Turn your site into your hardest-working employee
Your website doesn’t sleep. It doesn’t take lunch breaks. And when it’s done right, it becomes your best salesperson, brand ambassador, and lead qualifier—all at once. But many small businesses settle for a site that’s more like a digital paperweight than a digital tool.
Whether you’re launching your first website or refreshing an old one, these 10 tips will help you build a site that attracts the right visitors, keeps them engaged, and earns their trust.
Design for Mobile First (Not Just Responsively)
Your customers are on their phones—and your site should be built with that in mind from the start. Mobile-first doesn’t mean shrinking your desktop design. It means reimagining the layout so it’s intuitive for thumbs, loads fast on 4G, and emphasizes what matters most (like CTAs, hours, or a phone number).
Pro Tip: Use clamp() in your CSS so text scales smoothly across all screen sizes.
Keep Navigation Simple and Predictable
Your menu isn’t the place to be clever. Stick to 4–6 top-level items that reflect your customer’s intent. Use plain language—“Services,” “About,” and “Contact” beat “What We Do” or “Get in Touch” every time.
Pro Tip: If you have more than 6 items in your nav, consider moving secondary content (like Testimonials or Resources) to the footer or as internal links.
Tell People What to Do Next
Every page should have a clear CTA (Call to Action): schedule a call, download a guide, request a quote. Don’t assume visitors know where to go next—guide them. Use buttons that stand out visually, and don’t bury them at the bottom of a paragraph.
Pro Tip: CTAs work best when phrased with verbs: “Start Your Free Estimate” > “Submit”.
Invest in Quality Photos (Or Thoughtful Illustrations)
Stock photos are easy—but they’re also forgettable. If you can afford it, invest in custom photography that shows your team, your workspace, or your product in action. If not, go for a strong visual style—flat-style illustrations, muted photo filters, or black-and-white team shots can set you apart from the AI-generated masses.
Pro Tip: Keep hero images under 300 KB and preload them in your header for fast rendering.
Write for Skimmers
Visitors scan before they read. Use short paragraphs, bold subheadings, bullet points, and plenty of white space. You can still write detailed content—just make it easy to digest.
Pro Tip: Aim for an 8th-grade reading level and use tools like Hemingway or Grammarly to spot clutter.
Use Testimonials, But Make Them Specific
A quote like “Great service!” doesn’t move the needle. A quote like “Fjell Peak rebuilt our website in 3 weeks and we saw a 40% increase in traffic” does. Use testimonials that speak to outcomes and relatability—what future clients want to hear.
Pro Tip: Add a photo or logo of the client to build credibility.
Make Your Contact Info Unmissable
Your phone number, email, and address (if relevant) should never be more than one click away. Place them in your header or sticky nav, and repeat them in your footer. Bonus points for using a form that sends auto-confirmation to the user.
Pro Tip: Add click-to-call links on mobile with tel: so users can reach you instantly.
Speed Matters More Than You Think
40% of visitors will bounce if your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load. Speed impacts SEO, conversion rates, and first impressions. Use optimized images, avoid bloated plugins, and host on a provider with built-in caching.
Pro Tip: Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to test and improve performance.
Make It Accessible
An accessible site isn’t just good ethics—it’s good business. Use proper heading structure (<h1> → <h2>), add alt text for images, and ensure text has enough contrast. Bonus: accessibility improvements also help your SEO.
Pro Tip: Run an audit using the WAVE tool or Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools.
Update Your Site—Or Let Someone Do It For You
An outdated website is a red flag to visitors. Keep plugins updated, refresh your content seasonally, and retire old announcements. If that sounds like a hassle, consider a website management plan (like the ones we offer here at Fjell Peak Digital).
Pro Tip: Even updating your copyright year and homepage photo quarterly can keep things feeling fresh.
Bonus Tip: Keep It Human
More than anything, your website should sound like you. Skip the jargon. Show your face. Talk like a real person. People want to do business with people—not faceless logos. If you can blend clarity, simplicity, and personality, you’ll already be ahead of 80% of the internet.
Let’s Make Your Site Work as Hard as You Do
At Fjell Peak Digital, we help small businesses across New Hampshire and beyond design, build, and manage websites that aren’t just pretty—they’re profitable. If your current site feels like it’s holding you back, we’ll help you fix that.
👉 Schedule a free website review and get honest, actionable feedback—no strings attached.
