I recently took on the challenge of offering website audits as a lead magnet to attract potential clients—particularly fitness coaches, personal trainers, and gym owners. The idea came from a few YouTube creators who had success using audits to generate new business, so I figured I’d give it a try.

Here’s how I approached it, what I learned from the process, and why I ultimately decided to shift gears.

1. Website Audits Are Great Practice

Doing audits sharpened my skills fast. By reviewing multiple sites from fitness professionals, I started to notice patterns—recurring design issues, confusing layouts, missing calls to action, or poor mobile experiences.

This hands-on experience gave me confidence. I could spot major flaws almost instantly, which helped me imagine future client conversations going more smoothly. If someone were to ask, “What do you think of my site?” I knew I could give thoughtful, actionable feedback on the spot. So even if audits didn’t lead to clients, they definitely helped me build sharper design instincts.

2. New Tools Took My Audits to the Next Level

Design critiques were the easy part—I’m familiar with what makes a strong hero section or what colors to avoid (please, no red text on a black background!). But I wanted to go deeper. I started using tools like ChatGPT to back up my feedback with useful stats—like the fact that 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website design. That kind of data hits harder than just saying “your layout needs work.”

I also discovered SEO tools like Lookle and SEOptimer. These helped me analyze basic metrics like traffic volume and bounce rate, which gave me more insights to share. Most of the businesses I reviewed had never looked into their site analytics, so even a basic report was often eye-opening for them.

3. Most Fitness Pros Don’t Prioritize Their Website

This was my biggest takeaway—and the most disappointing. The fitness crowd I was targeting doesn’t seem to care much about their websites. Many are fully focused on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter), and when they do have websites or landing pages, they’re often neglected, outdated, or non-functional.

It became clear that time and budget were the main issues. These business owners were either too busy managing their clients or didn’t have the funds to invest in better branding, web design, or SEO. And when someone isn’t willing or able to invest in improving their digital presence, it’s tough to turn that into a business opportunity.

So... Was It Worth It?

Using website audits as a lead magnet turned out to be a fail for my niche. But that doesn’t mean the strategy itself is bad. I still believe website audits can be incredibly effective—just not for audiences that don’t value web presence as a core part of their business.

For industries where a website is essential for sales or operations—like e-commerce, SaaS, or professional services—audits can be a powerful door-opener. But for now, I’ve shifted my energy toward creating content on social media, where I believe I’ll build more trust and attract better-fit clients organically.

If you're a web designer thinking about offering audits, my advice:
👉 Pick a niche that relies on web traffic.
👉 Use tools and stats to make your audits more compelling.
👉 Treat the process as a skill-building opportunity, even if it doesn’t convert right away.

That’s a wrap. Hope this helped someone out there.

Peace ✌🏽