[12/14] § web design
Harborwebsite design

Where your visitors finally come in to land.

A site builtto convert.not just to look nice.

// we built the site you're reading right now.
Get a quote
< 1%avg. service site converts
3–6%after a proper build
1 weekto design + approve
sub-1.5starget load time
conversion — before / after
0.8%
before
avg. service site
3–6%
after
Harbor build
same traffic · better infrastructure
clientsite.com⚡ 1.2s
1 CTA · above fold · phone visible
social proof · no buried CTAs

The gap

99%

of visitors leave without
calling · booking · buying

< 1%
avg. service biz conversion rate
53%
of mobile users bounce past 3 seconds
8s
avg. WordPress on shared hosting
“Same traffic. Better infrastructure for turning it into calls.”
Get a Harbor quote →
§ I — How a Harbor site gets built

Four steps. Four weeks. One site that converts.

step 01
Discover

Intake call + competitive audit. One conversion goal locked.

20-min intake3 competitor sitesone action definedconversion map

Pipeline — Discover

INTAKE CALL20 minsgoals · audience · one actionCOMPETITIVE AUDIT3 competitor sitesgaps · missed CTAs · speedCONVERSION MAPone action per pagediscovery in progress
step 02
Design

Hi-fi comps — desktop + mobile. Copy written from the intake call.

brand tokenshi-fi desktop + mobilecopy written for youone revision round

Pipeline — Design

BRAND TOKENScolors · type · spacingvoice + archetypeHI-FI COMPSdesktop + mobileyou approve before buildone major revision roundCOPY WRITTENfrom intake call
step 03
Build

Next.js build. Sub-1.5s. Booking, forms, CRM — wired and live.

Next.js or Webflowsub-1.5s targetbooking + formsyour domain, no lock-in

Pipeline — Build

NEXT.JS BUILDmobile-firstsub-1.5s targeta11y auditINTEGRATIONSbooking systemcontact form + CRManalytics + search consoleYOUR DOMAINlive · yours to ownno lock-in
step 04
Tune

30 days of analytics. If the data says something needs fixing, we fix it.

30-day watchanalytics + trackingCTA placement3–6% conversion target

Pipeline — Tune

ANALYTICS WATCH30 days post-launchconversion trackingbounce + scroll-exitTUNE PASSCTA placement fixesheadline rewritescopy adjustmentsbased on real data3–6%conversion ratevs 0.8% before
§ II — The build-to-convert system

Not a template. A decision architecture.

Brand discovery · conversion copywriting · performance build · systems integration · post-launch tune.

System layers, in order

01
Strategy layer
competitive auditconversion goalaudience archetypepage structure
02
Design + copy
brand tokenshi-fi compscopy from intakemobile-first
03
Performance build
Next.jssub-1.5s targeta11y auditCMS if needed
04
Systems + tune
booking + CRManalytics30-day watchcopy adjustments

Build → Convert flow

INTAKE CALLgoals · audience · one actionCOMPETITIVE AUDITgaps · speed · missed CTAsDESIGN + COPYhi-fi comps · copy written · you approveNEXT.JS BUILDINTEGRATIONSLIVE + WIRED3–6% CONVERSION30-day tune included

We built the site you're reading right now.
Judge the work yourself.

“500 visitors at 0.8% conversion is 4 leads. At 3.5% it’s 17. That difference doesn’t require more ad spend — it requires a better site.”

Casey Hamilton, Surfscaler

§ III — What ships in every Harbor build

Built to your operation.
Not a template.

01
Competitive audit

Your site vs. 3 competitors — gaps, speed, CTAs.

02
Conversion copy

Written from a 20-min intake. You approve before build.

03
Hi-fi design

Desktop + mobile comps. One major revision round.

04
Performance build

Next.js · sub-1.5s · mobile-first · a11y audit.

05
Systems wired

Booking · contact form · CRM · analytics · search console.

06
30-day tune

Analytics watch post-launch. Bad CTA? We fix it.

§ IV — Right fit?

Not right for everyone.

this is right if you...

Revenue comes through calls or form submissions

Current site has no clear above-fold CTA

Load time over 3 seconds on mobile

Know what you sell and who buys it

Want to hand it off, not manage a page builder

this is NOT right if you...

Pure e-commerce with hundreds of SKUs (use Shopify)

Pre-revenue, still figuring out who buys

Want to manage content yourself in a builder

Think a website replaces a sales process

§ V — Every section, built to bring them in.

Not one template. Every section earned its place.

// tap a type — hero, services, reviews, booking, local SEO, gallery, FAQ. Every section Harbor builds, rendered as a mock wireframe. Same site build logic, different conversion play each time.

