Your website is often the first point of contact between your business and potential customers. It’s your digital storefront, your 24/7 salesperson, and a reflection of your brand.
But is it working as hard as it should be? If you’re not regularly auditing your website, you could be missing out on opportunities to improve performance, boost conversions, and grow your business.
That’s where our free website audit checklist comes in. Whether you’re a small business owner, a marketer, or a web developer, this guide will walk you through the essential steps to evaluate and optimize your website.
From performance and SEO to user experience and branding, we’ve got you covered. Plus, we’ll show you how to perform a free website audit using simple tools and strategies.
Table of Content
Why Audit Your Website?
Think of a website audit as a health checkup for your online presence. Just like you’d visit a doctor to ensure everything’s running smoothly, your website needs regular checkups to stay in top shape. Here’s why auditing your website is so important:
Identify Issues
From broken links to slow load times, audits help you uncover problems that could be hurting your site’s performance.
Improve SEO
By addressing technical and on-page SEO issues, you can boost your search engine rankings and drive more organic traffic.
Enhance User Experience
Audits help you spot usability issues and make your site more intuitive and enjoyable for visitors.
Whether you’re using our free website audit template or following this step-by-step guide, auditing your website is a powerful way to take control of your online presence.
What’s Included in This Free Website Audit Checklist?
This comprehensive checklist covers everything you need to evaluate and optimize your website. Here’s a sneak peek at what you’ll learn:
Site Performance
How to test your website’s speed and improve load times.
SEO & Search Visibility
Tips for optimizing your site’s structure, content, and technical SEO.
Branding
How to ensure your logo, colours, and design elements are consistent and professional.
User Experience & Navigation
Best practices for creating a seamless and intuitive user experience.
Analytics & Tracking
How to set up tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your site’s performance.
Additional Elements
Essential components like 404 error pages, privacy policies, and SSL certification.
By the end of this guide, you’ll know exactly how to audit a website and make data-driven decisions to improve its performance.
To make your website audit even easier, we’ve created a free website audit template that you can download and use as a reference.
Plus, if you’re working with a designer or developer, be sure to check out our Client Website Onboarding Checklist to ensure your project stays on track.
And if you’re looking to take your online presence to the next level, don’t miss our guide on the top website features every business needs. From e-commerce functionality to lead capture forms, these features can help you build a website that drives results.
1. Site Performance
When it comes to running a successful website, performance is key. A slow-loading site can frustrate visitors, hurt your search engine rankings, and ultimately cost you potential customers. That’s why the first step in our free website audit checklist is to evaluate your site’s performance. Let’s dive in!
Google PageSpeed Insights is a free and easy-to-use tool that analyzes your website’s performance on both desktop and mobile devices. Simply enter your website’s URL, and within seconds, you’ll receive a score out of 100 for each platform. These scores are based on factors like load time, responsiveness, and overall user experience.
Desktop Score
This measures how well your site performs on larger screens, like laptops or desktops.
Mobile Score
This evaluates your site’s performance on smaller devices, such as smartphones or tablets.
After running the test, take note of both scores and calculate the average. For example, if your desktop score is 85 and your mobile score is 65, your average rating would be 75. This gives you a clear starting point for understanding your site’s current performance.
Why Is Mobile Performance Usually Slower Than Desktop?
You might notice that your mobile score is often lower than your desktop score. This is a common issue, and here’s why:
Smaller Screens, Bigger Challenges
Mobile devices have less processing power and memory compared to desktops, which can slow down performance.
Network Speeds
Mobile users often rely on cellular data, which can be slower and less stable than Wi-Fi connections.
Unoptimized Content
Websites that aren’t optimized for mobile may have large images, bulky code, or elements that don’t resize properly, causing delays.
Improving your mobile performance is crucial, especially since more than half of all web traffic comes from mobile devices. A slow mobile experience can drive users away and harm your site’s credibility.
