Website performance audit services

Automated tools versus manual checks

Questions to ask an audit provider

Warning signs

• Report is a tool printout

  Little added beyond what free tools provide.

• Everything is critical

  No real prioritisation.

• Fixes only by the auditor

  Recommendations should be usable by anyone.

• Promises of rankings

  No audit can guarantee search positions.

A typical audit engagement

1. 01

   Brief

   Goals, key pages and concerns agreed.

   Output: Scope

2. 02

   Testing

   Tools and manual checks on agreed pages.

   Output: Verified findings

3. 03

   Report

   Prioritised findings with evidence.

   Output: Audit report

4. 04

   Walkthrough

   Findings explained and questions answered.

   Output: Shared plan

Ask for a sample report

A sample report, with client details removed, shows how findings are explained, whether evidence is provided and how priorities are set. If the sample is mostly screenshots of automated scores, the audit may add little. If it explains each issue in plain language and ends with a clear plan, it is likely to be useful.

Agreeing the scope

Before the audit starts, agree which pages and journeys will be covered, which areas are included and what you most want to learn. A business worried about falling enquiries needs a different emphasis from one preparing for a redesign or concerned about accessibility. Clear scope keeps the audit focused and the report relevant.

If you have analytics, sharing which pages get the most visits helps the auditor concentrate on what matters.

Access needed

Many checks can be done from the public website. Some, such as reviewing analytics, search console data or plugin versions, need read-only access. Provide separate, limited logins and remove them afterwards. A careful provider will ask only for the access the scope requires.

Accessibility within the audit

Ask how accessibility is checked. Automated tools find some issues, such as missing image descriptions or low contrast; others, such as whether the site can be used with a keyboard alone, need manual testing. For organisations with specific accessibility duties, a dedicated accessibility audit may be more appropriate than a general performance audit.

Timing and follow-up

Agree when the report will be delivered and whether a follow-up check after fixes is included. A short re-test after changes confirms that the most important issues are resolved and gives a new baseline.

Relevant experience

Ask whether the provider has audited sites similar to yours: the same platform, a shop rather than a brochure site, or a sector with particular needs such as bookings or long application forms. Familiarity with your type of site makes it easier to spot the problems that matter and to suggest fixes that work on your platform.

Plain language

The report will be read by people who make decisions, not only by developers. Ask whether findings are explained in plain language, with technical detail available for whoever does the work. A report only specialists can understand is hard to act on.

Owning the report

Confirm that you can share the report with any provider you choose for fixes.

Devices and browsers tested

Ask which devices and browsers will be used for manual testing. At minimum, a recent phone and a desktop browser should be covered; if your analytics show many visitors on a particular device or browser, include it. Problems that appear only on certain phones are a common cause of lost enquiries and are easy to miss without testing on real devices.