The 15-point website audit checklist

Work through the 15 checks in order and mark each as pass or fail. Don't fix anything yet — the goal is an honest score, not a heroic afternoon. At the end, the scoring guide below tells you what your number means.

Most visitors decide whether to stay in seconds. These three checks tell you whether your site passes that first judgement.

• The 5-second test

  Show your homepage to someone who has never seen it for five seconds. They should be able to say what you do, who it's for, and what to do next. If they can't, your hero section is failing.

• Headline is about the customer

  Read your main headline. If it leads with your company name, your history, or a slogan, rewrite it around the outcome the visitor wants.

• One primary action per page

  Count the buttons above the fold. If two or more compete (call us / learn more / watch video / subscribe), pick one winner and demote the rest.

For most local service businesses, the majority of traffic is on a phone. Audit on a real phone, not a resized browser window.

• The thumb test

  Open your site on a phone and try to reach your main call-to-action one-handed. If the primary button needs two hands or a zoom, it fails.

• Load time on cellular

  Test on a 4G connection, not office wifi. If the main content takes more than about three seconds to appear, oversized images and heavy scripts are usually the cause.

• Tap targets & text size

  Phone numbers should be tap-to-call. Buttons should be at least finger-sized. Body text should be readable without pinching to zoom.

A good-looking site that makes contacting you hard is a brochure, not a salesperson. Walk the path a ready-to-buy visitor takes.

• Contact option above the fold

  On both phone and desktop, a way to contact you should be visible without scrolling. Every extra scroll costs you enquiries.

• Form friction

  Count your form fields. Every field beyond about five measurably cuts completions. Ask only for what you need to respond — you can gather the rest later.

• What happens after submit

  Submit your own form. You should get a clear confirmation, a fast notification, and the lead should land somewhere you actually check. Test it monthly.

You don't need to be an SEO expert to catch the fundamentals that decide whether Google can understand and rank your pages.

• Unique titles & descriptions

  Each important page needs its own title tag and meta description that say what the page offers. Duplicate or missing titles waste your best search real estate.

• Heading structure

  Every page should have exactly one H1 that states its topic, with H2s under it. Headings used as styling (rather than structure) confuse both readers and search engines.

• Local presence is consistent

  Your business name, phone number and city should match across your site footer, your Google Business Profile and any directory listings. Mismatches dilute local rankings.

Visitors are deciding whether to hand you money. These checks measure how much evidence you give them.

• Real photos over stock

  Stock photography is instantly recognisable and quietly erodes trust. Even imperfect real photos of you, your team and your work outperform polished stock.

• Proof is recent and specific

  Reviews, case studies and portfolio pieces should be current. Testimonials from years ago, or with no name or context, read as stale or invented.

• The boring stuff works

  HTTPS padlock, no broken links, no placeholder pages, no outdated copyright year. Small breakages signal a business that doesn't sweat details.

0–3 failures: your site is fundamentally healthy — tune, don't rebuild. 4–7 failures: you're leaking enquiries every week, and a focused audit will pay for itself. 8 or more: the site is actively working against the business, and patching individual items will cost more in the long run than fixing the foundation.