2026 Spokane business website report
Spokane set aside a day to honor fathers. Most homepages we tested left a link with no name.
70% of the independent Spokane sites we tested on a phone failed the check for links with no discernible name, against 46% in our 31-city sample. Education and health services jobs run about 1.3 times the national share in Spokane County, and that's why we'd fix it before buying anyone new traffic.
One of the first Father's Day celebrations was held in Spokane on June 19, 1910, after local resident Sonora Smart Dodd asked the Spokane Ministerial Alliance to set aside a day. The homepages we tested here are less careful about giving credit. 30 of 43 failed the check for links with no discernible name, 70% against 46% in our 31-city sample. A failure means at least one link on the page has no name a browser can report, so a screen reader has no words to say for it. Our guess is that most are icons and pictures. 43 sites is a modest sample, and we don't lean on any single figure. This one doesn't depend on how busy the test machine was, and the gap is wide.
The same pages show care in other places, which is what makes it odd. Only 1 of 43 failed the check for images too small for the screen, against 13% in our 31-city sample. Color contrast went the other way, failing on 32 of 43, 74% against 62%, a narrower gap. So someone looked after the pictures. The trouble lands on whoever needs the words: a person with tired eyes, or one whose phone is reading the page aloud.
We'd weigh that more heavily here than elsewhere. Education and health services jobs run about 1.3 times the national share in Spokane County, and Providence Inland Northwest Washington, MultiCare and Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center are among the large employers. We tested independents, not those institutions. Our read is that plenty of people in this town end up reading about someone's care on a phone during a hard week. Naming a link is small work, and design fixes are among the repairs we do, which start at $149. Check your own site first.
Measured November 7, 2026
We tested 43 Spokane business websites on a phone.
Independent businesses with a Spokane street address on their own site. Totals only: we do not name anyone. How we tested.
62 of 100
Median mobile speed score
31-city sample: 61
8.5 seconds
Until the main content shows
On a simulated mid-range phone. 31 cities: 7.4s
86% of sites
Took over 4 seconds
37 of 43 tested
2% of sites
Let a visitor book online
31 cities: 10%
Scores for Spokane are from our own test, described under How we tested.
What it means
Who got named, and who didn't.
The trouble is no words, not bad words.
Vague link text, the "click here" kind, failed on 30% against 32% in our 31-city sample, which is about the same. Buttons with no accessible name are about the same too, 14% against 11%. Links with no name at all stand apart, at 70% against 46%. So Spokane writers aren't the problem. A linked logo or social badge with no text behind it is our first suspect. Google's PageSpeed Insights lists the offenders under accessibility, and page repairs can take it from there.
One accessibility score hides a good deal.
The median Lighthouse accessibility score is 89 here and 90 in our 31-city sample, which is about the same, so a quick look would pass these sites. But 32 of 43 failed on color contrast, on at least some text. We report this as a reading problem, not a legal finding, and we make no claim about what passing a checker means under any rule. For what rules apply to you, ask your counsel. For what a reader can actually see, a redesign or a smaller design upgrade can settle it.
The main content arrives late.
The median speed score, 62 against 61, is about the same, and we wouldn't read anything into scores from one run per site on a shared test machine. Largest contentful paint holds up better, and it shows a modest gap: a median of 8.5 seconds on a simulated phone against 7.4. 37 of 43 took over 4 seconds, 86% against 82%, about the same. The 11 professional-services sites took 9.4 seconds against 6.7 for that group, on a small count. Page weight is about the same, 3.3 MB against 3.08 MB, so size alone doesn't explain it. Finding what loads first is the place to start. WordPress runs 21 of the 43 sites at a median of 60, against 62 there, so we wouldn't blame the platform.
The care sites ask for little.
Of the 9 health sites we tested, 6 had tap-to-call, 1 had a homepage lead form and 0 showed booking. In our 31-city sample, health sites ran 88%, 25% and 10%. 9 sites is a small room, so call it a hint. Still, in a county with this much care work, a practice with a site that takes a request after hours would have little company among the sites we tested.
How Spokane sites ask for the business
30 Spokane sites · 31-city sample: 72%
12 Spokane sites · 31-city sample: 31%
1 Spokane sites · 31-city sample: 10%
17 Spokane sites · 31-city sample: 45%
Most common failures
- Text with too little color contrast74%
- Links with no discernible name70%
- Headings that skip levels53%
- Browser errors logged in the console51%
- Uses third-party cookies51%
- Links with vague text ("click here")30%
Free tool
How does your site compare with the rest of Spokane?
Give it your address and you get a graded report in about twenty seconds. It runs its own checks, so its grade isn't comparable with our speed scores. These three you can check yourself, against what we counted in Spokane:
- 70% have a tap-to-call link
- 88% have a search description
- 40% tell search engines what kind of business they are
Who does business in Spokane
Where a clear page would count for the most.
Clinics, practices and care providers
Education and health services jobs run about 1.3 times the national share in Spokane County, so we'd say a care provider's site has to stay clear for patients and families. Among the 9 health homepages we tested, 1 had a lead form.
