Website checklist – when did you last look at your website?

Website checklist; Creating a website for your business can be time-consuming and once it’s finally done, it’s easy to tick it off your to-do list and forget about it. For years.

But as time passes, your website can start to look tired. The functionality could be lacking and the design may not be as fresh as when it was first created. Links might not work, the information may not reflect your business as it is today and it could be in desperate need of a refresh. What’s more, typos and errors that were overlooked at the creation stage could still be lurking. Treat it like a Harrod’s window – walk past, have a look and plan regular updates.

A few minutes spent giving it the once-over can be all it takes to help smarten your website up.

Follow these tips to make sure yours is in top condition:

• Is it up-to-date?
  For example, does it say ‘we were founded 5 years ago when it’s actually been 8? Telephone numbers and email address can also change so make sure your current details are listed – so that people can contact you easily. If they can’t, you may lose them. They may also see you as sloppy if something as basic as your contact details are not even updated! Think about perception and first impressions here.
• Who, what, why, where, when
  Check that all your services and products are listed with correct pricing information. Can potential customers clearly understand what you sell, to whom, and where it is available? Have you told them why they need it, how it works and all the information they may need? A good way to do this is to think about your ‘FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions’ – what do you get asked all the time? Use your FAQs as the basis if people ask similar things.
• Do your social media links work?
  So many websites have broken social media links that don’t take the reader anywhere, all lead to Twitter or go to the wrong place completely! It can be an off-putting experience for potential clients who you may lose as a result if they can’t find what they need. Double-check every social media button on your site and make sure it works!
• Is your website optimised for mobile devices?
  View your site on your phone, laptop and tablet and check that its appearance and functionality works correctly on each of them. Ask someone else to do the same too and get their feedback. If some of it doesn’t display properly or it looks strange, speak to a web designer who could fix any issues for you or you might want to start thinking about a new site for the future if it’s an old one.
• Show your blog some love
  A solitary post, dated June 2016 says a lot about your business – and none of it is good! It may be beautifully written and full of great stuff – but it’s old…very old. Spend a bit of time drafting a bank of blog posts. If you’re stuck for subject matter, think of some of the FAQs you get from customers – simply answering these in detail over a series of posts can make an interesting and helpful read. They need not be long, nor overly frequent – as little as 400 words every fortnight is a good place to start. Make your headline a search term, break the text up with mini headers and use a good image!
• Proofread
  It can be hard to check your own website for spelling and punctuation errors – you’re so used to looking at it, you become blind to the mistakes. Consider sending it to a friend or colleague who isn’t involved in your business to give it the once over. Ask them if they understand what you do, how and why – if they don’t, take a step back and give it a little refresh. If you can’t ask anyone, read it out loud, slowly…your brain will slow down and any errors will magically appear!

At Izzy PR, we can help with all areas of websites from giving it a refresh, building a new one or helping with SEO.

If you’d like help checking over your website or some ideas on how to update and improve it, get in touch: hello@izzypr.co.uk