A Website Audit Guide: How to Check Your Website for Usability, Branding, and SEO

Why Website Consistency Matters

Your website is the digital home for your brand. It’s the primary place where you will tell your story and invite your customers to engage with you. It needs to clearly and effectively communicate your business values, service offerings, and competitive advantages while consistently reflecting your brand identity. When your site is well-organized, easy to navigate, has a consistent visual design and clear calls-to-action (CTAs), you help your visitors quickly get to know you and your offerings and then take action.

This audit covers key areas of your site to review and our general recommendations to improve your website for maximum impact and conversion.

1. Design & Branding Consistency

A cohesive design ensures visitors can quickly orient themselves and navigate your site easily.

Deploy Your Logo Strategically

• Use a well-sized logo in your header that has a high contrast with the background color, making it easy to read.

• Consider using a version of your logo that includes your tagline, if it fits well (and your tagline is sufficiently short)

• Include a variation of your logo in the footer to reinforce your brand identity.

• Link your logo to the home page (in both the header and footer) for easy navigation.

Standardize Your Font Hierarchy

• Choose consistent font styles, sizes, and capitalization across all pages.

• Define a clear structure for:

• H1: Page Titles

• H2/H3: Subheadings

• Body Text & Button Labels

Implement a Consistent Color Scheme

• Use uniform colors for headings, subheadings, buttons, and backgrounds.

• Avoid too many different background styles (images, colors, or textures) that create visual clutter.

Create Standard Page Headers

• Use a consistent header design across subpages.

• Consider making a slightly different header design for specialty category pages, like your CTA or blog pages.

• Consider a black & white header image tinted to blend with your color palette with an overlaid title to improve readability.

Improve Footer Content

• Add your contact information for easy access and make sure it matches your Google Business Profile info for verification by Google.

• Include social media icons with direct links.

• Include other navigational ‘quick links’ that take visitors to key areas of your website, so they don’t have to return to the top for your menu.

2. Navigation & Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

Your website should guide visitors toward their next steps with clear and strategically placed CTAs.

Prioritize Key CTAs Across Your Website

Your CTAs should align with your business goals, and be placed strategically throughout, placing the most important in your site header and footer. Consider breaking up large blocks of copy with CTA buttons. Common CTAs include:

• Primary: Lead conversion (register, schedule, book, contact)

• Secondary: Subscribe to a newsletter, leave a review, buy a gift card

• Additional: Request a consultation, explore offerings, learn more

Optimize the Header & Navigation Menu

• Remove redundant links (e.g., if the logo links to the homepage, you don’t need a "Home" button).

• Move secondary CTAs (like newsletter signups or reviews) to the footer.

• Restructure the navigation menu to better organize content:

• Categories for Services or Offerings

• Resources or Blog

• About & Contact Information

Enhance the Footer for Better Engagement

• Add testimonials to build trust.

• Include clear Call-to-Action buttons (Register, Subscribe, Contact).

3. Homepage Improvements

Your homepage should immediately answer two critical questions for visitors:

1. Do you offer what I’m looking for?

2. Why should I choose you?

Refine the Hero Section

The hero section is the first section of the homepage that appears, below the header and navigation and above the fold. It is also sometimes called the splash screen.

• Feature a compelling headline & value proposition that focuses on your primary keyword or topic, particularly in your H1 tag, for SEO.

• Add prominent buttons for your primary CTA (e.g., “Get Started” or “Schedule a Call”).

Reorganize Key Sections for Better Flow

• Introduce an “About” section that shares your story and builds credibility.

• Add a service or product overview with quick descriptions and “Learn More” buttons.

• Move promotional elements (e.g., testimonials, limited-time offers) to relevant areas.

Remove Clutter

• Eliminate unnecessary sections that don’t add value or distract from key actions.

4. SEO Enhancements

A well-optimized website improves search engine rankings and helps potential customers find you.

Optimize Meta Titles & Descriptions

• Ensure every page has a clear, keyword-rich meta title & description to improve visibility in search results.

Refine URLs for Clarity

• Update confusing URLs to be short, descriptive, and keyword-focused.

Improve Internal Linking

• Add “Learn More” buttons throughout the site to encourage deeper engagement.

A strong website isn’t just about looking great—it’s about providing a smooth, effortless experience that converts visitors into customers. By implementing these recommendations, you’ll create a more intuitive, visually appealing, and action-oriented site that better supports your business goals.

Need help executing these updates? Let’s chat about how we can optimize your website for better performance!