Website Checklist for a Fresh Start in 2024: Is Your Website Ready?
When was the last time you reviewed your website and is it working as hard as you are? Your website is often the first impression for your customers, so it's crucial that it's up to date, fully functional and aligned with your goals for 2025. Here’s a quick checklist to help you assess your website and give it a fresh start for the new year.
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1. Mobile Responsiveness
In 2024, more people are browsing and shopping on their smartphones than ever before. If your website isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely losing potential customers.
Action Step: Test your website on different devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops) to make sure it looks great and works smoothly across all screen sizes.
2. Speed and Performance
Slow-loading websites frustrate visitors and can negatively impact your SEO rankings. Google’s algorithm even factors in site speed, so if your site is sluggish, it could hurt your visibility.
Action Step: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to check your website’s speed. Aim for a loading time of under 3 seconds and optimise images, scripts, and other elements that may slow it down.
3. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
A website that’s not optimised for search engines means your potential customers won’t find you when they search for businesses like yours. SEO is crucial for increasing your online visibility and attracting more organic traffic.
Action Step: Review your website’s SEO basics—make sure you're using the right keywords, have unique title tags and meta descriptions, and use header tags properly. You can also check if your site is indexed by Google Search Console.
4. Updated Content and Branding
Your website should reflect the current state of your business. If you’ve added new services, launched products, or changed your business focus, make sure your website content aligns with your current offerings and branding.
Action Step: Review your homepage, about page, services, and blog (if you have one) to ensure all content is relevant and accurate. Refresh any outdated visuals or text to better reflect your brand’s tone and identity.
5. Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs)
Every successful website has clear CTAs that guide visitors on what to do next. Whether it's making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or contacting you for a consultation, your CTAs should be easy to find and compelling.
Action Step: Check your CTAs—are they clear, action-oriented, and placed in visible areas? Consider adding new CTAs for 2024, such as offering a free consultation or promoting a new product or service.
6. Security and Privacy
Website security is more important than ever. Ensuring that your site is secure (especially if you handle sensitive customer information) is crucial to building trust with your audience.
Action Step: Make sure your website has an SSL certificate (look for “https” in the URL), and ensure your privacy policy is up-to-date. This is also important for SEO, as Google favours secure sites.
7. Analytics and Tracking
Understanding your website’s performance is essential to making informed decisions. By using website analytics, you can track visitors, page performance, and user behaviour.
Action Step: Set up Google Analytics if you haven’t already, and review your website’s performance. Identify areas of improvement and focus on metrics like bounce rate, average session duration, and conversion rates.
A website refresh at the start of the year can give your business the boost it needs to succeed in 2025. By following this checklist, you can ensure your website is not only user-friendly but also optimised for search engines and ready to convert visitors into customers.