The 5-Point "Human Audit" Your Website Needs Right Now

You don't need a total redesign to look more human. You just need to strip away the "corporate beige" that has accumulated over the years.

Here is the exact 5-point audit I run for new clients. Open your website in a new tab and check these right now.

1. The "Stock Photo" Check
   
   Look at your Homepage. Do you see a photo of a generic team high-fiving in a glass conference room?
   
   The Fix: Delete it. Replace it with a photo of your actual office, even if it’s messy. In 2026, grit equals trust.
   
   
2. The "I" vs. "We" Ratio
   
   Read your "About" page. How many times do you use the passive voice ("It was decided that...")?
   
   The Fix: Change it to active voice. "I decided to..." or "Our team chose to..."
   
   
3. The Biography Test
   
   Does your blog author say "Admin" or "Rich Keller"?
   
   The Fix: Every post needs a real human name and a link to a LinkedIn profile. Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm demands to know who is speaking.
   
   
4. The "Contact" Friction
   
   Do you have a generic contact form with 12 fields?
   
   The Fix: Add a direct email address (mailto link) or a phone number. Prove there is a human on the other end, not a database.
   
   
5. The Story Factor
   
   Do you have a "History" or "Our Story" section?
   
   The Fix: If not, add one. AI cannot hallucinate a genuine founding story (at least, not a convincing one). Your history is your unique fingerprint.

Rich’s Corner:

I once had a client who was terrified to put his photo on his site because he didn't "look corporate enough." We tested it. We replaced the stock model with a photo of him in his plaid work shirt. Conversions went up 40%.

People don't buy from corporations; they buy from people they like.