A content audit can go far beyond the basics. We recently worked with the MS Society to deliver an audit focussed on quality, engagement and accessibility as a part of their preparation work to deliver a website refresh. They wanted the audit to cover:
- Accessibility assessment: evaluating the existing website content to identify any accessibility issues that could be addressed during the redesign.
- Content quality: assessing the quality, relevance, and accuracy of the website’s content to enhance the overall user experience.
- Optimisation opportunities: identifying areas where content could be improved or repurposed to better meet the needs of the MS Society’s audience.
- Support redesign: providing actionable recommendations to support the ongoing website redesign process.
Our approach
A good content audit should be more than a simple inventory (though that’s where it starts), it must identify areas where engagement can be increased by assessing quality and ensuring resonance with audience goals.
Our process moves through the following steps:
Content Inventory – a comprehensive inventory of all existing web content for over 500 pages.
Accessibility assessment – a detailed review of the website’s content, against industry standard (WCAG 2.1) criteria to identify any potential accessibility barriers.
Content quality assessment – thorough evaluation of the existing content’s relevance, accuracy, and alignment with the MS Society’s mission, goals and user needs.
Recommendations
Our aim is not just to output an audit but to deliver actionable recommendations. We categorised the recommendations by severity and priority to guide the website redesign process effectively. High-priority accessibility issues were addressed immediately, whilst content quality improvements were integrated into the ongoing redesign efforts.
Client’s view:
Accessibility of our online content and experience is core to our values as a brand. So MC2’s thoughtful recommendation to bring an updated assessment into this project was a welcomed addition to the scope. The ultimate success was driven by the clearly defined, actionable insights my team could work through. This meant the audit was usable and impactful immediately as well as over the longterm of our digital transformation.
Chris Parker, Head of Digital & Content, MS Society