You know your website well. You know what you offer, which page explains it and where the contact button lives.
A potential customer arrives without that background. They may come straight to a service page from a search result, open a link on their phone or be comparing a few options.
Looking at your website from their point of view can reveal useful next steps, even when the website is working as intended.
This is not about finding fault with everything you have built. It is about checking whether one person can find the information they need and take the next step you want them to take.
Choose One Customer and One Task
Rather than reviewing the whole website at once, choose one realistic situation.
For example, imagine someone has heard about your service and wants to know whether it suits them. Or they have found a product and want to understand delivery before buying.
Write down the task in one sentence. Something like: find out what the workshop includes and how to enquire about a place.
Use a real type of customer and task your business serves. You are giving the check a clear purpose, rather than trying to guess what everyone might want.
1. Start Where That Person Might Arrive
Your homepage is one starting point, but it is not the only one. A customer might land on a blog post, product page or a page linked from your email.
Open the public page you want to check. A private browser window can help you view it without your usual logged-in session, although it does not bypass all caching or personalisation.
Read the page without using information you already know about your business.
Can you tell what is offered, who it is for and where to go next? If the page refers to another service or resource, is there a clear way to find it?
A landing page does not need to explain your entire business. It needs to provide enough context for the task someone is there to complete.
2. Look for the Questions They Need Answered
Think about what that person needs to know before taking the next step. The details will depend on your offer.
- What is included?
- Who is this suitable for?
- How does it work?
- What does it cost, or how do I get a quote?
- When and where does it happen?
- What should I do if I have a question?
You do not need every answer on every page. You do need a clear route to important information.
For example, if a service is quoted individually, say that and explain how to request a quote. If an event has a date and location, check that they are current and easy to find.
Keep the words familiar to your audience. If a term needs explaining, add a short explanation rather than assuming everyone knows it.
3. Follow the Next Step Yourself
Choose the main link or button someone would use. Read its label, then follow it.
Does the destination match what the button led you to expect? A button to view course details should take someone to those details. A booking button should lead to the relevant booking process.
A clear label helps people understand what they are choosing. Where useful, use wording such as view workshop dates or enquire about this service rather than a label that gives no clue about the destination.
If there are several actions, decide which matters most for this page. You can still offer another way to get help, but make the main route easy to recognise.
Follow the route until you reach the point where someone would submit an enquiry, book or pay. Do not make a real purchase just to test it. Use the appropriate test process if payments are involved.
For a contact form, read Your Website Enquiry Process: What Happens After Someone Clicks Send? to check what happens after submission.
4. Repeat the Check on a Phone
Open the same page on a real phone if you can. A desktop preview is useful, but it may not show everything about interacting with the site on that device.
Check whether you can read the text, open the menu, follow the main button and complete the relevant fields comfortably.
Notice whether banners, pop-ups or sticky elements cover important content. Can you dismiss them and continue?
Look for images or sections that are cut off, unexpected sideways scrolling or details that appear in a confusing order.
A problem on one device is a useful observation, rather than proof that every visitor sees the same thing. Record the device and browser so the issue can be checked properly.
5. Include a Few Accessibility Checks
Customers use websites in different ways. Some use a keyboard instead of a mouse. Some zoom text or use assistive technology.
A few first checks can help you notice barriers:
- On a desktop browser, use Tab to move between links and controls. Can you see which one is selected, and move through the relevant route without getting stuck?
- Check that form fields have clear labels and that required information is explained.
- Increase the browser zoom and check whether the important content remains usable.
- Notice text that is difficult to read against its background, especially over images.
These are starting checks, not a complete accessibility audit. Visual inspection alone does not measure colour contrast or confirm that labels are correctly connected in the code.
If you find a barrier or want a fuller review, get guidance on how to assess and improve it. A quick check cannot certify that a website is accessible to everyone.
6. Ask Someone to Try One Task
You can learn a lot by asking someone unfamiliar with the page to complete the task you chose.
Give them the goal and let them find their own route. Avoid explaining where the button is before they start.
Ask what they expected, where they looked and whether anything was unclear. If they are comfortable, watch how they move through the page.
One person’s feedback is useful, but it is not the whole audience. Look for observations you can investigate, rather than redesigning everything around one preference.
You may also notice parts that work well. Keep a note of those so you can use the same approach elsewhere.
Choose One Useful Improvement
After the check, separate what you observed from what you think caused it.
For example, a person did not find the workshop date is an observation. The page needs a complete redesign is a much bigger conclusion that may not follow.
A clearer heading, a better button label or a link to the right information might be the next useful change. A technical problem may need a different kind of help.
Choose the issue that most affects the task, then decide whether you can make that change confidently or want guidance first.
Before changing shared layouts, templates or website settings, understand the wider effect and have an appropriate backup and testing plan.
Your Small Task: Walk Through One Customer Route
Choose one important page and one customer task. Follow the route on your phone or in a fresh browser session.
Write down three things:
- One thing that already makes the task clear.
- One point where you had to stop and think.
- One next step to improve or investigate.
That is enough for a useful first review. You do not have to turn it into a full website overhaul.
Want Help Turning Your Notes Into a Next Step?
Inside the WordPress Learners Lounge, you can bring a page and explain what you want a customer to do. We can work through your questions about the wording, layout or tools involved.
The membership includes four live WordPress help calls each month, recordings and a private community. You can get guidance while keeping control of your own website.
Explore the WordPress Learners Lounge
Want a Focused Review of Your Website?
A WordPress Power Hour gives us dedicated time to look at your customer route and discuss the changes that would be useful for your business.
Your website can grow through small, thoughtful improvements. Start with one customer, one task and one next step.
