Key takeaways
- Review sites in a fixed order so findings are consistent and comparable across prospects.
- Focus on issues that affect enquiries or sales, not cosmetic preferences.
- Use free tools such as PageSpeed Insights, the Rich Results Test and WAVE to back up what you see.
- Summarise the top one to three opportunities in plain English in your prospect notes.
1. First impressions and clarity
Open the homepage and give it five seconds. Can you tell what the business does, who it serves, where it operates and what to do next? A missing or vague headline, no visible phone number or enquiry button, and stock imagery that says nothing about the business are all clear, explainable opportunities.
2. Mobile experience and speed
Most visits to small-business websites come from phones. Check the site on a real phone: text size, tap targets, menus, forms and pop-ups. Then run the homepage through Google PageSpeed Insights. Pay attention to Core Web Vitals — Largest Contentful Paint (loading), Interaction to Next Paint (responsiveness) and Cumulative Layout Shift (visual stability) — and the main suggestions, such as oversized images.
3. Trust and conversion
- 01Are there reviews, testimonials, case studies or accreditations on the site?
- 02Are contact details, address and opening hours easy to find?
- 03Do forms work, and is it clear what happens after you submit one?
- 04Is the site served over HTTPS without warnings?
4. SEO basics
- 01Does each page have a unique, descriptive title and meta description?
- 02Is there one clear H1 heading per page?
- 03Do key services and locations have their own pages?
- 04What does a site: search show — are important pages indexed?
- 05Does Google’s Rich Results Test find any structured data, such as LocalBusiness?
5. Technical health and accessibility
Click through the main navigation looking for broken links and error pages. Check that the http:// and www versions redirect to one preferred address. Run a page through the free WAVE accessibility checker to flag low colour contrast, missing image alt text and unlabelled form fields — issues that affect real users and are straightforward to explain.
Turning findings into an opportunity
Pick the one to three findings with the clearest business impact and write them in plain English, for example: “Homepage takes several seconds to show its main content on mobile; the enquiry button is below the fold.” In ClientFinch, save that as the company’s note. When you export your list, every prospect comes with a specific, credible reason to get in touch.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For data protection questions, see the ICO’s direct marketing guidance.