Checklist: Is Your Company Website Up to Snuff?

In the age of online commerce, you don’t actually get to speak with all of your customers face-to-face. In fact, you may not get to speak with any of them at all. That’s what makes your website so important. Your company website is sort of like an around-the-clock sales representative—always there showcasing the best of what your brand has to offer, educating and qualifying leads, and ultimately guiding folks through the sales funnel.

It’s the hub of all your online marketing and advertising work—but of course, that doesn’t guarantee that it’s effective. Not all websites are created equal, after all, and if you haven’t audited your company site any time recently, there’s no time like the present.

Use this checklist to take stock—and if you feel like your website needs some small tweaks or a total overhaul, make it a priority. The website is too important not to invest in it.

Questions to Ask About Your Website

• Who is your audience? Do you have a clear idea of who you’re trying to reach? Did you write your website content to a particular audience—or to nobody specific?
• Does your website exhibit consistent branding? Do you use a uniform color palette and set of images? Are those branding choices consistent not just on your site, but across social media sites and other marketing collateral, too?
• Do you have a strong About page that conveys real value to your reader? Remember: The About page is actually supposed to be about what you can do for your customers, not just your corporate history.
• Do you have your company contact information on every page of the site? It’s important to have your phone number on each page.
• Do you have streamlined product and service pages, laying out the specific value you can deliver and the problems you can solve?
• Do you have a call to action on each page, leading readers through the sales funnel?
• How often does your site get updated? Are you adding new content—i.e., company blog posts and news listings—on a regular basis?
• Does your site have a clear navigation that makes it easy for users to find what they are looking for?

Hopefully these questions will give you something to think about. To take your marketing know-how to the next step, check into some of our resources at ACES.