Small Tweaks, Big Results: Unlocking Website Potential Through Live Audits

Is your website stuck in a chicken-and-egg situation? You need more traffic, but your site’s performance must improve to keep those visitors engaged.

In my Let’s Fix Your Website workshop, hosted with the San Francisco Small Business Development Center and the San Francisco Public Library, I had the chance to audit websites for small businesses. If you’re wondering what makes a website truly effective, let’s walk through the essentials I covered to help these businesses boost their online presence.

I’ve highlighted some of the most common issues and quick fixes I shared, so you can get your website working better for you.

AnaElisa Words & Pictures

AnaElisa Words & Pictures’s website, https://anaelisafoto.com/, is on WordPress.com, which limits customization and control. The website doesn’t communicate who it serves, its benefits, or its services. There’s no concise message that says what the business does for clients.

Although the artwork is featured, there’s no personal introduction or information about the owner’s journey, making it harder for potential clients to connect with the artist.

The site lacks clarity on how clients can purchase or license the work. It’s unclear whether they can directly buy prints, license images, or access consulting services from this website.

There are no testimonials or case studies from past clients to build credibility or trust, despite the work being featured in notable publications like Rolling Stone.

The ads displayed on the site (a result of the WordPress.com hosting) make the site look overly commercial, which detracts from its professional brand image.

Without a personal image or video of the owner introducing himself, the site lacks a human touch, which can be a barrier for people who want to trust it with their photography needs.

Recommendations

He should consider transitioning to WordPress.org. This will eliminate unwanted ads, provide access to custom plugins, and allow complete control over the website’s look and functionality.

Switching to WordPress.org will eliminate the current ads, distract the work, and give it a cluttered, commercial appearance. This will enhance professionalism and ensure the focus remains on the portfolio.

Use the XYZ framework to make the mission clear: “I help [Target Audience] achieve [Benefit] via [Your Service].” For example, “I help art consultants and interior designers find professional-grade images to enhance their projects through my curated photography portfolio.” This should be placed prominently on the homepage.

Create a one-minute “About Me” video. The owner should introduce himself, explain his passion for photography, and share why he’s dedicated to serving clients. This will help clients connect with him on a personal level.

Clearly outline the services and how clients can purchase or license the work. If it offers prints, image licensing, or consultation, make this easy to find on the homepage, with simple calls-to-action like “Buy Prints,” “License Photos,” or “Book a Consultation.”

Feature testimonials or stories from past clients’ experiences to build credibility. Positive feedback about the work’s quality, professional approach, or specific project outcomes will build trust and differentiate it from competitors.

Include a professional photo of the owner on the “About” page. Visitors want to see who they’re working with, and this helps humanize the brand.

Consider posting a monthly blog or gallery update, sharing recent projects or photography tips. This can attract more clients and improve SEO, helping the website rank higher in search results.

Liyana Studio

Liyana Lee has recently transitioned from selling on Etsy to an independent Shopify website. The website https://www.liyanastudio.com/  serves as both an online e-commerce platform and a wholesale portal for retailers interested in bulk orders.

The Shopify site showcases a variety of animal-themed greeting cards with a humorous touch, making the visuals and content very appealing.

Although the site is new with minimal traffic, it surprisingly ranks for about 3,000 keywords. This ranking is largely due to SEO practices initially set up on Etsy, which have been carried over to the Shopify site through keyword-rich product titles and descriptions. Additionally, links from the Etsy shop, even though no-follow, still contribute to Google recognizing the website.

Due to the low price point of the greeting cards (around $5), paid advertising is not cost-effective as it cuts into profit margins. This has led Liyana to focus on organic search and SEO to drive traffic.

Product pages lack detailed descriptions, which could benefit from added content, such as user testimonials or unique product details, to enhance SEO and user engagement.

Liyana has successfully imported around 4,000 customer reviews from Etsy, adding credibility and social proof to the new website.

Given the low average order value (AOV) of the greeting cards, Liyana finds it challenging to justify the cost of paid advertising. The goal is to increase traffic and conversion through partnerships, SEO, and organic word-of-mouth marketing.

Liyana plans to establish partnerships with nonprofits or animal-related organizations to boost SEO and brand awareness, which could provide ongoing traffic without the need for direct ad spend.

Recommendations

Since paid advertising isn’t cost-effective, I suggest emphasizing SEO by targeting long-tail keywords. These keywords are less competitive, better aligned with specific product searches, and more likely to drive organic traffic.

Add more detail to each product page, such as creative product descriptions and testimonials, to improve SEO and engage customers. Enhancing these pages with targeted keywords will help them rank higher in search results.

To boost the website’s domain authority, I recommend obtaining backlinks from credible sources. Partnership with nonprofits or animal-related organizations, as backlinks from these sites could enhance SEO and establish credibility.

The 4,000 imported reviews are valuable social proof. Showcase these reviews more strategically across the site to build trust and encourage conversions.

Liyana could publish animal-related or greeting card content on the website’s blog to attract potential customers through educational or entertaining content. This strategy could improve SEO by attracting backlinks and engagement from niche audiences.

Encourage customers to share photos of their greeting cards on social media. This could enhance visibility, provide social proof, and potentially bring more traffic to the website without additional advertising costs.

Ensure that the website is fast and mobile-friendly, as this impacts SEO and user experience.

Collect customer emails and run email campaigns featuring new designs, promotions, or seasonal cards to drive repeat sales.

Urban Adventure Club 

Urban Adventure Club is a social club in the Bay Area. Its website urbanadventureclub.com’s load time is slow, primarily due to large images, which negatively impacts mobile performance and user experience.

The site is built on a platform called Hybrite, which contributes to its structural limitations and slower load times.

