Your DIY Website Health Check
Your site looks great — but is it actually working for you?
Use the scorecard below to find out.
Let's take a look under the hood...
You've put time, energy (and probably a fair bit of money) into your website. It looks beautiful. But here's the thing — a good-looking website and a high-performing website are two very different things.
This tool walks you through six key areas that determine whether your website is actually attracting, engaging, and converting your ideal clients. Tick off what you've already got covered, and note anything that needs attention.
How to use this
- Work through each section at your own pace — click to expand
- Tick the checkboxes that apply to your website right now (be honest!)
- Scroll to the scorecard at the end to see your results and next steps
Mobile Experience
Is your site delivering a great experience on a small screen?
Over 60% of global web traffic now comes from mobile devices — and in Australia, that number is even higher for service-based businesses.— Statista / DataReportal, 2026
Think about your own habits. When you want to find a local service, book an appointment, or look someone up — where do you start? Your phone. Your potential clients are doing the exact same thing. If your site isn't delivering a polished, easy-to-use mobile experience, you're losing people before they've had a chance to get to know you.
- My website displays correctly on mobile — no cut-off text, overlapping elements or squished images
- Text is easy to read without having to zoom in
- Buttons and links are easy to tap — not too tiny or too close together
- Images and graphics load and display correctly on mobile
- My site loads within 3 seconds on my phone (test your patience — if you get impatient, so will your visitors!)
Website Speed
A slow website costs you more than you think.
Pages loading in 1 second convert at nearly 40%. At 3 seconds, that drops to 29%. Google's benchmark is under 3 seconds — but under 2 is the sweet spot.— Google Core Web Vitals / Portent Research, 2026
Slow websites don't just frustrate visitors — they're penalised by Google too. Page speed is a confirmed ranking factor, meaning a slow site is less likely to show up when someone searches for your services. The good news? Speed issues are usually fixable, and the most common culprit is images that haven't been optimised before uploading.
- I've tested my site using Google PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev) — it's free!
- My desktop site loads in under 3 seconds
- My mobile site loads in under 3 seconds
- My images are compressed and optimised before uploading (not straight from my camera roll!)
- I don't have large video files or heavy animations causing lag on my pages
User Experience & Calls to Action
Can your visitor get from 'just landed' to 'ready to act' without getting lost?
What is UX?
User Experience (UX) is the journey your visitor takes through your website. Is it easy to navigate? Does it make sense? Can they find what they need without having to think too hard?
What is a CTA?
A Call to Action (CTA) is an instruction that prompts your visitor to take a specific next step — "Book a Free Call", "Shop Now", "Get in Touch". Every page should have one.
You might have the most beautiful website in the world, but if your visitor can't figure out where to go next — they'll leave. The goal is to make the path from "I just found you" to "I'm taking action" as smooth and obvious as possible.
- Within 5 seconds of landing on my homepage, a stranger can tell who I am, what I do, and who I help
- My navigation menu is simple and easy to understand (fewer options = less confusion)
- Every page has at least one clear Call to Action (CTA) telling visitors what to do next
- My contact details or booking link are easy to find — reachable in 2 clicks or fewer
- There are no "dead end" pages — every page leads somewhere with a clear next step
SEO & AI Visibility
Getting found on Google is no longer enough — you need to show up in AI too.
Traditional SEO
Making sure Google can find, understand, and rank your website in search results when someone looks for your services.
GEO — What's new in 2026
Generative Engine Optimisation. Making sure AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity cite and recommend your business.
AI-sourced referral traffic grew by over 500% in 2025, while US organic Google traffic declined 38% year-over-year in early 2026. The way people discover businesses is changing fast.— Presence AI / Similarweb GEO Benchmarks, 2026
Most small business websites are optimised for neither. The great news is that a lot of the groundwork is the same — clear content, good structure, specific answers to real questions. On platforms like Squarespace, there are built-in SEO tools that make checking your baseline quick and easy.
