Recently here at Cubeworks we have undertaken in-depth website audits for two not-for-profit organisations.

Audits? “Yawn”, I hear you cry!

However, these audits have proven to be invaluable in enabling our clients to assess how their sites are performing against their business goals.

So what are the benefits of undertaking a website audit?

In a nutshell, a website audit helps you boost your website conversion rates.
To put this into context, a conversion might be:

• Completion of a purchase
• Submission of an enquiry
• Making a donation
• Locating relevant information
• Clicking on a link or an advert

The website audit process combines visitor data and individuals’ expertise to provide specific recommendations on getting better results.

We take the pain out of trawling through the vast array of statistics provided by Google Analytics (or any web analytics package for that matter). We couple this with our expert knowledge of web usability to improve the health of your website and ensure it’s working hard to achieve your business goals.

A website audit includes an in depth design review undertaken by one of our Lead Designers. They evaluate the user experience of your current site in conjunction with your business goals make design recommendations with the backing of visitor data.

Further analysis is undertaken by a Business Analyst, who looks at the effectiveness of the business processes on your website. For example the donation process or e-commerce purchase user journeys could be overly complex. The audit flags where visitors are being lost on the site, and why, and proposes amendments to fix such issues.

Below is an example of one of the diagrams produced as part of the website audit, a user journey map:

The map illustrates the primary, secondary and tertiary user journeys through the site with accompanying visitor data. This illustrates where and how current visitors are using your site but also areas where visitors are not venturing frequently and advice on how to attract visitors to these areas.

Outcomes of a website audit

You will gain an excellent understanding of how your site is performing and a set of recommendations on how to improve your website and realign it to your goals.

Implementing the recommendations for design, content, navigation, organisation and processes will ensure your website is organised in the best possible way to deliver the results you desire.