In the past few years, website audits have started to become more of a requirement than ever before. In some cases, it can be because of privacy concerns or law enforcement, but in most cases, it is because developing and maintaining a website is very expensive. Businesses that do not audit their websites could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars due to fraud and malicious scripts. However, if you are still struggling to find enough time for inspections despite the many advantages that they offer, there are companies that will provide you with tool-free site audits!
There are four main benefits to using software to audit a website (in this case we will be using ‘Site audit software‘ as a generic term):
- It is faster and cheaper than manual audits – This is a fairly obvious advantage, but it is one that cannot be overlooked. The time and money saved from not personally inspecting website after website can be astronomical if you are running even just a small business.
- You can use it on more than one platform – Most automation tools are compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux (and some even have online versions). This means that you can use the same software for all of your audits. It is also possible to audit apps, WordPress websites, and more. This leads to…
- Fewer errors – A lot of manual processes are prone to human error, especially when using them for repetitive tasks. This is not something that can happen with automation software (so long as it has been programmed properly).
- Improved consistency – Every website will have a different layout, structure and overall feel to it, but this is not the case with automation software. The fact that you can have the same software for a variety of different platforms means that it will provide a more consistent experience.
There are a lot of different tools that provide site audits, but this article will only cover two: Netwrix Auditor and Web Shield SiteAudit. Both are very similar tools, although we recommend that you take some time to read about them both before deciding which one is the most suitable for your needs.
Netwrix Auditor
This tool does not actually have its own website auditor installed on the computer by default, but it is capable of being installed in a few different ways – the easiest method is via the ‘website auditor’ module which you can find on their website. Using the tool is a fairly easy process, although it may take a little time to get used to. The easiest way to use it is by clicking ‘Extras’ on the left-hand side of the main screen. From here you will have a very simple interface with just two options: Inspect and Audit. To begin an audit, click the red ‘New’ button in the top-right corner of the screen. The next thing you need to do is enter your name, contact details, and what type of website you will be auditing – choose from either ‘Internal’ (websites that are hosted on your computer) or ‘External’ (all others) and then click OK. Once you have done this a pop-up menu should appear with three different options: Begin Inspection, Stop Inspection, and Refresh. If you select Begin Inspection a full report should be generated for you.
Webshield SiteAudit
This one has a slightly more complicated set-up process…
- Log in to your Web Shield account
- Click the ‘Site Auditor’ tab
- Click ‘Site Audit’ from the menu within this screen
- You will now see a long list of all the sites that you have previously audited – to start a new audit, click the small grey button at the top-left of this screen (it’s easy to miss)
- On this next screen, you will need to choose what type of website you are auditing, what platform it is running on, and enter a title for your audit – once you have done this click Save
- Finally, click Start Audit and wait for it to complete…
