All Stages4 min read

Is Your Website Working? A Self-Assessment

Questions to ask yourself about whether your website is helping or hurting your business. Be honest — this matters.

ConversionMobileSpeedClarity

Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. But many small business owners haven't looked at their site critically in years. This guide will help you honestly assess whether your website is an asset or a liability.

The 5-Second Test

Open your website on your phone (not your computer). In the first five seconds, can a stranger understand: 1) What you do, 2) Who you help, and 3) What they should do next? If not, you have a clarity problem. This is the most common issue we see with small business websites.

Ask someone unfamiliar with your business to take this test
Your headline should answer "What do you do?" immediately
Remove jargon — use language your customers use

Mobile Experience Check

Over 60% of local searches happen on mobile devices. Pull up your website on your phone and try to complete a basic task — find your phone number, check your hours, or submit a contact form. If any of this is difficult, you're losing customers.

Text should be readable without zooming
Buttons should be easy to tap with a thumb
Your phone number should be clickable to call
Forms should be short and easy to complete on mobile

Speed Matters More Than You Think

If your website takes more than 3 seconds to load, half your visitors will leave. Use Google's PageSpeed Insights to check your site speed. Large images are usually the culprit. If your site is slow, fixing this is often easier than you'd expect.

Run your site through PageSpeed Insights (free)
Compress images before uploading
Consider a faster hosting provider if needed
Remove plugins or features you're not using

Clear Calls to Action

Every page should have one primary thing you want visitors to do. Call you? Fill out a form? Book an appointment? Make that action obvious and easy. If visitors have to hunt for how to contact you, most won't bother.

Your main CTA should be visible without scrolling
Use action-oriented button text ("Get a Free Quote" not "Submit")
Reduce friction — ask only for information you truly need
Include your phone number in multiple places

The Bottom Line

Your website doesn't need to be fancy. It needs to be clear, fast, mobile-friendly, and make it easy for people to take the next step. If your site fails any of these tests, fixing them should be a priority — the return on investment is often immediate.