Audits
An audit can be a stand-alone deliverable or an initial phase of a larger projects.
New support clients should always undergo an audit.
AUDIT SCOPE
Most audits will focus some if not all of the following areas. Some audits are purely technical
SEO & Analytics
- crawl the site to profile for SEO optimizations
- parse and report back on google analytics data
- recommend GA configurations
- deliver a GDS dashboard
- Identify broken links
Messaging
- copy review
- competitive analysis
- brand impact
Design
- does the design deliver the message, what can improve?
- does the design perform across browsers and screen sizes?
- do the components work together on the page?
Accessibility
- ensure your site meets your target WCAG standard
ensure section 508 compliance
Technical Architecture
- ensure the site build conforms to best practices
- find opportunities to simplify the architecture to improve maintainability
- identify any broken functionality
- recommend changes to server architecture
- recommend devops workflow improvements
- ensure your digital ecosystem delivers on your business goals
CMS experience
- are user permissions and workflows appropriate for the tasks performed?
- are there opportunities to save users time or empower them with configuration changes
Performance & Scalability
- test site for speed and identify optimizations
- report on the max load the site can sustain
Security
- identify any hacked modules, plugins, and core
- ensure all patches are properly applied
- scan for vulnerabilities and best practices
AUDIT PROCESS
- CONSULT: written and verbal communication to better understand your needs and goals
- AUDIT: the work to deliver on the agreed upon scope
- DOCUMENT: package our findings into a presentation format
- PRESENT: walk you through the outcomes and hand off the report
Tools
- Accessibility
- Security
- Performance
- SEO
See also ongoing work on the Audits 2.0 Trello Board
and Site Audit Process Notes in DRIVE.