If you are reading this blog post, it means that you have probably realized the importance of having a website for your e-commerce business. Having a website is one thing, but keeping it up to date and optimized is another story. Website audits are necessary because they help maintain your site’s current functionality and user experience. If there is something wrong with either of these two things, then an audit can help fix them! So if you plan on continuing to use your site as a marketing tool or even just want to keep using it at all, read our top reasons why monthly website audits are crucial for success!
Reasons Why A Website Audit Is Important
1) You’ll Know Where To Focus Your Efforts
One thing that always holds people back from reaching their potential (in any area of life) is not knowing where to start. In the case of a website, it’s no different. Is there a new plugin you need to add? What content should be rewritten? Where your new call-to-action should be placed?
If you don’t have a strong grasp on these things already, you’ll never be able to figure out the answers on your own – and without this knowledge, it’s impossible to move forward with any sort of plan for improvement. A website audit gives you that understanding by compiling all of your site’s activities from the previous month into one report that shows where the traffic came from, how visitors interacted with your site, what pages were viewed most frequently, and more.
2) You Can Track Your Website’s Over Time
Every time you check your site’s analytics, it provides a snapshot of what’s going on right now. This is great, but it doesn’t tell you anything about how this activity compares to last month – or last year. Recording these numbers over time can show you a lot of information that could impact your bottom line.
If you notice a downward trend in one particular area of your website, perhaps Google is no longer sending as many organic clicks as before – and if so, the only way to reverse this decision is by going back over previous months’ reports and understanding why this happened. Once you know where the problem lies (maybe you ran out of pages to index?), it’ll be easier to correct for future months.
3) You Can See If Your Changes Were Effective
I’ve heard it more times than I can count: “We implemented a new plugin / did some A/B testing / changed our navigation, but there’s no change in traffic.” It might not be your fault! The only way to know for sure is by comparing what you did with the results of previous months (if they exist).
If you want to get even deeper into this, take advantage of site audits that include competitive analysis data – then you’ll be able to see how your SEO strategy stacks up against the competition. If you’re doing something right (and they’re not), figure out why and implement more of it on your own site.
4) Your Traffic Will Stop Being An Enigma
You have no idea how frustrating it is to try and determine what is – and isn’t – bringing you traffic. Website audits make this a lot easier by breaking down traffic sources by page, referrer, search engine, and more.
If a certain page is driving the bulk of your visitors but it’s full of low-converting ads or dead links, this information will help you understand where the problem lies so you can fix it as soon as possible. In addition, if there’s a specific keyword that sends you a ton of traffic each month with no results in terms of sales/leads generated from those visitors, then clearly something needs to change!
5) You Can Determine The Best Content To Keep Using
One thing all website owners have in common is that they have limited time. Website audits offer up an easy way to determine what type of content works best for your business based on the number of organic visits it generates over time.
If you feel like you’re writing more blog posts than ever, but there hasn’t been much change in traffic. This information can help you cut back and devote more time to the types of content your audience is interested in reading (and converting on).
6) You Can See Which Marketing Tactics Are Lagging Behind
Just like with any other task, successful marketers don’t do things in a vacuum. Instead, they study their peers to find out what’s working well right now. Website audits are no different. When you receive reports comparing your performance against others in your industry. It’s easy to see who is excelling and why.
If you notice that one particular individual has far more indexed pages than you do. This can be an indication that their site architecture is better than yours (which will likely lead to more traffic over time). Website audits give you the information you need to either emulate what works or move on. If the tactics are simply not effective for your business.
7) There Are Reviews Available For Any Website Audit Service You Consider
Every website audit service claims they offer the best package available online. But how does a new client know for sure? The best way is by checking out reviews from those who have used each company before. As well as reading on the details of actual services.
If there are complaints about any particular website audit service. This information can help you make an educated decision. When it comes to choosing the right one for your business needs. Website audits aren’t cheap, so make sure you’re investing in a reputable company that’s offering up the most detailed reports.
8) Website Audits Can Be A Measurement Tool Help You Project Future Sales Growth
One of the biggest benefits of website audits is that they allow you to better understand your customers’ behavior. Not only will this give you more insight into who they are (and how to target them). But it’ll also increase your chances of keeping those valuable visitors coming back time and again!
In addition, sites offer up conversion rates which can be a good indicator of how your business is going to shift in the next quarter or year. Website audits will give you a detailed breakdown of what’s currently working. And help you determine which areas need more attention moving forward.
9) Website Audits Allow You To Locate Website Problems Faster
In addition to helping you see where your site is lacking. Website audits also make it easier for webmasters/marketing managers to locate problems quickly. In most cases, these services offer up their findings in the form of an easy-to-read report – detailing any broken links, images/files that are missing, and any pages on your site that have been de-indexed by Google (which can lead to a loss over time).
If you’re concerned your site is on the verge of being penalized by Google or Yahoo!, it’s a good idea to use a website audit services first and foremost – as these reports will show you exactly what needs to be changed, rather than just saying there’s something wrong. Website audits offer up more information about what’s happening behind the scenes, which can help you make those changes quickly.
Conclusion
The truth is if you don’t know what your website needs to perform at its best. Then you can never be sure that it will. A monthly audit may not seem like a lot of work for the time invested in doing so. But considering how much money and time goes into developing an entire site with all sorts of features nowadays, every little bit counts. An analysis of your website on a monthly basis ensures that everything is up-to-date and working as intended. Because anything less than perfection could cost you more than just lost sales or exposure. It could also result in missed opportunities due to poor user experience. You owe yourself this one small thing each month to ensure success!
