Most websites don't fail loudly. They fail quietly — a visitor here, a missed booking there, a brand that looks fine but converts like a brochure from 2012.
This is the same checklist I run before touching a single pixel on a client's site. Fifteen points, zero fluff. Grab your website and answer honestly.
First impressions (points 1–5)
- Can a stranger tell what you do in five seconds? Not what industry you're in — what you actually do for people.
- Is it obvious who the site is for? Visitors self-select in seconds. If they can't see themselves in it, they leave.
- Does the site load in under three seconds? Every extra second costs you real people, not abstract "bounce rate."
- Is there one clear next step? Not four. Not a maze. One confident invitation.
- Does it look like 2026 — or like a template from a previous era? Dates age trust, fast.
Trust signals (points 6–10)
- Do real faces appear on the site? People trust people. Stock teams read as stock everything.
- Is there proof — reviews, results, named clients? Vague claims ("trusted by thousands") persuade no one.
- Is your contact information findable in one click? Hiding your email is not a strategy.
- Does the writing sound like a human? Jargon is what brands use when they've forgotten who they're talking to.
- Would you be proud to send this link to your best client? Gut check. It counts.
The machinery (points 11–15)
- Does it work flawlessly on a phone? Most of your visitors live there permanently.
- Can Google find and understand every page? Titles, descriptions, structure — the unglamorous stuff that decides whether you exist in search.
- Is there a reason to come back? Fresh work, useful resources, a reason to bookmark you.
- Do you know what visitors actually do? If you've never looked at the data, the site is running on vibes.
- Has the site been touched in the last six months? A neglected site tells visitors exactly how you'll treat them.
Scoring yourself
Count the honest yeses. 13 or more: your site is a working asset — protect it. 8 to 12: there's real money leaking; a focused refresh pays for itself. Under 8: the site is actively costing you clients, and patching it is usually more expensive than rebuilding it properly.
Your website is the only employee who never sleeps, never quits, and talks to every single prospect. Train it accordingly.
Want a second pair of eyes?
If you'd rather not grade your own homework, that's literally what we do. The complimentary audit walks through your site point by point and tells you what's helping, hurting, and holding it back — no pitch attached.
