Before you buy anything,
it’s worth knowing what’s broken.
A new website is an expensive answer to a question nobody has asked. An audit provides measurable insights into what is working on your current site, what isn’t, and how much it will cost to fix — even if you decide to have the fixes carried out by someone else.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
Six areas that make up the site’s performance
Each is given a numerical score or a clear ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Opinions on the design are not given unless asked for — these are not matters that can be audited.
Speed, measured using a proper connection
How long does a page actually take to load on a mobile phone, where does the time go, and which single factor takes up the most time? This includes server response time, image sizes and the number of files the browser has to fetch before the page is readable.
Visibility in search engines and artificial intelligence
Can Google crawl the site? Is the machine-readable information about the company (structured data) correct? And does the site tell the search engine which company it is? At the same time, we’ll check whether any plugins are accidentally blocking AI search bots.
Security and update status
Outdated plugins, known vulnerabilities, usernames, and whether the site has already been hacked. This is the section where urgent issues are most often found.
Backups and recovery
Is there a backup, where is it, and has anyone ever tried to restore it? A backup that hasn’t been tested is a promise, not a safeguard.
Measurement and conversion
Do we know where enquiries are coming from and which pages are generating them? Without analytics, developing a website is a matter of guesswork — and the money spent on it is often misallocated.
Ease of maintenance
Can the content be edited without the developer? How many add-ons are essential, and what happens if the current developer stops working on the site? This will determine how much the site will cost over the next three years.
WHAT YOU GET
A list of items to be repaired, with a price on each line.
The report isn’t just a tool-generated printout, but a list you can read: what’s broken, how much it’s costing you right now, and how long it will take to fix. The items are listed in order of priority, so you can start at the top and stop when your budget runs out.
HOW IT’S DONE
First we measure, then we look; we never guess.
Tools identify the symptoms. It’s up to a person to find the cause by checking the server logs.
Access and measurement
We require read access to the site and, ideally, to the server. Automatic checks will be carried out first: speed, visibility on Google, update status and known vulnerabilities.
Manual check
Logs, the database, actual usage of plugins, and what has been done on the site over the years. Here you’ll find the things that no analytics tool can show.
Prioritisation and pricing
Results are sorted according to what costs you the most right now. The amount of work involved is estimated for each line item, so that the list also serves as a budget.
Walkthrough
A 45-minute consultation during which we’ll go through the list and answer any questions you may have. Afterwards, you can decide for yourself what to do and who to commission to do it.
PRICE
A fixed price, which will be refunded if you order any amendments.
The audit costs the same regardless of what is found. If you decide to have us carry out the repairs, the cost of the audit will be deducted in full from the repair bill.
Even if you don’t commission it, the report is still yours and comes with no strings attached. That’s the whole point: you’re buying information, not a commitment.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions.
What credentials are required for an audit?
At least read-only access to the WordPress admin panel. Ideally, you’ll also have access to the server, as the logs and server settings reveal information that isn’t visible in the admin panel. We’re happy to set up login details together with you, and these can be deleted immediately once the work is complete — please do ask; it’s good practice.
Could the site fail the audit?
No, because nothing is being changed. An audit involves reading and measuring: pages are retrieved via a browser and logs are analysed. We do not update plugins, install anything or modify settings without specific authorisation. If something requires urgent rectification, we’ll let you know and ask for your permission separately.
What if the website is actually fine?
That’s good news, and that’s exactly how it’s put. The report is then brief and doesn’t need to be padded out. The price is the same because the work is the same: confirming that a website that’s in good working order is indeed in good working order requires just as much checking as finding problems.
Is this the same as a free online test?
No. The free test gives you a score and a list of symptoms without prioritising them — and it takes three minutes to complete, so it’s worth doing it yourself first. The audit identifies the cause, the order of priority and the amount of work involved: which single issue, if fixed, will have the greatest impact, and what it will cost. That’s the sort of work the tool doesn’t do.
Does this work for platforms other than WordPress?
We check speed, search engine visibility, performance metrics and backups for any website, regardless of the platform. With WordPress and WooCommerce, we can go into greater depth because we know how they work inside out. If the platform is something else, we’ll let you know in advance which aspects we won’t be able to assess as thoroughly.