Every week I’m sharing practical insights from over 25 years in the industry... actionable, straight‑talking tips to help you improve your website, boost trust, and turn more visitors into customers.
Tip 1. Do you know what the most important element of your website is?
Your Hero Section Is Make‑or‑Break
After over two decades working for a web agency, staring at heatmaps, analytics and doing user testing, one thing is painfully clear... most people never scroll past your first screen.
If your hero section (that big bit at the top of your site) doesn’t grab them instantly, they’re gone!
You’ve got about three seconds to prove you’re worth their time. Not ten. Not “once they’ve read your story.”... Three seconds. And yet, so many small businesses try to be clever, mysterious, or “creative.” I call that that faffing about.
A Simple Example
Imagine you’re looking for a plumber. You land on a site and the first thing you see is a moody sunset photo with the words: “Crafting Flowing Experiences.”
The likelihood is that you've already gone! you don’t want an experience, you want the leak under your sink sorting!
Now imagine the hero says:
“Emergency Plumber in York... At Your Door in 40 Minutes.” Job done. You call or message them and problem solved.
So here's the YorkshireTechy Tip:
Stop hiding the good stuff. Put your value, your best service, and a clear call to action button such as “Get a Quote” button right at the top.
If people have to dig around to figure out what you do, you’re not getting the sale.
Your hero isn’t decoration... it’s your first impression, your pitch, and your chance to keep them on the page. Treat it like it matters, because it does.
Tip 2. Website not converting? It's all about trust.
"trust" isn't something you can just claim. You have to earn it. Over my years in the industry, I’ve seen sites with world-class design fail because they felt like a ghost town.
PEOPLE DON'T TRUST WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF nearly as much as they trust what a total stranger says about you. If I tell you i'm the best Web Developer in East Yorkshire, you'll take it with a pinch of salt... If ten other local business owners say it? Now we’re talking.
For example, imagine two builders in Hull. One has a shiny website with stock photos of tools. The other has a slightly dated site, but it’s packed with photos of finished extensions in the local area and five-star reviews from "Susan in Kirk Ella" praising their tidy work. Who are you calling? Susan’s builder, every single time.
So here's the YorkshireTechy Tip: Don't just hide your reviews on a "Testimonials" page that nobody visits. Sprinkle them everywhere, have a couple on your website with a link to the testimonials page.
Put a quote near your pricing or put a logo of a local client in your header. Let your customers do the hard work of selling for you.
Tip 3. Your Website Isn’t For You (Or Your Mum)
You know your business inside out. You’d buy your own product.
So why is your website built as if you’re the one it needs to impress?
As a small business owner, your website shouldn’t be talking to you, your competitors, your mates… and definitely not your mum!
After years in this industry, I see the same thing over and over... I call it "ego design"
Homepages dominated by a huge, slow-loading office video. Glamour shots of the “prestigious city centre location.” Close‑ups of the fancy coffee machine (very shiny, well done).
They’re proud of it, and why wouldn't they be?
But your visitor? They couldn’t care less.
Your visitor is probably a distracted stranger with ten tabs open, a toddler screaming in the background, and a cup or Yorkshire Tea that’s gone cold. They don’t care about your office décor or your recycling ethos.
They care about THEIR problem... and whether YOU can fix it quickly.
I once worked with a law firm who wanted three paragraphs about their founding in 1880 on the homepage. We told them: “Nobody cares about 1880 when they’ve just been in a car accident and need a solicitor.”
We replaced the history lesson with a big "Get Help Now" button... And conversions followed 😀
The Yorkshire Techy Tip:
Design for the distracted stranger. If someone can’t work out what you do while squinting at their phone in a noisy coffee shop, your site is too complicated.
Keep it simple. Speak to their problem. Make yourself useful.
Thats it for this week. Check back next week for more tips.
Check me out on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigpickles or facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/YorkshireTechy
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