A UX audit looks at how easily people can understand a website, find information and complete important tasks. It should uncover practical barriers, not produce a vague list of design preferences. For a business website, focus on the journeys that matter: understanding a service, comparing options and making contact.
1. Define the main user journeys
Choose a few tasks that reflect real visitor goals, such as finding a service, checking what is included, reviewing evidence and submitting an enquiry. Test those journeys from the entry page through completion. Record where people hesitate, backtrack or abandon the task.
2. Review navigation and page structure
Menu labels should be understandable without insider language. Group related services logically, keep important destinations easy to reach and make page hierarchy clear. Check whether visitors can identify their current location and find a useful next step without relying on the browser back button.
3. Check content clarity and scanning
Use descriptive headings, short paragraphs and lists where they improve comprehension. Put the main answer or offer early. Replace vague headings with labels that describe what the section contains. Make important information such as scope, pricing approach, process or contact options easy to locate.
4. Test mobile usability
Check navigation, text size, spacing, images, tables, forms and buttons on common mobile widths. Look for horizontal overflow, overlapping text, sticky elements covering content and tap targets that are difficult to use. Test real interactions rather than relying only on a responsive preview.
5. Inspect forms and calls to action
Make the primary action clear and consistent with the visitor’s intent. Form fields need visible labels, useful error messages and a clear confirmation state. Ask only for information needed at that stage and explain what happens after submission. Test keyboard navigation and autofill behavior.
6. Check accessibility basics
Review heading hierarchy, text contrast, keyboard access, focus visibility, image alt text, form labels and meaningful link names. Automated tools can find some issues but cannot replace manual keyboard testing and human review. Do not rely on color alone to communicate errors or status.
7. Use evidence, not assumptions
Combine analytics, search queries, support questions, session recordings where lawful, and short usability tests. A high exit rate does not automatically mean a page is broken; visitors may have found their answer. Investigate the context before deciding what to change.
Area
Audit question
Navigation
Can users find important pages without guessing?
Content
Can visitors scan and understand the offer?
Mobile
Can key tasks be completed comfortably?
Forms
Are fields, errors and confirmation clear?
Accessibility
Can people use the page with keyboard and assistive technology?
Evidence
Is the proposed fix supported by observed behavior?
Prioritize the findings
Score each issue by severity, how many important journeys it affects and how confident you are in the evidence. Fix blockers first, such as a broken form or inaccessible navigation. Test high-impact changes and record what improved. Avoid redesigning every page when a focused change can solve the problem.
How to report audit findings
For each finding, record the user task affected, the evidence, the severity, the recommended change and how it will be tested. Separate usability blockers from personal preferences. A finding such as ‘the contact form fails on mobile’ is actionable; ‘the page feels old’ needs more evidence and a clearer hypothesis before redesign work begins.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a UX audit happen?
Run one before a major redesign and after significant changes. Smaller checks can be part of routine site maintenance.
Does a UX audit require expensive software?
No. Basic analytics, browser testing and a few observed user tasks can reveal important problems. Tools help scale the process but do not replace judgment.
Turn findings into a better experience
Prioritize improvements that help users complete important tasks. Feed Flow’s UI/UX design services can help translate research and audit findings into clearer page structures and interactions.
