The Definitive Website Optimization Best Practice Checklist

How do you know if you are doing a good job testing and optimizing your website to increase engagement and conversion rates? How do you know what else you need to be doing? There are so many best practices you need to know and be doing!

To help you with this, based on a checklist in my new book I have created a 25-point checklist of best practices you need to be using for success, and turned it into an online checklist and a downloadable PDF version.

I use this when working with my current clients to help them understand how they are currently faring, and what room for improvement they have.

This checklist is divided into four key sections; testing effectiveness & efficiency, optimization tool usage, good testing strategy and high impact tests.

I suggest you grade your testing and optimization efforts so far, either by printing out the PDF version or using the table below, then comment below with how you rate!

Best Practice Question	Yes?
Section I: Testing Effectiveness and Efficiency
1: Regularly test more than two web pages/elements per month?
2: Using an advanced testing tool (at least Visual Website Optimizer/ Optimizely)?
3: Have two or more staff members dedicated to testing?
4: Have an executive sponsor to help obtain testing budget and buy-in at senior level?
5: Usually take less than 2 weeks to get your tests created and implemented?
6: Running weekly and quarterly meetings to review testing & optimization efforts?
Section II: Optimization Tool Usage
7: Using your web analytics tool to gain insights and test ideas?
8: Using visual analysis tools to gain visitor insights and test ideas?
9: Using website survey tools to gain insight and test ideas from your visitors?
10: Using web usability tools to gain test insights and ideas from your visitors?
11: Using task rate completion tools to find visitor major use case completion rates?
Section III: Good Testing Strategy
12: Learn from your tests and do follow-up tests to increase conversion lift?
13: Have a plan of tests and a strategy for at least the next 6 months?
14: Using targeting for your tests to better engage and convert your visitors?
15: Using real estate tests to measure and optimize impact of page element location?
16: Using inclusion/exclusion tests to reduce clutter and focus your pages better?
17: Using innovation tests to test against a radically new page version?
Section IV: High Impact Tests
18: Tested key conversion flow pages like your checkout or registration flow?
19: Tested your key entry pages, particularly to reduce bounce rates?
20: Tested your call-to-actions (style, wording, location)?
21: Tested your major headlines and important text?
22: Tested using multiple social proof elements like testimonials and reviews?
23: Tested building trust and security on your website (security seals, text etc)?
24: Tested your email campaigns (newsletters, confirmation emails etc.)?
25: Set up and tested a mobile version of your website?

How do you rate out of 25?

If you can check off more than 15 of these best practices, good job, you are on the path to optimization success! Less than 10, and you definitely need help. More than 20, and you are truly doing an excellent job with testing and optimizing your website!

Please share your results below!

Show off or commiserate your results – please share them by commenting below so we can discuss, including which ones work best or are hardest for you to do. Don’t be shy!

» Download the 25-point Website Optimization Checklist (1-page PDF)