Let’s talk about the importance of scheduled, routine website audits. First, let’s assume that you add new content to your website at least monthly. Because if you don’t, this article isn’t for you, and, frankly, you have an entirely different set of problems (ask me about it).
You don’t go to the dentist once, get a thorough cleaning, and expect to be good for the rest of your life. At least, I hope not.
Just as a dental cleaning is vital for maintaining the health and cleanliness of your teeth, a site audit is crucial for keeping your website in top form.
Like a dental cleaning, a site audit involves a thorough examination of all the little nooks and crannies of your website. Just as a dentist checks for cavities and plaque buildup, a site audit checks for broken links, outdated content, and other issues that can negatively impact your website’s performance.
But unlike a dental cleaning, a site audit is not a painful or uncomfortable experience. In fact, it can be quite enjoyable, as you get to see all the areas of your website that are working well and those that could use some improvement.
So, just as you would not neglect your teeth and go years without a dental cleaning, do not neglect your website and go years without a site audit. Trust me, your website (and your online presence) will thank you.
To recap:
A site audit checks for important issues like:
- Broken links
- Duplicate content
- Missing tags
- Outdated content
- Poorly worded calls-to-action
- Confusing navigation
- Site speed issues
- And more
Initial site audits can lead to a thorough cleaning and repair of your site, but new design changes, alterations, plugins, and new content often create new problems along the way.
How often should I request a new audit?
That depends on the frequency of changes and updates your team makes to the website. The more frequently changes are made, the more often a site audit is needed to ensure everything works and flows smoothly.
If the only changes made are new articles posted weekly, you could get away with an audit every six months. If you publish content and/or changes 3+ times per week, a quarterly audit is recommended.
For a small business making daily changes, updates, published articles, a custom audit plan is ideal, in which linking and content are audited more frequently in tandem with monthly or quarterly technical audits.
Drop me a quick note in the contact form and tell me about your small business website.
