Does your website pass a 10 point check

Website Checklist

The question that I put to you today is what do they find when they actually reach your site? Before Green Umbrella accepts a new cient we do an analysis on their whole online presence, and this starts with the website. We mark each client out of 10 and give a detailed report for each section. (If you would like a health check on the business, then let us know).

So, let’s start with your website. Does it tick all 10 boxes? Please find a check list below for a perfect recipe for a fabulous website (it does not need to be an expensive website to be successful).

1. Call to action

When people have landed on your site, they will need instructions as to what to do next. This may be “call us now on…”, Download this free tips… “click here to subscribe….”. Have you got a call to action on your website?

2. Where is the pain?

This means that you need to think about what people are searching for and then the answer to their question is on the home page. The home page should not just be about “we” do this and “we” do that. It should be about the customer. Think about what they were searching for to arrive at your site. Have you answered their question?

3. News or blog

Having new and refreshed articles on your website is so important for SEO (search engine optimization) and ROI – return on influence (and also return on investment!). An article should ideally be no more than 500 words and no less than 300 words. Lists are always great (just like this one!). Having a blog on your site is a fab way of showing that you are experts in your field. (see the Green Umbrella top blogging tips here)

4. Special offer or free download

Having a special offer or a free download is a great way to capture the email addresses of people who are genuinely interested in your industry. There are endless possibilities that you can do with this information, but you need to capture it in the first place.

5. Social Bookmarking Tool bar

It’s important to maximise the exposure of your article / vacancy / product offer and a great way of doing this is by adding a social bookmarking tool. A social bookmarking tool will enable your audience the opportunity to share YOUR content with THEIR network. There are many social bookmarking widgets out there, which include Google +, LinkedIn, Pinterest as well as Twitter & Facebook., stumbleupon, DIGG etc.

6. Links to social media sites – no brainer!

If you have taken the time to set up a variety of social networking platforms then it would be a missed opportunity to not have them on your own website. One of the biggest mistakes that I see with smaller businesses is that they put a link on their website to LinkedIn, however the link goes to a personal profile, rather than a company profile. So check out your own site – do you have your social networking sites linked correctly?

8. Visible telephone number

I know it sounds daft, but the amount of times I have gone searching for a number is crazy! It should be big and bold with a Call to action before it. Preferably above the fold of the site.

9. Testimonials

No wet lettuce testimonials, you want to make sure people truly believe what you have on your site. Video is the new black, so having video or even audio testimonials is a huge plus! If not, then make sure you have a picture at least, with a back link to a website of the person who wrote the referral.

10. Visuals and pictures

Make sure your web designer has tagged all your pictures, so they are picked up on search engines.