{
  "title": "The State of Independent Moving Company Websites 2026",
  "edition": "2026-Q4",
  "period": "Q4 2026",
  "sample": false,
  "source": "corpus",
  "note": "Aggregates computed from automated scans. No individual site is identified.",
  "url": "https://clikiti.com/research/moving/2026-q4",
  "scannedAt": "2026-10-15T21:07:32.089Z",
  "publishedAt": "2026-10-15T21:07:50.499Z",
  "modifiedAt": "2026-10-15T21:07:50.499Z",
  "license": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licenseUrl": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "attribution": "Free to use and cite under CC BY 4.0. Credit Clikiti with a link.",
  "citation": "Clikiti. (2026, October 15). The state of independent moving company websites 2026 (Q4 2026) [Report]. https://clikiti.com/research/moving/2026-q4",
  "audience": "Web agencies and freelancers selling to independent local, long-distance, storage and specialty moving companies",
  "sampleSize": 185,
  "marginOfErrorPts": 7.2,
  "medianScore": 76,
  "meanScore": 77,
  "meanQuestionsAnswered": 4.1,
  "questionCount": 9,
  "findings": [
    "Only 19% of the 185 independent moving company websites we scanned say whether their estimate is binding, non-binding or not-to-exceed.",
    "A typical site answers four of the nine questions customers planning a move ask before choosing (mean 4.1).",
    "The median overall score is 76 out of 100 (mean 77).",
    "The least-answered questions are \"Is the price fixed?\" (19%), \"What's the deposit, and can I cancel?\" (24%) and \"What if something breaks?\" (31%).",
    "The best-answered are \"Will you pack for me?\" (85%) and \"Can I get a quote without calling?\" (84%).",
    "By kind of business, the highest median score is 79 (local residential movers), against 78 for specialty movers: piano, senior and office, 76 for moving and storage companies and 75 for long-distance and interstate movers.",
    "87% fail \"Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone\" (Core Web Vitals · LCP).",
    "84% fail \"Text contrast passes 4.5:1\" (WCAG 1.4.3).",
    "36% fail \"MovingCompany or local business structured data\" (Schema.org · MovingCompany)."
  ],
  "questions": [
    {
      "id": "estimate",
      "question": "Is the price fixed?",
      "label": "Estimate type named: binding, non-binding or not-to-exceed",
      "standard": "Customer question 2",
      "passPct": 19,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 16,
        "long": 31,
        "store": 22,
        "spec": 12
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "deposit",
      "question": "What's the deposit, and can I cancel?",
      "label": "Deposit or cancellation terms stated",
      "standard": "Customer question 8",
      "passPct": 24,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 27,
        "long": 36,
        "store": 5,
        "spec": 26
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "valuation",
      "question": "What if something breaks?",
      "label": "Valuation or moving insurance explained",
      "standard": "Customer question 5",
      "passPct": 31,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 24,
        "long": 50,
        "store": 32,
        "spec": 26
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "calendar",
      "question": "Are you free on my date?",
      "label": "Open dates shown: online booking, a calendar or stated availability",
      "standard": "Customer question 7",
      "passPct": 31,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 36,
        "long": 33,
        "store": 20,
        "spec": 29
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "price",
      "question": "What does an hour cost, and how many movers?",
      "label": "A price shown: an hourly rate, a crew rate or a move price",
      "standard": "Customer question 3",
      "passPct": 32,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 36,
        "long": 42,
        "store": 17,
        "spec": 29
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "dot",
      "question": "Are you licensed to move me?",
      "label": "USDOT or MC number shown as text",
      "standard": "Customer question 4",
      "passPct": 43,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 31,
        "long": 69,
        "store": 56,
        "spec": 26
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "reviews",
      "question": "Do other customers vouch for you?",
      "label": "Reviews marked up, in a widget or quoted",
      "standard": "Customer question 9",
      "passPct": 63,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 69,
        "long": 72,
        "store": 59,
