Have you ever experienced this:
Many people are visiting your website...
You have many customers purchasing from your eCommerce store...
Then suddenly, it starts decreasing even if you're not doing any changes.
People are rarely visiting your eCommerce site...
And there are fewer and fewer customers.
? Oh, no... oh, no, oh no no no no... ?
If you haven't experienced this yet, good for you!
But here's the thing...
You won't always have a steady stream of customers.
Because things are always changing in the eCommerce industry.
There are new strategies coming up...
Algorithms are fast-changing...
And there are software or social media updates that you need to keep up with.
That's why you need to conduct regular website audits to keep up with these changes and stay on top of the eCom game.
Okay, I know several questions are brewing in your mind right now.
And let's answer it one by one!
What Is A Website Audit?
A website audit is examining your eCommerce website.
The purpose of this is to ensure the usability and performance that might affect your customers' actions.
In other words, to find out what's working and not, you need to and how to improve your website performance.
And how to improve your website performance.
But that is not the only reason...
5 Reasons Why Website Audit Is A Must
1. To Ensure The Best Customer Experience
Did you know that businesses see an 80% increase in revenue if they focus on customer experience?
Yep. 80% is huge, right?
But that's how valuable customer experience is.
Because customer experience can enhance brand loyalty.
How? If you give your customers a seamless transaction and navigation on your website, they will keep coming back to you.
So, let's go back to what I mentioned above.
If you notice that you're not getting the same results and the numbers are decreasing, it's best to conduct a website audit already.
Maybe something hinders them from having a smooth user experience on the website.
And to find out, you need...
2. To Measure The Performance Of Your Website
A comprehensive audit helps in measuring the performance of your website.
You can check your site's speed, usability, and even analytics.
Why is this important, anyway?
Measuring the performance of your website can help you identify the gaps. This includes your Google Analytics performance.
For example, you have a high bounce rate. Then maybe it has something to do with your site speed. Or if not, perhaps it's your checkout process.
Figure it out.
Because to improve your website, you must know how you're performing first to identify the root cause.
Another reason why you need a website audit is...
3. To Spot Tiny Details
Attention to detail is essential if you want to conduct a technical audit.
You need to spot the nitty-gritty issues that might affect your website's performance.
So, what are these tiny but significant details?
- Broken links
- Broken images
- Outdated information pages
- Content inaccuracies
- Outdated content
Checking these is a must. Because what if you changed your business address but haven't updated the website yet?
Or, what if they want to see a product, but the image is not working? Or you're using incorrect internal links? These are affecting the user experience!
Make sure to get your magnifying glass and spot these details on your next website audit. ?
Another important reason is...
4. To Optimize For More Conversion
Conversion rate optimization is the process of tweaking your content to increase the number of people taking your desired action.
I mean, as an eCommerce brand owner, this is your goal. You need to convert your website visitors into customers.
And a website audit is one way to achieve this.
As I mentioned on the reasons above, you identify the problems to see why they're not working or vice versa.
And last but not least...
5. To Improve Your Entire Website
The primary goal of a website audit is this.
It's to improve your overall website.
This includes your design, site speed, user experience, usability, and everything else that matters.
Now, you're probably asking "how to do all these?"
I won't keep you waiting!
How To Conduct A Website Audit
1. Check Out Your Competitors' Websites
Competitor analysis is not just done in your social media or digital marketing strategy.
You need to do it on your website, too!
Why is this important in your website audit?
This is helpful because you can see what your competitors are up to. And what measures they're taking to ensure the efficiency of their website. ?
So, compare your website to your competitors. See what they're doing and apply your findings in your website optimization.
Don't copy them. Instead, how can you do it better?
Gather your insights and implement them to improve your website.
The next one is...
2. Use Audit Tools
Sure, you have your analyzing skills. But site audits also need tools for more accurate results and data.
This will help you improve your website by using data-backed insights.
What are these audit tools, by the way?
Using these, you can make your website audit less time-consuming, and you can improve immediately with more valuable insights!
Another thing is...
3. Check Website Speed
47% of customers expect your website to load within 2 seconds.
Yep. TWO.
And if it loads slowly, expect them to fly to your competitors' websites. ?
But you can definitely avoid this from happening by conducting a website audit regularly.
You should always check your website speed, not just the home page or how it looks. Try to click each button and see how long it takes to redirect you.
You can use Google's Pagespeed Insights to determine your page speed score.
And I have another solution for you...
Debutify has a Page Speed Booster Add-On that will help speed up your website and increase your conversion rate.
The next thing in your website audit checklist should be...
4. Distinguish Search Engine Optimization Problems
SEO audits should also be a part of your website audit.
Because if you want to rank higher on search engines and make your eCommerce website more discoverable, you have to make sure your website content is optimized.
That's why SEO website audit is important. It helps improve your brand visibility through search engines.
So, how to do this? The answer is a content audit.
This is helpful because you can avoid duplicate content. Check if you have the same content as other websites or your previous content.
Another is to check your meta descriptions and page title.
These are also helpful in ranking you in search engines, so make sure to optimize them as well.
Again, you can use an SEO audit tool to make your life easier, like SEMrush and Google Search Console.
Conducting an SEO website audit ensures the possibility of ranking higher in search results.
And now, we're down to our last two tips!
5. Look Into Your Website Design
Website design is just as important as technical audits and website performance details.
Why? Because you need a website look that conveys your brand message and communicates with your target market.
Also, your website design isn't about how pretty it looks. It should be user-friendly, too.
Remember, you're conducting a website audit because you're putting your customers first.
Another question is... does your website present a strong brand identity?
If not, check if your brand message and website are aligned through these:
- Color palette
- Fonts
- Images
- Elements
- Texts
These should portray your brand accurately because having a solid brand identity separates you from your competitors.
After analyzing these, answer these questions:
- Do you need to revamp your entire website look?
- Do you need to incorporate your brand designs with your social media accounts?
- Do you need to reposition the buttons to give your customers a smooth online shopping experience?
You can also use the Debutify theme to make sure you can have an excellent website without neglecting its functionality. ?
So, our last tip is...
6. Conduct A Website Security Audit
The privacy and security of your users should always come first.
And this includes security issues. You should avoid them before they happen by conducting a site security audit!
Why? Because your customers are transacting with you.
They're going to input their account details and personal information to buy your products.
And you need to assure them that their details are in safe hands and your eCommerce website is not prone to security breaches.
Here are some ways to do it:
- Have a Privacy Policy on your web pages.
- Don't ask for too much personal information. Unless it would help you provide them with a great customer experience.
- Have a trust badge to boost credibility.
Lucky for you, because Debutify has a Trust Badge Add-On that assures your customers their payment details are safe with you.
Now, you're ready to conduct a website audit!
Enhance Your Website From Time To Time!
If you want to make sure you're not losing customers, you should conduct a site audit regularly.
Don't neglect it and spend some time creating an audit report to improve your website and satisfy your customers continuously.
Who knows... maybe you need to change the overall look of your website, right?
But if that's the case, Debutify is the perfect answer!
It's a highly-customizable and fast-loading eCommerce theme. It also has 50+ Add-Ons that will help you optimize your conversion rate.
Try Debutify For Free And Join Thousands Of Smart Brand Owners - Now!
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Ricky Hayes
