When you own a small business, there are tons of companies vying for your time and dollars. It can be difficult to wade through all the noise, and find partners who will deliver real value. It’s even more of a challenge when it comes to website development, which includes lingo you may not be familiar with and technology you don’t 100% understand.
We (like many other companies) built free website reviews into our sales process, as a way to learn more about your business and help you get to know ours. But we (UNLIKE any other company we’ve come across) create these website reviews to give you the hard truth, without all the usual marketing fluff.
Here’s how our review videos stand out from the typical website audit experience:
Most “Free Site Audits” Fall Short
Lots of website development agencies offer a free site audit as a way to generate new business. There are three major issues with the typical review they offer:
1. The benchmarks they measure against are fundamentally flawed
There’s no standard way to conduct a website audit, so companies choose for themselves what metrics to check and what counts as “passing” or “failing”. They’ll usually send a report card-style analysis, with generic concepts and scores that are difficult to interpret.
And here’s the dirty little secret – 99% of sites will “fail” the audit, and you’ll be told the only way forward is to buy a whole new site.
A proper website company should fill you in on the philosophy they use to review your site, and get specific about what components they look for. Your review should include specific details about what’s missing, and tangible ideas for how you can address issues.
2. They care more about algorithms than people
The easiest way to create a site audit is to run your website through another website that flags issues in code, SEO, etc. Other companies will tell you about back-end optimizations and technical updates – but one thing almost every audit misses is the actual human perspective.
If you’re the owner of a small- or micro-sized business, most your business probably comes from referrals and word-of-mouth. It’s certainly important to make sure your website is in good technical shape. But it’s absolutely vital to create a good experience for the real, live people visiting your site!
Do you have a strong, easily accessible call-to-action? Do you make it easy for people to see where your business operates? These are the kinds of questions a technical audit fails to ask.
3. The conversation is one-sided, and fails to incorporate your input regarding your business
Most website audits come with no actual dialog – or worse, you’re stuck with a salesperson until you’ve committed to a purchase. The report may include some helpful tips, but those golden nuggets can be buried in generic or unrealistic suggestions.
YOU are the expert when it comes to your business. A true site review should always include questions and conversation about your business’ background, clients, and goals. Static documents outlining what’s “right” and “wrong” without that context usually fail to address your true needs.
Creating a Better Website Review
When you request a site review from Websites for Anything, you don’t get a generic slide deck with a big price tag at the end. Instead, you receive a 20-30 minute review video with front-row access the experience and eyes of our website experts (not just some algorithm that only sees code).
In each video, our website strategists record their journey through your site and talk through their thoughts along the way. We include info about the 16 things every small business website should include, and highlight opportunities to improve your current site. Our goal is to give you real-world, specific-to-you improvements you can actually make.
Why Video Reviews
Why did we choose video as our review vehicle? First of all, because you’re busy! This format means you can access the review any time, as often as you want – all without talking to a salesperson.
Video also gives you a front seat to our real thoughts and reactions as we walk through the site. You’ll hear us ask questions and explore ideas in context – something a simple audit deck can’t express.
Finally, we use video because it helps us get to know each other. We’re all about building relationships, and find that it’s always worth the extra effort to create a warmer, more personal experience.
Ready for your own review?
Great, we can’t wait to show you the difference our review videos make! Click here to take the first step towards a better website.