FREE WEBSITE ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Let’s cut to the chase: Does your website truly represent your business, or does it make potential customers cringe and run for the hills? If you’ve caught yourself wondering whether your website sucks and desperately needs a redo, stick around. We get it – being a small business owner is no walk in the park, and mastering the labyrinth of the digital world is not for the faint of heart. It’s like juggling flaming swords while riding a unicycle – blindfolded.
The internet is cluttered with zillions of SEO tools that confuse the heck out of you, pushing you to focus on things that hardly matter. Let’s strip things down to basics: Google Search drives over 90% of web traffic. So logically, making Google happy should be our main goal because a happy Google means more eyeballs on your site, and more eyeballs mean more dollar signs in your pocket.
The Reality Check: Is Your Website Up to Par?
Look, we know you’re swamped with running day-to-day operations. You shouldn’t have to become a digital marketing guru overnight just because you own a business. The SEO world is filled with “gurus,” “ninjas,” and “rockstars” ready to sell you snake oil at top dollar. But ask yourself this: Do these SEO ‘experts’ update their methodologies 5,000 times a year like Google updates its algorithm? Didn’t think so.
Trusting Google: The Only Source You Need
Google’s updates come straight from the horse’s mouth (the really smart horse), making their guidelines the gold standard. So why waste money elsewhere? Let’s explore some free resources from Google’s own treasure chest to help figure out if your website is dragging you down. Here are a few essential Google Tools for Your Website Assessment:
Google Search Console
If you haven’t hooked up your site to Google Search Console yet, what are you waiting for? This is Ground Zero for understanding how Google views your site.
1. What It Does: Allows you to see exactly how well (or poorly) your website plays by Google’s rules.
2. Setup Guide: Dive into Google Search Console and follow the simple steps to set up.
3. Benefits: Provides performance reports, pinpoint indexing issues, lets you submit sitemaps, and gives an overall health check – all served directly from Google’s brain & it’s free.
Page Speed Insights
Do you enjoy watching paint dry? Neither do visitors who encounter a sluggish website. Speed matters!
1. Importance: Faster load times = happier visitors = better SEO.
2. Usage Guide: Test your site speed with the Google provided, Page Speed Insights
3. Feedback: Get detailed suggestions on how to shave off those precious seconds for both desktop and mobile devices, and it’s free.
Google Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Starter Guide
Ready to take a deep dive into Google’s mind when it comes to SEO? This guide has got what you need.
1. Content Overview: Covers everything from grandma-simple basics to techie-deep details.
2. Access: Full documentation can be found at SEO Starter Guide.
3. Benefit: Stays updated frequently—like seriously frequently—so you’re always in-step with Google’s latest mind-bending tweaks. And are you ready for this, it’s free.
Other Essential Tools to Boost Your Website’s Performance
Alright, let’s talk about some other vital tools that’ll save your bacon:
Dead Link Checker
Nothing screams “unprofessional” louder than broken links littered across your site.
1. Why it Matters: Broken links frustrate users and slap a big target on your back for poor SEO ranking.
2. How-To Use: Scan away at Dead Link Checker
3. Outcome: Identify dead links so fast it’ll make your head spin, then fix them stat! Once again, it’s free.
Why No Pad Lock
In security terms, think of HTTPS as putting pants on before leaving home – pretty essential.
1. HTTPS Significance: Sites using HTTPS look professional and secure with that coveted padlock icon.
2. Diagnostic Tool: Evaluate how locked-down your site is with Why No Pad Lock.
3. Benefit: Fix any security blunders pronto so users feel safe navigating through your pages. And guess what? Yep, it’s free.
Online Spell Check
It takes only one typo in a major headline or menu item for customers to assume you’re an amateur hour operation.
1. Professionalism Counts: Typos erode trust faster than bad breath kills a first date.
2. Tool Usage: Run content through Online Spell Check.
3. Outcome: Polish off every last paragraph until it’s spotless – because even word nerds can miss typos sometimes. Psst… it’s free.
Conclusion: Wrap-Up & Action Plan
So there you have it! Determining whether or not your website blows chunks doesn’t require convoluted tools or shady consultants—just lean on Google’s offerings alongside some tried-and-true extras:
– Kickstart insights with Google Search Console by tapping HERE
– Enhance speed metrics via Page Speed Insights by tapping HERE
– Adhere religiously to the SEO Starter Guide by tapping HERE
– Exterminate dead links regularly by tapping HERE
– Ensure tight-knit security compliance by tapping HERE
– Maintain flawless spelling accuracy by tapping HERE
Tackle these steps head-on and soon enough, you’ll turn that dog turd of a website into digital goldmine material!
Rather be focusing on your business than this crap? We get it.
Still feeling daunted? Did we miss something important? Rant or rave in our comments section below! Ready for another dose of wisdom? Check out more sizzling hot tips right here on our blog or holler at us directly—we’re itching to help! If you’re interested in starting over and letting someone else try to tame the digital jungle, TurnCage will design, write, build and manage your website, maintain it moving forward. They create every website with Google in mind, and test every change they make with Google to ensure you have the best site money can buy. Don’t worry it won’t break the bank, it’s probably way less than you already spent on your site, and if you built your site yourself, ask yourself what your time is worth! We hope you’ll be in touch soon!
Our websites have helped tens-of-thousands of businesses, in nearly every industry, grow including: Home Services, Accountants/Bookkeepers/CPAs, Artists, Chiropractors, Cleaning Companies, Counselors & Therapists, Electricians, Hairstylists, Nail Salons, Makeup Artists, Handymen, Home Service Contractors, HVAC Companies, Landscape Companies, Lawyers & Law Firms, Life Coaches, Pet Care Professionals, Photographers, Plumbers, Small Businesses, Solopreneurs, and even Wineries & Distilleries.