Free Website Speed Test Tools
If you’re looking for more ways to test and improve your website’s speed, there are several free tools available. A website speed test free tool like Google PageSpeed Insights is a great starting point
Optimized Images
A visually appealing website is essential for engaging visitors, but large, unoptimized images and icons can slow down your site and hurt its performance. In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll walk you through how to optimize your images and icons for better website performance audit results.
When it comes to images, not all file formats are created equal. While JPEG and PNG files are commonly used, they’re not always the best choice for website performance. Here’s why:
WebP Files
WebP is a modern image format developed by Google. It provides superior compression, meaning smaller file sizes without sacrificing quality. This leads to faster load times and better overall performance.
JPEG Files
JPEGs are great for photographs but often result in larger file sizes compared to WebP.
PNG Files
PNGs are ideal for images that require transparency, but they tend to have the largest file sizes, which can significantly slow down your site.
If your website currently uses JPEG or PNG images, it’s time to make the switch to WebP. This simple change can have a big impact on your site’s speed and user experience.
How to Convert Images to WebP
If you have JPEG or PNG images on your website, don’t worry—converting them to WebP is easy. Use this free image converter to quickly and efficiently transform your image files into the WebP format. It’s a straightforward process that can make a world of difference for your website performance audit.
Compressing Images
Once your images are in the WebP format, you can take optimization a step further by compressing them. Compression reduces file sizes even more, which helps your site load faster.
However, keep in mind that compressing images too much can impact their quality. Here’s what to do:
Use this free image compressor to shrink your image files.
Review the compressed images to ensure they still look good on your site.
Avoid compressing images that require high quality, such as product photos or detailed graphics.
By optimizing and compressing your images, you’ll strike the perfect balance between quality and performance—an essential step in any website audit checklist free.
Optimized Icons
Icons are a great way to enhance your website’s design, but if they’re in the wrong format, they can slow things down. Here’s why SVG is the best choice for icons:
SVG Files
SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) is a vector-based format, meaning it scales perfectly to any size without losing quality. SVG files are also typically smaller in size compared to PNG or JPEG, making them ideal for fast-loading websites.
PNG and JPEG Icons
While these formats can be used for icons, they often result in larger file sizes and can look pixelated when resized.
If your website currently uses PNG or JPEG icons, it’s time to upgrade to SVG. This small change can improve your site’s performance and ensure your icons look sharp on all devices—another critical step in your free website audit checklist.
How to Convert Icons to SVG
Converting your icons to SVG is simple with the right tools. Use this free SVG converter to transform your existing icons into the SVG format. It’s a quick and easy way to optimize your site and boost its performance, helping you ace your website performance audit.
Optimizing your images and icons is a critical part of any website audit checklist free. By switching to WebP and SVG formats, you’ll reduce file sizes, improve load times, and create a better experience for your visitors. Plus, these changes can positively impact your search engine rankings, as site speed is a key factor in SEO.
2. SEO & Search Visibility
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the backbone of your website’s visibility on search engines like Google. Without proper SEO, even the most beautifully designed website can get lost in the vast sea of the internet.
In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll dive into the essentials of an SEO audit, the importance of search visibility, and how to ensure your website is optimized for success.
What is an SEO Audit and Why Does Search Visibility Matter?
An SEO audit is a thorough analysis of your website’s performance in search engines. It helps identify issues that may be holding your site back from ranking higher, such as technical errors, poor content optimization, or lack of proper indexing.
Search visibility, on the other hand, refers to how easily your website can be found by users searching for relevant keywords. If your site isn’t visible, all your SEO efforts could go to waste.
The good news?
There are free SEO audit tools available that can help you identify and fix these issues. These tools analyze your site’s structure, content, and technical performance, giving you actionable insights to improve your rankings.
For a deeper understanding of how SEO works, check out our guide on SEO.
Google Search Console (GSC)
One of the most important steps in your free SEO website audit checklist is to ensure all your webpages are properly indexed and visible on Google. This is where Google Search Console (GSC) comes in handy. Here’s how to use it:
Enter Your URL
Simply enter the URL of the webpage you want to check.