Users must request to join rather than directly registering, which is intended to create a premium feel.

The site lacks extensive SEO efforts, impacting visibility beyond brand-specific searches (like “Urban Adventure Club”).

Current SEO traffic is largely limited to branded keywords (e.g., ‘urban adventure,’ generating 237 traffic), with low external links and limited event write-ups or guest blog partnerships.

Lack of content, such as detailed event summaries and partnerships with venue blogs, limits organic growth in search rankings for non-branded keywords (like “make new friends” or “meet people”).

Urban Adventure Club generates revenue through memberships and event fees. They currently have about 400 paying members, starting at $5 per month.

The model focuses on high-quality events and encourages respect for RSVPs, addressing the issue of non-attendance common on platforms like Meetup.

They post content about events with members’ faces but struggle to incentivize members to share photos or experiences on social platforms.

Event organizers lack structured incentives for social sharing and engagement beyond the initial platform interaction. The churn rate is below the industry standard of 30% monthly, indicating reasonable member retention but room for improvement.

Recommendations

Create more blog content and event write-ups targeting keywords like “make new friends” or “social events in [location].”

Develop guest blog partnerships with local venues or influencers to boost backlinks and drive traffic.

Compress images to reduce load times, especially on mobile.

Consider alternatives to Hybrite or optimize within the platform for better performance and scalability.

Simplify the membership sign-up process by allowing direct registration.

Provide a clear onboarding process to engage new members immediately and reduce churn.

Introduce structured incentives for event organizers and attendees to share content on social platforms.

Improve member retention strategies by offering loyalty programs, exclusive content, or discounts for long-term memberships.

Invest in paid ads on Facebook, Google, and Instagram to attract a broader audience, particularly in target expansion areas like San Diego.

Education Spot

Haseeb Nawaz wanted to know how to monetize content on his website, educationspot.pk, after losing AdSense approval. The site mainly caters to Pakistani students seeking education-related content, job listings, and scholarship opportunities. He was initially using AdSense but faced a policy violation issue, which led to the removal of his account.

Upon a quick review, the website did not meet the Core Web Vitals standards, pointing to issues with loading speed and overall performance. Given that 70-80% of traffic comes from mobile users, ensuring full mobile responsiveness is essential. Key mobile issues included:

• Text and images are cut off on mobile screens.
• Small font sizes that are hard to read.

Recommendations

Here are a few suggestions for him:

Since AdSense was disabled, using alternative networks could allow ad placements on the site. Google can be slow to respond to AdSense appeals, especially in certain regions.

Consider promoting educational or digital products through affiliate networks, particularly those relevant to students.

Identify and approach companies bidding on relevant keywords and directly sell ad placements using Google Ad Manager.

Delay ads until traffic increases to several thousand daily visitors to avoid slowing down the site and degrading user experience prematurely.

Highlight active WhatsApp groups more prominently to boost user interaction and encourage return visits.

Feature success stories from users who have benefited from the site, such as landing jobs or scholarships. This builds trust and shows the impact of the content.

He should include a high-resolution picture of himself and provide background information to add a personal touch to the site.

Replace generic stock images (like a woman pointing at job listings) with more authentic content that aligns with the site’s educational focus.

Analyze speed issues through PageSpeed Insights and address specific flagged problems to improve user experience and SEO performance.

Banners and ads should fit the screen dimensions on mobile and desktop to avoid cutting off content.

Climate Action Center 

Tom Lent’s focus is on educating people about climate change, particularly through promoting e-bikes and building electrification (heat pumps). The website https://www.climateaction.center/ caters to multiple audiences, offering diverse information on climate change and e-bike initiatives. There’s a specific focus on helping people shift from cars to e-bikes, providing tips on buying e-bikes, government programs, and discounts.

Tom is using Wix, which is limiting his ability to properly rank on search engines. While Wix is good for personal or non-commercial sites, it doesn’t support best practices for SEO, especially with a larger-scale website. 

The mobile speed is low (around 51) compared to the desktop performance (in the 90s). Given that 50% of the traffic is mobile, this is a critical issue, as it could affect user experience and rankings.

Currently ranking on 379 keywords, but SEO is underutilized. Tom is not fully tapping into the potential of SEO tools, like SEMrush, to optimize the content. There is also a lack of video content, which is an important ranking factor and user engagement tool.

Recommendations

Switch to WordPress. This will improve the site’s mobile experience, speed, and SEO. It also offers a wealth of plugins and customization.

To make the transition easier and cost-effective, consider hiring a freelancer to help migrate the site from Wix to WordPress. 

Given the shift towards mobile-first indexing by Google, prioritize the mobile version of the site for optimization.

Improve the site’s mobile speed by optimizing images, reducing script loads, and using a content delivery network (CDN).

Tom should focus on keyword optimization, ensuring he ranks for terms related to climate action, e-bikes, and transportation alternatives. Build a comprehensive content strategy by targeting specific, high-volume keywords like “e-bikes Bay Area,” “electric bikes for climate change,” and “government e-bike incentives.”

Tom can increase visibility by guest blogging or collaborating with other content creators in the same space (e-bike manufacturers, climate activists, etc.).

Start reaching out to industry influencers for guest posts. Use webinars and other events to generate content that can be repurposed into guest posts.

Repurpose any webinars into video content and upload them to YouTube. This content can be embedded on the site and help increase traffic and engagement.

Moving forward with these changes across the audited websites will likely enhance visibility and user engagement, aligning with the mission to promote each site’s purpose and drive long-term success.

Ready to take your website to the next level? Join Office Hours now for expert insights and actionable tips. 

Stay tuned—I’m always sharing more valuable insights to help you attract more customers.