is my website working? four checks, ten minutes monthly

business · 2026-10-13 · 6 min

a working website produces contacts, not compliments. "looks great" from friends is worthless signal; the numbers below are the signal, in the order to check them. ten minutes monthly, decisions not decoration.

check 1: the money event

count completions of the one action the site exists for (calls, bookings, quote requests, orders). trend over months, source split (which channel brings them). flat zero with traffic means the site is a brochure with a bill. define it first if undefined: what counts as a conversion.

check 2: findability

search your buying phrases logged-out (do you appear?), maps listing health (reviews, hours, photos current?), top pages' rankings trend. invisible excellence is a hobby. the fix list: how do i get my website on google. the measurement setup: how do i know how many people visit my site.

check 3: the path (where it leaks)

top pages by entrances, exit rate on the money pages, form abandonment, mobile vs desktop completion gaps. one dominant leak usually explains most losses: the contact page everyone leaves, the form nobody finishes, the phone number missing on mobile. fix the biggest leak, re-measure, repeat — optimization is plumbing, not poetry.

check 4: health and freshness

speed on a mid phone, https valid, no errors in search console, dates/prices/hours true. a site lying about Christmas hours in July fails the only test some visitors run. maintenance is the check that prevents all others rotting: what recurring costs does a website have.

FAQ

how often should I check?

money event monthly (5 minutes), findability quarterly, full path yearly or after changes. more often without acting on it is anxiety with charts.

agency reports vs my own checks?

run your own four checks regardless — they take minutes and measure money. agency metrics (rankings, traffic) then have context: rising traffic with flat contacts is their problem to explain. the verification script: how do i know if my seo agency is doing anything.