Why every agency should test their website… like a client

You’ve clicked through every page. Checked for typos. Mobile looks fine. All buttons work. The site is ready for handoff, right?

Maybe. But before you zip that folder and send it off, there’s one test most agencies skip — and it’s the one that matters most:

What happens when your client logs in?

The invisible user experience: your client

We test websites for visitors. But we rarely test them for the people who’ll maintain them. That’s a mistake.

Your client’s experience doesn’t end on the frontend. It starts when they get the login email. And from that moment on, every confusion, every misclick, every vague label becomes your next support ticket.

Want fewer post-launch surprises? Start testing your sites like you’re the client.

Run a fake “client session”

Create a dummy user with Editor access. Then, pretend you’re the client. Ask yourself:

• Can I find where to update a blog post title?
• Do I know how to change the homepage copy?
• What happens if I click “Edit with Elementor” by mistake?
• Is the media library clean or overwhelming?
• Is the dashboard cluttered with plugins and notices?

Every moment of hesitation is friction. Every mistake is a potential email in your inbox.

What to look for (and fix)

• Confusing menus? Use tools like Admin Menu Editor to clean them up.
• Dangerous buttons? Hide or restrict access with User Role Editor.
• Too many Elementor traps? Replace frontend editing with a safer solution like Editly.
• No onboarding? Leave a welcome message or a short video guide in the dashboard.

This isn’t about hand-holding. It’s about being professional.

Your job isn’t just to build a site. It’s to deliver a tool your client can use — without fear, confusion or support dependency.

Testing like a client isn’t a waste of time. It’s the best QA you’ll ever do.

Bonus: test with a real human

Even better than faking it? Ask a friend, intern or colleague unfamiliar with the project to walk through it. Give them a fake task (“change this sentence”) and watch what happens.

The friction they encounter? That’s your fix list.

Remember: your client didn’t build the site. Don’t make them feel like they have to.

Empathy is a competitive edge. And sometimes, the simplest way to improve your process… is to log in like it’s your first time.