Sarah Dawson Co

Sarah Dawson Co Creative, Strategic
Web Design And Development

One thing that's come up quite often when I review websites is that people don’t always know where they’re supposed to g...
11/05/2026

One thing that's come up quite often when I review websites is that people don’t always know where they’re supposed to go next, or what action they need to take. And usually, it’s not because the content is wrong - it’s because the structure and navigation need some clarification, and to be simplified ✨

The good news? Small navigation changes can make a big difference to how easy a website feels to use.

1. Keep your navigation simple - most visitors only look for a few key things:
- what you do
- who you help
- how to contact you
Overloading menus with too many options can quickly feel overwhelming👎🏻

2. Make your buttons and calls-to-action clear. Buttons like:
- Get Started
- Book a Call
- View Services
guide people through your site much more clearly than vague wording💎

3. Create a clear page structure:
- Visitors shouldn’t have to work hard to understand your website.
- Clear headings, logical sections, and a simple flow help people find information more easily👍🏻

These are often the kinds of changes I focus on first when helping clients audit or refresh their websites - simplifying things can make a much bigger difference than we realise.

I’ll share one final accessibility tip in my next post 👀

In my last post I touched on accessibility more broadly, but readability is a big part of that. A website can look lovel...
29/04/2026

In my last post I touched on accessibility more broadly, but readability is a big part of that. A website can look lovely… but if it’s hard to read, people won’t stay on it for long👎🏻

I often see this with client sites - but the good news is, it’s usually very easy to fix, and often comes down to just a few simple adjustments✨

Here are three easy things you can do to make real improvement:

1. Use a comfortable font size:

Text that’s too small can be difficult to read, especially on mobile.
As a general rule, body text should be at least 16px (often a little larger works even better).

2. Give your text space to breathe:

Long blocks of text can feel overwhelming and put visitors off reading. Breaking content into shorter paragraphs, adding spacing and using headings makes your pages much easier to read.

3. Keep line lengths manageable:

If a line of text stretches too wide across the screen, it becomes harder for the eye to follow. Keeping text within a comfortable width helps people read more comfortably - and stay engaged.

Small changes like these can make your website feel instantly calmer and easier to use.

If your website feels like it could be easier to read or navigate, this is often where I start when I’m working on a refresh.

I’ll be sharing a few more accessibility tips over my next posts✨

Website accessibility can sound complicated… and urgent. I often have clients get in touch feeling a bit panicked about ...
22/04/2026

Website accessibility can sound complicated… and urgent. I often have clients get in touch feeling a bit panicked about whether their site is “doing it right”.

But the reality is that many small websites are only a few simple changes away from being much easier for people to use.

Here are three simple improvements that can make a real difference:

1. Add detailed alt text to your images:
Alt text is a short description that helps people using screen readers understand what an image is actually showing.
- Instead of something vague, like “image123.jpg”
- Try something more descriptive, such as “Therapist speaking with a client during a coaching session.”

2. Check your colour contrast:
Very light text on a white background can look elegant, but it can be difficult for many people to read.
A quick contrast check can help make sure your text is clear and readable for people with visual impairments, whilst still working with your colour palette.

3. Make your links more descriptive:
Links like “click here” or “learn more” don’t give much context, but are still used a lot. Instead try something a bit more detailed, directional or meaningful, such as:

- View our services page
- Download the guide
- Read the full article

This helps both users and search engines understand where the link leads.

Accessibility isn’t just about meeting technical requirements. Often it’s simply making your website clearer, easier and more welcoming for everyone.

I’ll be sharing a few more accessibility tips over the next couple of weeks✨

Our Easter break didn’t quite go to plan…The whole family ended up struck down with a rather nasty virus 🤦🏼‍♀️On the plu...
22/04/2026

Our Easter break didn’t quite go to plan…
The whole family ended up struck down with a rather nasty virus 🤦🏼‍♀️

On the plus side, I can be glad we hadn’t booked to go anywhere!
Despite the lurgy, we still managed to host a lovely Sunday lunch with family, with plenty of Easter eggs for a good hunt around the garden.

Now we’re all back to school and work, and I’m feeling a renewed sense of energy to focus on my Q2 goals - the springtime vibe definitely helps 🐣🌷
Here are three things that feel particularly important for me right now:

1. Helping more service-based businesses refresh and simplify their websites.
Many businesses already have a website that works - it just needs clearer structure, thoughtful design updates and a few considered improvements to reflect where the business is now.

2. Continuing to explore new tools (especially AI).
Mostly out of curiosity and for my own learning, but also to understand how these tools might genuinely support small businesses and the way we build websites.

3. Sharing more of what I learn along the way.
Small website improvements, useful tools, and lessons from client work. I still think LinkedIn is a really valuable place for these conversations.

Nothing overly dramatic for me this quarter - just steady progress in the right direction. What are you focusing on?

I'd love to hear.

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