What you get from a website audit

Why audits matter

Website audits identify problems and opportunities you might not see yourself. They provide a clear picture of what is working, what is not, and what to fix first.

This guide covers what you get from different types of audits and how to use the results.

Types of audits

Different audits focus on different aspects of your site:

• Performance audits: Speed, Core Web Vitals, page weight, load times.
• Accessibility audits: WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation, screen reader support.
• SEO audits: Technical SEO, content structure, search visibility.
General site audits: Overall health, combining performance, accessibility, SEO, and usability.

What you get from a performance audit

Performance audits measure how fast your site loads and identify what is slowing it down.

Deliverables

• Baseline metrics: Core Web Vitals, page load times, page weight [1]Source 1 .
• Prioritised issues: What is slowing the site, sorted by impact.
• Quick wins: Easy fixes that make a big difference.
• Performance budgets: Rules to keep the site fast after future edits.
• Recommendations: What to fix, why it matters, how to fix it.

For detailed performance audit outcomes, see performance audit outcomes: what you get in week one.

What you get from an accessibility audit

Accessibility audits identify barriers that prevent people with disabilities from using your site.

Deliverables

• Issue list: Specific problems, who they affect, how to fix them.
• Priority ranking: Critical issues first, then important, then nice-to-have.
• WCAG compliance: Which standards you meet, which you do not [4]Source 4 .
• Testing evidence: How issues were found (automated, manual, user testing).
• Fix recommendations: How to fix each issue, with code examples where helpful.

For detailed accessibility audit outcomes, see what an accessibility audit includes.

What you get from an SEO audit

SEO audits identify opportunities to improve search visibility and rankings.

Deliverables

• Technical SEO issues: Broken links, redirect problems, crawl errors, site structure.
• Content analysis: Missing meta tags, duplicate content, thin content, keyword opportunities.
• Performance impact: How speed affects SEO [3]Source 3 .
• Competitor comparison: How your site compares to competitors.
• Action plan: What to fix first, why it matters, how to implement.

What you get from a general site audit

General site audits combine performance, accessibility, SEO, and usability for a complete picture.

Deliverables

• Executive summary: High-level overview of key findings and priorities.
• Detailed findings: Issues broken down by category (performance, accessibility, SEO, usability).
• Priority matrix: What to fix first based on impact and effort.
• Action plan: Step-by-step plan to address issues.
• Quick wins: Easy fixes that make a big difference.

How to use audit results

1) Prioritise issues

Not all issues are equal. Focus on what matters most.

• Impact: How much does this issue affect users or business goals?
• Effort: How hard is it to fix? Quick wins first, then bigger projects.
• Dependencies: Do some fixes depend on others? Fix foundations first.

2) Create an action plan

Turn audit findings into a clear plan.

• Quick wins: Fix these first for immediate improvement.
• Short-term fixes: Issues you can fix in the next few weeks.
• Long-term projects: Bigger issues that need planning and budget.
• Ongoing improvements: Rules and processes to prevent issues recurring.

3) Get help where needed

Some fixes you can do yourself. Others need a developer or specialist.

• Content fixes: You can often fix content issues yourself.
• Technical fixes: Usually need a developer.
• Performance fixes: May need a developer, depending on the issue.
• Accessibility fixes: Often need a developer for code changes.

4) Measure improvement

After fixing issues, measure whether things improved.

• Before and after: Compare metrics before and after fixes.
• Track progress: Monitor improvements over time.
• Test with users: See if fixes actually help real people.

What makes a good audit

• Actionable findings: Clear problems with clear solutions, not just lists of issues.
• Prioritised: Issues ranked by impact, so you know what to fix first.
• Evidence-based: Findings backed by testing, not assumptions.
• Plain language: Explained in terms you understand, not technical jargon.
• Realistic recommendations: Fixes that are actually achievable within your budget and timeline.

What to avoid in audits

• Vague findings: "Site is slow" does not help. "Homepage takes 5 seconds due to unoptimised images" does.
• No priorities: Lists of issues without ranking make it hard to know where to start.
• No solutions: Identifying problems without suggesting fixes is not useful.
• Overwhelming detail: Too much information without clear priorities.
• Unrealistic recommendations: Suggestions that are not achievable.

When to get an audit

• Before a rebuild: Understand what is broken and what works.
• When performance is poor: Identify what is slowing the site.
• When conversions are low: Find barriers that prevent people from acting.
• Before a campaign: Ensure the site is ready for increased traffic.
• Regularly: Annual or bi-annual audits catch issues before they become big problems.

Summary

Website audits provide: baseline metrics and measurements, prioritised lists of issues, clear recommendations for fixes, action plans with quick wins, and evidence-based findings.

Use audit results to: prioritise issues by impact and effort, create action plans, get help where needed, and measure improvement.

If you need a website audit, see performance services, accessibility services, or SEO services. For performance audits, see performance audit outcomes. For accessibility audits, see what an accessibility audit includes. You can also get in touch to discuss your audit needs.