What we look at when we review a site

When someone asks us to look at their website, they rarely want art class feedback. They want to know if the site helps the business, hurts it, or just sits there. A good review answers that in plain words and lists what to fix first.

Here is the pass we run. You can use the same list before you spend money on a rebuild.

1. Clear in the first seconds

On a phone, freeze the home page after a short moment. Can a stranger tell who you are, what you do, and who you serve? Is the next step obvious? Call, get a quote, book, get directions?

Problems we see a lot: a hero that says nothing (“Welcome to our website”), a logo with no plain line of text, services buried under long intros, or three offers fighting for attention. Local shops win when the first screen is clear and almost boring.

2. Mobile under real conditions

Most local searches happen on phones. We open the site on a real device when we can. A resized desktop window is not enough.

• Is text readable without pinching?
• Are buttons easy to tap with a thumb?
• Does the menu open and close cleanly?
• Do images cover text or spill off the edge?
• Does anything jump as ads, fonts, or embeds load?

A “mobile-friendly” badge is not the same as a good feeling in a parking lot. See Why your website should work well on a phone.

3. Contact paths that work

We try every path a customer might take:

• Tap-to-call numbers on key pages
• Email links and forms (and what happens after send)
• Address and map accuracy if people visit you
• Hours, especially if they change by season

Forms that go nowhere, phone numbers that are not tappable, or an address that fails to match Google Maps kill trust. Short forms with clear next steps beat long questionnaires. See Contact forms people will actually use.

4. Accuracy and freshness

Old hours, services you dropped, staff who left, and “coming soon” banners from years ago tell visitors you are not minding the store. We check if the site matches how you work this month.

That includes your Google Business Profile when you have one. Name, address, phone, and main categories should match. Mismatches confuse people and search.

5. Basic technical health

We are not doing a full security audit. We still look for blockers:

• Does the site load with a lock (HTTPS) and a valid cert?
• Do main pages error out or have broken menu links?
• Are images way too big?
• Does the page feel slow on a normal connection?
• Is mobile layout clearly broken?

We care less about perfect scores and more about issues that scare people away or stop Google from understanding the site.

6. Structure and findability

Can someone find services, service area, and proof without guessing? Proof means reviews, project photos, or about info. In competitive work, big services may need their own clear pages. Titles and headings should use normal language.

Keyword stuffing is not the goal. Clear naming is. “Residential HVAC repair in Henrico” beats buzzword soup.

What you should get from a review

A useful review ends with priorities. Not fifty equal “should fix” notes.

1. Fix now: broken contact, wrong hours, unusable mobile, security warnings
2. Fix soon: slow pages, weak clarity, thin service pages, weak photos
3. Plan next: redesign, more content, ongoing SEO when the basics are solid

Sometimes the answer is keep the bones and fix content and speed. Sometimes the foundation is not worth saving. You should leave knowing what to decide next.

When a full rebuild makes sense

Age alone is not a reason to replace a site. Being unable to update it is. Phone layouts that fail are. Being locked into a tool you cannot maintain is. A brand that no longer matches the business is. See When it's time to replace an old website.