Following our recent blog, ‘Why Your New Website Should Always Start with an Audit,’ we want to emphasise that developing a new website isn’t the only time to conduct an audit.
You don’t always need to be planning a redesign/redevelopment to benefit from a comprehensive look at website performance. In fact, some of the most valuable audits we do are for websites that have been established for a few years and just need a bit of TLC.
Much like a car, your website needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. It might still look great on the surface, but behind the scenes, there could be issues affecting performance, visibility, or conversions – often, you might not even notice until something goes wrong.
So, how do you know when your website is ready for an MOT (audit)?
You’ve noticed a dip in performance
If your traffic has dropped, enquiries have slowed, or your site isn’t converting like it used to, it’s a clear sign that something needs attention. An audit can pinpoint what’s changed; maybe a technical issue, outdated content, or even a keyword shift that is affecting search visibility.
Your business has evolved
As your business grows or changes direction, your website needs to evolve too. If you’ve added new products or services, changed your messaging, or pivoted your target audience, it’s worth reviewing whether your website still reflects who you are and what you offer.
You’ve been adding and updating content
If multiple people have been writing blogs, updating service pages, or tweaking layouts, your website might have lost some consistency. An audit can help tidy up and refocus your content, check for broken links, and make sure your messaging still aligns with your brand and goals.
SEO hasn’t been your top priority
Search engine algorithms change constantly, and what worked a couple of years ago might not be the right strategy for you now. If you haven’t reviewed your keyword rankings, or analytics recently, you could be missing some easy wins. An SEO audit helps you stay competitive and improve visibility.
It’s been a few years since launch
Sometimes a new website project can take a lot of time and resources, so you might be ready for a break after launch. BUT, the internet never sleeps, so don’t hang on too long. Even if your website still looks modern, plugins, integrations, and security updates can all become outdated over time. A technical audit helps make sure everything is running smoothly in the back end of your site, ensuring speed, security, and user-friendliness.
What benefits will you see from a website audit?
Identify opportunities
Running a website audit isn’t just about spotting problems, in fact, most of the time for us and our clients, it’s about finding opportunities. Regular check-ins will help to protect your SEO performance, identifying potential ranking issues before they become a problem.
Improve visitor experience
Your visitor’s online experience could be the reason that you’re losing custom. It’s essential to check on your visitor experience by reviewing the customer journey and removing any issues, or making positive changes, to stop visitor drop-off and increase enquiries.
Guide your content
A website audit is a great way to assess your content, and what often follows for our clients, is a content strategy project that outlines the next 12 months of SEO publishing and drives traffic to your site.
Save on the cost of a new website
Sometimes, it may just be the case that you can maintain what you have, rather than rebuilding from scratch and incurring huge unnecessary costs.
At Browndog, we consider website audits to be an essential part of your digital strategy. They’re not just for new website projects, they’re for making sure your existing website continues to deliver.
