Most small-business websites do not fail dramatically. They fail quietly: a slow page, a missing phone number, a layout that breaks on a phone. Each problem costs a few visitors, and the owner never finds out. This checklist covers ten things you can check in about twenty minutes, using free tools, whether the site is yours or a prospect's.
1. Is the site served over HTTPS?
Look at the address bar. A padlock and an address starting with https:// mean the connection is encrypted. If the browser shows "Not secure", visitors see a warning before they see the business. Also check that the http:// version redirects to the https:// one, and that the certificate has not expired.
2. Does it work on a phone?
More than half of web traffic is on mobile devices. Open the site on an actual phone, or use your browser's device-simulation mode. Text should be readable without pinching, buttons should be easy to tap, and nothing should scroll sideways. A site built for desktop only is the single most common problem on older small-business websites.
3. How fast does it load?
Run the page through Google's free PageSpeed Insights. It reports Core Web Vitals, the measurements Google uses to judge page experience. As a guide, aim for:
- Largest Contentful Paint: under 2.5 seconds
- Interaction to Next Paint: under 200 milliseconds
- Cumulative Layout Shift: under 0.1
The usual culprits are oversized images, too many scripts, and cheap hosting. Compressing images alone often makes a visible difference.
4. Can a visitor find the contact details in five seconds?
Phone number, email, address and opening hours should be visible without hunting. Put them in the header or footer of every page, and make the phone number a tappable link on mobile. If the only way to reach the business is a form that nobody monitors, that is a problem too.
5. Is there one clear next step?
Every important page should tell the visitor what to do: call, book, request a quote, buy. If a page has five competing buttons, or none, visitors leave. Check that the main call to action is visible without scrolling and that it actually works.
6. Do the page titles and descriptions make sense?
Search for the business name and look at how it appears in Google. Each page should have its own title and description that say what the page is about. Duplicate or missing titles ("Home", "Untitled") waste the most visible space the business gets in search results.
7. Are there broken links or missing pages?
Click through the main navigation, the footer and the key buttons. A "404 Not Found" page, a dead link to a social profile, or a "coming soon" page that never shipped all signal that nobody is looking after the site. Free link-checker tools can scan the whole site at once.
8. Does the content look current?
An old copyright year, a "2019 special offer", a blog whose last post is years old, or prices that no longer apply all erode trust. Check the footer year, the news or blog section, and any dated offers. Outdated information is worse than missing information, because customers act on it.
9. Are the basics of accessibility covered?
You do not need a full audit to catch common issues:
- Images have meaningful alt text
- Text has enough contrast against its background
- Links and buttons are distinguishable and keyboard-focusable (try pressing Tab)
- Form fields have visible labels
These changes help people using screen readers, and they usually improve the experience for everyone else too.
10. Do the business listings match the website?
Compare the site with the business's Google Business Profile and social pages. Name, address, phone number and hours should be identical everywhere. Mismatches confuse customers and can hurt local search visibility.
How to score what you find
| Result | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 problems | Well maintained. Small tweaks only. |
| 3 to 5 problems | Neglected in places. Worth fixing the top two for a quick win. |
| 6 or more | The site is probably costing the business customers. A rebuild or a serious tune-up is justified. |
If you are using this to find clients
Web designers and marketers can use this same list to decide which local businesses to approach. Pick the one or two biggest problems, explain what each one costs the business in plain language, and offer to fix them. Specific, honest observations get far better replies than generic sales pitches. Our guide to finding local business leads covers how to build the prospect list in the first place.
Automating the checks. Running this checklist by hand works for a handful of sites. If you need to check dozens, our upcoming tool LeadScanner is being built to scan sites for the common problems and score them automatically.