Your website is the only space on the internet that is entirely yours. Social networks change their rules, ads stop when you stop paying, but your website is still there, working for you 24 hours a day. The question is: is it doing its job well?
We have prepared a checklist so you can review your small business website point by point. If you tick most of them, you are on the right track. If not, you know where to start.
1. It can be understood in 5 seconds
Anyone who lands on your website should immediately know what you do, who it is for and how to contact you. Check the first screen:
- A clear headline that explains your offer (not just your name).
- An image that truly represents your business.
- A visible button: “Get a quote”, “Book”, “Message us on WhatsApp”.
2. It works perfectly on mobile
Most of your visits will come from a phone. Open your website on your mobile and check that the text can be read without zooming, that buttons are easy to tap and that nothing overflows the screen.
3. It loads fast
A slow website loses visits and Google rankings. The most common causes are images that are too heavy, too many plugins and low-quality hosting. You can measure speed for free with Google’s PageSpeed Insights.
4. Copy written for your customer
Talk about the problems you solve, not just about yourself. Use the words your customers use, explain your services clearly and add trust signals: testimonials, completed projects, real photos of the team.
5. Easy contact, everywhere
- Phone number and email you can tap to call or write.
- A WhatsApp button if it is a channel you use.
- A short form: the fewer fields, the more enquiries.
- Address and map if you have premises.
6. Basic SEO done right
You don’t need to be an expert to look after the essentials:
- Each page with its own title and description for Google.
- Just one main heading (H1) per page.
- Images with alt text.
- Copy that mentions your city or neighbourhood if you work locally.
- Your website connected to Google Search Console so you know how people find you.
7. Ready for AI search engines
More and more people ask artificial intelligence assistants and see AI-generated summaries in search engines. To get your business into those answers, it helps to have clear, useful content: well-answered FAQs, services explained in detail, consistent contact details everywhere and a blog that shows you know your field.
8. Legal and secure
- SSL certificate (the padlock in the browser).
- Legal notice, privacy policy and cookie policy.
- A cookie banner that lets people accept, reject or configure cookies.
- A privacy acceptance checkbox on forms.
- Backups and updates kept up to date.
9. Measure what happens
Install an analytics tool (such as Google Analytics) and check from time to time how many visits you get, where they come from and how many end up as enquiries. Without data, any improvement is a guess.
10. It stays alive
A website whose latest news is from three years ago looks abandoned. Update your projects, post on the blog regularly and review your copy every so often.
Does your website fail the checklist?
At MdArte we design beautiful, fast WordPress websites built to convert, with SEO and legal requirements taken care of from day one. Take a look at some of our projects and tell us what you need: we will reply within 24 hours.
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