- Page titles and meta descriptions are filled in for every page on my site
- I've used my websites built-in SEO checker (if applicable) and addressed any warnings
- My content uses natural, relevant keywords — especially in headings and the first paragraph of each page
- My About page is detailed, specific, and written in a human voice (AI tools frequently cite About pages for local recommendations)
- I have a Google Business Profile that is set up, verified, and kept up to date
Analytics
Your website gives you feedback every single day. Are you reading it?
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — Free
Shows you who's visiting your site, which pages they love, how long they stay, and where they drop off.
Google Search Console (GSC) — Free
Shows you exactly what words and phrases people typed into Google to find your website. Gold. Pure gold.
Without analytics, you're making decisions based on guesswork. With them, you can see exactly what's working, do more of it, and stop wasting energy on things that aren't delivering results. Both tools are free and take less than 20 minutes to set up.
- Google Analytics (GA4) is connected to my website
- Google Search Console is verified and connected to my website
- I know which page on my site gets the most traffic
- I know how people are finding me — search, social, direct, or referral
- I review my analytics at least once a month
How to connect in Squarespace:
GA4: Settings → Developer Tools → External API Keys → paste your GA4 Measurement ID
GSC: Go to Google Search Console → add your site → verify via your DNS settings or HTML tag method
Brand Story & Messaging
Your website is less about you — and more about them.
"The biggest mistake I see on small business websites? The content is all about the business owner — not the client. Your visitor wants to know, almost immediately: Is this for me? Can this person help ME?"
Your ideal client lands on your website and within seconds they're asking: "Does this person understand my problem?" If the answer isn't immediately clear, they'll go back to Google and try someone else. Your brand story, imagery, and tone of voice should all speak directly to the person you're trying to help. The more specific and human you are, the more trust you build — and the more likely they are to take the next step.
- My homepage speaks directly to my ideal client's problem or desire — not just what I do, but what I solve for them
- My website content sounds like me — warm, human, and genuine (not corporate and generic)
- My images reflect my brand AND my target audience (not just generic stock photos)
- My tone of voice is consistent across every page on my site
- My About page builds genuine trust — it shares my story, values, and the reason I do what I do
Your Scorecard
Ticking items above updates your score automatically. When you're ready, calculate your results below.
| # | Section | Progress | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Mobile Experience | 0 / 5 | |
| 02 | Website Speed | 0 / 5 | |
| 03 | User Experience & CTAs | 0 / 5 | |
| 04 | SEO & AI Visibility | 0 / 5 | |
| 05 | Analytics | 0 / 5 | |
| 06 | Brand Story & Messaging | 0 / 5 | |
| Total Score | 0 / 30 |
Your website needs some love!
Score: 0–10 points
The good news? You now know exactly where to start. Every single item on this whc-checklist is an opportunity to get more visible, attract more clients, and turn your website into a genuine business asset — not just a digital brochure.
Don't try to fix everything at once. Book a free 15-minute discovery call and we'll map out your priorities together so you're working on the things that'll make the biggest difference first.
You've got foundations — but there's real opportunity here.
Score: 11–18 points
You're doing some things really well, but there are clear gaps that could be costing you visibility and leads. The areas where you've scored lower are your biggest lever — addressing them could meaningfully shift your results.
Let's look at your results together and figure out the highest-impact areas to tackle first — either yourself, or with some professional support.
You're on the right track — a few tweaks could make a big difference.
Score: 19–24 points
Your site has solid foundations. A targeted round of improvements in your lower-scoring areas could meaningfully improve your search rankings, AI visibility, and conversion rate — without starting from scratch.
Book a free discovery call to talk through your results, or go straight to a Website Audit to get a full picture of where your biggest opportunities lie.
Your site is in great shape — well done!
Score: 25–30 points
You've done the work, and it shows. Your website has strong foundations across all six areas — that puts you well ahead of most small businesses.
If you'd like to make sure your site stays ahead as search, AI, and digital marketing keep evolving — or you're ready to start scaling your results — I'd love to connect.
Ready to take the next step?
No matter where you landed on the scorecard, there's always more you can do to make your website work harder for your business. Here's how I can help: