When you look at a new customer's site...

1. Current backlinks
2. Keywords
3. Current Keyword ranking
4. HTML code
5. Site wide linking strategy
6. Title tags (goes with HTML code, but is soo often under-optimzed)
7. Competition's (the ones with better ranking for your keywords) backlinks
8. Secondary Keywords/phrases (expand/get more specific with the ones you have) ie. Brown widgets to Mini Brown Widgets
9. Meta Descriptions (Would want good Call to Actions and Keywords)
10. Web site structure (Having more pages in root directory is better, get rid of excessive folders)
11. Site URL structure, (Not too many variables in the URL etc)
12. In-site linking (Including site map)
13. Use of session variables
14. HTTP headers (You'd be amazed what you see in there some times)
15 You'll also have to find out about accessing the site. Some clients don't even have direct FTP access.
16 Also check robots.txt. Can show some surprises as well.
17. Check if the website work with different explorers (ie. Firefox)
18. HTML compression and image compression.
19. Info about the host, where is it located etc.
20. Change your useragent to see what Search Engines see.
21. Look at in in Lynx
22. Do a Xenu Links Sleuth run.
23. Do a NetMechanic run.
24. With FF's Web Developer Toolbar, inspect the entire page with aal the 'outline' and 'info' and other tools.
25. CSS and HTML Validation from Tidy and W3C


I think this should go more towards the top, but we can always rearrange the order to our personal preferrences.

And this might be implied with #3, but I will list it as #26

26. Create keyword tracking account and track current rankings. (use keyphrases established in #2 and #8) Then make sure to track daily or so.

This is very useful as one of the measures of success, in about 2 months down the road. You can even use the graphs in reports as to why they should pay you more.

 

title and achor text

 

CB, like this...

27. Anchor Text

(Title was mentioned...)

 

28. Visitor behavior - entry points, exit points, movement within the site.

29. Unclogging the path to conversion... what are the desired outcomes, how does the site lead visitors through the conversion process to achieve a desired outcome.

30. Get a picture of the $$$ associated with their industry online... how much does the customer stand to make, how much are they likely to pay you over time.

 

31. Determine Customer Acquisition cost. Revenue per visitor, avg order value, margins etc. so you know what the marketing budget can be. A whole financial check-up.

 

32. Content - what form its in and how it can be managed/ updated