Make Your Site More Professional with 3 Easy Details
Let's talk about three overlooked details that can instantly make your website look more professional.
You spent all this time perfecting your homepage copy, choosing the right photos, and getting your services page just right. Don't let these small-but-mighty details undermine all that hard work.
Are you snoozing on your footer?
I know, I know. It's the bottom of your site. People barely scroll down there, right?
Wrong.
Your footer is prime real estate that most people completely waste. And I'm not just talking about slapping your copyright notice down there and calling it a day.
Here's what your footer should actually be doing for you:
→ Getting specific about what you do. This is another great opportunity to clearly state the problem you solve and for whom. It's valuable for both visitors and SEO. Don't waste this space.
→ Making navigation easy. Repeat your main navigation links so when people reach the bottom of a page, they can easily keep exploring your site. Plus, these internal links help Google understand your site's structure.
→ Sharing your values. Brilliant copywriter Kim Kiel mentioned this on her "Ill Communication" podcast (check it out—it’s good): your footer is a great place to let people know what you stand for. It helps attract the right clients and repel the wrong ones.
→ Keeping things current. Update that copyright year! An old copyright screams, "I don't pay attention to details" and makes your business look stale.
→ Making it easy to connect. Include your contact info and social media links. If someone's made it to the bottom of your page, they're interested—make it effortless for them to reach out.
→Yes, include the legal stuff too. Privacy policy, terms of service—you need these for compliance. But don't let that be ALL your footer does.
And then don’t forget mobile!
Close to 60% of web traffic is on mobile devices in the US.
Quick mobile check: Is your head cut off in photos? Are buttons overlapping your text? Are elements in completely the wrong place?
If you're using Squarespace, you can toggle between desktop and mobile view.
I’m guilty of forgetting to do this sometimes, but EVERY TIME you make an update to your website, check it on mobile and make sure everything still looks good.
I'm seeing way too many beautiful faces cut off on websites, and I hate to see it.
Favi-who?!
What's a favicon? It's that tiny icon that appears in your browser tab, bookmarks, and anywhere your website link shows up.
If you're still rocking the default Squarespace square, you're missing an easy opportunity to look more professional.
A custom favicon:
→ Makes your brand instantly recognizable in a sea of tabs
→ Looks more professional than a generic placeholder
→ Helps your bookmarks stand out in someone's saved links
→ Shows you pay attention to details (which clients notice)
The best part? It's incredibly simple to fix. Just create a 144x144 pixel PNG file of your logo or brand mark, then upload it in your Squarespace settings. Easy.
There you go… Three quick fixes that take maybe 30 minutes total but make your whole site feel more intentional. Which one are you going to tackle first?
Goodies Just For You
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT: The Ruth Asawa show at the SFMOMA. I've been to see it twice. I've admired her sculptures at the DeYoung and she has a few public art pieces in San Francisco, but I've never seen such an exhaustive retrospective of her work. I had no idea she worked in so many media—watercolor, printmaking, drawing. There's an incredible collection of pieces she made with a laundry stamp while she was at Black Mountain College. And her potato prints are stunning. Prints with potatoes! Like you do in preschool, but not at all like that. Speaking of kids—apparently she had a studio in the basement of her home, but she did most of the work in the living room and kitchen so that she could be available to her kids when they needed her—or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. How relatable is that?!
WHAT I'M BAKING: I'm in Europe right now. According to Alison Roman (and she's always right), if you want to FEEL like you're in Europe, make this dip. She calls it "The Dip" and it is DELICIOUS and presents as so much fancier than it actually is. I promise you will impress and thrill all your friends if you bring this to your summer picnic.
WHO I'M ADMIRING: Nicole Seguin is a super talented San Francisco brand photographer. I met her on LinkedIn and then got to work with her on this brand I designed. I love working with other women who specialize in working with women!! It adds so much comfort and ease, for me and my clients.
