Is It Time to Redesign? Website Audit Essentials | Beverly Cornell

Welcome to Spark & Ignite Your Marketing, the podcast where real conversations meet real strategies. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, founder and fairy godmother of brand clarity at Wickedly Branded. With over 25 years of experience, I’ve helped hundreds of entrepreneurs awaken their brand magic, attract the right people, and build businesses that light them up.

In this episode, I focus on a critical question for business owners: is your website still aligned with your evolving business? If you’re seeing high bounce rates, experiencing lower leads, or have gotten feedback that your site feels outdated or confusing, it’s time for a website audit. I walk you through the steps of evaluating your site’s design, content, and performance, and shares key insights on when to opt for a refresh or a complete redesign. Grab our free Website Audit Checklist to make this process simple and effective!

Get our step-by-step guide to help you evaluate your site's design, content, and performance, ensuring it attracts the right clients and boosts your conversions.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Design & User Experience: First impressions matter, and outdated design or poor navigation can drive potential clients away. I share how to identify if your site’s design is hurting user experience and conversions. I provide tips on ensuring your website is fresh, easy to navigate, and mobile-friendly, a must in today’s digital world.
2. Content Alignment with Brand: As your business evolves, so should your messaging. I emphasize the importance of keeping website content up-to-date and aligned with your brand’s vision. If you’re still featuring old blog posts or services that no longer reflect your business, it’s time for a content overhaul.
3. Website Performance & SEO: Speed and performance directly impact your bounce rate and SEO. Slow websites frustrate users and rank poorly on Google. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can help identify areas for improvement. I remind you that even small changes in performance can lead to significant improvements in user retention and SEO ranking.

Dare to be Wickedly Branded

Transcript

Beverly: 0:11

Welcome to another episode of the Spark Ignite Your Marketing Podcast. I'm your host, Beverly Cornell, and today we're diving into a topic that's crucial for every business owner, your website. Now, if you're like most entrepreneurs, your website is probably designed when your business was in its earlier stages, but as you grow and evolve, is your website still keeping up or has it fallen behind? No longer reflecting your current vision or attracting the right clients. Today, we're going to talk about how to audit your website to ensure it still supports your business goals, and I'll walk you through the key areas to evaluate and give you practical tips to help you decide if it's time for a refresh or even a full redesign. Think of your website as the digital home of your brand. It's where potential clients come to learn about who you are, what you offer, and how you can help them. If your website is outdated or hard to navigate, You're not making a great first impression. There are a few telltale signs that your website might be due for an audit. Are you seeing high bounce rates? Have you gotten feedback that your site feels clunky or confusing? Or maybe you've noticed a drop in leads coming through your contact forms. These could all be the red flags that your site needs some attention. Let's talk about the key areas you should focus on when auditing your website. This is the part where you'll want to take notes or grab our free website audit checklist in the show notes. It'll help guide you step by step. First, you want to look at the design and user experience. If this is something you're going to have to really look at. Does it feel fresh? Is it starting to look dated? User experience is key. People need to navigate your site easily without frustration. And if your navigation is unclear or if important information is buried, it's time for a redesign. Next, I want to focus on your content. Does your website copy still resonate with ideal clients? Is their messaging clear and aligned with your current brand vision? One common mistake is having old blog posts or outdated service descriptions that no longer reflect your actual business. Your website performance is another huge factor. If your site takes too long to load, visitors will bounce right off of them. Page speed does matter, not only for user experience, but also for your SEO. Tools like Google Page Speed and Insights can help you figure out if your site is running as fast as it should. And in today's very mobile world, your site must be optimized for smartphones and tablets. If your website isn't responsive, meaning it doesn't automatically adjust for mobile users, you're missing out on a huge segment of your audience. So here's the big question. Does your website still align with your brand's mission and vision? As your business evolves, so should your website. It should reflect where you're headed and not where you've been. So take a look at your homepage. Does it speak to your target audience, that customer persona, the person you want to serve? Does it clearly communicate the problems that you solve for them? If the answer is no, or not sure, it's time for a content overhaul. If you are confused, I promise you your client is confused. Your website is fully organic and alive. So you want to make sure that it's consistently updated and it grows. remember Your website is not just a place for people to learn about you. It's a place to convert visitors into leads and leads into clients. So every page should have a clear call to action, getting users on the next step you want them to take. Whether it's booking a consultation, signing up for your newsletter, or purchasing a service. So what's next? Start with the website audit. It doesn't have to be overwhelming, especially with our free website audit checklist download in the show notes to make this process simple and effective. It's a step by step guide to evaluating your site's design, content, and performance so you can make informed decisions on what to fix And if you find that you need a full website redesign, don't panic. Take it one step at a time, focusing on the areas that will have the biggest impact on user experience and conversions. So that's it for today's episode. I hope it's inspired you to take a fresh look at your website and start making the changes that will help you grow. Remember, your website is your brand's digital home. It's the heart of your business, make sure it's a place Where your ideal clients feel welcome. Don't forget to download the free website audit checklist in the show notes to guide you through the process. And as always, if you need help with a full redesign or just a refresh, we at BC Associates Marketing are here to support you. Thank you so much for tuning into the Spark Ignite Your Marketing podcast. And I'll see you next time with more actionable tips to help you grow your service based business. But until then, keep sparking and igniting.