A practical guide
Look at your website like a new customer.
A practical review of the questions your website should answer, the journey it creates and the small points of friction that can make an enquiry harder.
01 / In practice
1. Arrive without the background knowledge.
Open a service page directly, rather than starting at the homepage. Can you tell what is offered, who it suits and whether the business covers your need? A new visitor may arrive from a search result with no other context.
Write down the questions the page leaves unanswered. Avoid judging only whether it looks modern. A strong visual impression and a useful explanation should support each other.
02 / In practice
2. Follow the important information.
Check whether the service, coverage and next step are easy to find. Read the page on a phone, where long headings, crowded navigation and hidden contact actions often become more obvious.
- Does each page have one clear purpose?
- Are specialist terms explained where needed?
- Are prices, qualifications and customer comments accurate?
- Are service areas and exclusions clear?
- Can someone find a contact route without hunting?
03 / In practice
3. Try the route to an enquiry.
Follow the contact action and check what the visitor is asked to do. Does it open the expected page or application? Is it clear what information to provide? A button that looks right but leads somewhere unrelated can undo the work of the page.
For a form or booking route, agree a controlled test with whoever receives the messages. Check that the request reaches the right place, that the customer sees an accurate confirmation and that somebody owns the follow-up. A contact link also needs to open the destination people expect.
04 / In practice
4. Check the whole picture.
Compare the website with your public business profiles and normal customer explanation. Look for old services, conflicting contact details, broken images and statements that are no longer true. Give genuine evidence room to work; remove unsupported claims.
Choose a small number of improvements by their effect on understanding and action. A clearer service page or contact route may matter more than a new decorative feature. If you commission work, turn the notes into a brief with named priorities and a way to review the result.
For example
A useful review note
'The boiler service page explains the checks but does not say which area is covered or how to arrange a visit' is an actionable finding. 'The site needs to look better' needs more investigation before it becomes a useful brief.
Illustrative example.
Start with a conversation