The digital world is constantly moving and evolving to suit the times. That means that when it comes to a business website, there’s no such thing as a ‘set it and forget it’ site. 

Website owners need to have active involvement in making sure that the design and usability of their websites stay up to date in accordance with the best practices in the digital world. This ensures that one of their biggest assets won’t end up costing more than it is worth. 

If your business relies on a website, then you want to snake sure that it is working well for you. But how can you tell?

Here is a list of key questions to ask yourself when assessing how effective your website is. 

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1. Is my website easy to use? 

This question seems simple, but many businesses forget about this fundamental aspect of their website design. It is never a good idea to ignore this part of a website in order to focus on its appearance and technology. 

Websites should have navigation menus that are easy to use and find. The website’s overall layout should be clean and make the most sense for the user’s overall experience. Things like flash animations or other heavy scripts use to slow down the page load times. Slow downloading websites are one of the primary reasons that people leave within a matter of seconds, also known as increased ‘bounce rates’. 

A website is one of the first things that people will learn about a business, it needs to look visually appealing to represent the brand effectively. No visitor to a website wants to be greeted with a wall of text that is hard to read. Good websites 

 They should try to make the design visually interesting as well; nobody wants to meet a gigantic wall of text when they arrive on a web page. They should strive to use a good balance of images and text to keep things light and easy on the eyes.

Usability testing is a tool that helps website owners to identify certain issues that may come about when a website is in its testing phase before its launch. 

2. Is my website mobile user-friendly?

Did you know that sorry about 50% of people who access the internet do so using mobile phones or other mobile devices? This explosion of mobile internet usage has meant that the entire industry has turned on its head. Developers have hot to design websites that accommodate wifi-enabled handheld devices of all kinds from mobile phones to tablets, and even gaming devices and e-readers.

The businesses that don’t come up with a mobile-friendly responsive design, could be alienating a large portion of their audience and, therefore, potential customers.

Google has rolled out an algorithm update called ‘Mobilegeddon’. Listening update steaks mobile friendliness as one of the key factors towards better search engine result rankings on Google. If a businesses website is only designed with desktop displays in mind, this could negatively affect their search engine rankings and decrease organic traffic from search. 

Google has tools that can be used to test the mobile friendliness of the website. this can be used to see if the comment website meets the specific requirements needed for a responsive, mobile-friendly design. 

3. Is everything working on my website? 

One of the most frustrating things for people looking for answers to their queries online is thinking they have found a great website to give them the information that they need, only to be directed to a 404 “File Not Found” page. 
Not only that, but when trying to make a purchase online, but having the secure connection timing out.

These types of technical errors can be costly to businesses due to the interruption of their lead and revenue generation. Most websites need checking regularly to make sure that everything works effectively. It’s up to website managers to check each page for any broken links, plugins that need updating, and form submission errors. 

4. Does my website capture lead information properly?

Websites are great for businesses when they have thousands of people visiting them every day- especially when some revenue comes from advertisements. However, it’s even better when those visits can turn into leads. 

Some websites may feature specific tools that collect data and capture lead information. This can look like an inquiry form. 

This inquiry form should be easy to navigate for users. Forms should not ask for too much personal information, but make it easy for potential customers to leave essential information such as their names and contact details. Tracking codes on websites can also help with any retargeting campaigns that businesses may wish to use in the future. 

Website users should know what information they are sharing and how it will be used. Misuse of their information can lead to mistrust among customers which can cause a wide range of issues for businesses. 

5. Is the copy on my website professionally written?
   

Websites that are loaded with typos, poor grammar, and misspellings rarely present themselves as being linked to a professional company.

They should also match the tone of a business, for example, businesses that offer a friendly, casual service should have a friendly sounding ‘voice’ to the copy on the website to match the tone of the business. 

They should always be double-checked for any errors to look highly professional. Web developers will often work with professional copywriters to keep the tone of the website consistent with the business. 

6. How are the other aspects of my digital marketing strategy? 

Websites should reflect what is going on with a business. The easiest way to do this is to connect social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter feeds. So if there is a particular promotion running on social media, people who visit the websites will know about it. Clear tie-ins with other marketing arms such as ads and email lists will bring a sense of cohesion to a marketing strategy. 

A business website can either make or break a business in the digital age. It’s never a bad idea to ensure that your online presence represents your brand properly.