The vast majority of companies now rely on the Internet for lead generation and online sales. Your website makes an impression on every visitor, and demonstrates how much you value interaction and feedback. To ensure you are not losing potential clients, it is critical to monitor your website on a regular basis. In this article, Dalen Design shares the key areas to habitually review.
Monitor Your Website: General Navigation, Pages & Links
It may seem obvious, but random checks of headers, footers, pages and links are essential. When updates are done to your content management system (CMS), there is always potential for errors or broken links.
By visiting your website as a customer would, you can ensure the navigation flows smoothly, tabs direct you to the correct pages, and links load acceptably. Other areas to review include image placement and sizing, loading times, and plugins or scripts which can cause content placement errors.
Monitor Your Website: Email Addresses, “Contact Us” Forms & Phone Numbers
The fastest way to lose a potential customer is by lack of reply. Whether your website offers up email addresses or a “Contact Us” form, it is crucial the destination inbox for these messages is valid. Ensure messages are not being routed to a spam folder. It might seem excessive, but testing these two areas once a month is indispensable.
Another area often overlooked is your phone number. Surprisingly, a recent found more than 40% of phone numbers listed on websites had typographical errors. Any time updates are completed to your contact information, be sure to have a second set of eyes review the content.
Monitor Your Website: Mobile Performance
Responsive web design is a major trend, and with it comes the need for regular maintenance. While most companies will automatically review their website with a desktop or laptop, the mobile devices category should not be overlooked.
Areas to review include the overall look and feel of your site on smartphones and tablets. Are your pages loading correctly, and is the content readable? Navigation should be simple, and user intuitive. Contact forms and email addresses should load and send correctly. Phone numbers should be enabled with a “click to call” feature.
Monitor Your Website: Bottom Line
First impressions count. Set aside time each month to monitor your website, and ensure customers are not bogged down with technical hassles or errors. Show off your attention to detail, and impress your clientele from their first click.
At Dalen Design, we have helped over 50 clients in Ottawa, Ontario and across Canada define their online vision and communications. If you find yourself struggling to gain exposure, we can help. From website reviews, to website design, management, logo creation, content writing, website hosting, and so much more. Contact Dalen Design, and let us help you make a lasting impression.