A small business website should help the right person understand the offer, check the evidence and take a useful next step. These ten checks focus on that journey. Start with a real enquiry or purchase flow, record where people get stuck, and change one clear problem at a time.
1. Say what you do before asking for a click
Write a first-screen heading that identifies your service and customer. “Floor installation and refinishing in the Bay Area” answers more than “Quality you can trust.” Pair it with one relevant example and a specific action, such as requesting an estimate.
2. Make the primary action easy to recognise
Use an action label that describes the outcome: “Request a website quote” or “Book a consultation.” Choose a button treatment that stands out from the surrounding content. There is no universally winning button colour. Check text contrast against W3C’s contrast guidance, plus keyboard focus and mobile readability.
3. Put evidence beside the claim
Show relevant work, the problem it addressed and your role. Use client quotations only with an accurate source and permission. A project screenshot can demonstrate the delivered design; it cannot prove revenue growth. If you publish a conversion result, include the measurement period, denominator and other changes that might explain it.
4. Answer pricing and scope questions early
Explain what the starting price covers, what changes the quote and which subscriptions the customer will pay separately. My WordPress cost guide separates build scope from running costs. That helps visitors decide whether a project fits before sending an enquiry.
5. Link to the next useful page
A service page can link to a related case study, then to a scope or contact page. Label links with the destination’s purpose. Keep menus understandable instead of adding every keyword variation. Google’s link guidance also recommends crawlable links with descriptive text and useful context.
6. Inspect the full mobile journey
Open the page on a narrow screen and complete the action. Check the menu, sticky buttons, form labels, keyboard, validation and confirmation message. A page fitting on screen does not prove its enquiry flow works. Avoid overlays that obscure fields or cover the submit button.
7. Diagnose loading and interaction delays
Use real visitor data when available and lab tests to investigate. Core Web Vitals cover loading, responsiveness and visual stability through LCP, INP and CLS. A single lab score is not a sales result. My WordPress speed guide explains how to investigate the underlying causes.
8. Ask for enough information to qualify the enquiry
Keep fields that help you respond: contact details, service needed, approximate budget and a short brief. Explain optional fields and offer a way to ask for scoping help. Use persistent labels, useful errors and a clear success message; see W3C’s form-label guidance. Test actual email delivery as well as the button.
9. Make buying conditions visible
For a shop, explain product condition, delivery areas, shipping cost and returns before checkout. For a service, explain the next step, deliverables and ownership. Only display payment methods, certifications and guarantees you actually provide.
For Second Sole’s WooCommerce store, the documented work included a large product catalogue, condition-based filtering and shipping rules. Those features address specific shopping tasks; their effect on sales needs separate measurement.
10. Track the difference between interest and a lead
A WhatsApp click indicates intent. A conversation, accepted form submission or confirmed booking is a different stage. Record source, service, budget, qualification, quote and final outcome. With small enquiry numbers, review individual journeys and lost reasons before interpreting small percentage changes as a trend.
Choose the first improvement
Begin with a broken flow, unclear offer or missing proof. If the site needs structural changes, explore my website redesign service. For a campaign with one clear goal, consider landing page design. Send your current URL and the action you want visitors to take.
