Ownership and control
- Is the domain registered in our business name?
- Is the hosting account in our name?
- Do we have administrator access?
- Could we move to another supplier if we wanted to?
If any of those four is no, fix it before anything else. Everything else assumes you actually control your own website.
Maintenance and safety
- When was WordPress last updated?
- When was a backup last restored to check it works?
- Who is responsible for updates, by name?
- Do we have accounts for people who have left?
Whether it is working
| Question | How to check |
|---|---|
| Does the contact form deliver? | Submit it and see |
| How fast is it on a phone? | Test it on mobile data |
| Are enquiries being recorded? | Check the database, not just email |
| Is analytics recording? | Look at yesterday |
The uncomfortable ones
- When was the content last reviewed for accuracy?
- Are our prices on the site still correct?
- Does anyone own keeping it current?
Most sites fail on at least one of those and it is usually the third.
What to do with the answers
Anything to do with ownership, fix immediately. Anything to do with updates and backups, fix this month. Anything to do with content, put an owner and a schedule against it.
None of it requires a developer to diagnose, which is the point of asking.