Regular website audits are a necessary, but often overlooked, practice for any business that wants to maximise its online presence.

Even if you are not planning any web design soon, for any business – and particularly those that are primarily web-based – a website audit can unearth teething problems that may be impacting upon traffic, user navigation and indexing in the search engines. These are all factors that will ultimately jeopardise sales.

So, what does a website audit involve? Primarily the process will analyse how accessible your website is for different kinds of users. Website accessibility isn’t just desirable – it’s the law. Theoretically you can face large fines if your website can’t be accessed by people with disabilities, although no cases have yet been brought to court.

A comprehensive website audit will also address:

•    Site Design
•    Navigation
•    Legal and Security Issues
•    eCommerce
•    Search Engine Compatibility
•    Technical Performance

If you’re thinking of redesigning your website, it’s the perfect time to instigate an audit. If there are issues with the current website design – such as user navigation and indexing in the search engines – then an audit can help to redress those concerns in the new website layout.

Even if you’re not planning on building a new website, an audit should still be carried out periodically, such as shortly after a significant website update, so that there is enough time for the site to be completely re-indexed. Furthermore, think about a website audit if such a review has not been conducted in the last few years, so that your site can keep up to date with the best practice requirements of the major search engines.

Websites are a competitive industry and the temptation to throw as many bells and whistles into your design as possible can be high. When well placed and used in moderation, flashy graphics and video insets can add both colour and interest to your site; however, over-using them can distract users from the key messages of your site and create a slower-loading, less accessible page.

The same mantra applies across all aspects of your design, from colour schemes to text. Content is the absolute king of your webpage and needs to be kept as simple as possible, remaining jargon-free and concise to ensure your visitors read what you want them to.

With colours, pick a two or three colour scheme and stick to it. Over-egging the palette of your website can result in a messy and unreadable design which makes visitors want to click off quickly. Excessive colour schemes can confuse and disorientate viewers, making navigation of the site harder and ultimately costing you sales.

Navigation is one of the most vital areas in which to stay simple. The norm for navigation bars is either at the top or the left of the site, with pages easily identified through their home titles. Don’t be afraid to use ‘standard text’ for these links. People searching websites are used to looking for FAQs, so you’re more likely to get a hit than if you headed it ‘Things people often ask us’ or even ‘Popular Questions’. It can also help to repeat your navigation bar at the bottom to save people scrolling up and down.

Even though technology is improving all the time, simplicity is still the number one aim for all websites. So don’t be afraid to rein in your design a little.

Looks pretty: check.

Easy to navigate: check.

Displays full contact details: check.

There’s one point that’s often missing from many business’s web design checklists, and that’s accessibility. By law, all publicly accessed websites must comply with Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) guidelines, specifically Section 19 which makes it unlawful for a provider of services to discriminate against a disabled person. Websites fall under this law, as they constitute a service, and they must be accessible to visually impaired people who use software to view websites.

Not only is accessibility a legal requirement – and the right thing to do morally – it’s also an important part of SEO. Search engine robots operate in the same way as the software that a visually impaired person would use.

Many websites overlook the WAI guidelines and do not prioritise accessibility, but there are actually a lot of benefits to designing a website to meet accessibility standards. Search engines will look more favourably on your site, as mentioned, and you will probably find it loads more quickly too. By making sure your website is designed in such a way that disabled people can use it, you will be expanding your audience reach and this is likely to result in increased sales.

Accessible: check.