Reitz Builderswebsite redesign:before & after

Reitz Builders is a design and build firm in Flagstaff, Arizona. It builds custom homes, "from rustic mountain cabins to Mountain Modern homes", and commercial spaces for restaurants, bars and churches.

The original site says the firm has "over 25 years of experience", works with the finest architectural designers in Arizona and is an inaugural partner of LUXE magazine's Arizona issue. Its menu lists luxury home builds, a winery and a historic tap room, a client portal, preferred partners and a video series.

Someone landing here is probably planning a big project and comparing a few builders. The homepage has to say who Reitz is, show work worth trusting and make it easy to start a conversation.

This is not an agency rebuild. I gave the concept about 2 hours and spent them on the fixes that do the most for customers: the 20% of the work that gets 80% of the improvement.

To show how much that improves, I score every original homepage and every concept on the same 100-point checklist. Most checks are yes or no, and a script runs the technical ones (speed, mobile, accessibility). When in doubt, the point goes to the original site.

The original has real strengths. The headline says what Reitz does and where, the intro gives "over 25 years", the two quotes are signed and the footer has a full address, a phone number and an email. The work photos, a mountain home and a winery, are the firm's own. The problem is the first screen: a visitor sees a dark picture and has nothing to press.

The first screen and the mobile view, original on the left and concept on the right. The slider at the top of the post compares the first screen up close.

First screen

01A button under the headline

"Start Your Project" is a solid gold button, and "Our Work" is an outline beside it. The header repeats "Start a Project". The original has neither.

02A brighter photo

A finished home at dusk fills the screen, so the visitor sees what Reitz builds before reading a word. The original's photo is a dark porch.

03A contact form on the page

First name, last name, email, phone, a project type and a message. It has six fields, which is more than a first contact needs.

Mobile

01Two full-width buttons

On a phone the gold button and the outline button are stacked and wide, and the first is 48px tall. The original's first phone screen has no button at all.

02The town is in the first lines

The tag reads "Flagstaff, Arizona" on its own line above the headline. The original's headline says Flagstaff too, so this keeps what worked.

1. 01Put one button under the headline. "Start Your Project" tells a person with a lot to spend what to do next. A menu icon does not.
2. 02Do not dim the best photo. A dark layer helps white type read, but it hides the work. A gradient at the bottom keeps the type readable and the house visible.
3. 03Keep the phone number where a thumb can reach it. Reitz's number is in small type at the bottom of the page. On a phone it should be a tap-to-call link in the header.
4. 04Use the quotes higher up. The original's two signed quotes sit about 1,990px down. One of them near the top would do more than the line "Premier".
5. 05Name the person. A builder with 25 years should have a name and a face on the page. Neither the original nor my concept has one.
6. 06Show the work you already have. The winery and the tap room are in the original's menu and photos. They are stronger proof than a kitchen that could be anywhere.

The concept does not score 100. About 2 hours doesn't fix everything, and the checklist applies to my work too:

• The reviews are not the original's. In the concept, the two real quotes are reworded and longer, and "M. & J. Thornton" is not on the original site at all. They need to go back to the original words, with a link to the source.
• Some claims are mine, not the business's. "Award-Winning Craftsmanship", "since 1999", "most trusted" and "Est. 25+ Years" are not on the original site. The original says "over 25 years" and nothing more exact.
• The photos are not enough. The two images repeat, a house and a white kitchen, and I cannot tie either to Reitz. The real photos of the winery, the tap room and the mountain homes should come back.
• I dropped the address and phone. The original has both in the footer. The concept has "Flagstaff, Arizona" and no way to call, which is a step back.
• The form is long and not connected. Six fields is more than the first message needs, and it goes nowhere yet.
• Client Portal, Preferred Partners, the blog and the video series are gone. I left them out to keep the page short. The firm has to decide whether existing clients need them on the homepage.
• Mobile text is 14px and contrast is weak. The paragraph over the house photo is hard to read, and the accessibility scan found 40 contrast and label issues.
• Speed is 74 on Lighthouse. The original scored 29, so it is better, but I would get it above 90.

If I were talking to Reitz Builders, I would say this: your site already says the right things. Custom homes, Flagstaff, over 25 years, a magazine feature and a footer with your real address. The trouble is a first screen that gives a visitor nothing to press and hides your best photo. My concept mostly puts a button and a brighter photo there.

The choice I am least sure about is the look. I went with a deep green and gold and a serif headline, which feels established. The original's thin, dark, quiet style may suit a luxury builder better, and a real project photo may work harder than my house at dusk. I also went back and forth on the form. It is long, and a phone number might get you more calls than a six-field form.

What the concept does not solve is proof. There is still no owner or team named or shown, the quotes need to go back to the originals and the photos need to be yours. It also lost the address and phone, which is a mistake I would fix first. Two hours made the first screen ask for the project. It did not make the site more trustworthy than the facts you gave it.