A website audit report by a professional designer provides a baseline assessment of;
- Website Content
- Creative Website Design & Structure
- Navigational Systems
- Functionality for Visitors
- Functions for Site Owner
- Credibility Elements
- Website Hosting location
- Security & Risk Management
- Web site maintenance services
- Domain Registrant Details
- Search Engine Optimisation
- Incoming Link Penalties
- Current Ranking
- Visitor Traffic Statistics Review
Website audit reports find and provide solutions for potential problems. They also bring to light possibilities for improvements!
The auditor establishes a benchmark against which improvements can be assessed. Making the recommended changes takes time, and the benchmark, in association with a measurement mechanism, allows progress to be monitored.
Website Audit Report – Content
Content quality is arguably the most important aspect of a website audit report, and of the site’s success. Word count on pages is important – you cannot be perceived as an authority on a topic with 100 words to a page… Accurate content categorisation, use of appropriate keywords, correct spelling & grammar, avoidance of plagiarism and duplication are all issues to be aware of.
For SEO aspects, all page & post contents should be contain good descriptive text in titles, meta-tags and heading. Page URLs and image file names should be search-engine friendly. Image Alt texts should be crisp and accurate.
Site Architecture & Menus
Auditor’s knowledge and experience will be allow an assessment of the website’s navigation structure and menus. Checks will be made to ascertain if all relevant and important elements are in place. This will include use of JavaScript in menus, inclusion of both HTML and XML sitemaps for visitors and search engines respectively. Fundamental, but often missing elements such as the robots.txt file with its link to the XML Sitemap, and the often missing custom “404 Page Not Found” error pages present improvement opportunities.
JavaScript, Flash, and Frames are mechanisms which can cripple a site when used badly, so care is applied to assessing these. Page load times are an issue, and mobile-responsive design grows ever more important.