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    Website Audit Checklist – 25 Points Every Business Owner Should Review

    September 13, 2025

    website audit

    When was the last time you gave your website a thorough checkup?

    If you’re like most business owners, it’s probably been a while. Think of a website audit like a health exam for your online presence—it helps you catch problems before they become expensive headaches and identifies opportunities to boost your performance.

    The good news? You don’t need to be a tech wizard to conduct a basic website audit. In this comprehensive checklist, we’ll walk you through 25 essential points that every business owner should review regularly. Grab a cup of coffee, open up your website, and let’s dive in!

    Why Website Audits Matter More Than You Think

    Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. A slow, outdated, or confusing site can send visitors straight to your competitors. Regular audits help ensure your website is working as hard as you are to grow your business.

    The Complete Website Audit Checklist

    Performance and Technical Health

    1. Page Loading Speed. Test your site’s speed using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix. Aim for loading times under 3 seconds; any longer and you’ll start losing visitors.
    2. Mobile Responsiveness. Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Check how your site looks and functions on phones and tablets. Does everything display correctly? Are buttons easy to tap?
    3. Broken Links. Scan your site for broken internal and external links. Tools like Broken Link Checker can help automate this process. Broken links frustrate users and hurt your SEO.
    4. SSL Certificate. Ensure your website URL starts with “https://” not “http://”. This security certificate protects user data and is required for Google rankings.
    5. Browser Compatibility. Test your website in different browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge) to ensure consistent functionality across platforms.
    6. Website Uptime. Monitor your site’s availability. Frequent downtime costs you customers and damages your reputation. Consider uptime monitoring services.
    7. 404 Error Pages. Create custom 404 pages that help users navigate back to useful content instead of leaving your site entirely.
    8. Website Backup Status. Verify that automatic backups are running regularly. Your website data should be backed up at least weekly, if not daily.

    Content and User Experience

    1. Content Freshness. Review your content for outdated information, old dates, and irrelevant details. Fresh content keeps visitors engaged and helps with SEO.
    2. Navigation Structure. Can visitors find what they’re looking for within 3 clicks? Your menu should be intuitive and logical. Test this by asking someone unfamiliar with your business to find specific information.
    3. Contact Information. Ensure your phone number, address, and email are prominently displayed and consistent across all pages. Make it easy for customers to reach you.
    4. Call-to-Action Buttons. Review your CTAs. Are they clear, compelling, and strategically placed? Each page should have a clear next step for visitors.
    5. Images and Media. Check that all images load properly and include alt text for accessibility. Large image files can slow down your site significantly.
    6. Forms Functionality. Test all contact forms, newsletter signups, and other interactive elements. Nothing frustrates visitors more than broken forms.
    7. Search Functionality. If your site has a search feature, test it with relevant keywords to ensure it returns helpful results.
    8. About Page Quality. Your About page is often the second-most visited page. Make sure it tells your story effectively and builds trust with visitors.

    SEO and Marketing

    1. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions. Each page should have unique, descriptive title tags and meta descriptions that include relevant keywords and encourage clicks.
    2. Header Tags Structure. Use H1, H2, H3 tags properly to organize your content. This helps both users and search engines understand your page structure.
    3. Google Analytics Setup. Verify that Google Analytics is installed and tracking correctly. You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
    4. Google Search Console. Check for crawl errors, security issues, and indexing problems in Google Search Console.
    5. Local SEO Elements. If you’re a local business, ensure your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) information is consistent and consider adding schema markup.
    6. Social Media Integration. Include social media links and consider adding social sharing buttons to make it easy for visitors to share your content.

    Legal and Compliance

    1. Privacy Policy. Ensure you have an up-to-date privacy policy that complies with regulations like GDPR and CCPA, especially if you collect user data.
    2. Accessibility Compliance. Check that your site meets basic accessibility standards. This includes proper contrast ratios, alt text for images, and keyboard navigation.
    3. Terms of Service. If applicable to your business, maintain current terms of service or terms and conditions pages.

    Making the Most of Your Audit Results

    Once you’ve completed your audit, prioritize the issues you’ve found:

    • Critical Issues. Broken functionality, security problems, major speed issues
    • Important Updates. SEO improvements, content updates, user experience enhancements
    • Nice-to-Have. Design tweaks, additional features, minor optimizations

    Don’t try to fix everything at once. Focus on the critical issues first, then work through your list systematically.

    When to Call in the Professionals

    While this checklist covers the basics every business owner can handle, some issues require professional expertise. Consider working with a web development team if you discover complex technical problems, major security vulnerabilities, or significant performance issues. You’ll also want to enlist help from a professional when it comes time to redesign or restructure your website. Larger redesigns may be needed every 2-5 years.

    Keep It Regular

    Website audits shouldn’t be a once-and-done activity. Schedule quarterly mini-audits to catch issues early, and conduct a comprehensive annual review. Your website is a living part of your business that needs ongoing attention to perform its best.

    Your Website’s Health Check Starts Now

    Remember, your website is working 24/7 to represent your business. A little regular maintenance goes a long way in ensuring it’s making the best impression possible. Start with this checklist, tackle the most important issues first, and don’t hesitate to seek professional help when needed.

    Need help conducting a thorough website audit or addressing the issues you’ve discovered? KBDC Inc. specializes in comprehensive website analysis and optimization. Contact us today to ensure your website is performing at its peak.

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