Usability
If users find navigating to important content a chore, loyal clients will quickly become frustrated. Whether people are coming for specific information or browsing, it’s essential to have an intuitive interface and an organized layout. Any page on the site is no more than three clicks away from any other. You don’t just want visitors; you want return visitors.
Performance
Speed is essential to user experience. If your website lags or buffers, there are many other sites your visitors can visit instead. And if your website is down more than once in a blue moon, then you can trust that you’re losing valuable opportunities.
Quality
A well-designed, high-performing website won’t retain users if the content is low quality. Each time someone visits your website, they should come away with something of real value, something that your competitors may not have been able to give. This is how you’ll impress people and hopefully turn them into loyal clients.
Search Engine Optimization
Look at your keywords and how they’re being used. Are high-performing keywords being used enough? Are you relying too heavily on these keywords and not providing enough high-quality content to support them?
Search the back end of the site as well; check for an XML sitemap, page descriptions, and related metadata. Google may be mighty, but you want to make its job as easy as possible.
Website audits can be tedious, but they don’t have to be daunting, especially if you’re diligent about maintenance.
