Summer has a funny way of slowing everything down. The inbox goes a bit quieter, meetings get rescheduled around school holidays, and if you’re lucky, you might even find yourself on a sun lounger with five minutes to actually think. Rather than feeling guilty about the quiet patch, treat it as a gift. It’s the perfect moment to step back and ask a bigger question: what do I actually want my website to be doing for me?
Because here’s the thing, your website is your number one marketing friend. It doesn’t take annual leave, it doesn’t get tired of repeating your pitch, and for most small businesses it’s the first proper impression a new customer gets. It’s your trust index. If it’s confusing, outdated, or quietly broken in places you haven’t noticed, that trust starts to wobble before you’ve even had the chance to say hello.
So while things are calm, here’s a simple check-up to run through. Nothing complicated, no jargon. Just a checklist to make sure your site is ready to work hard for you when the autumn rush hits.
1. Get clear on what you want your website to do
Before you touch a single page, sit with the bigger picture for a minute. Where do you want your business to be in six months? Is your website built to support that, or is it still doing a job for the business you had two years ago? Small businesses change fast, and it’s easy for a website to fall behind while everything else moves on. A summer check-up is your chance to close that gap.
2. Make sure your calls-to-action are actually clear
Once you know what you want your website to do, check it’s asking visitors to do that same thing. Every page should have an obvious next step, whether that’s “Book a call,” “Get a quote,” or “Shop now.” Vague or buried CTAs are one of the most common reasons a good website underperforms, and it’s a fix that often takes minutes, not months.
3. Check it’s connected to your CRM
If enquiries are still landing in a general inbox and being copied by hand into a spreadsheet or booking system, summer is a good time to fix that. Connecting your website to your CRM means new leads flow straight into your workflow, follow-ups happen automatically, and there’s a lot less manual admin sitting on your to-do list. Less admin, more time for the parts of the business you actually enjoy.
We recommend HubSpot, it’s free, and their WordPress plugin connects easily to your site and contact forms. It’s straightforward to set up, or we can help you with it. There are plenty of other CRMs out there too, and you may already be using one. Either way, get in touch and we can talk through connecting yours to your website.
4. Hunt down broken links and outdated features
Websites go stale quietly. A plugin stops updating, a linked page gets deleted, a booking widget quietly breaks, and unless someone’s actively looking, nobody notices until a customer does. Have a proper click around your own site:
- Test every main menu link and button
- Check contact forms actually send and land where they should
- Look for any pages, prices, or offers that are out of date
- Confirm any booking or payment features still work end to end
Google’s own Search Console will also flag crawl errors and broken links if you’re not sure where to start.
5. Freshen up anything that feels stale
Finally, look at your content with fresh eyes. Are your services still accurately described? Do you have any recent projects, testimonials, or wins worth adding? Even small updates signal to both visitors and Google that your site is active and looked after, which helps with both trust and search rankings.
Ready to give your website some summer attention?
You don’t need to overhaul everything at once, and you definitely don’t need to do it alone. If you’d like a second pair of eyes on your site, or just want to talk through where it could work harder for you, we offer a free 30-minute brainstorming session where we look at your website together and share honest, practical ideas. no pressure, no obligation.
We’re big believers in giving businesses the tools and know-how to run their own website with confidence first. Have a go yourself using the checklist above, and if you get stuck or would simply rather hand it over, we offer a full range of website design, SEO and support services and we’re always happy to help. Whether that’s one job or ongoing support.
Read next: How to Improve Your Website Call to Actions (and Why They Matter More Than You Think)
