Love Quiz: Fall In Love with Your Website Again

By Keana Massey | Published October 18, 2017 | Categories: Web Development

You have genuine feelings for your website, but you’re not entirely sure you’d call it love. Or, maybe your digital relationship has been less than fulfilling and you’re starting to wonder… is this a relationship worth saving?

Take this quiz to find out if it’s time to get more serious about a website redesign.

Question #1: How do you feel about your website’s friends?

If you’ve been “dating” your website for a long time, you’ve more than likely met the friends. If not, it’s time you do. Meet Google Analytics and Google Site Search. Believe it or not, they’re your best friends, too. Get to know them well as they can be the key to opening your significant other’s digital heart.

The “E” Word
That’s right. Engagement. Google Analytics can provide insights into the type of content that drives visitors and captivates users. Find out which pages are under-performing and adjust your new content strategy accordingly.

More importantly, ask yourself which pages are performing best. Exploit these subject areas in your new, updated content strategy. Some topics may need to be called out more. Knowing your website’s likes and dislikes can only make for a more healthy relationship.

Google Site Search
Google Site Search can tell you what users are searching for when they first meet your website. Are users satisfied with what they find? The results may be surprising. You may find new areas of opportunity that you’d never thought of. Are they searching for a product or online course that you don’t yet offer? Maybe it’s time to expand your catalog.

Get Your Friends’ Input, too.
A focus group is an ideal way to find out what your users need and want from this relationship. Identify your audience correctly and your focus group will be effective.

For example, in the case of a college or university, your focus group may be made up of a combination of students, prospective students and alumni. Keep the size at a manageable number (about 10-15). With the right moderator, you’ll find out what you need to know about your user’s habits and objectives so that you can design optimally for a more fulfilling relationship next go-round.

Question #2: Is your online presence responsive to your needs?

Responsive is the key word here. 86% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 have a smart phone. If this is your audience (that’s you, Higher Ed), this one’s a no-brainer. By contrast, 87% of those living in households making in excess of $75,000 a year have a smart phone (that’s your audience, online retailers). If your current website isn’t responsive, this is step one to a more healthy relationship.

Beauty is More Than Skin Deep (although that counts, too)
Often, websites fall behind as organizational branding requirements evolve. This is a chance to update a color theme, new logo, etc. And while looks are important, inner beauty is even more so. Make sure the voice of your website is consistent with your other collateral.

Incorporate images and video where appropriate. In short, it’s a great time to make sure that you and your website are speaking the same language – the language of (digital) love.

Question #3: Does your website’s content still give you butterflies?

We’ve all seen the data on declining attention spans. That’s very likely true for your audience, too. Creating a logical navigation and page structure ensures that your site is easily scanned – an essential element to today’s website design.

Start with an overview and make sure you’ve written relevant headings and used SEO friendly tags accordingly (H2s, H3s. etc.). Use bulleted or numbered lists where appropriate. Link to other relevant internal pages and make sure that link text is meaningful.

Breaking up (blocks of text) is hard to do. Not really. Nevertheless, it always seems to be overlooked. This one’s an easy fix. Don’t forget it.

Call Me
If you’re looking for a new website, that is. We at Beacon don’t claim to be “doctors of love” but we’ve been helping guide clients through their digital relationships for almost 20 years. Feel free to contact me with questions or call one of our team members at 1.855.467.5447.