What Do I Check During a Website Audit?

The purpose of a website audit isn’t to produce the longest possible list of issues. It’s to identify which problems create the biggest barriers for users or your business goals, and what should be fixed first.

That’s why I look at usability, the visual system, performance, technical SEO, content structure, and the website’s technical condition together.

1. UX and Usability

First, I assess how easy the website is to understand and use.

• Is it clear from the first screen what the business does?
• Can visitors find important information quickly?
• Is the navigation logical?
• Are the calls to action clear?
• Are there unnecessary steps when signing up or making a purchase?
• Does the same approach work on mobile?

2. UI and Visual Consistency

When reviewing the design, I focus on how consistently it works and how well it supports a clear visual hierarchy, rather than whether I personally like it.

• Heading sizes and proportions
• spacing;
• Button consistency
• Colour contrast
• Consistency across cards and components
• Use of images
• Mobile layouts

3. Content and Messaging

Many websites are technically sound and visually polished but still underperform because their content doesn’t answer visitors’ questions.

I check whether the main offering is clear, services are clearly distinguished, and claims are backed by appropriate evidence. I also consider whether there is too much or too little text, and whether visitors have a logical next step.

4. Performance and Core Web Vitals

I check how the website performs on desktop and mobile, looking for oversized images, render-blocking resources, unnecessary JavaScript, and noticeable layout shifts.

I don’t rely on a single PageSpeed score. Performance issues should always be assessed in context.

5. Technical and On-Page SEO

An audit isn’t a complete SEO strategy, but I check the technical and on-page foundations that could limit the website’s visibility in search results.

• Indexability
• Title tags and meta descriptions
• H1–H3 heading structure
• Canonical tags
• sitemap;
• robots.txt;
• Internal links
• 404 pages and redirects
• Basic structured data implementation.

6. Technical Condition

For WordPress websites, I also review software versions, plugins, the theme, visible errors, and how the admin area works.

If the website is difficult to update or unstable, I highlight this separately, as it can pose security and business risks over time.

7. Ease of Editing

It also matters how easily the website owner can update the content independently. If every small change requires a developer, this often creates unnecessary dependency.

What Do You Receive at the End of the Audit?

My audits include a written report, rather than just a consultation.

I organise the findings by priority:

• Critical: An issue that should be fixed as soon as possible.
• Important: A change that would noticeably improve usability, performance, or SEO.
• Opportunity for improvement: Something that isn’t urgent but could make the website better.

This gives you a clear order of priorities you can act on, rather than simply a long to-do list.

When Should You Consider a Website Audit?

• Your website is a few years old.
• You’re considering a redesign but aren’t sure whether you need a completely new website.
• You have plenty of visitors but receive few enquiries.
• Your website feels slow.
• Several developers have worked on it over the years.
• You run an online store and aren’t confident about the checkout process.

An Audit or a Full Redesign?

If you’re not yet sure what the underlying problem is, an audit is a good first step. It often reveals that a few targeted improvements are enough, without a complete redesign.

If the audit shows that the website’s structure or technical foundations are no longer suitable, the next step may be a new WordPress website or targeted development work.

Related service: Website Audit and Recommendations.