A 5-minute website check, once a month

Most business websites break quietly. A contact form stops sending. A price goes out of date. A page looks wrong on a phone. Nobody tells you.

Variety D. suggests five minutes, once a month, to catch these early. You do not need any technical skills. You need your phone and five minutes.

1. Send yourself a message

Open your contact page. Fill in the form with your own email address and send it. Does it arrive in your inbox? Check your spam folder too.

If nothing arrives after a few minutes, enquiries may be going missing. Variety D. suggests doing this check first, because it matters most.

2. Look for the padlock

Look at your web address at the top of your browser. A padlock beside it means the connection is secure.

If the padlock is missing, or a warning says "Not secure", visitors may be told to stay away. Fix this soon.

3. Open your site on your phone

Most visitors look on a phone. Can you read the text without zooming in? Does the menu open? Do the buttons work when you tap them?

4. Check what visitors see

Read your homepage as a stranger would. Are your prices, promotions and opening hours current? Are your phone number and WhatsApp link correct? An old promotion that is still up costs you trust.

5. Search for your business name

Type your business name into Google. Does your website show up? Does the text under it look right?

Then try what a customer might type, such as your service and your town. If you cannot find yourself, a customer may not either.

If something fails

Write down which check failed and take a screenshot. Send it to whoever looks after your site. If nobody does, WhatsApp Variety D. and say which check failed.

Make it a habit

Set a reminder on your phone for the first Monday of every month. Save this page so the list is easy to find. Small problems found early are quick to fix.