Website Audit
When reviewing websites, I generally break down the reviews into 3 categories:
- Design
- Organization & Navigation
- Content
For each category, there are certain key things that I look out for.
Section 1: Design
1. Is the use of imagery effective?
Is your use of photos, font colors, and typography consistent and clear?
2. Design doesn't get in the way of content?
Does your site feature lots of crazy Flash animations? Do visitors have to scroll past too many design elements to find content? When it comes to designing a site, simple is often better.
3. Are photos properly formatted for the site?
It is important to make sure website images are formatted and sized correctly. Sometimes photos can be oddly cropped or blurry.
4. Is the typography easy to read?
Another element that can make or break a website's design is the typography. Again, simple is best. Don't use too many different fonts on your site. Each has its own style, and it can be difficult to match them properly. For body text, keep the size of the fonts between 12px and 16px. Any smaller than 10px is too hard to read and larger than 18px creates too much scrolling to read through. Also stay away from colored fonts, too much bold -- and never use ALL CAPS.
5. Does the website look good on a smartphone or tablet?
How does your website look on a mobile device? Does it format properly? Is the content still easily accessible? Do all the features work? With more and more people accessing the web from mobile devices, it's extremely important that your website gives readers a good experience on any screen size. On mobile devices, make sure they don't have to zoom in.
Section 2: Organization & Navigation
6. Is there a clear and focused call-to-action on the Homepage? (1 or 2 max)
A call-to-action is designed to direct people's attention to something specific that you want them to do while on your website. It could be to join your mailing list, buy your latest products or subscribe to a newsletter. It's best to limit yourself to one or a maximum two calls-to-action.
7. Are there a reasonable amount of menu options? Is the menu easy to understand?
For websites, I suggest having a maximum of 8 main menu options. You can push that to 9, or even 10, but after that, it starts to get messy. If you only have 5 or 6, that's fine. Any less than that, you're likely leaving out some key information and content from your site.
8. Is the menu easy to understand?
When naming your main menu buttons, keep it simple. People have very short attention spans, and not a lot of time. If they have to think about what content *might* be in a certain section of your site because the name is fancy/cute/artsy, chances are, they're going to skip it. Stick to names like "Home", "About", "Music", "Store", and avoid vague names like "Experience", "Discover", "My World", etc.
9. Does each page have a clear purpose?
A good rule of thumb is to have one clear purpose per section of your website. Organize your content according to the categories you are focusing on or according to different areas of business. If you have certain features/elements on your site that are important, they should have their own section.
10. Is each page a reasonable length?
Finally, each page should be a reasonable length. Don't force visitors to scroll down the page forever to see all of your content. Either edit the content down, or organize it in a way that each page is focused, clear, and easily scannable.
Section 3: Content
11. Does the site look up to date?
Your website shouldn't be a static flyer. If your last update is for your Christmas products from 2009, people will likely think you're no longer active. Be sure to update your site on a regular basis to let people know what's happening.
12. Does the Homepage give a good 1st impression? Is usability OK?
Your homepage is often the first page visitors to your website will see, so it's important to make a strong first impression. Having a great header and/or background image, latest news, as well as audio/video can help make that great first impression. A well-designed homepage combined with a great call-to-action can also get you more sign-ups for your newsletter, more sales from your online store, and convert first-time visitors to becoming active and engaged visitors.
13. Is the site making a personal connection?
Are all of your updates and content written in the 3rd person? More than ever, readers want to feel a direct connection with what your site is about. Make sure you're including content on your site that is of a more personalized nature. You csn even include if offsite on YouTube, etc. Including sections for commentary is a good idea.
14. Is there a reason for a visitor to come back to your site?
Are you giving your visitors a reason to keep coming back to your site? Posting regular blogs, new photos, and adding other new content on a regular basis can help keep individuals coming back to your site.
15. The site doesn't have any useless or annoying content?
One example of useless and annoying content I see on websites are ads. Focus your website on your areas of focus and don't try to send people away with ad links. Chances are, they won't generate much money anyway -- and usually look kind of cheesy. Another example would be if you've embedded tons of widgets onto your website. If you've embedded every calendar, social media, and ecommerce platform's widget onto your site, chances are, the design will look cluttered, and will make for an annoying experience for your visitors.