So here’s the thing, I understand that investing in a new website is not always a possibility. And although I’m a strong believer that a poorly executed site can actually waste your money and make your business run at a cost, I don’t want you to suffer!

So while you’re putting some money to the side to work with a web expert in the future (you’re doing that, right?), here are some steps to self-audit your website and help you improve your website’s performance and increase your conversions!

Tech Audit

1. WEBSITE SECURITY

Do you have an SSL certificate installed on your website? A “Not Private” connection can be a huge turn-off for your web visitors so that’s the first thing you gotta check!

To check if your site is secure, simply look at your URL. If it starts with HTTPS, then your site is secure. If it reads HTTP then it’s not!

2. PAGE SPEED LOAD

Rule of thumb – you want your site to load under 3 seconds. Any longer than that will hurt your SEO and you can risk losing some visitors. To check your speed load, use Google’s Page Speed tool.

3. GOOGLE TOOLS

Do you have Google Analytics installed on your site? If not, then you really missing out on understanding where your traffic is coming from.

I also suggest you sign up for Google Search Console, which will tell you what keywords people use to find your website.

4. MOBILE FRIENDLY

Too obvious? You’d be surprised how many sites are still not mobile optimised! It’s an absolute must today to have a mobile website. Not only does it make your visitors happy, but it also makes Google happy. Check this tool to ensure your site is mobile-friendly.

5. SEO BASICS

How are you doing with SEO? At the very minimum, you want to have your title tags, meta tags and alt tags set up correctly on your site.

If all these words do is raise your eyebrows, then check this post on SEO Fundamentals for Small Business Owners.

User Experience Audit

1. 3-SECOND RULE

Can you visitors understand within the first three seconds: who you are, what you do and how can they contact you or purchase from you?

Ideally, ask 3-5 people to share their thoughts with you as your site may seem obvious to you but not to a first-time visitor.

2. 3 TOP ACTIONS RULE

What are the 3 top actions you want your visitor to take on your website? How easy it is for them to take these actions? Again, run this past people outside your business to ensure you get a truthful answer.

3. FONTS

For those who DIY their sites, I recommend to use a maximum of three fonts on your website in order to keep your site clean and organised: title, subtitle and body font.

I also want you to check that you use the same size, weight and kerning (spacing between letters) throughout your whole site. If you mix it up too much then you risk ending up with a busy and messy-looking site.

4. SPELLING AND GRAMMAR

I know small typos are often easy to overlook, but make sure you re-read your copy to minimise these errors.

And hey, if you visit someone’s site and see a spelling mistake – take a moment to email that person to let them know! It’s a small gesture that will be greatly appreciated!

5. IMAGES

Do you use good quality images on your site? Great photos can really transform a website. So even if you’re not quite ready for a whole web revamp, try investing in a professional brand photoshoot to level up your website experience.

6. CTAs

Do you have call-to-actions on your website? Are they up-to-date? Are they aligned with your website/business goals or do they need updating?

If you have a lot of CTAs on your site, like I do, then make sure you go through all of them and check they actually work (speaking from experience right here!)

7. FORMS

Same goes for your contact and sign up forms! Since launching my biz I trialed 3 different email platforms… well, not so long ago, I found an old form on my site that was still connected to a platform I was using 1.5 years ago… oops!

8. BROKEN LINKS

Just like broken forms, you want to avoid having broken links to your website! Use this tool to ensure your visitors don’t end up on a 404 page.

9. UPDATED CONTENT

Your website is your online home. And just like you add new decor to your home, and sometimes move furniture around to keep things fresh, same goes for your website!

Google (and your visitors!) love when new content is being added to your site, so make sure you keep it up to date with relevant info and keep on improving your visitor’s experience.