Your DIY Wix Website Audit: How to Find and Fix What's Quietly Holding You Back
- Nancy Detchon
- Aug 5
- 9 min read
A 7-area self-assessment with checklists, honest diagnostics, and clear guidance on what to fix first.
Most small business owners have a vague sense that their website isn't quite doing what it should. Enquiries feel lower than they ought to be. Something feels slightly off when you share the link. You've made a few tweaks over time but you're not entirely sure they've made any difference.
What you're missing is a clear picture of what's actually wrong. Not a feeling. Not a vague sense of it being a bit dated. A specific, honest assessment of which areas are working, which are weak, and what would make the most difference if you fixed it.
That's what this audit gives you. Seven areas. A checklist for each. A diagnostic at the end. Work through it honestly and you'll have a clear map of where your website stands — and a prioritised list of what to do about it.
Suggested approach: block out 60–90 minutes, open your website on both a laptop and your phone, and work through each section in order. Have a notebook nearby to capture what you find.
How to Use This Audit
For each area, tick the items that are genuinely in place on your site right now — not as you'd like them to be, but as they actually are. The gaps between what's ticked and what isn't are your improvement priorities.
For each of the seven areas, you'll find a short introduction, a checklist of specific things to look for, and a diagnostic note for what it means if you're ticking very few items.
Be honest as you go through this. The temptation is to tick items that are 'sort of' there, or that you've been meaning to fix but haven't got round to. This audit is only useful if it reflects reality — not aspiration. The gaps you find are not a reflection of how good you are at your work. They're just information about where to focus your attention next.
Score yourself as you go — give yourself 1 point for each item ticked. At the end, count up your total and use the scoring guide to interpret what it means.
First impressions - what do visitors see in the first 5 seconds?
Open your homepage on a device you don't use every day — or ask someone who hasn't visited your site recently to open it and tell you their immediate impression. Within five seconds, a visitor decides whether to stay or leave. These are the signals that make that decision.
☐ The page loads in under 3 seconds on a standard connection
☐ The design looks professional and intentional — not template-default or rushed
☐ The hero section (the top of the page) includes a clear headline that tells me who you help
☐ There is at least one visible call-to-action button above the fold (before scrolling)
☐ The colour scheme and fonts feel consistent and on-brand
☐ There is a photo or image that adds warmth or context — not just stock imagery
If you ticked none of these: Your homepage is likely losing visitors before they've engaged with your content. First impressions are doing real damage here — even a few small visual improvements could make a significant difference to whether people stay.
Messaging - is it clear who you help and what you offer?
Messaging is one of the most common — and most impactful — problem areas on small business websites. Read your homepage headline, your services descriptions, and your about page as if you're a stranger who has never heard of you.
☐ My homepage headline makes it immediately clear what I do and who I help
☐ My services are described in terms of outcomes for the client — not just features or formats
☐ The language on my website sounds like real words my ideal client would use
☐ There is no unexplained jargon or industry terminology that a non-specialist wouldn't understand
☐ A complete stranger could understand what I offer and whether it's right for them within 2 minutes
☐ My about page explains why I do this work — not just my CV and credentials
If you ticked none of these: Your messaging is likely too vague, too process-focused, or too full of jargon to resonate with the clients you're trying to attract. This is often the single biggest lever for improving enquiry rates — and it doesn't require a redesign, just a rewrite.
Trust signals - why should a visitor believe you?
Before someone gets in touch with you, they need to trust you. Trust isn't built by assertion — it's built by evidence. This area checks whether your website gives visitors enough reason to believe that you're credible, experienced, and safe to work with.
☐ My website includes at least 3 specific, outcome-focused client testimonials
☐ Testimonials appear on my homepage — not just on a separate Testimonials page
☐ My credentials, qualifications, or years of experience are clearly mentioned somewhere
☐ My website includes a genuine photo of me — not just a logo
☐ My contact details are easy to find on every page (in the header or footer)
☐ My site looks like it belongs to an active, current business — not something built 5 years ago and left
If you ticked none of these: Your website may be failing to build the trust a visitor needs to make contact. This is particularly significant for service businesses where clients are making a personal and financial investment. Adding social proof and human presence to your site is one of the highest-return improvements you can make.
User journey - can they find their way, do they know what to do next?
Your website should guide visitors on a clear, logical journey — from landing on your homepage to understanding what you offer, building trust, and taking the next step. Work through your own site as if you're a first-time visitor.
☐ My navigation menu is clear and contains no more than 6 or 7 items
☐ Every page has a clear, specific call to action — not just a vague 'contact me'
☐ My call to action appears at least twice on my homepage (near the top and near the bottom)
☐ Clicking through from the homepage to my services page feels logical and clear
☐ My contact or booking page is easy to find — never more than one click from any page
☐ The path from 'I'm interested' to 'I've booked a call' contains no unnecessary friction or confusion
If you ticked none of these: Visitors may be landing on your site, finding it interesting, and then leaving without contacting you — not because they're not interested, but because the path to action is unclear. This is a conversion problem, and it's often fixable without major redesign work.
