In the agency world, applying the same logic to your website that you would for a client can be a daunting task. Nevertheless, the task isn’t impossible, and we are pleased to share how our content audit informed and continues to inform our content strategy, design, and development to evolve our site.
Our Methodology
Like we would do for a client site, we focused on a data-first approach. We looked at existing data from tools like Google Analytics and Hotjar, as well as past content audits to see how we have progressed over time. We also utilized digital psychology principles and created a checklist to incorporate these elements into our work. Other resources included:
- A content silo resource
- Interface inventory from our designers
- Navigation user testing results from our strategy team
When working through a content audit, it is important to think about assumptions based on ongoing work as well. We had teams working on updating our personas internally, so we worked in tandem with that team to ensure our recommendations aligned with their results.
Why Focus on Digital Psychology?
Beyond the typical goals such as increasing our own site’s conversions and engagements, we wanted to think about user motivators when they are on the site, so we applied methods we learned in digital psychology.
Some statistics notable in our research included:
- It takes a user 0.05 seconds to decide if they stay on or leave your site (CXL)
- There is a 400% potential conversion rate increase when intentional, strategic user experience is used (Truelist.co)
- 94% of first impressions are design related (SWEOR)
- Most mind blowing of all, every $1 invested in UX results in a return between $2 and $100 (The American Genius)
As you can see from these various statistics about user behavior online, some basic ideas about site speed, design, and the crucial first impression come to mind. We wanted to explore, from a digital psychology perspective, what kinds of feelings our site instills and whether these feelings are what we aspire to on our site.
What Our Site Did Well
Before we look at areas of opportunity, let’s review what has changed over time.
Content strategy
We reviewed earlier audits and found a lot of progress made regarding content strategy. Noticeable areas included
- Content calendar - Between the previous audit and the current one, more organizational processes were added to ensure consistent themes, such as creating a shared calendar to provide transparency into the process.
- Shared goals - Along with organizational structures and processes, a focus on shared goals evolved over time and became more centralized across teams creating content. This included adding in time when we onboard team members to go over content planning and involve new employees early in the process so they can feel empowered to contribute.
- Collaboration - Some of the best content ideas are created in a team setting, and that goes double for how we approach content. From podcasts and ebooks to webinars and events, having a team approach positions us to share our thought leadership in a way that connects with our audiences.
Past audits recommended a better process for managing content and working together to achieve a shared purpose. We’ve made great strides in this area and are proud of what we have accomplished so far.
Consistent Drupal components
Since our site is built on Drupal, the consistent nature of component-based design is baked in from the start and allows us to create uniform design systems as well as page layouts. Plus, should we want to share a content item across multiple pages, the component library makes it easy.
Dedicated team
Along with the audit findings themselves, it is worth noting that we have a dedicated team of marketers, strategists, designers, and developers who contribute to the site.
We meet regularly to provide updates and find opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration. Leadership supports our initiatives and provides valuable feedback about the direction we are going to continue growing the site into something we can be proud to showcase.
What We Are Improving
We found several areas of improvement following the content audit that would allow us to futureproof the site and iterate in a way that continues to move goals forward.
Brand evolution
The design team’s interface inventory and updated brand colors better define where we envision our brand, and we are making strides in rolling them out sitewide. The new colors better represent our brand strategy pillars and our brand promise: Count on us to solve technology challenges with ingenuity and dependability.
A pop of orange in our buttons in hover state adds delight and whimsy.
The addition of a rainbow bar brings in additional colors and vibrancy.
Small but impactful ways of evolving our brand to be what we envision has created cohesion and universality in our site’s design, as well as in our other materials.
Accessibility using Siteimprove
Part of our continued efforts to apply strategic improvements to the site include looking at how accessible our content is for all users. We configure the Sitemprove dashboard to measure site performance, including metrics related to accessibility, and have come a long way in addressing common problems.
We continue to rely on tools like the Siteimprove Drupal module to keep track of how new content is doing and address any issues in a proactive manner.
Content governance
As we applied the knowledge gained from looking at our content, we began to understand the importance of transparency companywide and how sharing this information would benefit everyone. We continued to stress the importance of tying our efforts to big-picture goals and informing the team how they can make a difference.
Content governance is a shared responsibility, so we regularly provide updates and information about the persona research and how to use the brand standards for any type of content created, from podcasts and blog posts to videos and ebooks.
Moving Forward After Our Content Audit
We will continue to devote time to our mission of making our #1 sales tool strong. If we are working with a client on their content audit, we will provide the same dedication to their content strategy.
If you are looking for tools to help your organization, we’ve created a content strategy checklist to set the foundation for the work. Our team is here for additional support in strategy, design, and development.