Free Range Web

08/05/2026

Should you copy a competitor’s website?

Short answer: no.

For a start, your website should reflect your strengths, not somebody else’s. Even businesses that look similar on paper usually aren’t competing on exactly the same things.

Secondly, you’re working with almost no information. That flashy website you admire might:

- cost a fortune to maintain
- be a nightmare to update
- load like wet cement
- convert absolutely nobody

You’re seeing the shop window, not the machinery behind it.

Good websites aren’t copied. They’re designed around what makes your business useful, different and trustworthy.

Take inspiration, sure, but don’t assume “looks impressive” means “works well.”

21/04/2026

Want an easy win for your website? Try this:

Get someone to read it out loud to you.

Not in their head. Out loud. With their actual human voice.

Unlike with a text-to-speech, you'll be able to watch their face.

If they:
- stumble over sentences
- sound like a corporate robot
- physically cringe at phrases like “innovative solutions”

you’ve got some rewriting to do. Because if it’s awkward to say, it’s awkward to read. And your customers can feel that. Good website copy sounds like a person, not a brochure. So tweak it until it flows like a human conversation.

Simple, effective... slightly uncomfortable.

14/04/2026

What should your homepage actually do? Here’s a simple test:

If I land on your website, can I tell immediately that I’m in the right place?

If I’m looking for a thousand balloons, the first thing I should see is:

🎈🎈🎈 “We sell thousands of balloons.” 🎈🎈🎈

Not:

“Welcome to our website”
“Innovative balloon solutions”
A vague paragraph about your journey.

Your homepage isn’t there to be clever - it’s there to be clear. Because if people have to figure out what you do, they won’t. They’ll just leave.

So say the obvious thing, say it quickly, and say it like a human :)

24/03/2026

Website broken? Has the content gone all misaligned, plain and janky?

Before you panic, try this:

Clear the cache!!

It sounds simple, but this fixes issues 95% of the time.

Servers and browsers store pre-loaded versions of website's bits and bobs so they can load things faster. But when updates are made, older bits can fall out of sync with newer bobs, causing things to look like a conceptual modern art piece.

It’s a 30-second fix that can save you time, stress and money.

09/06/2025

Wondering how your website measures up against the WCAG? We're offering a free checkup to Together Portishead members until the end of August.

Web development, hosting, maintenance and marketing services in Portishead, Bristol. Web design optimised for humans, driven by data.

22/05/2025

Just launched: a bold, custom-built portfolio site for Bristol-based designer Owen Fender
This one was a real creative + technical joy: sideways scrolling layout, dynamic background animations, and fully editable project pages with bespoke media cards. A perfect fusion of design vision and functionality.
Take it for a spin! https://owenfender.studio
Or take a look at some of our other work: https://www.freerangeweb.co.uk/website-portfolio/

23/04/2025

We're over the moon to finally launch the new website for Together Portishead, the new Chamber of Commerce. A lot of our work has been setting up a nice membership dashboard, where members can publish articles and events themselves :)

Check out the Together Portishead website: https://www.togetherportishead.co.uk

Book a free spot on their launch event on the 15th of May: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/together-portishead-launch-tickets-1332116780149

See more websites on our portfolio page: https://www.freerangeweb.co.uk/website-portfolio/

Rachel Nash Ali Redwood

03/12/2024

Funky new site for BR Sound, fresh off the press :) James Dixon is a professional sound engineer and has been renting out and managing PA systems and other equipment to gigs, venues and events for well over a decade now. Definitely check him out if you manage events and need on site technical support!

BR Sound: https://www.brsound.co.uk/

Some other websites: https://www.freerangeweb.co.uk/website-portfolio/

02/12/2024

Really happy to have published a new site for Debbie Pooley's fab dog and cat grooming salon this week, based right here in Portishead :) Check out her website below and pamper your pooch!

Simply Pawsome: https://www.simply-pawsome.co.uk/

Some other websites we've made: https://www.freerangeweb.co.uk/website-portfolio/

07/06/2024

We've worked with Total Connections 2009 for several years now, but now we've finally had the chance to build and deploy their website :)

Terrific company to do work for! Check it out in the comments.