5 Simple Steps To Audit Your Website
We’ve all landed on a website that looked amazing, stunning photography, perfectly paired fonts, and a curated color palette. But then, we click on a link, or try to find their contact page, and NOTHING.
What was an instant converting website, became a big question mark. Are they still in business? Are they taking clients? Do they know they have this technical issue? As a website designer, I just want to tell them how easy it is to fix these small inconveniences for their customers, so they don’t lose out on clients that will convert!
As a service provider, blogger or content creator, your website has one primary job: to make it easy for people to see what you do & hire you! If your site is pretty but dysfunctional, you aren't just losing clicks on your analytics dashboard, you’re losing trust from potential clients and of course revenue.
I do not gatekeep around here. Below I am sharing 5 simple auditing steps to help you make your website a high-performing sales machine that works 24/7/365.
1. You Need Fast Loading Speed
In the world we live in, seconds mean everything. Studies have shown that if a site takes longer than three seconds to load, over half of your visitors will bounce (move on).
What You Need To Do: Optimize your images (no massive 5MB files - PLEASE), use a reliable hosting provider (my favorite - Squarespace), and keep your plugins to a minimum. Speed is the first impression to a potential client. I can’t tell you how many times I have left a website, because it takes too long to download the home page.
2. Mobile View Optimization
Most of your clients are going to find you while they are on the go - through their phone. Mobile optimization is so important.
What You Need To Do: Review your mobile layout before launching/or during your audit. Most website platforms do a really good job optimizing between both, but you do need to get your own eyes on the mobile layout. Sometimes they come out a little wonky, and you need to manually revise. You want to ensure the experience is just as premium on an iPhone as it is on a Mac.
3. Clear CTA’s (Calls to Action)
Don't make your visitors play detective. If you want them to book a discovery call, say "Book a Call." If you want them to download your guide, say "Download Guide." It really is that easy. We do not need to give a lot of extra fluff and cause confusion.
What You Need To Do: Use a contrasting color for your CTA buttons so the buttons pop against the website’s background. In the least, place one button in the top right corner of your header and another at the bottom of every single page, with the CTA you want your customers to navigate toward the most. Keep the CTA’s consistent, and don’t use more than 3 CTA’s throughout the entire website (just to be clear CTA’s - not buttons).
For example, if your business requires an inquiry form, provides a free digital guide, and a digital download. You should have 3 different CTA’s, but you can place more than 3 buttons throughout the website layout. These CTA’s could be “Book a Call,” “Get the Freebie,” Purchase the Guide”. Placed strategically throughout the website layout.
4. Social Proof and Authority
Before a client decides to reach out, they most likely want to see your deliverables. This is where your portfolio and testimonials come in to help build trust.
What You Need To Do: Utilize the summary tool in Squarespace to sprinkle in mini-portfolio’s with testimonials. Keep a separate page for a portfolio. Seeing a quote from a happy client right next to your service options builds trust and shows you are a true professional.
5. Clear Contact Process
Now that we have your potential client on your page, and they are ready to inquire, we need to make sure the contact form is easy to access and submit. Do not ask for their life story! Get the nitty gritty details of name, email, phone number, and perhaps a checkbox of the service they are interested in the most - DONE.
You can get additional information from them in follow-up conversations, you know the conversation where you actually build a relationship.
What You Need To Do: Create a form that is quick and easy to fill out,and submit. Set up an email campaign that thanks them for submitting, and when they can expect to hear from you. This will give them the ongoing perception of your professionalism.
Final Notes
Having a website that looks AND performs well is the best employee. It answers questions, builds trust, and captures leads while you’re busy working with current clients or out living your life.
When you focus on these five items, you aren't just building a site—you're building a streamlined process for growth.
Website Design Resources to Check Out
Branding Toolkit: 25 color palettes with font pairings and logo suggestions. Choose & launch.
Squarespace Playbook: 44-page digital download with steps to launch your Squarespace Website.
Big Cat Creative’s Squarespace Website Templates: Customize a template to launch faster!
Pinterest Wealth Academy: Learn how to market your business through Pinterest, rather than always feeling “On” through Social Media.
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