Is your business’ website fit for purpose? Here’s how to test it

You’ve got your website up and running – great! But don’t forget to test how it works regularly

Once you’ve built and launched your business’ website you need to check it’s working at its very best.

It’s important to test it works regularly to make sure you aren’t turning potential customers away, and that nothing’s changed since you last checked.

Here are a few simple tips to help you get the most out of your website, with as little time (and money) spent as possible.

Tip #1: Test your website’s speed

One of the reasons why a visitor to your website may leave is because it’s too slow. They might even go to a competitor which we naturally want to avoid.

You can avoid losing these customers by using a website speed checker tool to find out if your website is too slow to load. Google’s free PageSpeed Insights is a great way to understand your website’s speed, both on mobile and computer. It rates your site’s speed from 0 to 100 – with the ideal load time being 2-3 seconds – and details your site’s weak points that are slowing it down.

Tip #2: Review your spelling

Checking your grammar and spelling is correct on every page on your website may sound like a basic thing to do, but it’s important.

You don’t necessarily need to check this manually. There are plenty of free online programmes – like Grammarly – that will check your grammar and spelling as you write. Sites like this will also give you tips and tricks on how to structure information properly. However, make sure you don’t completely rely on the advice of an online programme – always proofread before posting. (And then get someone else to proofread it too!)

Tip #3: Check your links work

Good websites contain lots of links to help guide visitors through the site – and can be a great way to keep visitors on your website for longer. Adding links that naturally guide people on a journey can help your website perform well. However, it’s important to test every link you use, as broken links (those that take you to an error page) give a bad experience, and can also lead website visitors to explore other businesses instead. The easiest way to check every link’s working is to click on each individually. Free tools - like SEMRush - can check up to 100 links with the free sign up option.

Tip #4: Choose your website features

The purpose of a website is to help your business grow – whether that’s by catching the eye of new customers or increasing awareness of your work. So, you should also regularly think about the features you have on your website, and if they are right for your customers. If you’re noticing that a lot of customers are connecting with your business on Instagram, you may want to promote your social channels on your website. Many website builders like Wix, give you the option to add a ‘Social Bar’, so people on your website can preview your Instagram posts.

You’ve already done the hard work of building a website, so don’t forget to check it regularly so visitors to it can have a great experience and keep coming back for more.

Completed your website testing and want to focus on the next step to make the most of your online presence? Learn about how to test your own SEO performance here