If you’ve ever gone to a website and clicked on a link only to get a 404 or Narly Dude error, you know how frustrating it can be. When you visit a website, you’re there for a reason and there is nothing worse than having it not work for you. When this happens, more than likely you leave, never to return again. That person just lost your business and for a stupid reason.
It doesn’t take much to check the links on your site to make sure they’re working properly, but if you’re a busy business owner you may not have the time. Just because you don’t have the time doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the website check done anyway. It’s an important process you should complete on a regular basis, because the alternative is not worth it in the long run.
If you have a broken link, consider how many people have tried to click on that link. It could be just a few or it could be thousands. You could have lost the biggest client ever or you could have lost thousands of dollars. Is it worth it? I’m sure the answer is NO.
The best thing to do is create a list of all links on your site and regularly have your Virtual Assistant go through your site and check them for you. Depending on how many you have and how large your site is, it may take her an hour or two for the process to be completed. Isn’t it worth it to pay her for an hour or two of work than what the alternative would be for your business?
The easiest way to perform this task is to create a Google Doc with all the pages listed and the links on each page. Add a column for the date and the initials and one for the due date. Once this is complete, you’re ready to share it with your Virtual Assistant. Ask her to add the completion dates to her calendar and to yours and then you won’t forget when the task needs to be completed. When you add new content it’s also a good idea to update this document so it’s always current.
It’s hard to say how often this process should be completed, but a good rule of thumb is to check each time your website is updated and if you’ve had any other major changes. Sometimes, if a website update is completed, things in the coding change and the links may not work, so it’s a good idea to complete it then as well.
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