The Town Checklist

How Is Your Town Doing?

Forty plain questions about what a visitor finds: online, on the way in, on the main street, overnight. About ten minutes. You get a list of what is missing and the three things to fix first.

Start the checklist

What it is

A Walk Through Your Town as a Stranger

Every town knows what it has. Few towns know what a visitor can actually find. The checklist asks what exists, what is visible online, what can be booked, how the main street reads on a Saturday afternoon, and what the town is known for beyond the county line.

Every box counts the same. When you submit, you see what is missing, grouped by step, and the three cheapest fixes that matter most. If you want the number, the Visitor Impact Score is the next step.

Before you start

Check, Do Not Guess

Have your phone handy. Several questions ask you to search the town’s name, open Google Maps, or ask an AI assistant what to do there. Answer from what you see, not from what you hope is there. Your answers are saved in your browser, so you can stop and come back.

40 boxes in 9 short steps. Your answers stay in this browser until you submit, so you can come back and finish later.

Step 1 of 9Your town

Who is answering, and for where.

Your role
About how many people live there? Optional
Step 2 of 9Found online

Most visits start with a search. Check each one on your phone before you answer.

Does the town have a website made for visitors?
Search the town's name plus 'things to do'. What comes up first?
Is there an events calendar online, and is it current?
Is there a current list online of where to eat, with hours?
Does the town post on Facebook or Instagram at least once a week?
Does the visitor website work well on a phone and load in a few seconds?
Ask ChatGPT or Google's AI what to do in your town. Does the answer sound like your town?
Step 3 of 9Arriving

Drive in as a stranger. What do the first five minutes say?

Is there a welcome sign at the main way into town?
Are there signs pointing to downtown, parking and the main attraction?
Can a visitor find parking without circling, and is it free or clearly priced?
Are there public restrooms downtown that a visitor can find, with hours posted?
Where can a visitor ask a question?
Step 4 of 9The main street

Walk it on a Saturday afternoon and answer from what you saw.

How many storefronts on the main street are empty?
Are most shops open on Saturday afternoon?
Is there somewhere to sit down for dinner on a Friday evening after the shops close?
Which of these does the main street have? Tick all that apply
Are the storefronts, awnings and signs in good repair?
Is the main street comfortable to walk: wide sidewalks, safe crossings, slow traffic?
Is there a place to sit and linger: a square, a plaza, a park, a patio?
Step 5 of 9Things to do

What a visitor can do, and what they can book.

Is there one thing a visitor would drive an hour to see or do?
How long can a visitor stay busy without repeating anything?
Which of these exist? Tick all that apply
Is there a yearly event that draws people from out of town?
Is there something for visitors in every season?
Which of these are there? Tick all that apply
Step 6 of 9Staying the night

An overnight is where a visit becomes money for the town.

What lodging is in town or a short drive away? Tick all that apply
Can that lodging be booked online?
Is there a reason to stay the night: an evening activity, a good dinner, a second day's worth of things?
Do the visitor website and the lodging listings point at each other?
Are there packages, passes or itineraries that bundle a stay with things to do?
Step 7 of 9Known for

What the town stands for in a stranger's mind.

Does the town use one tagline and one look everywhere: signs, website, social, brochures?
Is there a photo spot visitors seek out: a sign, a mural, a statue, a view?
Would someone in the next county know what the town is known for?
Has a regional or national publication covered the town in the last two years?
Is the town's story told on site: plaques, a museum, a tour, a mural with a caption?
Step 8 of 9Coming back

What brings a visitor back, and sends their friends.

Does someone answer Google reviews of the main places?
Is there a hashtag, or a place visitors are told to send their photos?
Do you collect visitor emails or send a newsletter?
Can a visitor buy something with the town's name on it?
Do visitors post photos tagging the town?
Step 9 of 9Your results

Where to send them.

We use your answers to reply to you and to learn what towns need. Nothing about your town is published.