As an agency we pride ourselves on making sure performance is maximised at every opportunity. To all our clients, our potential clients, often the starting place (if you haven’t done any updates over a period of time) is to perform a WordPress audit. This is essential for ensuring the security, performance, and overall health of your website. We have put together a checklist to guide you through what an audit process often entails for us:
- Performance Audit:
- We analyse website speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix.
- Are all your images optimised to reduce file size without compromising quality.
- We look at minifying CSS and JavaScript files to decrease load times.
- We look at caching through plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache.
- We often look at utilising a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to distribute content globally.
- We consider upgrading hosting if the current plan is inadequate for performance needs.
- We evaluate the impact of each plugin on website performance and consider removing or replacing resource-intensive ones.
- SEO Audit:
- We check for duplicate content issues.
- We check and ensure proper use of heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.).
- We look at optimising meta titles and descriptions for each page and posts.
- We look at creating a sitemap and submit it to search engines for better crawling.
- We recommend using SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math for guidance and optimisation.
- We assess and review and improve internal linking structure.
- We monitor website indexing status and crawl errors in Google Search Console.
- Accessibility Audit:
- We will check for compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
- We ensure proper use of alt attributes for images.
- We test website accessibility using tools like WAVE or Axe.
- We evaluate colour contrast and text readability.
- We assess if there’s a need for alternative text for multimedia content.
- Backup and Disaster Recovery Audit:
- Set up automated backups with plugins like UpdraftPlus or BackupBuddy.
- Verify backup integrity by restoring them in a test environment.
- Develop a disaster recovery plan in case of website compromise or data loss.
- Legal Compliance Audit:
- Ensure compliance with GDPR, CCPA, or any other relevant data protection regulations.
- Display necessary legal pages such as Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Disclaimer.
- Security Audit:
- Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins to the latest versions.
- Check for any suspicious files or directories.
- Scan for malware using security plugins like Sucuri or Wordfence.
- Ensure strong passwords for all user accounts, especially admin accounts.
- Review user roles and permissions to ensure they’re appropriate.
- Implement SSL/TLS encryption for secure data transmission.
- Set up a Web Application Firewall (WAF) for added security.
- Remove any inactive or unnecessary plugins and themes.
- Restrict access to sensitive files like wp-config.php.
We have found regularly conducting these audits for our clients does help maintain the health and performance of a WordPress website. It will ensure a WordPress website remains secure and compliant with relevant regulations.
Get in-touch today to discuss your audit.
