THE SHORT VERSION
01
THE NOTE NO VISITOR EVER SENDS
02
Can the right buyer recognize their situation and the offer’s fit?
Does the page explain the outcome or decision the offer helps with?
Can the buyer distinguish it from alternatives, including waiting?
Is the proof specific, credible, and close to the claim it supports?
Is the commitment and the next step clear?
THE TEST HAS LIMITS
Hesitation does not prove the copy is the cause of flat sales. The wrong traffic, an unattractive offer, a broken form, or slow follow-up can produce a similar outcome. Use the questions to decide what to investigate next.
03
Offer fit, proof, CTA commitment, form path, and actual lead quality
A focused message and decision review if the offer exists and the path works, otherwise investigate the other constraint
Audience, offer boundary, page hierarchy, and the words buyers use
Clarify the page if the business can define the offer, positioning work if the business itself cannot
Comparison, risk, proof, pricing expectations, and what happens next
Strengthen decision support, check whether the offer or sales process needs to change too
Search visibility, channel fit, changed URLs, indexing, and tracking
SEO, acquisition, or analytics investigation before treating this as a redesign decision
Mobile usability, accessibility, navigation, form delivery, and follow-up
Repair the journey or involve UX or development specialists
Multiple buyer journeys, content structure, required functionality, and platform limits
Scope a redesign or rebuild with these requirements in the brief
More than one row can apply. The purpose is to choose the order of investigation, not to force every site into one category.
04
SIGN 01
Services listed, no sensible first engagement named
SIGN 02
A broad promise with little relevant proof
SIGN 03
“Book a call” before saying what the call is for
05
→
Distinct audiences need routes the current navigation cannot express.
→
Templates fail across mobile or accessibility needs.
→
Required booking, purchasing, or content functions are impractical in the current system.
A REFRESH MAY BE ENOUGH
when the structure works and the changes are local.
A REBUILD MAY BE JUSTIFIED
when the foundation itself blocks the required work.
06
INVENTED SCENARIO · NOT A CLIENT CASE OR MEASURED RESULT
THE PAGE
Six services in a grid. One “Book now” button.
THE RUNNER WITH KNEE PAIN WONDERS
Are sports injuries a focus? What does the first visit involve? What will it cost? Do I need a referral?
“Book now” asks for commitment before those questions are answered. The first step is to check what patients actually ask and what the clinic can accurately promise. Then clarify the relevant service and first-visit process, move credentials or reviews closer to the claims they support, and explain what booking entails. Those are proposed changes to test, not a guaranteed result.
Now suppose the clinic also needs booking features its platform can’t support, and its mobile templates hide essential information. The message work still informs the brief, but the implementation may require a broader redesign. Same complaint, different scope, once the constraints are known.
07
01
Pick one page and one qualified next action. What should the right visitor do?
02
Write the existing offer plainly: who it’s for, what they receive, and what happens first.
03
Collect recurring buyer questions from inquiries, sales conversations, or support.
04
Check the signals you have: traffic sources, useful pages, search queries, qualified inquiries. Note what’s missing.
05
Verify the action path and lead handoff, including mobile use and form delivery.
06
List what page copy can’t fix: accessibility, navigation, functionality, platform, or acquisition.
THEN NAME THE DECISION
Clarify one page
Repair the journey
Resolve positioning
Investigate discovery
Rebuild the site
A good brief is built around that decision, not a general wish for a more modern look.