Website Refresh Checklist: 21 Things to Fix Before You Rebuild

Think like a stranger with two minutes

Before you touch colours or fonts, load the site like a new customer. What do you do? Do you serve their area? Do you look legit? How do I get in touch?

If those four questions aren't answered fast, the refresh starts there. Not with a new logo.

Homepage — the bit that actually matters

• First screen says what the business does. Plain English. No 'Welcome to our online home.'
• Location or service area obvious where it matters.
• One primary action: call, book, enquire, quote — not four equal buttons fighting for attention.
• Phone number or contact button tappable on mobile without precision thumb surgery.
• Key services visible without opening a maze menu.
• At least one trust signal before they scroll away.
• Copy sounds like you — not a template written for 'Acme Solutions Ltd.'

Trust — would you hand this URL to your mum?

• Reviews or testimonials visible and specific — not 'Great service! — A.S.'
• Photos look like your actual business, not a stock handshake.
• Claims believable. No 'world-class' unless you can back it.
• Hours, address, contact match Google and your card.
• Licences, insurance, accreditations current — or remove them.

Mobile — where most of your visitors live

• Buttons big enough to tap.
• Text readable without pinch-zoom.
• Images don't shove the phone number off the planet.
• Menu simple. Main action not hidden behind a hamburger that leads nowhere.
• Forms short. Nobody completes a twelve-field enquiry on a bus.

Content — cut the dead wood

• Remove services you stopped offering in 2019.
• Add the ones people keep asking about.
• Break paragraph walls into short sections.
• Prices or 'from £X' clear if you can — or say how quotes work.
• Explain what happens after they contact you.
• Local context where it helps — 'covering Caerphilly and surrounding valleys,' not 'nationwide excellence.'

Technical — boring but worth ten minutes

• Page titles and meta descriptions that describe the page.
• Important URLs stable where possible.
• Alt text on images — basic accessibility.
• Loads fast on mobile. Test on your actual phone, not just desktop.
• HTTPS. No broken links.
• Forms, tel: links, mailto: links work after any change.

Run this before you fund a rebuild

Plenty of older sites don't need a six-week project. They need a clearer homepage, a visible number, mobile that cooperates, and proof you're real.

That's exactly what a refresh is for — and you can test it in minutes, not months.