Website checklist for Weymouth & Portland businesses before the summer season

A lot of Weymouth and Portland’s trade happens between Easter and September, and most of those visitors find you on a phone, often on patchy seafront signal. Here’s what to check before the season starts. Most of it costs nothing.

Speed and phones

• Open your site on your own phone, on mobile data, not Wi-Fi. If it takes more than a few seconds, visitors leave.
• Can someone find your opening times, prices and how to book within one scroll?
• Is your phone number tappable, and does your address open in maps?

Information that goes out of date

• Seasonal opening hours and dates.
• This year’s prices and menus (old PDFs are a common culprit).
• Events, trip schedules and any changes to parking or access.

Booking

If people can book online, make sure it works on a phone and sends an instant confirmation. If they can’t, consider adding it. Every enquiry you have to answer by hand in July is time away from customers.

Google Business Profile

For “near me” searches, your free Google Business Profile often matters more than your website. Check your hours (including special hours for bank holidays), add recent photos, and make sure the website link works.

Reviews

Reply to recent reviews, good and bad. Then make it easy for happy customers to leave new ones, for example with a QR code at the till or a link in your booking confirmation.

Start early

Most website changes take one to two weeks, so aim to have everything done by early spring. If you’d like a hand, I’m based in Weymouth and happy to meet locally.