Who is this checklist for?

Alaska small service businesses and seasonal or tourism operators, but almost every item applies to any local business website.

How long does the audit take?

About 30 minutes with your own site open on your phone.

What if my site fails half of these?

That's normal, and fixable. The critical sections are the place to start.

Free. Actually free.

High-UX Website Checklist

Know what your customers see, and what's making them leave.

SparkStory Marketing · Anchorage, Alaska

53%
leave if the page loads over 3 seconds
61%
won't return after a bad mobile experience
60 to 70%
of your visitors are on phones
5 sec
to tell visitors what you do

First Impression, Above the Fold

Critical

Visitor knows within 5 seconds what you do, where you are, and who you serve. If they have to guess, you've already lost them. Your headline does this job.
Hero image is high quality, fast-loading, and shows your actual product or location. Stock photos signal inauthenticity.
Business name and logo are clear and match your Google Business Profile exactly.
Primary CTA is visible without scrolling. One clear next step above the fold. Not three. One.
Phone number is visible in the header on every page. Many customers are not filling out forms, they're calling.

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We'll email you the designed PDF, nothing else, unless you ask for it.

Mobile Experience

Critical

Site is tested on an actual phone, not just a browser preview.
Phone number is click-to-call on mobile.
Text is readable without zooming (minimum 16px body font).
Tap targets are large enough to tap without zooming (48x48px minimum).
No pop-ups that cover content immediately on mobile.
Booking or contact form works and submits correctly on mobile. Broken forms are silent revenue killers.

Speed & Performance

Critical

Page loads in under 3 seconds on mobile (test free at PageSpeed Insights). Every second of delay reduces conversions by 7%.
No unnecessary plugins or scripts running in the background.
Images are compressed and properly sized (WebP format where possible).
Hosting is reliable with 99.9%+ uptime.

Messaging & Clarity

High

Every page has one clear purpose and one primary action.
Pricing is displayed or there's a clear path to get a quote. Customers won't chase pricing, they'll book whoever shows it.
Your location and address are easy to find with a map link.
You describe what you do in plain language, no industry jargon.
Hours of operation are current and match your Google Business Profile.
About page tells a real story, who you are, why you do this. People buy from people they trust.

Conversion & Booking Path

High

Online booking is functional, fast, and mobile-friendly. If you can't be booked online in under 3 minutes you're losing customers.
Contact form is short, name, email, message. Nothing more. Every extra field reduces completion by about 10%.
Booking confirmation is immediate with email confirmation sent.
CTA buttons use action language, "Book Your Tour", not "Submit".

SEO & Seasonal Readiness

Standard

Google Business Profile is claimed, complete, and updated for the current season. GBP is your most important local SEO asset.
Location keywords are naturally included on key pages (e.g. "Valdez Alaska glacier tours").
Season dates, availability, and blackout dates are current and accurate.
Page titles and meta descriptions are written for each page.
Site is connected to Google Analytics or another tracking tool.
Email capture is in place to build your list during peak season. Your season list is your most valuable off-season asset.

More free resources live on the free guides hub

Get the PDF

Want the printable version?

We'll email you the designed PDF, nothing else, unless you ask for it.

Before You Start

Three quick questions.

Who is this checklist for?: Alaska small service businesses and seasonal or tourism operators, but almost every item applies to any local business website.
How long does the audit take?: About 30 minutes with your own site open on your phone.
What if my site fails half of these?: That's normal, and fixable. The critical sections are the place to start.

In Their Words

“A marketing team that is really focused on providing options that are accessible to a small business budget.”

Greg H.Owner, Remote Waters & Stillpoint Woodworks

If You'd Rather Not

Want us to just fix these things for you?

Book a Free Strategy Call see our pricing first

Clear is kind.

High-UX Website Checklist

First Impression, Above the Fold

Want the printable version?

Mobile Experience

Speed & Performance

Messaging & Clarity

Trust & Social Proof

Conversion & Booking Path

SEO & Seasonal Readiness

Want the printable version?

Three quick questions.

Want us to just fix these things for you?