A Website Audit lets us know how well your site has been designed and developed as well as any reasons why it is not performing as well as you would like. A Website Audit forms the backbone of what we will need to do in order to fix your website so that it will rank well on the search engines.

What is a website audit?
A website audit is a study and an examination that web experts do on a website. They analyse a website and look for grammatical errors and spelling mistakes as well as the flow of content. They will also look at your website from a user point of view and study the navigation, layout, content and graphics of the website. The code that your website was written in will also be scrutinised. Once the audit is complete a report will be issued which highlights the problem areas, broken links, inoperable pages, code errors etc. so that you can improve your website. After all what is the point of having a website and spending money on it if it is in good working order?

Who does the website audit?
At Optimus01 the website audit will be done by a number of web and marketing experts in order to ensure that every aspect of the website is analysed and reported on correctly. The website will be inspected via consecutive stages and will go through a complete investigative process. At Optimus01 a typical website audit will involve the Senior Web Developer, the Online Marketing Manager, The Multimedia Designer, the Managing Director, the CEO, the Editor-In-Chief and the Product Manager. This way we ensure to deliver an audit that encompasses all the different factors using specialists in the various fields.

How long does a website audit take?
The length of a website audit depends on the size of the website being audited. A simple 5 page website will take about 6 hours and a large 50 page website will take about 45 hours. This however also depends on the amount of errors which have to be reported on.

Why don’t all website companies offer website audits?
Simply put it takes a lot of time, patience and skill and not all companies have the manpower, the expertise nor the desire to do them. At Optimus01 we offer this service because we truly enjoy doing website audits. We also like to offer a complete range of web related products and services to our clients and this means including website audits as one of our services.

Do all websites go through the same website audit process?
Yes they do. It doesn’t matter the size of the website the general stages of website auditing are administered. As a result the reports are of the same structure; however the recommendations and problems are tailor made according to each website.

How can a website audit benefit me?
By having a website audit done on your website the outcome will determine the way forward in terms of what needs to be done to your website in order to correct it. Think of the report that will be submitted as a to do list of things to do to improve your website and make it 100% operable both for users and search engines alike. Not all website companies know how to build a website that users and search engines like and as a result there are millions of websites out there that simply aren’t in good shape and as a result the website owner isn’t getting the full benefit from his website, whether that be with visitors or through monetary gain. A website audit will assist the website owner with a comprehensive strategy on how to improve your website.

Can you fix my website after the website audit?
Yes we can; however sometimes it truly is cheaper to start from scratch instead of upgrading or redoing your website. The reason being is that web developer’s write in their own code, which isn’t always good code, or it is code that our web developer writes differently. As a result it takes time for our web developer to go through the code and change it to the code that he usually works with in order to correct it.

If your Web Developer analyses the code during the website audit why can’t he work with it immediately?
Analysing code in order to find errors is much easier than working with someone else’s code and using it to correct errors. We like to describe it as developer A reaches the conclusion of 2 by adding 1 + 1 = 2, but developer B reaches the same conclusion of 2 by saying 0.5 + 0.5 + 1 = 2. Developer B has to go through developer A's work and figure out how developer A got to the answer and then adjust his style to match developer As. During a website audit it is simply a matter of finding errors instead of working out why the errors exist.

Can I pass on the website audit to my existing developer and get him to do the corrections?
Yes you can. Just because we find the mistakes doesn’t mean we have to be the ones to fix them. Once the website audit report is issued to you, it is yours to do with how you please. It is simply an audit on your website where we have found errors and/or ways and areas in which you can improve your website.

Can my developer contact you with queries relating to the report?
Yes he can. We will assist him with his queries where we can and explain our conclusions where we can. However should your web developer enquire on how to fix the problems or need assistance with fixing the problems etc. we will charge this out to you, under your authorisation, at a rate of R313.50 per hour.  

How much will it cost me to fix the problems mentioned in my website audit report?
This depends largely on the amount of errors found and the recommendations put forward by us. It varies from website to website. Our standard upgrade rates are R313.50 per hour and we can quote you for upgrading your website in accordance to our report, and or supply you with a quotation for a new website. If you do not wish to use our services to correct your website you would have to consult with your own web developer to find out what he would charge to correct it.

What would your advise be in terms of getting my website fixed?
Herewith an open, straight forward and honest answer. You wouldn’t be requesting a website audit unless you had some negative thoughts or suspicions about the state of your current website. So the fact that you are asking us to do one tells you that whoever did your website in the first place might not be as good as they initially pitched to you. As a result you have a website that is perhaps sub standard and all we have to say on this topic is if your present web developer botched up in the first place why get him to redo your website? Logic will tell you, that should he work on the project a second time around, the outcome will more than likely be the same as the first time around. A leopard doesn’t change its spots – ever. When in doubt, chuck it out. More frank we can’t be.

Other website audits cost around R1000 for a simple 5 page website, why is yours more expensive?
You pay peanuts, you get monkeys. If you want a real website audit it does cost money. The difference between our website audits and those that are out there in the market place for much cheaper is we really do go to task on our website audits and submit reports that are intensive, accurate and offer solutions and recommendations. We don’t just tell you what is wrong with your website; we give you solutions and ideas on how to fix it. We also do not simply look at your 5 pages; decide whether they appeal to us and then move on to the next client. At Optimus01 we really do scrutinize and analyse your website from your Home Page right through to the terms and conditions of your website. We read through every page, find every spelling mistake, check every link, follow every sub page, look at the SEO capabilities of the website, grade your website in terms of SEO, check that search engines can crawl your website and where the spiders get lost on the way and so on. This is why we charge more. We do more.

Do I need such an extensive website audit for a simple 5 page website?
It isn’t about the fact that your website is only 5 pages. It is about the actual website audit process and the reality remains that we do not leave a single stone unturned. No matter the size of the website the same auditing process occurs. It just takes a shorter amount of time for a 5 page website, hence the reason we charge less for a 5 page website than we do for example, a 15 page website.  

How often do I need to have a website audit done on my website?
This depends on the amount of changes you have done to your website and the frequency of those changes. If you have a simple 5 page website that doesn’t change, you need a website audit once. If you have a website where you change things every other month then we recommend a website audit at least once a year.

Does my whole website have to undergo a website audit?
No. You can select the pages that you want audited bearing in mind though that the entire auditing process cannot occur under this circumstance as we would be limited by the pages you choose. To be honest, though this may assist you with falling within your budget, you really wouldn’t be getting the full benefit of a website audit. We highly recommend that you consider spending a bit more and receiving the full benefit of it.

What do I need to supply you with in order to do the website audit?
We need your website address, your FTP files, which include your username and password that you use to gain access to your website’s CMS, or that your website developer uses to gain access to your CMS. A brief description of your company and what you do as well as what you want from your website i.e. monetary gain, traffic etc. That is basically all we need to get going. Well obviously the signed website audit terms and conditions, the 50% upfront deposit and the completed website audit booking form.  

How many website audits have you done?
Whether informally or formally we do website audits everyday. Every time we get a new client whose website we have to upgrade we do an informal website audit so that we know the scope of the project and what exactly we are getting ourselves into. Though the informal website audits are no where near as in-depth as the formal ones we have done for clients.

Who do I contact to get a website audit?
Simply contact us or call us on +27 11 463 2040 and we will gladly assist you.