The site has to: name every link, keep the type dark, and take a request after hours. Ask your compliance adviser what a web form may collect.
Healthcare website designTutors, training and school suppliers
Spokane Public Schools is among the large employers, and education counts in the same job sector as health care, at about 1.3 times the national share in the county. We have no figures for this group. Our read is that a parent or an administrator reads first.
The site has to: put dates and prices in real text, make every link say where it goes, and keep sign-up short.
Education website designLaw, accounting and insurance offices
The county's main industries include professional and business services and financial activities. Of the 11 professional-services sites we tested, 9 had tap-to-call and 5 had a homepage lead form, and the main content took a median of 9.4 seconds to show.
The site has to: get the main content up sooner, name the people and practice areas, and say when a note gets answered.
Law firm website designAuto shops and retail
Trade, transportation and utilities is a main industry in the county. The 5 auto sites we tested had tap-to-call on 4 and a lead form on 1. The 6 retail sites had 4 and 3. Those are small groups, so this is a hint at most.
The site has to: say what you do today, list the hours, and let someone ask a question without dialing.
Auto shop websitesRestaurants and hospitality near the race and the courts
Leisure and hospitality is on the county's list, and Bloomsday, Hoopfest and the Torchlight Parade all bring crowds into the city. A visitor may look up food nearby from a phone. We had too few food and drink sites to report them as a group, so this one is judgment.
The site has to: keep the menu in text, keep event-weekend hours current, and make the map link say it's a map.
Restaurant website designSpokane by the numbers
230,783
Population (July 2025 estimate)
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city population estimates (July 1, 2025; base April 1, 2020)+0.8%
Population change, April 2020 to July 2025
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city population estimates (July 1, 2025; base April 1, 2020)$70,064
Median household income (2020-2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B19013 (Spokane city)16,031
Employer establishments (Spokane County, 2025)
BLS QCEW 2025 annual averages, Spokane County, WA (establishments and employment by supersector)58.8%
Owner-occupied homes (2020-2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B25003 (Spokane city)$363,500
Median home value (2020-2024)
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B25077 (Spokane city)Businesses online
In a 2025 Clutch survey, 83% of small businesses had a website (national scope, no city or state breakout). Statewide, 63% of Washington small businesses use an AI platform (state scope, U.S. Chamber survey, June 2025).
Clutch survey press release, 2025 (copy on TMCnet, August 21, 2025)Before you spend a dollar
Five changes, and one thing to leave alone.
- 1
Name every link.
30 of 43 sites here failed on this. Go through the logo, the social icons and anything that's only a picture, and give each one words. It's among the cheaper fixes we know of, and a design fix can sweep the whole site.
- 2
Darken the type.
Contrast failed on 74% of sites here, against 62% in our 31-city sample. Pale gray on white photographs well and reads badly. Test it on a phone outdoors, then pick colors that survive. If your reader may have trouble seeing, start with how we'd approach a senior care site.
- 3
Leave the pictures alone.
Only 1 of 43 failed the check for undersized images. That's the part someone got right, and we wouldn't pay to redo it. If a pitch for your site opens with new photography, ask what else it covers. See how we'd scope a redesign.
- 4
Bring the main content up sooner.
With 37 of 43 sites over 4 seconds, we'd look at what loads ahead of the headline. If you're on WordPress, a speed fix could cover it. Elsewhere, here's what the score measures.
- 5
Clear the browser errors.
22 of 43 logged errors in the console, 51% against 38% in our 31-city sample. That's a gap of several sites. An error may mean nothing, or it may mean a broken widget. Someone should read them. Plugin conflicts are a common place to look.
Local marketing
Bloomsday brings the crowd. The page has to hold it.
Search opportunities
What someone in a hurry might ask.
Our read of what buyers here need answered, not search-volume figures.
“Is this Spokane clinic taking new patients?”
That's a sentence, and it costs nothing to put on a page. Keep it current, keep it in real text, and link it to a way to ask.
Healthcare websites“Where can I eat near Hoopfest?”
Hoopfest comes in June, and a crowd looking at phones wants hours and a map. A short page for the weekend can come back next year.
Restaurant marketing“Who can look at my car in Spokane Valley today?”
Say the services, the hours and the towns you really serve. Our guess is that a driver with a warning light on will settle for the first clear answer.
Auto shop marketing“When is the Lilac Bloomsday Run, and what should I book?”
The 51st running is set for May 2, 2027. If your business touches race weekend, a page written early costs less than a late one, in our judgment.
Writing for the calendar
What it costs
Prices, with their names on them.
Up to 70 pages, a site costs $1,500 to $5,750 at a fixed price, depending on the page count. Stores begin at $2,500 and repairs at $149. The list doesn't change by city, and every price on it is labeled, which puts it ahead of some links.
Website, up to 10 pages
$1,500
fixed price
Website, 11 to 20 pages
$2,250
fixed price
Website, 21 to 50 pages
$3,750
fixed price
Website, 51 to 70 pages
$5,750
fixed price
- Online storeFrom $2,500
- Web app, portal or integrationFrom $575***
- Mobile appFrom $3,750
- SEO, local marketing or PPCFrom $575 a month***
***Pricing depends on complexity. ***Pricing depends on complexity, setup and budget. Ad spend is paid to the ad platform directly.
