The 12-point Website Diagnostic.

Speed

Open your site on your phone using mobile data (not Wi-Fi). Time how long until you can read the headline. Under 2 seconds is good. Over 3 seconds is failing.

Tip. Test it free at pagespeed.web.dev. If your performance score is below 80, you have a problem. Common culprits: oversized images, bloated page builders, slow shared hosting.

The five-second test

Show your homepage to someone who has never seen it. After exactly 5 seconds, ask: "What does this business do, and who is it for?" If they cannot answer both clearly, your headline is wrong.

Mobile usability

On your phone, try to find your phone number. Try to send a contact message. Try to read your service descriptions. If any of these need a pinch-to-zoom or a horizontal scroll, you are losing mobile visitors.

Tip. Over 60% of UK web traffic is mobile. A site designed for desktop and squeezed onto a phone has already lost half its audience.

The single primary action

What is the one action you most want a visitor to take on each page? Is it visible without scrolling? Is it the same button repeated at the top, middle, and bottom? If you cannot name that action in one word, your CTAs are weak.

Trust signals above the fold

Logos of clients, named testimonials, real numbers, accreditations, "as featured in", or social proof. A new visitor decides in seconds whether to trust you. Are the trust signals where they look?

Real case studies

Not "we built a website for a local business". A named client, a specific outcome, a number. "23 leads in 30 days for NW Locks" beats every generic portfolio description.

Search visibility

Google "your service in your town" in an incognito window. Where does your site appear? If you are below page 1, you are invisible to most local buyers.

AI search visibility

Ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity: "best [your service] in [your town]". Does your business get mentioned? If not, you are invisible to a fast-growing channel.

Tip. Read our pillar guide on Generative Engine Optimisation for the full GEO playbook.

Schema markup

Open google.com/test/rich-results and paste your homepage URL. Are you valid for LocalBusiness, FAQPage, and Service? If not, search engines cannot read your site cleanly.

Privacy compliance

Do you have a privacy policy that names your lawful basis under UK GDPR? A cookie policy? An accessibility statement? Without these, you cannot legally pitch to public sector or regulated clients.

Lead capture beyond the contact form

A single contact form is one door. Do you offer a free guide, a quick-fit check, a calendar booking, or any other lower-commitment way for an interested visitor to engage?

Last redesign

Web design ages fast. A site built more than 3 years ago looks dated to most visitors, regardless of how nice it felt at the time. When did you last update yours?