Check the Status
GSC will show you whether the page is indexed and visible on Google. Ideally, your webpage should be indexed.
Request Indexing
If your page isn’t indexed, click the “Request Indexing” button. This tells Google to prioritize crawling and indexing the page.
These elements play a significant role in improving your site’s SEO health score and ensuring it performs well in search engine rankings. Let’s break it down step by step.
What Are Crawling and Indexing?
If your pages aren’t crawled and indexed, they won’t show up in search results—no matter how great your SEO efforts are. This is why crawling and indexing are the foundation of search visibility.
Crawling
This is the process where search engines like Google discover your webpages by following links.
Indexing
Once crawled, your pages are added to Google’s index, making them eligible to appear in search results.
Title Tags and Meta Descriptions
Title tags and meta descriptions are critical elements of on-page SEO. They tell search engines and users what your page is about, and they appear in search results. Here’s how to ensure they’re optimized:
Title Tags
Keep them under 60 characters and include your primary keyword. Make sure they accurately describe the page content.
Meta Descriptions
Write compelling summaries under 160 characters that encourage users to click. Include relevant keywords naturally.
Optimizing these elements is a key part of any free website audit checklist and can significantly improve your click-through rates (CTR) from search results.
Header Tags (H1, H2, H3)
Header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) help organize your content and make it easier for search engines to understand. Here’s how to structure them correctly:
H1
Use only one H1 tag per page, and make it the main title. Include your primary keyword.
H2
Use these for subheadings to break up content into sections.
H3
Use these for further subsections under H2s.
Properly structured header tags not only improve readability for users but also help search engines better understand your content. This is a must-check item in your website SEO audit checklist.
Keyword Usage and Relevance
Keywords are the foundation of SEO. They help search engines understand what your content is about and connect your site to users searching for relevant topics. Here’s how to ensure your keyword usage is on point:
Relevance
Make sure your keywords align with the content on each page. Avoid keyword stuffing—use them naturally and strategically.
Primary and Secondary Keywords
Include a primary keyword in your title, headers, and the first 100 words of your content. Use secondary keywords throughout the page to support the main topic.
Long-Tail Keywords
These are longer, more specific phrases that often have lower competition and higher conversion rates. Incorporate them where relevant.
Regularly auditing your keyword usage is a key part of any free SEO audit checklist. Tools like Google Analytics or SEMrush can help you track keyword performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
SEO-Friendly URL Structure
Your website’s URL structure plays a big role in SEO. Clean, descriptive URLs not only help search engines understand your content but also make it easier for users to navigate your site. Here’s what to look for:
Short and Descriptive
URLs should be concise and include relevant keywords. For example, use yoursite.com/blog/seo-tips instead of yoursite.com/page123?id=456.
Hyphens for Separation
Use hyphens (-) to separate words in URLs, as search engines recognize them as spaces.
Avoid Special Characters
Steer clear of symbols like underscores (_) or ampersands (&), as they can confuse search engines.
Optimizing your URL structure is a simple yet effective step in your free site audit checklist that can improve both user experience and search engine rankings.
Internal linking strategy
Internal linking is the practice of linking one page on your website to another. It’s a powerful way to improve your site’s SEO and boost the authority of individual pages. Here’s why it matters:
Improves Page Authority
Internal links pass “link equity” from one page to another, helping search engines understand which pages are most important.
Enhances User Experience
It helps visitors navigate your site and discover related content.
Supports Crawling
Internal links guide search engine bots through your site, ensuring all pages are discovered and indexed.
Best Practices for Internal Linking:
Aim for 2-3 internal links per webpage.
Use descriptive anchor text (the clickable text in a link) that includes relevant keywords.
Link to high-priority pages, such as cornerstone content or product pages.
