Your website is one of your most important business assets. But how do you know if it's actually working properly?
That's exactly why I offer free website health checks. Think of it like an MOT for your website – a thorough check to spot any problems before they cause you real headaches (or cost you customers).
Let me walk you through exactly what I look at and why it matters for your business.
Why Bother With a Health Check?
You might be thinking "my website looks fine to me, so it must be okay." But there's a lot going on behind the scenes that you can't see by just looking at your homepage.
Problems I regularly find include:
- Security vulnerabilities that could get your site hacked
- Speed issues that make visitors leave before your page loads
- SEO problems that stop Google finding you
- Broken links frustrating your visitors
- Sites that look terrible on mobile phones
- Out-of-date software creating security risks
- Missing or broken backup systems
The thing is, most of these issues are invisible to you until something goes seriously wrong. A health check catches problems early when they're easy (and cheap) to fix.
What I Actually Check
Here's what's included in your free website health check:
1. Security Status
What I look for:
- Is your site using HTTPS (that padlock in the browser)?
- Are your WordPress core, themes, and plugins up to date?
- Do you have security plugins installed and configured properly?
- Are there any known vulnerabilities in your current setup?
- Is your login page properly protected?
Why it matters: Hacked websites can disappear from Google overnight, spread malware to your visitors, or be used to send spam. Security isn't optional – it's essential. And the good news? Most security issues are straightforward to fix once you know about them.
2. Website Speed
What I look for:
- How fast does your site actually load?
- Are images optimized or unnecessarily huge?
- Is caching set up properly?
- Are there plugins slowing everything down?
- Does your hosting cope with your traffic?
Why it matters: Visitors leave if a site takes more than 3 seconds to load. Google also uses speed as a ranking factor. A slow website literally costs you customers and search visibility. Speed improvements often make an immediate, measurable difference to your business.
3. Mobile Performance
What I look for:
- Does your site work properly on phones and tablets?
- Is text readable without zooming?
- Are buttons easy to tap?
- Does the layout adapt properly to small screens?
- Are there any elements breaking on mobile?
Why it matters: More than half your visitors are probably on mobile devices. If your site doesn't work well on phones, you're turning away potential customers. Google now uses mobile performance as the primary ranking signal, so this really matters for SEO too.
4. SEO Basics
What I look for:
- Can Google actually find and index your pages?
- Are page titles and descriptions set up properly?
- Is your site structure logical?
- Are images missing alt text?
- Do you have an XML sitemap?
- Is robots.txt configured correctly?
Why it matters: SEO doesn't have to be complicated, but certain basics need to be in place or Google simply won't show your site in search results. I check the foundational stuff that makes the difference between being found or being invisible online.
5. Functionality Issues
What I look for:
- Do all your links work (internal and external)?
- Are contact forms submitting properly?
- Do forms have spam protection?
- Are there any error pages visitors might encounter?
- Is your site actually doing what it's meant to?
Why it matters: Broken contact forms are shockingly common – and they mean you're losing enquiries without even knowing it. I regularly find forms that appear to work but aren't actually sending emails, or links to pages that no longer exist.
6. Backup Systems
What I look for:
- Are regular backups happening?
- Are backups actually working (many aren't!)?
- Where are backups stored?
- Could you restore your site if disaster struck?
Why it matters: Backups are boring until you desperately need one. I've seen businesses lose everything because they thought backups were running when they weren't. A few minutes checking this could save your entire business one day.
7. User Experience
What I look for:
- Is navigation clear and logical?
- Can visitors find what they need easily?
- Is important information prominent?
- Are there obvious ways to contact you?
- Does the site guide visitors toward action?
Why it matters: A technically perfect website that confuses visitors is useless. I look at your site through a customer's eyes and spot where people might get stuck or give up.
8. Accessibility
What I look for:
- Colour contrast for readability
- Alt text on images for screen readers
- Keyboard navigation
- Heading structure
- Form labels
Why it matters: Around 20% of people have some form of disability. Making your site accessible isn't just the right thing to do – it's also good for business and increasingly a legal requirement. Many accessibility improvements also help your SEO.
9. Content Quality
What I look for:
- Is key information present and up to date?
- Are images professional and relevant?
- Is contact information easy to find?
- Do you have the essential pages (privacy policy, terms, etc.)?
- Does content clearly explain what you do?
Why it matters: Great technical setup is wasted if your content doesn't convince visitors to become customers. Sometimes simple content improvements make the biggest difference to results.
10. Hosting Quality
What I look for:
- Is your hosting reliable?
- Do you have adequate resources (storage, bandwidth)?
- Is your hosting provider responsive?
- Are server errors occurring?
- Is your hosting suitable for your site's needs?