Mobile experience - what is it like on a phone?
Load your website on your phone right now — ideally a different phone from the one you usually use, so it's fresher eyes. Over half of your visitors are on mobile, and Google uses your mobile site to determine your search ranking.
☐ The site loads on my phone in under 4 seconds
☐ The text is readable without pinching or zooming
☐ Buttons are large enough to tap without accidentally hitting the wrong thing
☐ The navigation menu opens and closes cleanly on mobile
☐ Images display correctly — not stretched, overlapping, or missing
☐ The overall experience feels genuinely smooth — I would not describe it as 'a bit clunky'
If you ticked none of these: Your mobile experience is likely costing you clients. Given that more than half of web traffic is on mobile, and that Google uses mobile-first indexing to rank your site, this area deserves urgent attention. Wix's mobile editor lets you fix most of these issues without affecting your desktop layout.
SEO basics - can Google find you and undertstand what you do?
You don't need to be an SEO expert to have the basics in place. This area checks the fundamental signals that help Google understand your website and show it to the right people.
☐ Every page has a unique, specific meta title (not 'Home', 'Services', or the default text)
☐ Every page has a written meta description (not blank or auto-generated)
☐ My images have descriptive alt text — not just blank fields or file names
☐ My website is connected to Google Search Console
☐ My sitemap has been submitted to Google
☐ I have a Google Business Profile that is verified and complete
If you ticked none of these: Your site is likely under-indexed and under-ranked on Google. The good news is that these basics are entirely within your control and take a few hours to address. Even completing two or three of these items will make a measurable difference to your search visibility.
Technical Health - is everything working properly?
Technical issues are often invisible until they cause a problem — a contact form that doesn't send, a broken link, a page that throws an error. These aren't glamorous, but a broken website quietly loses clients every day.
☐ I have tested my contact form recently and confirmed messages arrive in my inbox
☐ My booking system (if I have one) was last tested within the past month
☐ I have checked for broken links on my key pages in the last 6 months
☐ My website displays without any error messages or broken elements
☐ My SSL certificate is active (the padlock appears next to my URL in the browser)
☐ My website content is current and accurate — pricing, services, and contact details all up to date
Technical health checks should be a regular habit — even a brief monthly check can catch problems before they become significant.
Your Audit Score — What It Means
Count the total items ticked across all 7 areas. Out of 42 possible points, your score tells you where to focus: the lower the score in any area, the higher the priority for improvement.
Add up your ticks across all seven areas. The maximum is 42.
Score | What it means |
35–42 | Your website is in genuinely good shape. A handful of targeted improvements could sharpen it further, but you're working from strong foundations. |
25–34 | Solid in some areas but with clear gaps that are likely affecting your enquiry rate. Prioritise the areas with the lowest scores — that's where the most value is. |
15–24 | Your website has potential but multiple areas need attention. The cumulative effect of these gaps is probably more significant than any one issue alone. A systematic approach to fixing them will have a real impact. |
0–14 | Your website needs significant attention across most areas. It's almost certainly costing you enquiries and confidence every day it stays as it is. This is worth prioritising as a matter of urgency — whether you do it yourself or get professional help. |
What to Do With What You've Found
Prioritise fixes by area score — the areas where you ticked fewest items need the most attention. Messaging and trust signals tend to have the highest conversion impact; mobile and technical health are foundational.
Now you have your results — here's how to use them.
If messaging scored poorly: This is the highest-priority fix. Rewrite your homepage headline and services descriptions before anything else. A website that sounds right attracts the right people — and no amount of technical improvement can compensate for unclear messaging.
If trust signals scored poorly: Add specific, outcome-focused testimonials to your homepage and services pages. Add a genuine photo of yourself if you haven't already. These changes take hours, not days, and have a direct impact on conversion.
If user journey scored poorly: Review your calls to action on every page. Add or strengthen the CTA on your homepage hero, services page, and About page. Make sure every page ends with a clear next step.
If mobile experience scored poorly: Spend time in Wix's mobile editor. Work through your homepage and services page first. Check loading speed with Google PageSpeed Insights. This one is foundational — Google ranks your mobile site first.
If SEO basics scored poorly: Work through your page titles, meta descriptions, and image alt text. This is methodical rather than creative — put aside two to three focused hours and work through every page systematically.
If technical health scored poorly: Test your contact form immediately. Check for broken links. Fix any display issues. Technical problems are often invisible until a client hits them — and by then, you've already lost that enquiry.
Need some help?
I work through exactly the areas this audit surfaces, fix what needs fixing, and leave you with a website that's actually working for your business. Book a free discovery call and let's look at it together.
About The Author
Nancy Detchon is the founder of Peak Net Web Design and a business professional with 30+ Years Experience - Wix Web Design - 5* Wix Legend Partner - Female Business Owner - Micro Business Champion.
Based in the Peak District, Nancy specialises in turning complicated website problems and chaos into calm, clear solutions — with a particular passion for helping female founders build an online presence they're proud of.
When she's not designing websites, she's reading crime fiction, planning holidays and festival trips, making sure she drinks enough water and doing battle with her garden.
