Before you spend on a redesign,
find the one thing that's actually holding the site back.
Access, search, and user-flow analysis: ending in a clear improvement priority that moves the needle.
Pick the wrong place to start, and you'll spend time and money without moving the number that matters. So let's figure out where to put the effort before you spend it.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- Traffic is there, but it isn't turning into sales or inquiries
- SEO work is happening, but the results aren't visible
- A redesign is on the table, but it's not clear what to actually change
- You'd like to improve it, but you don't have the evidence to decide
Usually the problem isn't "everything." One specific point is holding the whole site back.
Start changing things without seeing that point, and the cost goes up while the result stays the same. The first job is to locate it properly.
What this service actually does
This isn't a generic report. The goal is narrow:
Tell you clearly where to fix first.
What a generic analysis gives you
- A rundown of the numbers
- Common-sense improvement suggestions
- Advice that stays at the abstract level
What this audit gives you
- A pinpointed bottleneck
- A clear priority order for improvements
- A direction that's ready to act on
Not "here's what's wrong," but "here's where to start if you want the numbers to move."
What I look at
The current state is mapped across these dimensions:
- Search traffic: the keywords actually bringing people in
- Search opportunity: what the site could be pulling but isn't
- Page roles and structure
- User flow and drop-off points
- Where conversion is getting stuck
* If analytics data isn't available, structure, flow, and SEO fundamentals are enough to run the audit.
Sample report (excerpt)
* A short excerpt from an actual report.
Summary
Traffic volume is steady, but the content isn't aligned with the intent behind the queries bringing people in, so conversion stays flat.
At this stage, optimizing product pages and the navigation to them should come before any push to grow traffic.
Issue 1: Search intent and page content are misaligned
What visitors are looking for and what the pages present don't quite line up. The structure means more traffic wouldn't turn into more results.
Issue 2: Product pages don't hold up in comparison
Visitors are staying on the page but not converting. The information order and the comparison cues aren't doing enough to support the decision.
Priority order
- Rework product-page structure
- Tidy up navigation and user flow
- Grow traffic (defer)
You end up with a clear answer to "where do we start."
Good fit for this audit
- A redesign is under consideration, but there's nothing to base the decision on
- You want the improvement work ordered by priority
- You want to know the real state before briefing an agency
- You'd like to start small
- You want to avoid spending on changes that don't move anything
No analytics in place? Still fine.
An audit is possible even without proper analytics.
Site structure, user flows, and SEO fundamentals are enough to surface the main places to improve.
When it makes sense, I can also set up Google Analytics 4 / Search Console so the data picture is there going forward.
After the audit
Based on the audit, I can also continue into the execution side if useful:
- Turning findings into concrete scope (design, requirements)
- Reworking page structure and navigation
- SEO improvements
- Analytics setup
- Implementation / feature additions
* Audit-only engagements are fine too.
Pricing
Light audit: quick analysis and a short report
For a first pass at the current state. Covers the main points in a compact report.
Standard audit: issues mapped, priorities ordered
When you need something decision-ready. Pinpoints the bottleneck and puts the fixes in the order they should be tackled.
Detailed audit: including improvement recommendations
When execution is on the table. Priorities, plus a concrete direction for how to act on them.
* Scope varies by situation: happy to talk through which tier fits.
Before you start spending on changes, let's map out what's actually in the way.
Get the direction wrong and the time and money don't come back. The better move is to make the priority clear first.