Just like a car needs regular maintenance, your business’s website needs a review to ensure that it is performing to the best of its capabilities. Whether you have noticed a reduction in visitor numbers, or are responding to feedback from customers, reviewing your website is a business necessity. Here are 6 critical elements of your website that you need to review:
The Aesthetic Design
The design of your website may have been suitable for your business when you first established your online presence, but it may not be the best visual representation of your business now that you are more established.
Fashions change with the seasons, and while your website design has had more than longevity than that, if you haven’t updated the design for a few years, you risk your brand being damaged if it is perceived as being stuck in the past. It’s good practice to review the aesthetic appeal of your website periodically, especially if your business has changed focus over the years. Nowadays good website design consists of:
- Making use of white space
- The use of neutral colors
- Replacing stock imagery with bespoke photos
SEO
The content that you display on your content should also be reviewed. Over time, the keywords that you have used to target your audience may have lost their power. By reviewing the content of your website, you will be able to identify broken links, underperforming keywords, and technical aspects of your website that breach search engine guidelines; all of which can reduce the site’s search engine ranking position. Parxavenue provides SEO services for websites to boost their performance through technical SEO, off-page and on-page SEO, Pay Per Click (PPC) and more. If you are ever unsure on which SEO method would suit your business, always ask the professionals.
TIP: Review any outdated information. You may be able to edit it to make it more relevant to your target rather than delete it altogether.
Device Compatibility
How people access the internet has changed dramatically over the years. Most people now use mobile devices to access websites, so you need to make sure that yours is compatible for a wide selection of devices (and even browsers such as Explorer, Chrome, Safari and Firefox).
Websites that are not responsive to different devices are not looked on favorably by the search engines, so it is essential that you test your website on different devices and platforms.
Security and Bugs
Malware attacks can cause irreparable damage to your website and your business’s reputation. Failure to review the security of your website can compromise it and make it vulnerable to attack. You need to make sure that updates are installed as soon as they are released.
Check out the security credentials of your hosting company to confirm that they still provide a quality service. Questions to ask your hosting company include:
Do you isolate hosting accounts from each other?
The answer you want is yes! If companies fail to isolate accounts, hackers can access the files of connected accounts.
How often do you back up the site, and how long do you keep it for?
In the worst-case scenario, you need to be able to restore your website and data from a recent version quickly.
Your hosting company plays a critical role in providing security for your website, so if you are unhappy with the answers you receive, change hosting company.
Legal Notices
If you have European visitors to your site, you will be aware of the GDPR regulations that came into force on May 25th, 2018. Failing to comply with GDPR can mean that you face a fine for breaching privacy laws. It is good practice to review your privacy policy, terms and conditions and any other disclaimers that may apply to your industry or niche so that you avoid breaking any regulations or laws.
Test Calls to Action, Forms, and Checkout
Calls to action, contact forms, and the checkout process are important elements of your website for generating profit. You need to make sure that all are performing as you intend. It can be easy to neglect to test these, but they are crucial to your business’s success by eliminating visitor frustration and converting visitors to consumers.
Regular website maintenance is essential in order to maximize its performance. The digital world is fast-moving and to maintain your ranking and competitive position in the marketplace, it is important that you ensure that your website is optimized for success.
