What is a UX audit, and why is it conducted?
The goal of a UX audit is to identify website issues. Addressing them should increase conversion rates. The immediate effect is typically a report with a list of recommendations. Its quality depends on the quantity and quality of research/analysis conducted. A UX audit should be based on as much data as possible (both quantitative and qualitative).
UX audit checklist:
- Business analysis (getting acquainted with the specifics of the business).
- Heuristic analysis (going through common user scenarios and evaluating the page).
- Quantitative analysis (e.g., data from Google Analytics).
- Customer surveys.
- Website user surveys (e.g., using Survicate).
- Heatmap analysis.
- Analysis of user session recordings.
- Competitor analysis.
- Usability research.
This wide range of analyses ensures the effectiveness of our recommended solutions. Quantitative data also allows assessing the importance of individual issues and determining their priority. Of course, this is the ideal scenario. In the real world, time and budget constraints often significantly limit the scope of the audit.
“Something’s wrong with my website… what do I do?”
Let's consider a few situations.
1. Sudden Drop in Conversion Rates After Page Redesign
Sometimes, a complete website overhaul is needed. Unfortunately, there are instances where, despite implementing a new visually appealing design, the conversion rate remains the same. Along with it, the company's financial results suffer. The new design leads to a decline in revenue, but reverting to the old version of the website seems foolish. After all, a lot of money, months of work, and much effort went into designing the new site, spent on meetings and discussions. This is where a UX audit comes in handy.
A decrease in revenue after a redesign indicates that it's time for an extensive UX audit of the new version of the website. It's essential to quickly identify and rectify conversion issues.
2. Prolonged but Slow Conversion Rate Decline
Sometimes, we’re faced with a scenario where a website's conversion rate has been declining for some time now. Working on traffic, offerings, and prices yields no results. The problem likely lies in the website's UX. Over time, a website may become less and less effective. Solutions that worked a few years ago may not be as effective today (such as ubiquitous pop-ups or dropdown menus). For example, an 18-year-old guy didn't buy a smartphone in 2013, but in 2018, his peers couldn't part with their phones. If your website doesn't keep up with them, conversion rates will drop. And with each passing year, they will decrease even more.
3. The Mobile Version of the Website Requires Optimization
If a website falls behind in trends, it will deteriorate without improvements. A slow decline in conversion rates stretched over many years can easily go unnoticed. But once it's noticed, it's time to consider conducting a UX audit.
4. Revenue Stagnates
The first two scenarios may induce varying degrees of panic: "The website isn't selling – we need to do something!"
Some people take a proactive approach and seek a UX audit when:
- Revenues aren't increasing (but they should be).
- Acquiring more valuable traffic is too costly (or impossible because the company operates in a niche).
- The conversion rate remains unchanged (or decreases when less valuable traffic is acquired).
There's almost always room for conversion optimization. Conducting a UX audit is a good starting point to generate more revenue from the same traffic. When conversion issues are identified, recommendations can be implemented immediately or gradually tested through A/B testing.
What's Next?
Unfortunately, a beautifully crafted audit report alone won't change anything. Ultimately, changes to the website need to be developed and implemented.
Implementing changes on the website costs money. Acting blindly and making random changes carries the risk of wasting this money. It's important to first identify what website elements require improvement, and a UX audit will help pinpoint what the real issues are. Contact us today!
