A benchmark is useful when it helps you ask a better question. It becomes misleading when it is treated as a verdict.
The results
Across all 897 assessable homepages, the median Website Readiness score was 61. Descriptive industry medians ranged from 48 for accounting and CPA firms to 69 for personal-injury law.
| Industry | Submitted | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting & CPA | 100 | 48 |
| Residential real estate | 100 | 52 |
| Plumbing | 100 | 56 |
| Veterinary clinics | 100 | 58 |
| Insurance agencies | 100 | 60.5 |
| Roofing | 100 | 61 |
| HVAC | 100 | 63 |
| Dentistry | 100 | 65 |
| Med spas | 100 | 66 |
| Personal-injury law | 100 | 69 |
What the difference can tell us
It suggests that the clarity and completeness of captured homepage evidence differed across these samples. Some industries may use more standardized website platforms, specialist agencies, or structured templates. The study did not test those possible causes.
What it cannot tell us
The medians do not measure business quality, traffic, leads, search rankings, or whether a brand appears in public AI answers. They also do not prove that industry caused the difference. Roofing, for example, moved from 61 to 65 when limited-confidence results were excluded.
Use the benchmark as context, not a grade. A website above its industry median can still have an important evidence gap; one below it can still serve customers well.
The more useful comparison
Compare a website with itself over time: establish evidence, make one accurate change, then rerun the same check. That creates a defensible before-and-after result instead of a vanity ranking.