Is your website working for you or against you?

These days, having a website isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must have! Whether you’re running an online store, offering services, or just sharing valuable info, your website is often the first impression people get of your business. But just having a website isn’t enough. It needs to run smoothly, engage visitors, and actually help your business grow. When was the last time you thought about how well your website was helping your business? Your website might be turning people away without you even realising it—maybe your site is too slow, hard to navigate, or just not appearing in search results.

Here’s why website analysis is so crucial:

Better User Experience (UX) – A well-organised, easy-to-use site keeps visitors engaged and more likely to take action, whether that’s making a purchase, booking a service, or getting in touch.
Stronger SEO Performance – Google and other search engines favour websites that load fast, work well on mobile, and are optimised for relevant keywords. If you’re not ranking, you’re missing out on traffic.
Higher Conversion Rates – Even if you’re getting visitors, are they turning into customers? Website analysis can highlight issues like confusing layouts, weak calls to action, or technical errors that might be affecting conversions.
Staying Ahead of Competitors – Regularly analysing your site helps you stay up to date with trends and customer expectations, keeping you competitive.

What to Look Out for When Analysing Your Website

Before you pay anyone the big bucks, you can perform a basic analysis of your own website by considering the following five things:

1. How quickly does your website load? How long does it take for your website to load? A long load time will turn people away. Utilise a device that you don’t often use to check how quickly your website loads. Aim for a load time under three seconds.

2. How easy is it to navigate? Is your site easy to navigate, and can visitors quickly find what they need?

3. Is your site mobile-friendly? More and more people browse on their phones, so make sure your site works well on all devices – most websites will work well on computers but what about mobile phones or iPads and Tablets?

4. Are you using up-to-date terminology? Does your site have relevant keywords to help visitors find your website? These keywords are used by search engines to help them decide which websites to show to people searching for products or services you offer. If you have articles or help guides, are these high-quality and informative? Improving both of these will help your ranking in search engines.

5. How easy is it to contact you? Check your contact forms are working and easy to fill in (no one likes having to repeatedly try and submit a form). How easy is it for customers to checkout, or make a booking? Remove unnecessary steps to simplify the process.

Best Tools for Website Analysis

There are plenty of tools to help businesses keep their websites in check. Some of the most useful include:

Google Analytics – Get insights into user behaviour, traffic sources, and conversion rates.

GTmetrix – Checks page load speed and suggests ways to improve it.

For the more tech-savvy:

Google Search Console – Track how your site appears in search results and fix any technical issues.

PageSpeed Insights – Find out how fast your site loads and how to make it faster.

SEMrush / Ahrefs – Great for SEO analysis, keyword tracking, and competitor research.

Hotjar – Offers heatmaps and session recordings to see how people interact with your site.

If you’re not regularly checking in on your website’s performance, you could be losing customers without even knowing it. People expect smooth online experiences, and businesses that don’t meet those expectations risk falling behind. A slow, outdated, or hard-to-use site means frustrated visitors who will likely go to a competitor instead. A lack of relevant keywords or a slow-loading website can hurt your visibility, making it even harder for people to find you online.

If you haven’t checked in on your site’s performance lately, now’s the time to start. A well-optimised website can be the difference between thriving online and getting lost in the crowd.

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