Every fall, I evaluate Doubet Consulting's website, www.doubetllc.com, to ensure that we are still providing information about our services in the most efficient manner. Businesses have their own websites for many reasons. For Doubet, we created our website to establish a greater presence on the Internet, service our clients and potential prospects more effectively, answer questions about our firm, as well as heighten public interest. All of our goals were to make Doubet Consulting a dominant practice.

The criteria I have for evaluating our website is the same each year, but the results are often different. As the firm has grown, so has our need to educate those who visit online. Because we now serve clients throughout the country (and we hope, soon, the world), it is important to highlight different aspects of our business.

The 7 criteria I use to ensure that Doubet is putting its best foot forward on the Web are as follows:

1. SWOT Analysis

SWOT analysis refers to analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for your website. Does the website communicate the key features of your business? Does it do so in the in the most effective manner? Have services/mission changed to reveal new opportunities for your business that you can promote on your site? Has the market changed or, perhaps, your business grown? What feedback have you encountered? What other websites have you visited over the past year that you feel have strengths your site does not have?

By conducting a thorough SWOT analysis of your website, you will see what areas need additional focus. When looking for outside resources to assist as you improve your site, a SWOT will save you time and money. You will already have an idea of the best methods to achieve your goals.

2. Content

Content refers to everything available on your website, including what you read, see and hear. Be a target advocate for your firm. Review your site as if you were a first-time visitor looking for information. Evaluate your tone, grammar, writing style and all messaging criteria. Your website may be a person's first impression of your business.

Do you answer the questions a first-time visitor would have? Is your tone appropriate for your brand? Also, evaluate how often you need to update content. For example, if your company makes a presentation referring to additional content on the website but does not make the content available there, clients may become frustrated when visiting the website. Even worse, visitors may think this sort of inconsistency is how your firm follows through on promises and deadlines. Make sure that impression as professional and engaging as possible.

Search engines are always looking for new content. Be sure to schedule when new content will appear on your site. This will help your site rank higher.

3. Design

What does your site look like? Do you like it? Is it built in a format that is search engine friendly? Some formats are not. Does it showcase the brand image you want for your company and the potential clients you are aiming to reach?

If you are not happy with the design of your website, you do not necessarily need a complete redesign. By evaluating colors, images, font and text size, you may find that small tweaks make a big difference. Don't be afraid to speak to a qualified web design firm for additional tips.

4. Navigation

For some, site design is not the problem; it's the navigation within the site.

If moving from one place to another is difficult on your website, potential clients may get discouraged and leave. Do you easily identify what the purpose of your site is? Is moving around the site therefore intuitive and effortless, or do visitors have to think where they need to go and look for the back button? Watch a first-time user meander through your site and see what he or she encounters.

5. Performance

How well does your website perform on other systems? Of course you know how it performs in your own home or office, but do you know how it rates in others'? For example, what is the download speed on different website browsers and computer platforms? How fast do pages load on a dial-up, cable modem or T1 setup? Consider, too, the download speed of web pages with both small and large graphics or of any documents available on the site. Your web logs may provide information such as this to help you assess a visitor's overall experience.

6. Interactivity

The complexity of your site will determine how interactive the user's experience can be. For example, can the website do simple searches? If the website has discussion boards, are they easy to access? If your career area allows a potential candidate to apply for a job, is the process easy and interactive?

7. Statistics

Statistics may not be the first thing you are concerned about when looking at your website, but the information they provide is invaluable. When I first launched our website, I'll admit, I never looked at our website statistics. Today, I look at them all the time. I like to know where people are going on the site, what pages are most popular, and where new visitors are coming from. I now know what key words visitors use to find us, which has helped distinguish my market.

At the end of this fall's website evaluation, we determined our newsroom had grown throughout the year and so needed to refocus our attention in that area. While a few years ago our newsroom may not have been the focus, today more and more visitors are first learning about us via the news stories and presentations we give, as well as the articles we write. For us, the goal is to make this part of the site as user friendly as the other areas. I look forward to releasing our updated newsroom in the next few weeks.