If you’re unsure how many internal links are on each webpage, you can use Google Search Console (GSC) to analyze your site’s internal linking structure. This is a must-do step in your SEO audit checklist.
XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, helping search engines like Google crawl and index your content more efficiently. Here’s what you need to know:
Crawl Budget
Every website has a crawl budget, which is the number of pages Googlebot will crawl in a given timeframe. Larger, more active sites typically have a bigger crawl budget, while smaller or less frequently updated sites may have a smaller one.
View Your Sitemap
You can usually find your XML sitemap at yoursite.com/sitemap.xml. If you don’t have one, use a tool like Yoast or Screaming Frog to generate it.
Submit Your Sitemap
Submit your XML sitemap to Google Search Console to ensure your pages are crawled and indexed promptly.
Including an XML sitemap in your website SEO audit checklist is essential for maximizing your site’s visibility in search results.
Schema Markup for Rich Results
Schema markup is a type of structured data that helps search engines understand your content better. It can also enable rich results—enhanced search listings that include extra information like ratings, images, or FAQs.
Boosts Visibility
Rich results stand out in search listings, increasing your click-through rates.
Improves Understanding
Schema markup helps search engines interpret your content, which can lead to better rankings.
Types of Schema
Common types include product schema, article schema, and FAQ schema.
Adding schema markup to your site is an advanced but highly effective step in your SEO audit checklist. Tools like Google’s Structured Data Markup Helper can make the process easier.
Optimizing keyword usage, URL structure, internal linking, XML sitemaps, and schema markup are all critical steps in your free SEO audit checklist. These elements work together to improve your site’s SEO health score, enhance user experience, and boost your visibility in search results. By addressing these areas, you’ll set your website up for long-term success.
3. Branding
Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your brand. That’s why consistent and professional branding is crucial for building trust and recognition.
Consistent branding is more than just aesthetics—it’s about creating a memorable and trustworthy experience for your visitors. By ensuring your logo, colors, typography, and design elements are cohesive, you’ll strengthen your brand identity and make your website more professional and user-friendly.
These steps are essential in any free website audit checklist and will help you stand out in a competitive online landscape.
In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll walk you through how to ensure your branding is cohesive and impactful across your website.
Consistent Brand Logo on All Webpages
Your logo is the face of your brand, and it should be prominently displayed on every page of your website. Here’s how to ensure it’s done right:
Placement
Your logo should be visible in both the header and footer of your website. This ensures it’s always accessible, no matter where a user scrolls.
File Format
Use an SVG file for your logo. SVG files are scalable, meaning they’ll look sharp on any device without losing quality.
Brand Guideline
Create a Brand Guideline webpage on your site. Include a high-quality PNG version of your logo for easy download. This makes it simple for others (like partners or media) to find and use your logo correctly. Plus, it can help your logo appear in Google Search results when someone looks for it.
Ensuring your logo is consistent and easily accessible is a key step in your free website audit checklist.
Curious to see what a complete brand guideline looks like? Check out our brand guidelines for Avansta.
Consistent Brand Colours & Typography
Consistency in colours and typography is essential for creating a cohesive brand identity. Here’s what to check:
Brand Colours
Ensure your website uses the exact colours from your brand palette. This includes primary colours, secondary colours, and accents. If you have a Design Guideline or Brand Guideline, refer to it for accuracy.
Typography
Use the same fonts across your website that align with your brand guidelines. This includes headings, subheadings, and body text. Consistency in typography helps create a professional and polished look.
A consistent visual identity not only strengthens your brand but also enhances user trust and recognition. This is a must-check item in your website audit guide.
Branded design elements
Design elements like icons and images play a big role in reinforcing your brand identity. Here’s how to ensure they’re on point:
Icons
Use icons that follow a consistent design style. For example, if your brand uses modern, thin-lined icons, stick to that style across your site. Consistency in icon design creates a seamless user experience.
Images
Always use high-quality images that reflect your brand’s tone and values. Avoid blurry, pixelated, or generic stock images. High-quality visuals not only look professional but also help build trust with your audience.
