This Community Voices column is written by Tonya Bolton, who shares advice, tips and ideas for entrepreneurs. You can reach her at info@tonyaboltonphotography.com.
Your website is your business’s online handshake. But for too many local businesses, it’s more like a limp fish, or worse—a mysterious junk drawer from 2007. We’ve all seen those sites: tiny fonts, blurry photos, buttons that don’t work, and music that (somehow) still auto-plays.
Fear not! With a little care, your website can stop scaring people away and start doing what it’s supposed to do: make you look good and help your customers. Here’s a checklist—equal parts practical and sanity-saving—to make sure your site is working for you, not against you.
Know thy purpose (aka don’t be vague)
If someone lands on your homepage and still wonders “What do these people actually do?”— you’ve lost them.
- Big, clear headline: “We Bake Cupcakes” works better than “Innovative Sweetness Solutions.”
- Logo and tagline up front.
- Speak human, not robot.
Remember: If it takes a magnifying glass and a decoder ring to figure you out, your visitors are already gone.
Mobile-friendly or bust
Fun fact: More than half of web traffic comes from phones. If your site only looks decent on a desktop, you’re basically telling customers, “Please only visit us if you still own a dial-up modem.”
- Test it on your phone, your spouse’s tablet, even Grandma’s iPad.
- Buttons should be “thumb-friendly,” not “surgical-precision-friendly.”
If your site requires pinching, zooming, or squinting—you’ve got work to do.
Navigation that doesn’t need a GPS
Your menu shouldn’t look like the Cheesecake Factory’s. Keep it short and sweet.
- 5–7 main menu items.
- Obvious labels (“About,” “Services,” “Contact”)—not “Our Storytelling Journey.”
- Search bar if you’ve got a lot of info.
Visitors should never feel like they need trail mix and a compass just to find your hours.
Speed: Because nobody waits
Studies show people will abandon a slow site in about three seconds. That’s less time than it takes to microwave pizza rolls.
- Shrink those massive photos.
- Ditch old plug-ins.
- Upgrade your hosting if needed.
A slow site doesn’t just annoy people—it makes Google send you to the internet’s basement.
Look sharp
Your website should look like you, but on a good hair day.
- Use crisp, clear photos. Bonus points if they’re actually yours and not stock photos of “smiling call center guy with headset.”
- Consistent colors and fonts (Comic Sans is not a personality).
- Embrace white space. Clutter is for attics, not websites.
Think of your site as your digital storefront window. Do you want it full of broken mannequins and dust, or fresh flowers and a clean sign?
Content people actually want
Here’s the truth: visitors care less about your company history from 1983 and more about how you can help them right now.
- Short, clear text.
- Write for your audience, not for your ego.
- Update often—blogs, news, or even a “What’s Fresh This Week” post.
Fresh content = you look alive. Stale content = you look abandoned.
Calls to action: Tell people what to do
Don’t assume people will just figure it out.
- Use buttons like “Book Now,” “Order Here,” or “Donate Today.”
- Put them everywhere (but not in a “Vegas billboard” way).
- Keep forms short—no one wants to hand over their blood type just to get your newsletter.
A website without a call to action is like a sales pitch that ends with: “Anyway… so… yeah.”
Contact info that isn’t hidden like buried treasure
You’d be shocked how many businesses forget this.
- Phone number, email, or contact form = must-have.
- If you have a physical spot, put the address front and center.
- Social media links, too (if you actually use them).
If customers need detective skills to reach you, they’ll call someone else.
Security = trust
That little padlock icon in the browser matters. No padlock? No trust.
- SSL certificate (so your site starts with “https”).
- Regular updates to your software and plug-ins.
- Privacy policy if you’re collecting info.
Security isn’t just nerdy tech stuff—it’s basic digital hygiene.
Maintenance: Don’t let it rot
Websites are like gardens: ignore them and they turn into a mess.
- Check links monthly.
- Back it up regularly.
- Update photos and info so you don’t look stuck in 2012.
Remember: the internet never sleeps. Neither should your upkeep.
The bottom line
Your website doesn’t have to be fancy. It just has to be clear, helpful, and alive. Treat it like the digital front door to your business—and make sure it’s not covered in cobwebs.
Because at the end of the day, your website is your online handshake. And nobody likes a sweaty, confusing, or limp one.
If you have an idea for a Community Voices column, email Meghan Goth at mgoth@linknky.com.
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