You’ve poured your heart into your brand. You’ve built the product, refined the service, and started spreading the word. But your website? It’s giving 2012 Blogger theme when it should be giving refined, professional, and wildly profitable. The truth? Your website is either your best salesperson or your biggest liability. And in today’s digital world, you can’t afford to get this wrong. Here’s the deal: Your website isn’t just a placeholder. It’s a 24/7 brand ambassador, sales rep, and trust-builder. Or it should be—if it’s done right. If you’re building (or rebuilding) your small business website, especially on a platform like ShowIt, you want to make sure it’s built right from the start. Let’s fix the silent sales killer you didn’t know you had. Let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of website design and how to make sure your site is pulling its weight.

✅ THE DO’S

DO make it mobile-friendly.
Your audience is scrolling from their phones—while waiting in line, in bed, or let’s be honest, from the bathroom. If your site isn’t optimized for mobile, you’re losing trust (and sales) faster than you can say “pinch to zoom.”

Over 60% of users browse on mobile, and Google now prioritizes mobile-first indexing. Translation? If your site isn’t mobile-optimized, you’re invisible (and irritating).

• Use responsive design (This is standard. There’s no excuse).

• Keep buttons thumb-friendly and navigation simplified.

• Test your site on different screen sizes. What looks great on desktop might break on mobile.

Pro Tip! Open your site on your phone and pretend you’re a new visitor. Can you easily book a call or find your services in under 10 seconds? If not, time to rework.

DO prioritize clear navigation.
Confused visitors don’t convert. Make it easy to find the essentials: who you are, what you do, how you help, and where to buy, book, or connect. A confused visitor bounces. Fast. Your navigation should feel obvious and intuitive—not like solving a puzzle.

Stick to 5–7 top-level menu items and name them clearly:

• Home

• About

• Services

• Portfolio or Case Studies

• Contact

If you get cutesy with labels (like calling your blog “Brain Dump” or your services page “Magic”), know that it’s costing you clarity… and probably clients.

DO design with intention.
Your website shouldn’t just be pretty—it should perform. Every visual element should lead your visitor one step closer to taking action, whether it’s booking a call or buying the thing. Clean, elevated, and strategic beats chaotic, colorful, and cute every. single. time. Don’t add elements just to fill space. Every section should answer a visitor’s question or nudge them toward the next step.

Ask yourself:

• What’s the goal of this page?

• What action do I want them to take?

• What proof can I give them to feel confident moving forward?

Here’s a structure to follow:

1. Hook – Who you help, how you help, why it matters

2. Proof – Testimonials, portfolio, recognizable clients

3. Path – Clear call to action or next step

DO keep branding consistent.
Your website is not the place for an identity crisis. Fonts, colors, tone of voice, visuals—they all need to match what you’re doing everywhere else. If your logo, colors, and voice feel disconnected from your Instagram, packaging, or email presence, people will notice. You’re breaking trust before you’ve even said hello. Consistency builds trust.

Use a style guide to keep it all in check:

• Same typography and spacing rules

• Color palette used intentionally (not just “because it’s pretty”)

• Imagery that matches your brand tone (polished, moody, playful, etc.)

DO invest in professional visuals.
Blurry headshots, mismatched imagery, and DIY logo design? Not the vibe. Your visuals speak volumes so make sure they’re saying something intentional, not accidental. High-quality visuals = instant credibility. Period. This doesn’t mean you need a $10K brand shoot out of the gate, but do:

• Hire a photographer for clean, high-res brand imagery

• Use a professional logo (please no Canva templates from 2017)

• Invest in intentional design that reflects the feel of your brand

Remember: People are visual. They’ll judge your expertise by how well your site is styled… even if you sell plumbing services.

❌ THE DON’TS

DON’T overload the homepage.
Your homepage isn’t a junk drawer. It’s prime real estate—keep it clean, direct, and focused. If it feels like you’re trying to say everything at once, your visitor will remember nothing. Keep it skimmable.

• Focus on your one core message

• Avoid giant blocks of text

• Use white space (it’s not wasted space… it’s strategic breathing room)

DON’T forget about SEO.
Design matters, but so does being found. If your site looks amazing but no one can find it, what’s the point? It’s not about gaming the algorithm—it’s about making sure the right people can actually find you.

At a minimum make sure:

• Use proper header hierarchy (H1, H2, etc.)

• Add alt text to every image (bonus: it helps accessibility too)

• Use keywords naturally—write for humans first, algorithms second

Easy win: Update your page titles and meta descriptions to clearly state who you are and what you offer.

DON’T ignore loading speed.
You have about 3 seconds to make a good impression. If your homepage takes forever to load, your bounce rate will skyrocket. No one has the patience to wait while your oversized images and fancy scripts boot up. Compress wisely. Streamline fiercely.

• Compress images before uploading (tools like TinyPNG are your friend)

• Use only essential plugins or scripts

• Choose a reliable hosting provider

DON’T bury your call to action.
Want people to book? Buy? Inquire? TELL THEM. Repeatedly. Clearly. Strategically. Your site should guide them like a GPS to their destination. Not leave them circling the block. If your CTA is hiding at the bottom of the page, or worse, missing completely? You’re leaving conversions to chance.

Repeat your call to action throughout your site:

• Button in the hero section

• Midway prompt

• Footer CTA

Make it clear, not clever. “Book Now” > “Let’s Chat!” (unless it perfectly aligns with your brand voice)

DON’T copy your competitor’s site.
Inspiration is one thing. Copying? That’s lazy—and ridiculously ineffective. Your website should feel like you. Not like a Pinterest mashup of every “it” brand in your industry. Know what your differentiators are and let those guide your design decisions.

Bonus: 3 Things Your Website Should Always Do

1. Build trust instantly.
   Include social proof, client logos, testimonials, or media mentions.

2. Guide the user journey.
   Map out your site like a sales funnel. Each page should intentionally lead to the next.

3. Reflect your value.
   Your website should look like it costs what you charge. If you’re offering a high-end service with a low-end site? Disconnect = distrust.

Why We Recommend ShowIt for Small Businesses

There are a lot of platforms out there, but when it comes to design freedom, ease of use, and strategy-backed layouts? ShowIt is our go-to, hands down. It gives our clients the power of a beautifully custom-designed site without the tech headache. So the ability to update content or imagery as needed? It’s in your hands. And it’s built to grow with your business which we think is the most valuable investment of all.

Whether you’re just getting started or ready for a major rebrand, ShowIt offers the kind of flexibility most platforms can’t. And for us as designers? It’s the perfect canvas to create intentional, high-converting websites that reflect your brand to a T.

If you’ve been looking for a ShowIt website designer, you’re in the right place. See what we have done for other clients utilizing the ShowIt platform right here.

The Bottom Line?

A beautiful website is nice. A strategic, branded, conversion-driven website? That’s where the magic (and money) is.

At A Design Haus, we don’t just make websites that look good. We make websites that work as hard as you do for your brand.

Ready to stop leaving money on the table? Inquire with us here.