The test every business website should pass is simple: can a visitor who has never heard of you understand what you do, decide to trust you, and find a way to contact you - all within 10 seconds of landing on your homepage? Most Sri Lankan business websites fail at least 4 of the 12 criteria below. Run through this checklist on your site today.
The 12-Point Business Website Checklist
1. Homepage headline states clearly what you do and who for
The headline is the first thing a visitor reads. "Welcome to [Business Name]" tells them nothing. "Web Hosting for Sri Lankan Businesses - LKR 6,500 per year" tells them exactly what the business does, who it serves, and what it costs. Your homepage headline should complete the sentence: "We help [who] do [what]."
2. Phone number and WhatsApp link visible in the header
If a visitor wants to contact you and cannot find your number in the first 3 seconds, most will leave. Your phone number and WhatsApp link should be in the header - visible on every page, on every device, without scrolling. This alone increases contact rate on most Sri Lankan business websites.
3. Page load time under 2.5 seconds on mobile
More than 60% of Sri Lankan website visitors browse on mobile. A site that loads in 6 seconds on a 4G connection has already lost half of them. Test on Google PageSpeed Insights. If your mobile score is below 60, image compression and caching should be your first priority.
4. SSL certificate active (padlock visible in browser)
An active SSL certificate (https://) is not optional in 2025. Browsers warn users about non-secure sites. Google uses HTTPS as a ranking signal. Any hosting plan worth using includes a free SSL certificate. If yours is not active, contact your host.
5. Mobile layout works without horizontal scroll or pinching
A site that requires horizontal scrolling or pinching to zoom on mobile is broken on the device most of your visitors are using. Open your website on your phone right now and tap through every page. If anything requires zooming or scrolls sideways, it needs to be fixed.
6. Services page describes outcomes, not just features
"Shared hosting with 512MB SSD storage" is a feature. "Your website stays fast and online - managed by a local team in your timezone" is an outcome. Visitors are buying outcomes. Write your service descriptions to answer "what does this do for me" before "what does this include."
7. At least 5 testimonials with visible names and locations
Social proof is one of the highest-impact trust signals on a business website. Five testimonials with real names and locations (Colombo, Kandy, Galle) are significantly more credible than three with only first names or initials. If you have satisfied customers, ask them for a quote - most will say yes if you make it easy.
8. Contact form with 3 fields maximum
A contact form that asks for your name, email, phone, company, industry, budget, message, and how you heard about them is a conversion killer. Three fields: name, phone number, message. That is the minimum information you need to follow up. Every additional field reduces submission rate.
9. Physical address or location visible for local businesses
If your business has a physical location - a shop, an office, a clinic - show the address and a Google Maps embed. Visitors looking for local services use address visibility as a trust signal. A business with no listed address feels less real to a first-time visitor.
10. Social proof numbers - clients served, years in business, projects completed
Numbers are credible. "150+ clients across Sri Lanka" is more persuasive than "experienced team with years of service." If you have real numbers - clients served, projects completed, years operating - display them. If your numbers are modest, focus on specifics: "Serving businesses in Colombo, Kandy, and Gampaha since 2019" is more credible than a vague claim.
11. WhatsApp click-to-chat button on every page
A fixed WhatsApp button in the bottom corner of every page - visible regardless of which page the visitor is on - is the single most effective conversion tool for Sri Lankan business websites. It removes every barrier between interest and contact: no form, no email compose window, no phone dialling. One tap opens a conversation.
12. Basic SEO: title tags, meta descriptions, and Google Search Console
Every page should have a unique title tag (the text in the browser tab) and meta description that accurately describes the page content and includes relevant keywords. Connect your site to Google Search Console and submit your sitemap. These steps are free, take under an hour, and determine whether Google can find and correctly understand your site.
How to Score Your Website
| Checklist Item | Your Site | Priority to Fix |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Clear homepage headline | ✓ / ✗ | High |
| 2. Phone + WhatsApp in header | ✓ / ✗ | High |
| 3. Mobile load under 2.5s | ✓ / ✗ | High |
| 4. SSL active (https://) | ✓ / ✗ | Critical |
| 5. Mobile layout functional | ✓ / ✗ | Critical |
| 6. Services: outcomes, not features | ✓ / ✗ | Medium |
| 7. 5+ testimonials with names | ✓ / ✗ | Medium-high |
| 8. Short contact form on service pages | ✓ / ✗ | High |
| 9. Physical address visible | ✓ / ✗ | Medium |
| 10. Social proof numbers | ✓ / ✗ | Medium |
| 11. WhatsApp button on all pages | ✓ / ✗ | High |
| 12. Title tags + Search Console | ✓ / ✗ | Medium |
Score yourself honestly. 10–12 points: your site is well set up - focus on traffic and content. 7–9 points: fix the High priority items first. Under 7 points: your site is actively costing you leads every day. Start with SSL, mobile, WhatsApp button, and homepage headline.
The 3 Non-Negotiables in 2025
If your site has nothing else on this list, it must have these three:
- SSL certificate - browsers actively warn users away from non-secure sites. Non-negotiable.
- Mobile-responsive layout - over 60% of your visitors are on mobile. A broken mobile experience is a broken website.
- WhatsApp click-to-chat - in Sri Lanka, this is the primary contact method your customers prefer. If they cannot tap to WhatsApp you, many will not contact you at all.
Find out exactly what your website is missing.
We audit your site against this 12-point checklist and give you a prioritised fix list - what to do yourself and what needs developer time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I test my website's mobile load time?
Go to pagespeed.web.dev and enter your website URL. Choose the Mobile tab. The score is out of 100. Below 50 is poor. 50–89 is needs improvement. 90+ is good. The report also lists specific issues causing slow load times, ordered by impact.
How do I add a WhatsApp button to my WordPress website?
The simplest approach: install a free WhatsApp chat widget plugin (search "WhatsApp chat" in the WordPress plugin directory). Configure it with your number and a pre-filled message. The button appears on all pages automatically. Alternatively, your developer can add a custom floating button with a wa.me link in under an hour.
My SSL certificate is active but my site still shows as not secure. Why?
This usually means "mixed content" - some elements on the page (images, scripts, stylesheets) are still loading over HTTP instead of HTTPS. Check your WordPress settings under Settings > General and ensure both URLs start with https://. A plugin like Really Simple SSL can fix mixed content issues automatically.
How do I connect my site to Google Search Console?
Go to search.google.com/search-console, sign in with your Google account, click Add Property, enter your website URL, and verify ownership (the easiest method is uploading a verification HTML file to your hosting or using the Google Analytics verification option if you already have GA installed).
Does this checklist apply to e-commerce websites as well?
Yes, and e-commerce sites have additional requirements: product images on white or neutral backgrounds, clear pricing visible without clicking through, payment security badges, and a clear returns/refund policy. The 12-point checklist covers the baseline that applies to all business websites regardless of type.