Who is Going to Update The Content?
Outdated content is arguably the number one reason a business opts for their website to be redesigned. However, just because the web developer/designer is rebuilding the web environment, it’s generally not their responsibility or focus to rework, expand and evolve the brand’s digital footprint.
The majority of the time most web development is halted or redirected to the website owner failing to have a clear plan on how content updates should happen. Thus it’s key to put the hard hours in at first and update the website content before actually engaging the web developer. The simplest way to do this is to create a doc that has each page of the website and then make changes and highlight in red for the developer.
Does The New Website Break on Mobile?
Most developers are faced with the challenge of panel beating desktop designed websites into a mobile-friendly environment. Just because developers have this skill set, doesn’t mean that it is the most future proof plan. Rather than panel beating, it’s best to design the entire website with the mobile experience being the primary focus.
- Good developers build websites according to the brief they’ve been given and are able to evolve a concept into a living website according to a set of deadlines.
- Great developers build websites that have a functional backend, focused on the future-proofing of your website needs, where it’s easy to edit, update and progressively improve the website. They deliver what you need and not just what you want.
It’s 2018 people: Both users and Google expect your website to be mobile-first. This is no longer a nice idea, it’s a necessity.
Is Google Excited About This Update?
You’ve probably built a couple pages over the past few years and may wonder if anyone ever visits them. Well, it’s imperative to redirect all old pages to new pages. Simply, when someone tries to visit an old page, they are redirected to a new page. This is to ensure that all of your previous link equity and incoming traffic lands on an actual page. Failing to do this can most definitely result in a drop in Google traffic.
Is the New Website Idiot-Proof?
Just because you and the team are super impressed by this amazing new feature you’ve built into the new website, doesn’t mean the average Joe is able to navigate and convert. Having your website in a “test” environment before launch is a great way to get others to test and comment. Ensuring that the website is easy to navigate, clear in objectives and progressively moving the user towards conversion, is key.
Here’s a quick list of things to check:
- How does someone contact you?
- Does the enquiry form notify the right person?
- Do all buttons work?
- Are there any assumptions that aren’t explained?
When it comes to website navigation, less is definitely more.
Are We able to Track Conversions?
Never have I looked at the Google Analytics setup of an account and been happy that the client’s business goals are actually being tracked. It’s crucial when launching a website to ensure that at least one goal is set up to track conversions. Having two years of basic tracked conversions is extremely helpful when looking to scale incoming traffic. The simplest way to do this is to get the developer to build a Thank You age and set up a Google Analytics goal tracking when a user visits the Thank You page.
Get it setup correctly the first time, it’s worth it.