If there is one thing that plays an important in making your website a success, then it’s having a consistency in your website design. Being consistent can really work wonders for any business in no time.
But how would you define consistency in website design?
When your website gives the same message at every other touch point where there is a strong possibility that a customer can feel attracted, then you have achieved the perfect level of consistency in your design.
A website with consistent design promises increased visibility and a powerful brand presence. It actually convinces the audience that people running the whole show at the backend knows what they are doing.
To ensure consistency within website, businesses usually perform a website design audit each year.
What is a Website Design Audit?
Website design audit is a complete brand check-up where brand managers within an organization study the website from different brand perspectives. They take into consideration several marketing channels. And then they see how consistent is the brand message being sent among all of these various channels.
These channels are mostly social media avenues, forum discussions, reviews on other websites, etc.
As a brand evangelist working with a website design team, it becomes your responsibility to make sure that the message your website sends on Facebook is pretty much the same as it is sending it out on Reddit, Instagram, SnapChat, Medium, Twitter, or any other website which can give you business exposure
The Importance of Conducting a Design Audit For Your Online Business
We live in a time where everything is constantly improving. What used to be a rising trend back in January of this year can have its most upgraded version a devalued by the end of this very year. Hence, the design trends are relatively changing with the passage of time, and your business needs to survive in the market.
While, sending out your brand message is one thing, but if you are failing to do it by keeping the trends in mind, you are significantly pushing your brand behind. People are much aware than you think they are. And, if they can’t find you the type of individual keeping up with the trend, they might not tap into you at all.
An audit becomes necessary when you believe your marketing department is putting a lot of effort but they don’t fairly see any positive results come out of their efforts. It clearly indicates that something is pretty much wrong with the existing website design. Therefore, an audit becomes a mandatory option.
The Best Way to Conduct a Design Audit for Your Website
Assemble All Branding Collaterals & Study Them Altogether
Assemble every last piece of branding collateral which associates with your website. For large B2B firms, it might take a whole team to bring everything on the table. But, for an SMB usually it’s the design lead which can provide you everything. These collaterals will contain:
- All the Important Website Pages
- Logo in all formats (Custom Logo Designs, Professional Logo Designs, Sketches)
- Facebook ads, banner ads, all the web ads
- Flyers, business cards, stationery, email signatures
- Landing pages, marketing campaigns, and their collateral
- Classes, workshops, presentations, promotional speaking engagements
- Original design files and what you are running currently on the Internet
Pin everything you have gathered on a single soft board. Step back and take a thorough look!
What do you see?
Are they consistent in colors, fonts, typefaces, designs, etc. Identify the gaps and list them down.
Run a Complete Analysis of Your Company’s Website
The most integral part after all is performing the overall company’s website design audit. To do so, you must first be well-connected with the brand message and the brand motive of your organization. While, performing the audit, you have to identify the inconsistencies, the errors, the flaws and other problems within the organization’s website from the branding perspective. When auditing a website, check:
- Is the navigation on each page similar across the whole website?
- Is the logo consistent across all the pages of the website?
- Are the background patterns on the website consistent?
- Is the website design responsive, accessible and usable?
- Are the icons used in the website belong to the same set?
- Is the typography of the content similar across all pages?
- Are all the CTAs, pop ups, and hello bars in alignment?
- Last but not the least, is the tone of content consistent?
Successfully answering these questions will make sure that your website has a consistent design.
Run an Analysis on Social Media Campaigns for the Website
Just like you performed a complete audit on your website, you will eventually be required to do the same for all your social media campaigns as well. While keeping a check, address the following questions.
- Are the messages expressed in your social campaigns in-line with the brand message?
- Are you keeping a consistency in words when creating different ads on social media?
- Are the images equally sized and consistent, the ones which you’re using in website design?
- How much efforts are the writers putting in brainstorming the catchy taglines for social?
Once, an auditor has successfully analyzed these questions, he will then create a detailed report and forward it to other managers so they can work on the existing gaps within the website design.
Design audits can be extremely valuable for your business. And, it is always best if you ask a third party to do it for you. Auditors in-house can run a complete audit, but they are biased to observing the brand from a single perspective. On the other hand, someone whose auditing multiple websites around the world can actually become a far more credible source for your business. His views can actually bring greater benefit.
There are several website design experts out there, working on a wide range of platforms.
Get consulted from them for FREE.