How to Audit Your Website Like a Pro (A 10-Minute Checklist)

You don’t need expensive tools to spot major website issues. A quick manual audit can uncover speed bottlenecks, design inconsistencies, and SEO gaps before you invest in deeper optimization. Here’s how to check the essentials in under 10 minutes.

1. Homepage clarity test (1 minute)

Ask a friend to open your homepage for 5 seconds, close it, and describe what you offer. If they can’t explain it clearly, your value proposition isn’t obvious enough.

DIY tip: Rewrite your headline in plain language that states what you do and who it’s for. Clarity beats cleverness every time.

2. Page speed scan (2 minutes)

Run your homepage through an online speed tool. Look for scores in Core Web Vitals (LCP, FID, CLS). Note if images are the main issue.

DIY tip: Compress the top three largest images and re-test. You’ll often gain a full second in load time instantly.

3. Mobile usability check (2 minutes)

Open your site on a smartphone. Can you read text without zooming? Do buttons fit the screen?

DIY tip: Increase base font size to at least 16px and ensure buttons have 44px minimum tap area.

4. SEO quick scan (2 minutes)

Search your brand name on Google. Does your homepage appear first with a clean title and description?

DIY tip: If it doesn’t, add descriptive title and meta tags with your primary keyword and brand name.

5. Accessibility and content check (3 minutes)

Use the Tab key to navigate links. Are all images described by alt text? Are headings structured (H1 → H2 → H3)?

DIY tip: Fix any missing alt attributes and re-order headings if necessary. Simple semantic structure improves both accessibility and SEO.

Next steps

This 10-minute audit highlights the most common problems. A professional audit dives deeper — analyzing crawl errors, scripts, analytics tracking, and UX patterns. That’s where measurable performance gains come from.

Action idea: Use this checklist monthly to catch small issues early. When you’re ready for a data-backed improvement plan, schedule a full site audit — it’s the fastest path from “okay” to “exceptional.”