Optimized Images
While optimizing images for site performance (as discussed earlier), ensure you’re not compromising on quality. Use tools to compress images without making them look pixelated or distorted.
Including branded design elements in your website content audit checklist ensures your site looks polished and aligned with your brand identity.
4. User Experience & Navigation
A great website isn’t just about looking good—it’s about providing a seamless and enjoyable experience for your visitors. In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll explore how to ensure your site’s user experience (UX) and navigation are clear, intuitive, and functional.
These elements are critical for keeping visitors engaged and guiding them toward your desired actions.
Clear and Intuitive Site Navigation
Your website’s navigation is like a roadmap for your visitors. If it’s confusing or hard to use, people are likely to leave. Here’s how to ensure your navigation is user-friendly:
Logical Structure
Organize your menu items in a way that makes sense. Group related pages under clear categories, and limit the number of menu items to avoid overwhelming users.
Visible Menu
Ensure your navigation menu is easy to find, typically at the top of the page or in a hamburger menu for mobile devices.
Breadcrumbs
Use breadcrumb navigation to help users understand where they are on your site and how to get back to previous pages.
A well-structured navigation system is a cornerstone of any free guide to website audits. It not only improves user experience but also helps search engines understand your site’s hierarchy.
Readability and Font Sizes
Readability is key to keeping visitors engaged with your content. If your text is hard to read, people will quickly lose interest. Here’s what to check:
Font Size
Ensure your body text is at least 16px for desktop and 14px for mobile. Headings should be larger and stand out clearly.
Font Style
Use clean, easy-to-read fonts that align with your brand. Avoid overly decorative fonts for body text.
Contrast
Make sure there’s enough contrast between your text and background colours. For example, dark text on a light background is easier to read than light text on a light background.
Improving readability is a critical part of your website design audit checklist. It ensures your content is accessible and enjoyable for all users.
Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons Visible and Optimized
CTA buttons are the gateway to conversions, whether it’s signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or contacting you. Place CTAs in prominent locations, such as above the fold, at the end of blog posts, or in sticky headers.
Make your buttons stand out with contrasting colours and clear, action-oriented text like “Get Started” or “Download Now.”
Test all buttons and links to ensure they work properly. Broken buttons or links can frustrate users and hurt your credibility. Testing your CTAs is a simple but essential step in any web audit. You’d be surprised how many websites have broken buttons or links that go unnoticed.
Forms Easy to Use and Submit
Forms are a common way to collect information from users, but they can also be a source of frustration if they’re not designed well. Here’s how to optimize them:
Simplicity
Keep forms short and only ask for essential information. Long forms can deter users from completing them.
Clear Labels
Use descriptive labels for each field, and include placeholder text if necessary.
Error Handling
Ensure error messages are clear and helpful, guiding users on how to fix mistakes.
Mobile-Friendly
Test your forms on mobile devices to ensure they’re easy to fill out and submit.
Optimizing forms is a key part of your website audit guide. A well-designed form can significantly improve user experience and conversion rates.
Website Functionality Works Properly
Functionality is a key aspect of any website, especially for sites with advanced features like e-commerce, online booking, or membership portals. If these features don’t work as expected, it can lead to frustrated users and lost revenue.
E-Commerce Functionality
Test product pages, shopping carts, and checkout processes to ensure they’re working smoothly. Make sure payment gateways are secure and functional.
Online Booking Systems
If your site offers booking services, test the entire process—from selecting a date and time to confirming the booking. Ensure calendars and availability updates work correctly.
Membership Areas
For sites with login portals or membership areas, test account creation, login, and access to restricted content.
General Features
Check all interactive elements like sliders, dropdowns, and filters to ensure they function properly.
Using a free website audit tool can help you identify and fix functionality issues before they impact your visitors. Ensuring your site’s features work flawlessly is essential for delivering a positive user experience and achieving your business goals.
