A web audit is the primary solution for making sure everything’s spick and span or, if it’s not, revealing why an issue has cropped up. As a digital MOT, they can teach us so much…
The merits of your web interface
UX (user experience) has become the hottest phrase on the tongue of web analysts and designers in 2016, and for good reason. Online expectations have evolved to the point where the journey from one page to another should be fluid, sensible, and completely responsive to what your demographic wants to see. An amazing UI (user interface) is part and parcel of a satisfactory UX.
Web audits can analyse features such as loading times, link structures, visual media and formatting, to identify where improvements can be made. Think of these points as the basic wooing material your site uses to court its visitors; if they aren’t up to scratch, they should be polished back to top form.
The strength of your meta data
Behind every great website is great data. This back-end language supports everything on the front end, while making sure your site is discoverable in the vast universe of the World Wide Web.
Meta data can include maps, tags, keywords, descriptions and further back-end hints as to what someone will find most useful about the information you’re displaying. They form a substantial portion of Google’s algorithmic judgement on where you rank in its search results. Random or ineffective meta data can harm your chances of being seen by a wide audience.
Performance on devices and channels
It’s a given fact that modern tech consumers are surfing the web on all sorts of devices, many of which don’t resemble the bulky hardware of yesteryear. Tablets and smartphones are now the dominant mediums of internet access when we aren’t at work, meaning your site really has to crack down on its cross-device compatibility.
An audit can test whether dips in your site activity boil down to clumsy mobile optimisation. The solutions are manifold, but they need to be uncovered and isolated first before remedial work gets going. As Google has recently unveiled special privileges for mobile-oriented websites, there’s no better time to assess what you may be lacking.
These are just three pools of wisdom you can draw on when that annual audit is completed. Every business owner should aim for a consistent auditing schedule, even if it’s just once a year. The Code Guy love ironing out the creases in a website – our geeks can audit and improve your digital framework for the better. Contact us to find out more as the New Year rumbles into view.