A Website Audit: Not the sexiest to-do but an essential place to start

The majority of organizations that we work with at ArcStone already have websites. They’re often coming to us with a site that has become bloated over time and no longer serves them. Or, they may need help with developing and executing a marketing strategy. Either way, one of the first things we do is conduct a website audit. Website audits may not be the most exciting part of a redesign process but we've come to learn (and even preach) that they are a necessity. Here’s why...

A website audit is an analysis of factors that can both impact a good experience for your site’s visitors and boost your organic visibility. This analysis offers both technical and marketing insights that help us identify issues, errors and missed opportunities and then guide us in developing a cohesive strategy.

So, what’s covered in a site audit?

Our site audits include both marketing and technical evaluations. Here’s a quick breakdown of some of what’s included.

• Google Analytics (GA) accessibility: Who has access to your Google Analytics account? 
• GA setup and implementation: What GA tag version are you using and is it implemented properly? Get the basics on Analytics »
• GA data quality and additions: Are filters set up properly? Are you tracking conversions? Learn about filters and conversions »
• Metadata: Does your site follow metadata best practices?
• Responsiveness / mobile-friendly design: Is your site responsive? Does it look good, no matter the device? More on mobile sites »
• Site indexing and crawlability: Is your site getting crawled and indexed regularly and thoroughly?
• Site errors: Is your site throwing errors?
• Site speed: Is your site slow to load? Discover how site speed can hurt your SEO »
• Schema implementation: Are you implementing schema properly?
• Internal linking: Are you following internal linking best practices?
• Manual actions from Google: Do you have any manual actions or violations?

Whether you’re investing in a website redesign or a new marketing strategy, it’s essential to understand the “behind-the-scene” signals that can influence your online visibility and hamper user experience. If you’re interested in learning more about ArcStone’s website audit services, please contact us.