I audit websites for a living. Here’s the approach I use in all my conversion optimization projects, which you can use to audit your website to understand what you need to improve to generate more leads and inquiries.
A tried-and-tested website audit framework to spot conversion optimization opportunities
To increase the chances of a prospect reaching out, your website has to pass these 5 fundamental checks:
1) Clarity
“I understand every word / the message.”
Every prospect should understand every sentence in the same way. Zero room for ambiguity. Zero guess work. Zero blank stares.
2) Relevance
“I recognize myself.”
Your prospects recognize that your offers are targeted towards:
- Companies and/or people like them
- Their problems and needs
3) Value
“I see how it can be valuable to me.”
Your website:
- Presents specific services prospects are looking for
- Covers their specific buying decision criteria
Unbelievable but true: your main source of opportunities to increase your website’s conversion rate is to answer these two questions:
- Does my website cover all prospect decision criteria?
- How can I make my web copy, design, and user experience services satisfy these decision criteria even better?
Think of super-specific decision criteria regarding your services and you/your team your prospects use to decide whether to hire you or your competitor.
And no, putting “price” as a decision criterion and calling it a day won’t be helpful, because:
- Prospects who truly don’t have the budget don’t belong to your target audience, and you can safely ignore them
- Your price tag is nothing you should address on your website directly but rather something your copy and design should justify implicitly
Here are some real-life examples of such decision criteria from my website review projects phrased in a way that helped us spot conversion wins.
Examples of specific decision criteria
Client #1: Commercial printing company
- Getting all done under one roof
- Easy to work with
- Delivering on time
- Maintaining brand quality
- Other possible decision criteria:
- Woman owned business
- SGP (Sustainable Green Printing Partnership) and/or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification
Client #2: A freelancer who offers piano tuning services
- Some level of experience in the trade
- Shows up on time
- Does a good job
- Feeling comfortable with my client coming to their home: likable and trustworthy
The more specific decision criteria you can identify, the better.
Not sure what decision criteria your prospects use?
Then do check out my online course on defining your target audience. We cover decision criteria in Module 3:
4) Trustworthiness
“I trust this person to keep their promises / do a good job.”
This is covered by:
- Trustworthy web design: professional and appropriate for your purpose
- Specificity: every sentence should paint a specific picture in your prospects’ mind that correlates with their current real-life struggles and/or desired results
- Social proof: testimonials, case studies, data points (e.g., how many members your community has, how many companies you’ve successfully helped, years in business), etc.
- Photos of real people that present you and your team as likable experts
5) Logical order of information
On every page, you should arrange the information in a logical order in terms of making a compelling argument—from most important (what it is, for whom, why they should care) to least important (e.g., money-back guarantee, FAQs).
Too many issues? Split it into audit rounds
If you start feeling overwhelmed by spotting too many issues too quickly, you can review your website in two rounds to focus on auditing the existing content first and on identify the missing pieces later.
Like this:
Website audit round #1:
1) Make sure your existing copy and design are:
- clear
- valuable
- relevant
- trustworthy
2) On every page, arrange the information from most important to the least important.
Website audit round #2:
1) Identify super-specific prospect decision criteria
2) Ask yourself:
- Does my website cover all of them?
- How can I make my web copy, design, and user experience services satisfy these decision criteria even better?
Whatever approach you prefer, this website audit framework helps you evaluate your website as your customers see it, so you can understand what’s working, what’s not, and what you need to do to fix it.
Sounds like too much work?
Honestly? It is. So why not let a professional do that instead? Rumor has it, my website review can double your conversions.
