Small business website checklist: 12 things to check on your phone
Most of your customers will see your website on a phone, often while standing outside or sitting on a bus. This checklist takes about ten minutes. Pick up your phone, open your own site, and go through these twelve things one at a time.
1. Can you tap to call?
Tap your phone number. Your phone should offer to ring it. If nothing happens, people have to remember or copy the number, and some will give up. Make the number a tap-to-call link, and put it near the top of the page.
2. Are your opening hours right?
Check every day, and check bank holidays and any holiday closures. Wrong hours send customers to a locked door. The hours should match your Google listing exactly.
3. Is your address clear, with a map or directions?
Your address should be real text, not a picture, and easy to find. Add a map link that opens directions in the phone's map app. If you travel to customers, say which towns you cover.
4. Does it say HTTPS with a padlock?
Look at the address bar. If the browser says "Not secure", visitors are warned off before they read a word. A secure address starts with https, and most hosts include this at no cost.
5. Does it load quickly on mobile data?
Switch off Wi-Fi and load the page on mobile data. If you are still watching a blank screen after a few seconds, you are losing people. Large photos are the usual cause, so resize them before uploading.
6. Are your menu or prices real text?
A menu or price list saved as a photo or PDF is hard to read on a phone, cannot be searched, and Google cannot read it properly. Put it on the page as text. Even "from" prices help people decide to get in touch.
7. Does the contact form work?
Fill it in yourself and send it. Did it arrive, and how quickly? Forms that quietly fail are more common than you might think. Keep the form short: name, how to reach them and a message.
8. Does the layout fit the screen?
You should not need to pinch, zoom or scroll sideways. Text should be readable without zooming, and buttons should be big enough for a thumb. Try it in both portrait and landscape.
9. Are your business details in the footer?
The bottom of every page should show your business name, phone number, address or area, and a link to your privacy information. It reassures people that a real business sits behind the page.
10. Does it link to your Google listing, and does the listing link back?
Your Google Business Profile should link to your website, and your website should make it easy to find your reviews or directions. If you have not set the profile up yet, my step-by-step guide covers it.
11. Is it obvious what you do, on the first screen?
Without scrolling, a stranger should see what you do, where, and what to do next. "Family butcher in Malton, order for Saturday" beats "Welcome to our website".
12. Does it look current?
Check the copyright year, the photos, the prices, any old seasonal notice and any link that no longer works. Out-of-date information makes people wonder if you are still trading.
How did you do?
If you ticked ten or more, you are in good shape. Between six and nine, a few small fixes will make a real difference. Fewer than six, and it may be worth rebuilding the page rather than patching it. Not sure what you are looking at? The free website check runs through the basics for you, and this guide covers whether you need a site at all.
Questions people ask
How often should I check my website?
Once a month is plenty, and always before and after holidays. A quick look at hours and phone number takes two minutes.
Do I need a developer to fix these things?
Not always. Hours, prices and photos can often be changed in your editor. Things like tap-to-call, HTTPS and speed may need someone who knows the site.
What matters most if I only fix one thing?
Tap-to-call and correct opening hours. They are what most local customers come for.
Is the checklist different for a shop that sells online?
It covers the basics for any local business. Online shops also need clear delivery, returns and payment information, which is more than this list covers.
If your site does not tick the boxes, I am happy to look at it and tell you what is worth fixing. I cover York, Harrogate, Thirsk and the rest of North Yorkshire.
Prefer to talk? Ring or WhatsApp 07356 082474, or email [email protected].