You don't need to be technical to check whether your website is in good shape. Three things cover a lot of ground: security (SSL), how it looks on a phone, and how fast it loads. You can check all three in about half an hour, for free.
I'm Taylor Pace, a Richmond, VA web designer with 11 years in business. These are the checks I'd run first, and what to do if something fails.
Part 1: SSL (the padlock)
SSL (technically TLS, though everyone says SSL) encrypts the connection between your visitor and your website. You can see it in the address bar: a padlock and a web address starting with https://. Without it, browsers may show a "Not secure" warning, and that's not a good first impression, especially if you take contact forms, payments, or logins.
Check it:
- ☐ Type your address starting with
http://(not https). Does it automatically switch tohttps://? It should. - ☐ Click the padlock. Does the browser say the connection is secure, with no warnings?
- ☐ Try both
yourdomain.comandwww.yourdomain.com. Both should work and end up in the same place. - ☐ Browse a few pages, especially ones with forms or images. Does any page show a warning? That can mean an old image or script is still loading over plain http ("mixed content").
- ☐ Note when your certificate renews, or confirm that your host renews it automatically. An expired certificate puts a full-page warning in front of visitors.
If it fails: Contact your host or web designer. If you're on Squarespace, SSL is included, and you can check and adjust the setting in your site's settings. If a site isn't redirecting properly, it's usually a settings fix, not a rebuild.
Part 2: Mobile
Search engines and visitors both expect a site to work on a phone. Don't just shrink the desktop version. The experience has to make sense on a small screen.
Check it, on your own phone:
- ☐ Can you read the text without zooming?
- ☐ Can you tap buttons and menu items easily, without hitting the wrong thing?
- ☐ Does the menu open and close properly?
- ☐ Is your phone number tappable, so a visitor can call you with one touch?
- ☐ Does your contact form work on a phone? Fill it out and submit it, then check that you received it.
- ☐ Do images fit the screen, with no sideways scrolling?
Then ask a friend who has never seen your site to find your hours and phone number. Watching someone else use it tells you a lot.
If it fails: Older sites often weren't built for mobile. If your site looks broken on a phone, that's a good sign it's time for a redesign.
Part 3: Speed
People are impatient, and a slow site loses visitors. Speed depends on many things: image sizes, the number of scripts, your hosting, and the design itself.
Check it:
- ☐ Run your homepage through Google PageSpeed Insights (free, at pagespeed.web.dev). It tests mobile and desktop and lists what's slowing the page down.
- ☐ Test more than the homepage; try a photo-heavy page too.
- ☐ Look at the largest images. Photos straight off a phone or camera are often far bigger than they need to be.
- ☐ Count the extras: video embeds, chat widgets, pop-ups, and tracking scripts all add weight. Keep the ones that earn their place.
If it's slow: The most common easy fixes are resizing and compressing images, removing unused add-ons, and trimming heavy pages. Use the report as a to-do list, not a grade.
A few more quick checks
While you're at it:
- ☐ Contact info is correct on the site, in the footer, and on your Google Business Profile.
- ☐ Your Google Business Profile is complete with hours, phone, and website link.
- ☐ Every page has a clear page title and description. Search for your business name and see how it appears.
- ☐ Forms deliver to an inbox someone checks.
- ☐ Old content is gone: expired offers, past events, former staff.
- ☐ You know who owns your domain and logins, and that they're stored somewhere safe.
- ☐ Someone is responsible for updates.
How to use this list
Print it, go through it with your phone in hand, and write down what fails. Then fix the quick ones first: the redirect, a few oversized photos, a wrong phone number. Anything that needs real work goes on a short list you can bring to your web designer.
Get a Free Website Audit
If you'd rather have someone else run the checks, I'll do it. I'll review your site's security, mobile experience, and speed, and send you plain-English notes on what to fix first. No cold calls, no pressure.
Request your Free Website Audit →
You can also call me at (804) 426-1226 or email taylorpace@gmail.com.
— Taylor Pace, Richmond, VA
