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The Authority Audit

You're the expert.
Does your website agree?

Diane Whiddon, web designer and founder of Sway Rise Creative

Your website is making an impression long before you get on the call.

The Authority Audit checks whether that impression matches your expertise, authority, and price point.

12 checks. One minute. Evidence included.

It judges the page you enter first, then checks representative pages across the site for content, proof, and a path to work with you.

The report arrives by email at a private link that stays live for 30 days. No login, nothing to install.

I'll also send occasional notes about websites, authority, and AI. Unsubscribe any time.

How it works

  1. Enter your website.

    No login. No setup. No friction.

  2. The audit runs 12 authority checks.

    Some measure the structure behind your site. Some measure what a high-value buyer sees and feels in the first 30 seconds.

  3. You get your score, the evidence behind it, and one clear place to start.

    Delivered by email. Available for 30 days.

How the cool kids score

Same twelve checks, no special treatment. Here is a look at an audit for someone who technically doesn't even need one.

marieforleo.com homepage as captured during the audit

Marie Forleo scores 8 of 12.

marieforleo.com

Her website doesn't have to build trust from zero. Two decades of launches, content, and brand equity already did that.

That gives her room to leave gaps most experts can't.

For example:

  • No single clear next step above the fold. (Because her audience already knows where to go next.)
  • No booking or intake path. (Because her offers launch to an audience that's already warmed up.)
  • No recent content featured prominently. (Because years of visibility and results keep her authority intact.)

That's what established authority changes.

When trust is already built before someone lands on your site, the website has less work to do.

Until then, your website has to carry more of the load.

melrobbins.com homepage as captured during the audit

Mel Robbins scores 5 of 12.

melrobbins.com

And she doesn't need her website to work that hard.

Her reputation carries authority before her homepage ever loads.

That means she can afford gaps most experts cannot.

For example:

  • No clear positioning statement. (Because her audience already knows who she is.)
  • No real email capture strategy. (Because millions already follow her.)
  • Multiple competing actions above the fold. (Because people arrive pre-sold.)

That's the point of this audit.

It shows where your website has to create trust, authority, and momentum on its own, before your name does the heavy lifting.

gabbybernstein.com homepage as captured during the audit

Gabby Bernstein scores 9 of 12.

gabbybernstein.com

Her website doesn't have to prove much. The books, audience, and years of visibility already did that work.

That gives her room to make choices most experts can't.

For example:

  • Several competing invitations above the fold. (Because her audience already knows how they want to engage.)
  • No qualifying intake before booking. (Because her content has already filtered for fit.)
  • Multiple headlines competing for attention. (Because her name carries more weight than the copy.)

That's what authority buys you.

When your reputation enters the room first, your website can do less.

Until then, your website has to do more.

Same 12 checks. Same standard.

The difference isn't talent. It's recognition.

Established names can afford gaps because trust arrives before they do.

For everyone else, your website is where that trust begins.

What the audit measures

Your website is answering questions before a buyer ever reaches out. The audit measures the four signals people use to decide whether you feel established, credible, and worth the price.

Positioning & Identity

Can a stranger tell what you do, who it's for, and why you matter?

Design & Premium Signals

Does your site look credible enough to justify your price?

Client Capture

Is there a clear path from visitor to lead?

Content & Proof

Do you have enough proof, activity, and structure to build trust?

Q&A

How is this different from an SEO audit?

SEO audits measure whether machines can find you. This measures whether the humans who find you trust you enough to pay premium rates. It looks at what a high-value client sees in the first 30 seconds: your positioning, your proof, your design, and whether there is a clear path from visitor to client.

Who is this for?

Consultants, coaches, wellness practitioners, speakers, authors, and other service-based experts whose website has to build trust before a sales conversation. It is not designed to score ecommerce stores, restaurants, software products, or businesses where the founder is not part of what the buyer is hiring.

Does it audit my whole site?

The first-impression checks stay focused on the page you enter, usually your home page. The audit also checks representative pages across the wider site for content, proof, events, and a path to work with you. It is a focused audit, not an exhaustive crawl of every URL.

What happens to my email?

It is how your report reaches you. You will hear from me occasionally with things worth your time, and you can unsubscribe with one click. Your email is never sold or shared.

How long does my report last?

Thirty days, then it expires. Websites change, and an old assessment floating around forever helps nobody. Run a fresh one any time.

Is my report public?

It lives at an unguessable link that only you receive. Share it with your designer, your business partner, or nobody.

Your expertise took years to build.

The question is whether your website reflects it.

Run the audit and see what your next client sees before they ever speak to you.

It judges the page you enter first, then checks representative pages across the site for content, proof, and a path to work with you.

The report arrives by email at a private link that stays live for 30 days. No login, nothing to install.

I'll also send occasional notes about websites, authority, and AI. Unsubscribe any time.