See every priceThe Spokane playbook
Five jobs, starting with the ones nobody can see.
- 1
Find the nameless links.
Run Google's PageSpeed Insights on mobile and open the accessibility section. Then run the health check, which is a separate graded report. Only the PageSpeed score sits on the same scale as the median of 62 for the sites we tested here.
- 2
Fix what a reader can't see.
Name the links, darken the type and read the result on your own phone. If the site needs more than a pass, that's a web design job. If you're sending a family to the page, this is the reader we'd picture.
- 3
Give people a second way in.
We counted a phone link and no form or booking tool on 49% of homepages here, against 45% in our 31-city sample, about the same. Booking showed up on 1 of 43. A feature job can add one, and a test submission tells you it works.
- 4
Work out the towns.
Spokane Valley, Airway Heights, Mead and Liberty Lake are close by. Write pages only for places you really serve, then let local search build on them. Expect months.
- 5
Plan for May and June.
Bloomsday, the Torchlight Parade and Hoopfest are the dates to work back from. Clean up your Google Business Profile beforehand, and count calls and forms so you can tell what the weekend did.
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Spokane website questions, answered.
How fast were the Spokane business websites you tested?
Across the 43 sites we tested, the median mobile score was 62 out of 100, and the main content took a median of 8.5 seconds to show on a simulated mid-range phone. Each site got a single lab run on a shared test machine, which pulls scores down. Read it as a rough mark for the group, not a verdict on anyone.
What is a link with no name?
A link a browser can't put a name to, usually because it's a picture or icon with no text behind it. Lighthouse flags the page if at least one link has this problem, so a failure doesn't mean every link does. PageSpeed Insights will list yours, and repairs start at $149.
Does this mean my site breaks an accessibility law?
We can't tell you that, and a lab check can't either. We measured whether certain checks passed. For what applies to your business, ask your counsel. For what a reader experiences, design fixes are something we do.
What are you comparing Spokane with?
Our 31-city sample: 1274 independent business sites put through the same test. Think of it as a ruler, not a national average, and it doesn't represent the whole country. Small gaps may be noise. Plenty of Spokane's figures, including forms at 28% against 31%, are about the same as that sample.
What does a website cost for a Spokane business?
A site up to 70 pages is $1,500 to $5,750, a store starts at $2,500, and repairs start at $149. The full list is public and isn't adjusted for Spokane.
Did you test my Spokane site, and can I?
We publish totals, so you won't find a name here. The free Website Health Check grades a site on its own scale. For a figure comparable with ours, use Google's PageSpeed Insights, built on the same Lighthouse engine, and run it more than once because scores shift.
Method
How we tested.
We started from OpenStreetMap business listings, independents only, screened 63 candidate sites in a shuffled, evenly mixed order, and kept 43 independent businesses that publish a Spokane street address on their own site. We left out national chains, referral sites, parked or broken domains, and sites that block automated tests, along with anything we built ourselves.
Each homepage got one run of Google Lighthouse 12.6.0: mobile form factor (412 x 823 screen emulation), Lighthouse default simulated throttling (150 ms round trip, 1.6 Mbps throughput, 4x CPU slowdown), headless Chrome, one run per site. 43 runs completed. A second pass in headless Chrome looked for tap-to-call links, forms, booking tools and search markup, on the homepage only, so a form on a contact page or an email link doesn't count. A form with an email, phone or message field counts as a lead form, which means a newsletter sign-up can count too. Business markup means JSON-LD naming one of the common local-business types, so another format or a more general type isn't counted. Testing ran on November 7, 2026, several sites at a time on one machine.
A lab test is one controlled load, which makes sites comparable with each other. It does not measure any real visitor's experience, and one run per site carries noise. Tests ran several at a time on one machine, and a busy machine lowers speed scores and lengthens blocking time, so we reran the tests taken when it was busiest. Read those two figures as rough, and small gaps as noise. Listings skew toward businesses someone has bothered to map, so read this as a careful sample, not a census. The comparison figures are 1274 sites across 31 US cities, tested the same way. Our Mesa report found its sample through web searches and ran one site at a time, so its figures aren't directly comparable.
- Candidate sites screened
- 63
- Spokane businesses kept
- 43
- Speed runs completed
- 43
- Tested
- November 7, 2026
- Speed test
- Lighthouse 12.6.0
Sources for the facts on this page
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 city population estimates (July 1, 2025; base April 1, 2020)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B19013 (Spokane city)
- BLS QCEW 2025 annual averages, Spokane County, WA (establishments and employment by supersector)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B25003 (Spokane city)
- U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024 5-year summary file, table B25077 (Spokane city)
- Clutch survey press release, 2025 (copy on TMCnet, August 21, 2025)
Beat the Spokane median.
Fifteen minutes, plain English, and a number in writing. If we are not the right fit, we will say so.