Redirections properly configured (301)
If you’ve moved or deleted pages on your website, it’s crucial to set up proper 301 redirects. 301 redirects ensure users and search engines are sent to the correct page, even if the original URL has changed.
Proper redirects help maintain your site’s search engine rankings by passing link equity to the new page.
Properly configured redirects are a must for maintaining a seamless user experience and protecting your SEO efforts.
5. Mobile Friendliness & Responsive Design
In today’s digital world, having a mobile-friendly website isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. With over 60% of global web traffic coming from mobile devices, ensuring your site looks and functions perfectly on smaller screens is critical.
Mobile-friendly design ensures your website adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes, providing an optimal experience for users no matter what device they’re using. Visitors expect your site to work flawlessly on their smartphones or tablets. If it doesn’t, they’re likely to leave and never return.
Additionally, Google uses mobile-first indexing, meaning it primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking and indexing. A poor mobile experience can hurt your search engine rankings.
If your site isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re potentially losing out on a huge portion of your audience. This is why mobile optimization is a key part of any free website audit checklist.
In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll cover how to test and optimize your site for mobile friendliness and responsive design.
Testing Responsive Design Across Devices
To ensure your website is truly responsive, you need to test it on multiple screen sizes. Here’s how to do it:
Test on Four Screen Sizes
Check your website on desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile devices. This will give you a comprehensive view of how your site performs across different platforms.
No Devices? No Problem
If you don’t have access to all these devices, you can simulate different screen sizes on your desktop or laptop. Simply shrink your browser window to see how your site adapts to smaller viewports.
Pay attention to elements like text readability, image scaling, and button functionality. If something looks off or doesn’t work properly, it’s time to make adjustments.
Testing your site’s responsiveness is a critical step in ensuring it provides a consistent experience for all users.
Responsive Web Builder Considerations
The platform your website is built on plays a big role in how easily you can achieve responsive design. Some platforms, like Responsive Web Builders, offer more flexibility and control over how your site adapts to different screen sizes.
Many modern website builders (e.g., WordPress, Wix Studio, Elementor) come with responsive design features built in. However, the level of customization may vary.
If your platform allows, use its front-end editor to fine-tune how elements behave on different devices. This is especially important for advanced layouts or custom designs.
Clickable Elements Properly Spaced
On smaller screens, clickable elements like buttons and links need to be easy to tap without accidentally clicking the wrong thing. Here are some best practices:
Button Size
Buttons should be at least 48x48 pixels to ensure they’re easy to tap on mobile devices.
Spacing
Leave enough space between clickable elements to prevent accidental clicks. A minimum of 8-10 pixels is recommended.
Touch-Friendly Design
Avoid placing buttons or links too close to the edge of the screen, as this can make them harder to tap.
Properly spaced and sized clickable elements are essential for a smooth mobile experience. This is a must-check item in your free website audit checklist.
Viewport settings configured correctly
Viewport settings control how your website scales and behaves on different devices. If these settings aren’t configured correctly, you might encounter issues like disproportionate scaling or elements that don’t resize properly.
Check Viewport Meta Tag
Ensure your site includes the following meta tag in the <head> section of your HTML:
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
This tells the browser to adjust the page’s width to match the device’s screen size.
Adjust Responsive Behaviour
If elements like buttons or images don’t scale correctly, use your website builder’s front-end editor to adjust their responsive behaviour. Each builder will have its own settings, so refer to your platform’s documentation for guidance.
Correctly configured viewport settings are a more advanced but crucial part of your free website audit checker. They ensure your site looks and functions as intended on all devices.
6. Analytics & Tracking
A website without proper analytics and tracking is like driving a car without a dashboard—you have no idea how fast you’re going, where you’re headed, or if something’s wrong.
In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll walk you through the essential tools and practices to monitor your site’s performance, track user behaviour, and make data-driven decisions.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Setup
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google’s powerful analytics platform. It provides deep insights into how users interact with your website, helping you understand what’s working and what needs improvement.
