When's the last time you actually looked at your website? Not glanced at it—really looked, the way a customer would?
Most business owners set up their site and then... move on. You're busy. There are customers to serve, bills to pay, a business to run. Who has time to fuss with the website?
But here's the thing: your website is out there working (or not working) 24/7. While you're sleeping, while you're with customers, while you're at your kid's soccer game—people are landing on your site and making split-second decisions about whether to call you or click away.
This quick checkup takes about 15 minutes. Grab your phone, open your website, and let's see what your customers are actually seeing.
Why This Matters More Than You Think
Before we start, let's talk about what's really at stake.
According to research on user behavior, visitors take just 50 milliseconds—that's 0.05 seconds—to form an opinion about your website. That's faster than a blink. Before they read your services, before they see your prices, before they find your phone number, they've already decided if they trust you.
And Stanford credibility research found that 75% of people judge a business's credibility based on its website design. Not your years of experience. Not your five-star reviews. Your website.
That's a lot riding on something you might not have looked at in months.
Checkup #1: The Speed Test (2 minutes)
Pull out your phone. Open your website. Count to three.
Is it loaded yet?
Google's research shows that 53% of mobile visitors will leave a page if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. Not some—more than half.
And since over 62% of website traffic now comes from mobile devices, this matters more than ever.
How to check:
- Clear your browser history on your phone (so you're seeing it fresh, not cached)
- Type in your website address
- Count "one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi"
- Is everything visible and clickable by "three"?
Warning signs:
- Still seeing a blank or partially loaded screen after 3 seconds
- Images loading slowly, appearing pixelated first
- Page elements jumping around as things load
- Anything that makes you think "Come on..."
(For a deeper dive on what makes a website fast, see What Makes a Website Fast and Why Google Cares.)
Pass: Loads completely in under 3 seconds on mobile
Fail: Takes longer than 3 seconds, or you find yourself waiting
Checkup #2: The Mobile Test (3 minutes)
You're already on your phone. Good. Now actually try to use your site.
Mobile research shows that visitors are 5 times more likely to leave a website that is not mobile-friendly. Five times.
Check these things:
- Text size: Can you read everything without pinching to zoom?
- Buttons: Can you tap buttons and links easily with your thumb?
- Menu: Does the navigation work? Can you get to important pages?
- Forms: Try filling out your contact form. Is it frustrating?
- Images: Do pictures look crisp, or blurry and stretched?
The thumb test:
Hold your phone with one hand. Can you navigate your entire site using just your thumb? That's how most people browse.
Pass: Everything works smoothly with one thumb
Fail: You need to pinch, zoom, or use two hands to navigate
Checkup #3: The Contact Info Test (2 minutes)
Here's a simple question: If someone lands on your site right now and wants to call you, how many taps does it take?
Research from KoMarketing found that 44% of visitors will leave a website if there's no contact information or phone number.
And BrightLocal's research is even more striking: 66% of consumers would lose trust in a business if the phone number is wrong. Wrong number = immediate distrust.
Check these details:
- Phone number: Is it on every page? Can you tap it to call directly?
- Address: Is it current and accurate?
- Hours: Are your hours listed? Are they correct?
- Email: Is there a way to contact you if someone doesn't want to call?
The quick test:
Pretend you're a customer. Can you find how to contact you within 5 seconds of landing on any page?
Pass: Phone number visible and clickable on every page, all info accurate
Fail: Contact info is buried, missing, or outdated
Checkup #4: The Trust Test (3 minutes)
Your website needs to answer an unspoken question every visitor has: "Can I trust this business?"
Adobe research found that 38% of visitors will leave a website because of poor design and content. They don't give you a second chance—they just go.
Look for these trust signals:
- Professional design: Does it look current, or like it was built in 2015?
- Real photos: Are there photos of you, your team, your work? Or just generic stock images?
- Testimonials: Do you have reviews or testimonials visible?
- About page: Is there a real person behind the business? Can visitors learn who you are?
- Secure connection: Does the URL show "https" (with the padlock)?
SSL research shows that 82% of users will abandon a website without a security certificate. That little padlock matters.
Pass: Professional look, real photos, testimonials, secure connection
Fail: Dated design, no testimonials, generic stock photos, no security
Checkup #5: The Broken Stuff Test (3 minutes)
Nothing says "this business doesn't care" like broken links and error pages.
BrightLocal found that 71% of visitors say broken links reduce their trust in a website. One dead link can undo all your other good work.
And Nielsen Norman Group research shows that 88% of users are frustrated when they encounter broken links.
Quick checks:
- Click through your menu: Does every link work?
- Test your forms: Submit your contact form. Does it actually send? Do you get a confirmation?
- Check images: Are any showing broken image icons?
- Try your social links: Do Facebook, Instagram, Yelp links go to the right place?
- Look for outdated info: Any references to "2023" or old promotions?
HubSpot data shows that websites with broken links have a 38% higher bounce rate. That's 38% more people leaving without taking action. (We cover what happens when things break—and who fixes them—in What Happens When Your Website Breaks.)
Pass: All links work, forms submit properly, info is current
Fail: Any broken links, dead forms, or outdated content
Checkup #6: The "Would I Call?" Test (2 minutes)
This is the most important test, and it's completely subjective.
Open your website. Pretend you've never seen it before. Pretend you need the service you offer and you're comparing options.
Now ask yourself honestly: Would you call this business?
BrightLocal's research found that 63% of consumers say finding incorrect information would stop them from choosing a business. Not "might stop them"—would stop them.
Be brutally honest:
- Does this look like a business you'd trust with your money?
- If you were comparing this to a competitor's site, who would win?
- Would you feel confident calling this number?
- Is there anything that makes you hesitate?
If you're making excuses—"Well, people who know me know I do good work"—that's your answer. Strangers don't know you yet. Your website is their first impression.
Pass: You'd honestly call this business without hesitation
Fail: You're making excuses for why it's "good enough"
Your Scorecard
How did you do?
6 passes: Your site is in solid shape. Keep an eye on it quarterly to make sure nothing breaks.
4-5 passes: You have some issues to address. The failed areas are costing you customers right now.
2-3 passes: Your website needs serious attention. Every day it stays like this, you're losing business to competitors with better sites.
0-1 passes: Your website may be actively hurting your business. It might be better to have no site than a site that damages trust.
What to Do If You Failed
If your site failed several of these checks, you have three options:
Option 1: Fix it yourself. If you built it, you can update it. But be honest about whether you’ll actually find the time. How long has it been broken already? (If you’re still on the fence about DIY, read Why Your DIY Website Might Be Costing You Customers.)
Option 2: Hire someone to fix it. A one-time fix can work, but you'll be back in the same spot in a year when new things break or get outdated.
Option 3: Hand it off completely. Some business owners don't want to think about their website ever again. They just want it to work.
There's no wrong answer—it depends on how you want to spend your time and energy.
What YouGrow Does Differently
We built YouGrow for option 3—business owners who want their website handled, forever.
$79/month. Month-to-month, cancel anytime. No setup fee for founding members. Everything included:
- Professional website that passes all these tests—live in days, not months
- Built accessible to welcome every customer
- We build it—you never touch a dashboard
- Need something changed? Email or call. We handle it.
- Hosting, security, speed optimization—all included
- We check your site regularly so broken stuff gets fixed before you notice
You get a site that works, a person to call when you need changes, and zero maintenance on your end.
We’re based here in Arroyo Grande. 805-439-6288. When you call, you get me—not a ticket number.
If your site failed this checkup and you’re tired of dealing with it, Get Your Website. I’ll tell you honestly if we can help.