Auditing 1,000 websites without opinions

One scorecard, four lenses

Every site was read through the same four lenses: search visibility, user experience, accessibility and conversion. Each lens had a fixed set of checks with a yes, partly or no answer.

Rank by effort and impact

A list of 60 findings helps nobody. The useful output is the top few fixes ranked by effort and expected impact, with the reason for each. A small business owner can act on five items. They cannot act on sixty.

Write for the owner, not the auditor

Plain language, one screenshot per finding, one clear action. If the owner has to look up a term, the audit has failed.

Keep the scoring honest

Score the site as it is, not as it might be. Record the check and the evidence. Two reviewers should reach the same answer from the same page.

Use it on your own estate

The same method works for a company reviewing its own websites, markets or channels. A free version of the checklist is on the tools page.