Create a GA4 Property
If you haven’t already, set up a GA4 property in your Google Analytics account. This is essential, as Universal Analytics (the older version) will stop processing data in 2024.
Install the Tracking Code
Add the GA4 tracking code to every page of your website. Most website builders and CMS platforms (like WordPress or Wix) make this easy with built-in integration options.
Set Up Goals
Define goals in GA4 to track conversions, such as form submissions, purchases, or newsletter sign-ups.
GA4 is one of the most powerful free website analysis tools available, and setting it up correctly is a critical step in your website audit checklist.
Google Search Console (GSC) Setup
Google Search Console (GSC) is another must-have tool for monitoring your website’s performance in search results. Here’s how to use it effectively:
Verify Your Site
Add your website to GSC and verify ownership. This gives you access to valuable data about your site’s search performance.
Monitor Indexing
Use GSC to ensure all your important pages are indexed by Google. If any pages are missing, request indexing to improve their visibility.
Track Search Queries
GSC shows you which keywords your site is ranking for, how often it appears in search results, and your click-through rates (CTR). This data is invaluable for optimizing your SEO strategy.
Setting up GSC is a key part of any website audit checklist, as it helps you identify and fix issues that could be hurting your search rankings.
Marketing Pixels Integrated
Marketing pixels are snippets of code that allow you to track user behavior and measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. Here’s what to check:
Meta Pixel
If you run Facebook or Instagram ads, ensure the Facebook Pixel is installed on your site. This helps you track conversions and retarget visitors.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag
If you use Google Ads, make sure the Google Ads tag is set up to track campaign performance.
Other Platforms
Depending on your marketing strategy, you may also need pixels for platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, or Pinterest.
Properly integrating marketing pixels is essential for a site health check, as it ensures you’re capturing accurate data to measure ROI.
Functionality Integrations
Your website likely relies on various third-party tools and integrations to function properly. Here’s how to ensure they’re set up correctly:
Payment Gateways
If you run an e-commerce site, test all payment gateways to ensure they’re working smoothly.
Email Marketing Tools
Integrate your website with email marketing platforms like Mailchimp or Klaviyo to capture leads and automate campaigns.
CRM Systems
Connect your site to a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to track and manage customer interactions.
For a deeper dive into essential integrations, check out our guide on top essential website features.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Monitored
Having a website is only the first step—keeping track of its performance is what drives continuous improvement. One of the most common mistakes businesses make is neglecting their website analytics, leaving them in the dark about what’s working and what’s not.
What Are KPIs?
KPIs are measurable values that show how effectively your website is achieving its goals. Examples include traffic, bounce rate, conversion rate, and average session duration.
Importance of Data-Driven Decisions
Regularly monitoring KPIs allows you to make informed decisions about your website. For example, if your bounce rate is high, you might need to improve your content or user experience.
Key Analytics to Track:
Tracking KPIs is a critical part of any audit website free process, as it ensures you’re continuously improving your site’s performance.
Traffic
Total number of visitors to your site.
Traffic Source
Where your visitors are coming from (e.g., organic search, social media, paid ads). This helps you understand which channels are driving the most traffic.
Bounce Rate
Percentage of visitors who leave after viewing only one page.
Conversion Rate
Percentage of visitors who complete a desired action (e.g., purchase, sign-up).
Average Time Spent on Page
How long visitors spend on specific pages, which helps identify engaging content.
Webpage Ranking (for SEO)
How your pages are ranking for target keywords. This is critical for understanding your SEO performance and identifying opportunities for improvement.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) Setup & Event Tracking
Google Tag Manager (GTM) simplifies the process of managing tracking codes and tags on your website. GTM is a powerful tool for streamlining your tracking setup and is a must-have for any free website audit checklist.
Set Up GTM
Create a GTM account and install the container code on your website. This allows you to add and update tags without editing your site’s code directly.
