Although we may now finally be reaching the point where some aspects of COVID-19 lockdowns around the world are starting to be lifted, this is all the more reason for you to check on your website because you may soon lack the time for any behind-the-scenes housekeeping.
Your business or organisation may have traditionally been largely bricks-and-mortar that has shifted online very recently due to the disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe you’ve always had a website and still have some spare time to scrutinise its suitability for a post-crisis world while business is slowly picking up again.
Regardless which of these applies, here are three technical aspects of your site that our digital marketing consultants would suggest you take a look at now, while you might still have the time during lockdown to do so.
Core system software and security
Is the software platform your site is based on completely up-to-date? Online business owners with sites running on WordPress, for example, may have easily missed the release of WordPress 5.4 on 31 March 2020, when a lot of merchants were busy dealing with the immediate impacts of the Coronavirus outbreak. You might also want to check on the server operating system and PHP version.
It’s also a good idea to look right now at any plug-ins that your site might be dependent on. Are these all up-to-date, too? If not, this could easily present security risks.
- If your WordPress website is in need of some TLC, you might want to look at our available support options to help take a weight off your shoulders.
Performance
As website owners modify their sites over time, clutter may gather that slows down the site. With Google using site speed as a signal for the ranking of pages in its search engine results pages (SERPs) – to say nothing of the user experience implications – this is something that digital marketing consultants would really urge you to stay aware of.
The great news is that there are various potential ‘quick wins’ for improving site speed, ranging from swapping existing large images for smaller ones, to enabling file compression and minifying CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
Mobile device optimisation
Google’s shift in recent years to mobile-first indexing means that if you are one of the longer-established online businesses or organisation I mentioned above, you should have been working to make your website a better one for smartphone users months and years before COVID-19 came along.
Even if your business or organisation has been on the web for a while, you may have easily missed a few things affecting the responsiveness and seamlessness of the experience your site provides for those visiting it using a smartphone.
Does your site have a responsive design, for example? Have you addressed speed concerns like those referenced above? Are ‘calls to action’ (CTAs) on your site conveniently located and intuitive to tap on for someone with a smartphone in their hand? And if yours is an eCommerce business, how streamlined is your mobile checkout process? You really shouldn’t be forcing your smartphone visitors to go through one unnecessary page after another, just so that they can buy from you.
Remember that as lockdowns gradually lift and we all return to something vaguely resembling ‘normal’ – or at least a ‘new normal’ – being well-prepared with your website will help to keep you one step ahead of the recovering competition in your industry.
To talk to our own website designers and digital marketing consultants here at PENNInk Productions about the wide-ranging site, search and support services that we could bring to your brand through the rest of 2020 and beyond, don’t wait any longer to call 020 8144 7931.
Edward Solomon has over 30 years’ experience in project management, technical education, computer networking, web design and development and is a Digital Business Consultant for PENNInk Productions Ltd.