        "spec": 44
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "quote",
      "question": "Can I get a quote without calling?",
      "label": "A quote can be requested online",
      "standard": "Customer question 1",
      "passPct": 84,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 84,
        "long": 89,
        "store": 85,
        "spec": 79
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "packing",
      "question": "Will you pack for me?",
      "label": "Packing offered as a service",
      "standard": "Customer question 6",
      "passPct": 85,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 91,
        "long": 92,
        "store": 95,
        "spec": 53
      }
    }
  ],
  "technical": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 87,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 89,
        "long": 83,
        "store": 88,
        "spec": 85
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 84,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 81,
        "long": 92,
        "store": 85,
        "spec": 82
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "schema",
      "label": "MovingCompany or local business structured data",
      "standard": "Schema.org · MovingCompany",
      "failPct": 36,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 32,
        "long": 14,
        "store": 44,
        "spec": 56
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "alt",
      "label": "Images have text descriptions",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.1.1",
      "failPct": 24,
      "bySegment": {
        "local": 20,
        "long": 31,
        "store": 32,
        "spec": 15
      }
    }
  ],
  "segments": [
    {
      "id": "local",
      "name": "Local residential movers",
      "sites": 74,
      "median": 79,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "long",
      "name": "Long-distance and interstate movers",
      "sites": 36,
      "median": 75,
      "weakPct": 0
    },
    {
      "id": "store",
      "name": "Moving and storage companies",
      "sites": 41,
      "median": 76,
      "weakPct": 2
    },
    {
      "id": "spec",
      "name": "Specialty movers: piano, senior and office",
      "sites": 34,
      "median": 78,
      "weakPct": 0
    }
  ],
  "agencyProblems": [
    {
      "id": "lcp",
      "label": "Loads in under 2.5 s on a phone",
      "standard": "Core Web Vitals · LCP",
      "failPct": 87,
      "fix": "Resize and compress the hero image, defer chat and tracking scripts, aim for under 2.5 s on a phone.",
      "pitch": "Your home page takes several seconds to appear on a customer's phone.",
      "effort": "Build"
    },
    {
      "id": "con",
      "label": "Text contrast passes 4.5:1",
      "standard": "WCAG 1.4.3",
      "failPct": 84,
      "fix": "Raise text contrast to at least 4.5:1 in the theme, especially white text over truck and crew photos.",
      "pitch": "Parts of the site are hard to read, and it is a WCAG failure.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "estimate",
      "label": "Estimate type named: binding, non-binding or not-to-exceed",
      "standard": "Customer question 2",
      "failPct": 81,
      "question": "Is the price fixed?",
      "fix": "One paragraph, linked from the quote form, that says which kind of estimate the company gives (binding, non-binding or not-to-exceed) and what can change the price on the day.",
      "pitch": "\"Is the price fixed?\" is the question behind every bad mover story, and your site never answers it.",
      "effort": "Content"
    },
    {
      "id": "deposit",
      "label": "Deposit or cancellation terms stated",
      "standard": "Customer question 8",
      "failPct": 76,
      "question": "What's the deposit, and can I cancel?",
      "fix": "State the deposit (amount or \"no deposit\") and the cancellation and rescheduling terms, near the quote form and in the FAQ.",
      "pitch": "A customer about to commit wants to know what they lose if the closing date moves, and your site does not say.",
      "effort": "Quick fix"
    },
    {
      "id": "valuation",
      "label": "Valuation or moving insurance explained",
      "standard": "Customer question 5",
      "failPct": 69,
      "question": "What if something breaks?",
      "fix": "A short page on what happens if something breaks: released value (60 cents per pound per article) versus full value protection, what each costs and how to claim.",
      "pitch": "Customers find out what basic coverage pays only after something breaks; the movers who explain it first get fewer one-star reviews.",
      "effort": "Content"
    }
  ]
}