I originally set out to experiment with building an Astro-based theme, and realized that a friend’s arborist company no longer had a functioning website. Their business directory listing even linked to a dead page. Many local service businesses still generate enough word-of-mouth work that maintaining a traditional website doesn’t always feel worthwhile, especially if it isn’t producing clear returns.
Since I needed a project idea, I decided to build and gift them a simple, no – hassle online presence – essentially a single-page brand site that functions like an enhanced digital business card.
The site was built using Astro and modular components, and is hosted on Netlify to keep it lightweight and cost-free to maintain. The layout is composed of reusable sections (Hero, Services, Gallery, Service Area, and Contact) wrapped in a shared base layout for consistency and maintainability. Images are handled through Astro’s asset pipeline with lazy loading, while the “Recent Work” gallery uses a small custom JavaScript lightbox to allow visitors to view project photos in more detail.
Styling is implemented with modern CSS variables and grid layouts, creating a responsive interface that adapts cleanly across desktop and mobile devices. A Google Maps integration visually communicates the company’s service area across the Shuswap region.
The project emphasizes performance, simplicity, and maintainable component structure for a small local business site.
The site is still being finalized, but will soon be fully deployed and indexed.