Track Events
Use GTM to track user interactions like button clicks, form submissions, and video plays. This provides deeper insights into how users engage with your site.
Test and Debug
Use GTM’s preview mode to test your tags and ensure they’re firing correctly.
7. Additional Elements
While the core elements of your website—like design, functionality, and analytics—are critical, there are additional components that often get overlooked but are just as important.
These elements ensure your site is secure, legally compliant, and user-friendly. In this section of our free website audit checklist, we’ll cover the essential additional elements you need to check.
404 Error Page
A 404 error page is what users see when they try to access a page that doesn’t exist on your website. While it’s impossible to eliminate 404 errors entirely, having a well-designed 404 page can turn a frustrating experience into a positive one.
Let users know the page they’re looking for can’t be found, but reassure them that they’re still in the right place. Provide links to your homepage, popular pages, or a search bar to help users find what they’re looking for.
A well-crafted 404 page is a small but important detail that can improve user experience and keep visitors engaged.
Privacy Policy
A privacy policy is a legal requirement for most websites, especially if you collect user data (e.g., through forms, cookies, or analytics). It informs visitors about how their data is collected, used, and protected.
Your privacy policy should be easy to find, typically linked in the footer of your website. Ensure your privacy policy complies with current regulations, such as GDPR or CCPA.
If you don’t have a privacy policy or need to update yours, download our free privacy policy template to get started.
Having a clear and compliant privacy policy is a must for any website, and it’s a key part of your free website audit checklist.
Terms & Conditions
Terms and conditions (T&C) outline the rules and guidelines for using your website. While not always legally required, they’re highly recommended to protect your business and set user expectations.
Like your privacy policy, your T&C should be linked in the footer of your site. Your T&C should cover topics like user responsibilities, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.
If you don’t have terms and conditions or need to update yours, download our free terms and conditions template to get started.
Including a well-drafted T&C is a simple way to protect your business and ensure users understand their responsibilities.
SSL Certification
SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certification is what keeps your website secure by encrypting data between the user’s browser and your server. SSL protects sensitive information like login credentials, payment details, and personal data.
Websites with SSL display a padlock icon in the browser bar, which reassures visitors that their data is safe.
Google prioritizes SSL-secured websites in search rankings, so having SSL can boost your SEO.
To check if your site has SSL, look for “https://” at the beginning of your URL. If it’s missing, contact your hosting provider to install an SSL certificate. This is a non-negotiable part of any free website audit checklist.
Accept Cookies Banner
If your website uses cookies (and most do), you’re legally required to inform users and obtain their consent. This is typically done through a cookies banner.
The banner should appear as soon as a user visits your site, usually at the top or bottom of the page. Ensure users can accept or decline cookies, and that their preferences are saved.
Your banner should comply with regulations like GDPR, which require clear and specific information about how cookies are used.
A properly configured cookies banner is a small but important detail that ensures your site is legally compliant and user-friendly.
Conclusion
You’ve made it through our comprehensive free website audit checklist. By now, you should have a clear understanding of the key areas to evaluate and optimize on your website—from performance and SEO to branding, user experience, and additional elements like privacy policies and SSL certification.
Regularly auditing your website ensures it stays functional, user-friendly, and aligned with your business goals.
Now that you’ve completed your audit, it’s time to take action. Use the insights from your audit to make improvements. Whether it’s optimizing images, fixing broken links, or updating your privacy policy, every small change adds up.
For more tips and strategies on building a strong online presence, check out our downloadable ebook, How to Build Your Business's Online Presence. It’s packed with actionable advice to help you grow your business online.
If you’re working with a designer or developer, share our client website onboarding checklist to ensure your project stays on track and meets your goals.
This free website audit checklist is designed to help small businesses and entrepreneurs take control of their online presence. By following these steps, you’ll not only improve your website’s performance but also create a better experience for your visitors. Remember, a healthy website is the foundation of a successful online strategy.
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