Hero// sample mockup
Conversion hero
GET A QUOTE0.8%3–6%conversion↑ above fold · 1 CTA

Single offer, single CTA, above-fold phone number. Nothing else.

drives the call
Services// sample mockup
Services grid
SERVICES

Each service framed as an outcome, not a description. Scannable in 5 seconds.

qualifies the visitor
Reviews// sample mockup
Social-proof wall
WHAT THEY SAY★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Stars, names, and what changed. Before → after logic in every quote.

removes the last objection
Booking// sample mockup
Booking / quote section
GET A QUOTE →24hREPLY GUARANTEE

Short form + trust signals. 24h response promise anchored next to the submit button.

captures the lead
Local SEO// sample mockup
Local SEO / service-area block
SERVICE AREASRochesterPittsfordWebsterBrightonFairport20mi radius

City list + radius map. Tells Google (and visitors) exactly where you work.

ranks for local searches
Contact// sample mockup
Mobile-first contact bar
Ready to talk?📞 (585) 555-0190call or text · 8am–6pm✉ hello@yoursite.comreply within 24hGET A FREE SITE AUDIT →no commitment · 24-hour turnaround

Sticky on scroll. Phone, email, and one red CTA. Never more than a tap away.

captures the impulse
Gallery// sample mockup
Portfolio / work gallery
PAST WORK

Masonry layout. Before/after context per project. Proof before the pitch.

builds credibility
FAQ// sample mockup
Accordion FAQ
QUESTIONS WE GET ASKEDQQ+Q+Q+

Handles the top 6 objections on the page itself. Every Q has a hidden close.

pre-handles objections

Showing 8 of 8section types · illustrative mockups, not real client data.

Every section, built to bring them in.

Harbor · Surfscaler Studio · Design Specification

§ WIREFRAME — CONVERSION-OPTIMIZED SERVICE PAGE

REV 03 · APPROVED

SCALE: 1:8 · ROCHESTER NY 2026

one CTA · red3× visual weightBEFORE / AFTER0.8%3–6%FOLD → crops here · intentionalH1: outcome,not descriptionstat row — real numbers onlyDELIVERABLE GRID3 cols max —no hierarchy1 action —get a quotefooter — designed object, not a legal dump1200px SAFE ZONE · CONTENT COLUMN
structural wireframeharbor annotationsdimension marks

Every Harbor build starts here. Not a template — a decision document.

How we work together

Three ways to get started

Self-serve, partner with us, or let Casey build and manage everything. Same engine — different levels of involvement.

Most Popular

Template + Managed

Build it with you

Lower costSome effort · We guide you

Typical lift: 2–4% revenue recovery

  • Vertical template + custom branding
  • Casey writes initial copy from a discovery call
  • Up to 8 pages of content
  • Monthly content updates (up to 2 hrs)
  • + 4 more

Fully Custom

Hand it off completely

Higher costNo effort · We handle everything

Typical lift: 3–5% revenue recovery

  • Fully custom design (not template-based)
  • Casey writes all copy from a strategy call
  • Unlimited pages
  • Monthly content updates (up to 6 hrs)
  • + 4 more

Questions We Get Asked

Q

Why not just use Squarespace or Wix?

A

Squarespace and Wix are optimized for ease of use. We optimize for conversion. If your site is a business card, template builders are fine. If your site is the front door to your pipeline and you want it to generate calls and form submissions, you need a site built with that one goal as the constraint — not a template built to look like everything else in your category.

Q

How long does a site take to build?

A

A standard 5-page service site takes 2 to 4 weeks from intake call to launch. Larger builds with custom functionality or integrations take 4 to 6 weeks. We scope it before you commit. Timeline is written into the agreement. No surprises.

Q

What does 'one round of major comp changes' mean?

A

After we show you the initial design, you get one feedback session where we incorporate major structural changes. After that round, we lock the layout and build. Small copy tweaks don't count toward this — it's about structural changes to the page layout. This keeps the project from drifting and keeps your timeline predictable.

Q

Do you write the copy or do I provide it?

A

We write it from a 20-minute intake call. You tell us about your business, services, ideal customer, and the one action you most want visitors to take. We turn that into copy. You review it and give feedback. One revision round is included. Good copy is not something you should have to draft yourself.

Q

What platforms do you build on?

A

Next.js for performance-critical or complex builds — our default recommendation for most service businesses because of load speed and SEO characteristics. Webflow when the client needs to manage content themselves without touching code. We don't recommend WordPress to new clients — the security surface and performance overhead aren't worth it for sites we can build faster without it.

Q

Will I be able to keep my domain?

A

Yes. Your domain stays yours. We configure it to point at the new hosting. If you decide to stop working with us, we export the code and you can host it anywhere. No lock-in.

Q

Can you build on a site that already exists?

A

It depends on the platform. If you're on WordPress or Squarespace, we typically rebuild rather than extend — trying to retrofit conversion improvements onto a slow foundation rarely gets the results a clean build does. We'll tell you during the audit whether the existing site is worth preserving.

Q

What's the 30-day tune period?

A

After launch, we monitor analytics and conversion rates. If something isn't performing — a headline isn't resonating, a CTA is getting ignored, a section has high scroll-exit — we adjust it. The 30-day tune is included in all DWY and DFY builds. It's how we make sure the site is actually doing its job.

The math is simple: 500 visitors at 0.8% conversion is 4 leads. At 3.5% it’s 17. That difference doesn’t require more ad spend — it requires a better site.

A 15-minute conversation is enough to scope whether we’re the right fit and what it would cost. No commitment. No sales deck. We look at your current site and tell you exactly what’s broken.

GET A WEBSITE QUOTESee your missed-call cost first

Casey Hamilton — Surfscaler · Rochester, NY
Written and designed 2026 · All builds are custom — no templates, no page builders

issue 2026