Streamline Your Business Traffic with a Website Audit

Your company website is a window into your business. When a customer visits your site, your goals are to keep them there and entice them to return.

“One of the first steps in building your sales funnel is taking a hard look at your primary marketing tool...your company website,” said John Murphy, digital marketing manager at NJM Insurance Group. “Your website is the first impression your prospect sees and is crucial for showing your brand value.”

Help create excitement with that first impression by conducting a website audit each year to optimize your chief marketing tool. Here are five areas of focus that will improve your website’s appeal to customers.

Landing Page Should Match the Ad Copy

Many companies use Google ads because it’s a great tool to drive online search traffic to your website. A common mistake, however, is when the company directs all clicks to their home page rather than the landing pages specifically designed for their keywords. For example, if an HVAC company is buying the keyword “air conditioning repair,” then those clicks should be directed to the “Air Conditioning Maintenance and Repair” webpage.

Sending the customer to your home page forces them to search for their topic of interest. It might be easier for them to hit the “Back” button and click on the next link below. To avoid this, direct them to the page that has the content they’re seeking.

Give Customers a Call-To-Action

It’s a small feat when a potential customer visits your website, so take advantage. Start building your relationship immediately by presenting a simple call-to-action. Ask the customer for their email address, so you can send them a newsletter or FAQ sheet about your products or services.

This accomplishes two goals. It engages the customer on a more personal level and provides them with additional information. You’ve also added to your email list of qualified prospects for future promotional messaging.

Make It Mobile-Friendly

The best websites are user-friendly to all visitors, so make sure your site is mobile-friendly. A robust 52.2 percent of website traffic worldwide is generated through mobile phones. Here in the United States, 81% of adults own smartphones.

Mobile users are often on the go, so if your website is tough to navigate or read, the customer may leave. Simplify your menu, feature large buttons, and avoid large blocks of text to appease mobile visitors.

Include a Sitemap

A sitemap is a menu of all the pages on your website. It serves as the “Table of Contents” to your site. If a customer is directed to a landing page and wants to learn more about your company, a sitemap will make that simple.

Prioritize what is most important to your business when outlining your sitemap. If you’re a law firm that offers several areas of practice, for example, a “Practice Areas” menu option would be valuable. A drop-down menu could then list each type of law, giving the visitor your full spectrum of services.

A Need for Speed

The quality of your content is important, but the speed at which your website loads to access that content is also critical. How fast your website operates is the first impression a customer has of your business. If it’s quick, the perception is that you’re running a professional business. Need to measure the speed of your website? There are several internet sites that can instantly test your website speed.

Website speed can also suggest how important customer service is to your business. The customer expectation is that pages will load quickly. Approximately 47% of people expect a site to load in less than two seconds and 40% will leave the page if it takes longer than three seconds.

Speed can also impact your Google ranking. It takes website speed into account, so it can help or hurt your overall ranking.

Below are five more reasons to conduct a website audit.

1. Up-to-date and accurate information – Business is fluid and change is common. Review your site content to ensure it is current and accurate.

2. SEO Optimization – Review your meta data and targeted keywords to make sure your content is SEO friendly.

3. Links – Check all your links to ensure they’re active and taking the visitor to the correct landing page.

4. Brand management – Confirm your site meets brand standards, including colors, logos, and marketing taglines.

5. Visuals – Do you need to update your photos/illustrations with fresh content? Replacing old photos with new ones can help engage repeat visitors.

Make that first impression a success by improving your company website. An audit can help convert site traffic passengers into paying customers.