Maybe I’ve lost it, but this totally seemed like a great idea while I was walking the dog this morning…should you give your website a regular big clean-out? Do you get rid of what doesn’t fit your business anymore and check if everything still works as it should? Just like a Marie Kondo-esque home declutter, you can clear out your website and get it working at its best again in 6 steps (it was 5, but I just thought of another one). Ok, let’s go:
1. Clear out the crap
If your website has a CMS like WordPress or Magento, there’s a good chance that you have a few plugins that aren’t being used any more. Maybe when you changed to the new contact form system or gallery display you left the old one there just in case – time to delete it. If there are images that aren’t being shown on the front end of your website any more, bin them too. They all take up space on your hosting and can slow your site down.
2. Fix what’s broken
Next, check all of your links are working and fix any broken ones. If your website is too big to check manually, use an online link checker to do it for you. Test all of your forms and make sure all of your images are showing, and check your website works on all sizes of browsers. Again, if you don’t know how to test this manually, there are sites to do it for you.
Not only can 404s, dodgy mobile views, and missing images damage your credibility, they can harm your SEO efforts so take the time to test.
3. Update everything
Whether it’s the PHP version, plugins or copyright date, make sure that everything that needs to be updated, is updated. This will add to your website’s credibility and enhance its security by making sure everything is on the latest, safest version.
4. Check your stats
Are you sure that the content of your website is good quality? There’s an easy way to check. Website analytics packages like Google Analytics help you to understand how well your website is performing. If you look at your pages you can evaluate their performance: how many page views; average time spent on page etc. High-quality content brings in the most traffic, and anything that is low-quality, or out-of-date can be cleared out. Anything that’s a bit average, why not take the opportunity to improve it?
5. Refresh your design
Like a room needs a coat of paint, your website can benefit from a regular refresh. If you feel that your site is starting to look a bit stale in comparison to the competition, then invest in creating a new look. Change colour schemes, the layout, or refresh the images; have a look at current trends in website design and see what can stand the test of time.
If you need more advice, or help implementing any of this, get in touch with the Kuka team today.
