You don’t need to be a developer to understand whether your website is helping or hurting your business. In fact, with the right tools and mindset, anyone can perform a basic audit that surfaces hidden issues — from slow performance and poor SEO to confusing layouts and broken contact forms.
Think of this post as your step-by-step guide to doing a health check on your website. No code. No stress. Just practical insights.
Why Audit Your Website at All?
Your website isn’t “set and forget.” It’s a living asset that needs occasional checkups — just like your car, your accounts, or your marketing.
Regular audits help you:
Catch small issues before they become expensive problems
Improve user experience and conversions
Boost your SEO performance
Keep your content accurate and relevant
If it’s been more than 6 months since you reviewed your site, now is the perfect time.
Step 1: Check the Basics
✅ Is your website online and secure?
Load it in a browser and confirm it works
Make sure it has HTTPS (a padlock in the address bar)
Bonus: test it in incognito mode and on a mobile device
✅ Is your branding current?
Check the logo, colours, fonts, and imagery
Are your branding elements consistent across all pages?
Does it still represent your business accurately?
✅ Is your contact information up to date?
Are phone numbers, emails, and addresses correct?
Do forms still submit and get delivered?
Try filling in your own contact form and see where it goes
Step 2: Test Page Speed and Mobile Experience
Use free tools like:
Look for:
Slow load times (over 3 seconds is a red flag)
Poor scores on mobile
Large images or scripts dragging down speed
Tip: Speed affects SEO and bounce rates. A fast site keeps people around longer.
Step 3: Review the User Experience (UX)
Put yourself in your customer’s shoes:
Can you clearly tell what the business does within 5 seconds?
Is navigation simple and intuitive?
Are calls-to-action (like “Book Now” or “Get a Quote”) easy to find?
Try:
Browsing on mobile and tablet
Testing buttons and links
Completing a form or mock checkout
A clunky experience = lost trust.
Step 4: Check for Broken Links and Errors
Use a tool like:
These will flag:
404 errors (page not found)
Broken images or videos
Internal links pointing to deleted pages
Even one or two broken links can hurt your SEO and your user confidence.
Step 5: Audit Your Content
✅ Is the content accurate and up to date?
Are services, pricing, team members, and policies current?
Do you have blog posts that need refreshing or retiring?
✅ Is your content clear and helpful?
Avoid jargon and fluff — focus on what the user needs
Use headings, bullet points, and short paragraphs
Make sure key info is above the fold
✅ Are you missing key pages?
Home
About
Services/Products
Testimonials/Case Studies
Contact
Content is what converts visitors into customers. It deserves attention.
Step 6: Check SEO Basics
Use tools like:
Check for:
Page titles and meta descriptions (are they unique and descriptive?)
Keywords (are you using the right ones?)
Alt text on images
H1 tags (only one per page!)
If you use WordPress, a plugin like RankMath can guide you through many of these SEO tasks step by step.
Step 7: Look at Your Analytics (Even If It’s Just the Basics)
If you have Google Analytics or similar installed:
Check how many people visit your site monthly
Look at top-performing pages
Review bounce rate and average session duration
If you don’t have analytics installed — make that your next task.
Knowing how people use your site is the first step to improving it.
Step 8: Evaluate Your Conversion Opportunities
You don’t just want people to look — you want them to act.
Ask:
Is there a clear next step on every page? (e.g. book, call, enquire)
Are forms short and easy to complete?
Are buttons visible, meaningful, and not buried?
Every page should guide visitors toward something — even if it’s just learning more.
Bonus: Red Flags That Need Immediate Attention
🚩 Your site hasn’t been backed up in months
🚩 You don’t know how to access your hosting or domain
🚩 Your forms go to an old email or aren’t working at all
🚩 You still have “coming soon” or “lorem ipsum” content live
🚩 Your homepage takes more than 5 seconds to load
These need fixing before you do anything else.
Final Thoughts: DIY Audit = Proactive Ownership
Auditing your website doesn’t need to be technical — it just needs to be intentional.
A 1-hour review every few months can help you:
Spot conversion leaks
Keep your content sharp
Catch issues before they become crises
Align your website with your business goals
Want help running a more in-depth audit? Or fixing what you’ve found?
📞 Book a free website check-in
💬 Let’s talk about performance and SEO
🌐 bitstreammedia.com.au
