Change one thing at a time: a homepage change log

Key takeaways

A website change log is a simple record of every homepage change: the date, what changed, why and who made it. With low traffic, it is the most reliable way to link results to changes, explain sudden jumps in the numbers and undo mistakes. Change one thing at a time where you can, and log plugin and tracking updates too.

• Record date, change, reason and who made it.
• Log plugin, theme and tracking updates as well as content.
• Change one thing at a time where you can.
• Review the log alongside the monthly numbers.

Why keep a homepage change log?

Small business sites rarely have enough traffic for A/B tests, so the best evidence of what works is a before-and-after comparison. That only works if you know exactly what changed and when. Without a log, a jump or drop in enquiries can be blamed on the wrong thing.

• Why your homepage is not converting visitors into customers
• A/B testing a homepage with little traffic

What should the log record?

Keep it simple enough that people actually use it.

• Date and time of the change.
• What changed, with before and after screenshots.
• Why it changed: the problem or hypothesis.
• Who made it.
• What you expect to move, such as button clicks.

• A homepage dashboard: five numbers to check each month

What counts as a change?

Content edits, and also plugin and theme updates, new scripts, tracking changes, cookie banner changes, hosting moves and booking tool updates. Many homepage drops come from technical changes nobody thought of as a 'homepage change'.

• Homepage conversions dropped after a change? Check these
• Clean homepage data: bots, staff visits and consent gaps

How do you use the log?

Review it alongside the monthly numbers. When a number moves, check the log for changes in the previous weeks. When you plan a change, check nothing else changed at the same time. GA4 annotations can mirror key entries on charts.

• How long until homepage changes show results?
• Check your homepage's performance in GA4

When can you change several things at once?

When the page is clearly broken or a rewrite touches several connected parts, such as the hero, trust line and button together. Then log it as one change and judge the whole. Avoid bundling unrelated changes, such as a new headline and a new chat widget.

• A homepage rewrite, before and after

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: enquiries rise one month and nobody knows why, so nothing is learned. With a log, the rise lines up with a new trust line two weeks earlier, and the same idea can be applied to service pages.

• See client work
• Website Design & Development for UK businesses

Change log checklist

• Create a shared spreadsheet with five columns.
• Log content, plugin, tracking and tool changes.
• Take before and after screenshots.
• Change one thing at a time where possible.
• Review the log with the monthly numbers.

• Brief a designer to fix your homepage
• A 30-day plan to fix a homepage that does not convert

Next step

Create the log today and add the last three changes you remember making to the homepage, with approximate dates.