Why it matters: Cheap hosting often costs you more in the long run through downtime, slow speeds, and poor support. Your hosting is the foundation everything else sits on – if it's not solid, nothing else works properly.
What Happens After the Check
Once I've thoroughly examined your website, I'll send you a straightforward report explaining:
What's working well – it's not all doom and gloom! I'll tell you what you're doing right.
What needs attention – clear explanations of any problems found, in plain English not technical jargon.
Priority level – not everything is equally urgent. I'll tell you what needs fixing immediately and what can wait.
Practical recommendations – specific suggestions for improvements, with realistic expectations about cost and complexity.
Next steps – whether you can fix things yourself, need help, or should consider a bigger overhaul.
What It Costs
The health check itself is completely free. No catches, no obligations.
Why free? Because I genuinely want to help local businesses have better websites. And yes, sometimes it leads to work if you need help fixing problems – but there's no pressure. Many issues are things you can sort yourself with the right guidance.
If problems do need professional fixing, I'll give you a clear quote before any work starts. You're never committed to anything just by getting a health check.
Who Needs a Health Check?
You definitely need one if:
- You haven't had your website checked in over a year
- You're not sure if backups are working
- Your site hasn't been updated in ages
- You're getting fewer enquiries than you used to
- You've never had anyone look at the technical side
- You're about to invest in marketing and want to ensure your site won't let you down
- You inherited a website from a previous designer
- You're experiencing odd problems or errors
You probably need one if:
- You're not sure whether you need one
- Someone else built your site and you don't know what state it's in
- Your website is more than 3 years old
- You want peace of mind everything's okay
What Happens to Problem Websites?
Let me be honest about what I typically find:
About 30% of sites have at least one serious security issue that needs immediate attention.
Most sites have some speed improvements that could be made relatively easily.
Many sites have SEO basics that aren't set up properly, costing them visibility.
Broken contact forms are surprisingly common – often the owner has no idea.
Most older sites need updates to stay secure and compatible with modern browsers.
This isn't meant to scare you – it's just reality. The web moves fast, and websites need regular maintenance. The good news is that once you know what's wrong, most issues are fixable.
Real Examples (Names Changed)
Sarah's Art Business: Health check revealed her contact form hadn't worked for 6 months. She'd been wondering why enquiries dried up – turned out they were being blocked by overzealous spam filters. Fixed in 30 minutes, enquiries returned immediately.
Local Charity: Site was getting hacked repeatedly. Health check found their theme and plugins were years out of date with known security holes. Updates and proper security setup solved the problem permanently.
Independent Retailer: Thought their site was fine but sales were declining. Health check showed it was incredibly slow on mobile and the checkout process had broken on phones. After fixes, mobile sales increased by 40%.
Professional Services: Wanted to invest in marketing but health check revealed their site would struggle with increased traffic. We improved hosting and speed first, then their marketing actually delivered results.
Questions I Often Get
"Will you try to sell me stuff I don't need?" No. I'll tell you honestly what needs fixing and what can wait. Sometimes the answer is "your site is actually fine, just keep doing what you're doing."
"What if I can't afford to fix everything?" I'll help you prioritize. Security issues need fixing urgently. Other things can be phased over time. I'll work within your budget.
"Can I fix problems myself?" Sometimes yes! If something's simple enough for you to handle, I'll explain how. I'm genuinely happy to help you help yourself.
"Will you judge my terrible old website?" Never. I've seen thousands of websites over 27 years. My job is to help, not judge. Everyone starts somewhere, and many "terrible" sites just need a bit of attention.
"How long does it take?" The check itself takes me 1-2 hours. You'll get your report within a few days.
It's Not Just About Problems
Yes, a health check finds problems – but it also often reveals opportunities you didn't know existed.
Maybe your site is 90% great but one simple change could dramatically improve enquiries. Maybe you're doing brilliant things you didn't realize were brilliant. Maybe there's a quick win that makes a big difference.
I approach health checks looking for both problems to fix and opportunities to seize.
How to Get Your Free Check
It's straightforward:
- Visit polyspiral.com/help
- Fill in the simple form with your website address
- I'll check your site thoroughly
- You'll get a clear report with practical recommendations
- No obligation, no pressure, no hidden agenda
That's it. You get valuable insights into your website's health, and you can decide what (if anything) to do about the findings.
The Bottom Line
Your website works for you 24/7. Shouldn't you know if it's doing its job properly?
A free health check takes less than 5 minutes to request and gives you peace of mind (or a clear action plan if problems are found). Either way, you're better informed about one of your most important business assets.
Ready to find out how your website's really performing? Get your free health check now – I promise to give you honest, jargon-free advice about what's working and what needs attention.
