audit basically helps SEO specialists, or digital marketing personnel, assess and analyze the issues related to a website. A site audit can help them isolate site errors, understand areas of opportunities and development, and conduct keyword research. This activity helps gain meaningful insight into competitor strength. Several businesses carry out website audits regularly to improve the quality and quantity of traffic on the website.
Let us, therefore, check out 4 aspects to consider while auditing a website.
1. The content
Most of us have visited websites where the content was so unreadable and irrelevant that we had to close the site down. It is needless to mention that content can play a pivotal role when used relevantly and, in an error-free manner. This is one of the most significant aspects of auditing a website. It is the content which connects businesses and potential customers. So as a business owner, or digital marketer, one must ensure that the content is error-free and valuable to the readers.
Therefore, for the purpose of keeping the content error-free, one must consider checking spelling and grammatical errors, looking for paragraph density, inserting bullet points, using images to support content, creating whitespace and using bold headlines. These are a few things that make the content look flawlessly appealing. Social media managers and marketers unavoidably implement these ideas to increase traffic on a website.
2. Design
The design is yet another significant factor to consider while auditing a website. Like the content, the design ensures improved traffic on a website. Several web design practices and elements determine how you publish the content on the website, which ultimately affects the SEO.
Further, an effective web design also sets the first impression. It’s a known fact that customers today will spend only the first few seconds on a new website and decide whether to stay on it further or not. So, a flawless design helps the website get a positive impression from the prospects.
Lastly, the web design will also set the impression of great customer service. Potential customers will judge how you will treat them by looking at your website. It gives them an insight into how you view your customers. Thus, it is imperative that you have an impressive web design. For this purpose, you must maintain continuity between texts and images, have links guiding from page to page, incorporate whitespace, use bold headers and bullet points and maintain consistency throughout the website. For the purpose of designing the site effectively, one can reach out to web accessibility consultants.
3. Lead generation
While designing plays a vital role, one must also optimize the website to include lead generation tools. Lead generation includes attracting and converting target audiences that have shown interest in the business into customers. Digital marketers make use of social media posts, coupons, and blogs to generate leads. Lead generation not only helps increase business opportunities but also helps build visibility.
Whether you’re a start-up or an established business, creating meaningful and relevant content for the customers will help attract more prospects and increase the business’s visibility. Lead generation also helps boost revenue and increase customer reviews.
To generate leads through the website, one must check the number, placement and relevance of the call-to-action. Have CTAs on every page, make sure they are compelling and don’t forget to have a blog subscription CTA too.
4. Website Accessibility
Website accessibility is a requirement that a document or website must be accessible to those with disabilities.
Website accessibility is another remarkable factor to consider while auditing a website. One ought to know the web accessibility norms set by governments. It is essential to know that implementing these strategies for site auditing can also help screen readers and cognitively disabled persons.
Many countries have enacted laws to ensure that the disabled are treated equally. Hence, website accessibility compliance is a notable factor to consider while auditing a website as the website accessibility norms vastly overlap with the factors for site auditing mentioned above. So, while auditing a website, one must ensure proper adherence to these standards.
Conclusion
Auditing a website can, therefore, help businesses realize their flaws and strengths. It also helps them strategize, grow and eliminate errors.