2020 was a crap fest, and 2021 has been…mostly a crap fest. But hey! We’re halfway through the year already, and you know what that means:

Napping in a dark room until this year is over. A mid-year website review! (We’re still sold on the nap idea, though.)

Now that we’re sliding into Q3 (we can’t believe it, either), it’s time to check in on your website to make sure it’s still setting you up for success. After all, it’s one of the most important aspects of growing your business, so you want to make sure it’s in tip-top shape at all times.

Not sure where to start? We’ve got you covered with this mid-year website review checklist.

Review and refresh your site content

If you read that as ‘re-write your entire website and have a full-blown panic attack,’ we’re here to tell you not to do that. But you do need to carve out some time every 3-4 months to refresh the copy on your website. Why?

Because it keeps your site cute and hot and fresh and young. In other words: It’s exciting and original! It’s energizing and restorative! It’s more keywords and phrases that help you get found on Google, so you don’t have to hustle your ass off on social.

Content reviews and refreshes are super important to make sure your website is accurate and up-to-date. Have you launched new products? Have you discontinued any products? Does your site contain any broken links? 

Go through your site as if you’re a brand-new customer discovering your business for the first time. 

• Does your content make sense? 
• Will someone understand what you’re all about? 
• Have you added new elements to your brand? 

Keep these questions in mind as you’re going through your content and make any necessary changes along the way.

Double-check your site navigation and customer journey

As you’re reviewing your content (through the eyes of a customer), pay attention to your site navigation, too. Ask questions like:

• Is my site easy to navigate?
• Can customers easily find what they’re looking for?
• Are my core pages easy to get to?
• Is my website meeting customers where they are?

Remember: Your website is about you — it’s not for you. 

Keep this little nugget of wisdom in your mind as you do regular website reviews, and it will change your whole perspective. Trust us.

Check your site’s accessibility 

We’ve said it once, and we’ll say it again: Your site needs to be accessible, dammit! 

Accessibility means you’re providing an inclusive website that everyone can use and navigate. Do a quick check of your site to make sure that:

• There’s plenty of white space and well-formatted copy
• All of your content is easy to read and scan (shorter paragraphs, headers, bullet points, etc.)
• Your fonts and colors are easy to read
• All of your links and images contain alt text

Still not sure where to start? Check out our tips for making your website and blog accessible.

Make sure everything is still “on brand” 

Businesses evolve and change over time, and we absolutely love to see it. But it’s important that your brand still reflects those changes. We’re not talking about an entire re-brand here, but just a quick gut-check to make sure your site still looks, sounds, and feels like you. 

Has your overall tone shifted over time? Maybe your brand’s voice could use some refreshing.

Are you going for more of an authentic look and feel vs. a cookie-cutter curated one? Maybe it’s time to invest in a photographer and designer who can capture the essence of you. 

Bottom line: As your business grows, your brand needs to grow right along with it.

Improve SEO if needed

Not sure how your site is ranking or performing? Here’s a hot tip: Open an incognito window and search for your brand keywords. 

How’s your site ranking? Are competitors out-ranking you? If that’s the case, it may be time to do some fine-tuning. And by fine-tuning, we don’t mean shoving as many keywords into your content and metadata as possible. Seriously, don’t do that.

Instead, find ways to add keywords and phrases into your content naturally. Focus on headers, intro paragraphs, and page titles. Another pro tip: Go back through old blog posts and optimize them by adding more keyword-rich content, updating links, and adding headers (like H2s, H3s, etc.).

Check on your goals

The halfway point of any given year is a great time to check in with the goals you set way back in January. Are you on track to meet them? Do you need to shift strategies to get to where you want to be? 

Look at your goals and ask yourself: Is my website helping me achieve them? If you want more subscribers, make sure your website provides ample opportunities to snag emails. If you want to sell more products, make sure your sales pages are mind-blowing, and the shopping process is super easy. 

No matter what your goals for your business are, your website should help you meet them — not get in your way.