The UX Audit Checklist: 25 Things to Check on Any Website

You do not need to be a designer to spot most of what is hurting your website. You need a checklist and an honest eye. Open your site on your phone and your laptop, and work through these 25 checks. Every "no" is a place you are probably losing visitors.

1. First impressions (the first 5 seconds)

People decide whether to stay almost instantly. Check:

1. 1Is it obvious what you do within five seconds of landing?
2. 2Is there a clear headline that states the value, not just your company name?
3. 3Is there one obvious next step (a button) above the fold?
4. 4Does the page look current and trustworthy, not dated?
5. 5Is the most important content visible without scrolling on a laptop?

2. Navigation (can people find things?)

1. 1Is the main menu simple — ideally 5 to 7 items, not twenty?
2. 2Do menu labels use plain words your customers use, not internal jargon?
3. 3Can a visitor get to any key page in two or three clicks?
4. 4Is it always clear where you are in the site?
5. 5Does your logo link back to the homepage?

3. Content clarity (do people understand?)

1. 1Are headings scannable — can someone get the gist by reading only the headings?
2. 2Are paragraphs short and free of dense jargon?
3. 3Does each page have one clear purpose and one main call to action?
4. 4Do you explain benefits ("get found on Google"), not just features ("SEO optimisation")?
5. 5Is your contact information easy to find from every page?

4. Mobile experience (over half your visitors)

1. 1Is the text readable without zooming on a phone?
2. 2Are buttons and links big enough to tap with a thumb?
3. 3Do images and layouts resize properly — nothing cut off or overflowing?
4. 4Is the phone number a tap-to-call link on mobile?
5. 5Do pop-ups not cover the whole screen on mobile?

5. Forms (where conversions are won or lost)

1. 1Do forms ask for only what you truly need — every extra field loses people?
2. 2Are there clear, inline error messages when something is wrong?
3. 3Is it obvious what happens after you submit (a thank-you message or next step)?

6. Speed & accessibility (the invisible deal-breakers)

1. 1Does the page load in under ~3 seconds? (Test with Google PageSpeed Insights.)
2. 2Is there enough colour contrast to read text easily, and can the site be used with a keyboard alone?

How to act on your results

Counting your "no" answers is not the goal — fixing the right ones is. Prioritise like this:

1. 1High traffic + high friction first. A confusing checkout or contact form on your busiest page beats a minor issue on a page nobody visits.
2. 2Quick wins next. Things like a clearer headline, a tap-to-call link, or removing a field are cheap and fast.
3. 3Bigger structural fixes last. Navigation overhauls and redesigns take planning — schedule them, do not rush them.

A note on doing this objectively

The hardest part of auditing your own site is that you already know how it works — so you cannot feel the confusion a first-time visitor feels. Two ways around that:

• Watch a real person use your site for a task ("find our pricing and contact us"). Stay silent. The places they hesitate are your real problems.
• Use an automated tool to remove the guesswork on the technical checks (speed, contrast, mobile, metadata).

A checklist finds the issues. Prioritisation turns the list into more enquiries.