Website checks for independent shops

Help shoppers find your opening hours, browse what you sell and understand collection or delivery.

Answer the visit-or-order question

Shoppers want to know whether an item is sold online, available for collection or only stocked in the shop. Keep opening times, location and collection instructions clear. The indexing check can catch an instruction that asks search engines to omit your homepage; removing it permits a listing but does not promise one.

Keep browsing practical on phones

Product photographs, category menus and promotional panels can make the homepage slow or awkward. The response-speed check measures how quickly its HTML arrives, and the viewport check looks for phone sizing. Try finding an item and reaching the basket on a phone. The checker does not inspect your catalogue or test stock accuracy.

Review checkout and customer details

Online payments, delivery addresses and collection forms need a working journey beyond the homepage. HTTPS protects details in transit, and a valid certificate avoids browser warnings. If your site collects personal details, data-protection law applies. Check delivery charges and order confirmations separately; this passive test does not place an order or assess how card details are handled.

Describe products beyond their pictures

Useful product descriptions should explain size, material or other details needed to choose an item. Alt text can convey information in meaningful images to someone using a screen reader. The homepage check finds missing alt attributes, so review product pages separately and check the wording yourself. An empty alt attribute is appropriate for purely decorative images.

Checks to start with

The checker reads the public homepage, its connection and public email records. Use the results alongside your own checks of the pages and features your customers rely on.

Test your site