The most useful audit can be completed on a phone with the business owner sitting beside the reviewer.
Keep observation separate from interpretation. Write down what happened first—time, source, stage, outcome—then add the explanation. That prevents the story from changing to fit the result.
Clarity
Can a visitor identify the service, city and customer type in seconds?
For “Clarity,” use medians, ranges and reason codes where they help. One unusually large order or one terrible day can distort an average and create a false sense of certainty.
Proof
Are recent projects, reviews, licenses where relevant, guarantees or process details easy to find?
For “Proof,” keep the request honest and the response specific. Manufactured praise is less useful than a detailed account of what actually happened.
Action
Is the preferred contact method obvious and usable on mobile?
For “Action,” use medians, ranges and reason codes where they help. One unusually large order or one terrible day can distort an average and create a false sense of certainty.
Friction
Are forms too long, phone numbers hidden, or quote steps vague?
For “Friction,” test the published number from a second phone and record what happens after hours; routing failures are easy to miss from inside the business.
Continuity
Does the sales response match what the website promised about timing, scope and tone?
For “Continuity,” use medians, ranges and reason codes where they help. One unusually large order or one terrible day can distort an average and create a false sense of certainty.
Run the audit on a phone
For this article, use mobile, a slow connection and the same contact route a customer sees. Screenshots and timestamps make the findings easier to discuss than adjectives such as ‘good’ or ‘bad’.
How to keep the report honest
For this article, label internal samples as internal, note the date range and definitions, and keep claims proportional to the evidence. If a number comes from a public source, verify that the population and period actually match the decision you are making. For this topic, the first things I would put on that review are clarity, proof.