5 free beginner-friendly tools to upgrade your website

hotmintdigital
Oct 13
3 min read

Whether you’ve just launched your business or you’re a few years in, keeping your website in good shape can feel like a full-time job. The good news? You don’t need a full team (or a big budget) to make it better, piece by piece.

Here are five free tools that we use ourselves and would recommend to anyone looking to keep costs down. They’re easy to use, beginner-friendly, and will instantly help your website look better, load faster, and work smarter.

1. colourcontrast.cc - Make sure everyone can actually read your site

Accessibility isn’t optional - it’s part of good design. This simple little tool checks if your colour choices are readable for everyone, including people with visual impairments. If your background and text colours don’t have enough contrast, it can make your text hard (or even impossible) to read. Think of it like opening a shop but keeping the lights off — your message might be great, but no one can see it. Tip: Aim for a “Pass” or “AAA” rating for best readability.

2. pagespeed.web.dev - See how fast your website really is

Speed matters for your visitors and for Google. This free tool from Google analyses how quickly your website loads and gives you a breakdown of what’s slowing it down. Some of the results might sound a bit technical, but don’t panic and focus on the simple fixes you can do, like compressing images or removing unnecessary plugins. Why it matters: A faster site = happier visitors + better SEO = Google love 💚

3. shortpixel.com - Compress your images (without ruining them)

Large image files are one of the most common reasons websites load slowly. ShortPixel helps you shrink your images while keeping them looking sharp. Upload your files, pick your compression level (we like “Lossy” for a good balance), and there you have it - a quick way to enjoy smaller files, faster load times, and better search performance.

4. ChatGPT (or similar) - Your free digital sidekick

No, we’re not saying you should copy and paste everything AI writes (we can tell 😅). But tools like ChatGPT are brilliant for checking grammar, brainstorming ideas, or giving your website copy a quick polish. Think of it like having a second pair of eyes or a handy co-worker with an incredible back catalogue of knowledge.

ChatGPT example query for small businesses

5. coolors.co - Find colour palettes that actually work

If you’re tired of second-guessing your brand or campaign colours, Coolors is a fun, free tool that helps you generate colour palettes in seconds. You can lock colours you love, shuffle through combinations, and find new pairings that just work. Tip: Once you’ve found a palette you like, pop back to colourcontrast.cc to make sure your text is still easy to read.

Final Thoughts

Improving your website doesn’t always have to mean a full redesign or hiring a big agency. Sometimes, it’s the little tweaks - faster load times, cleaner colours, better copy - that make the biggest difference. At Hot Mint Digital, we’re all about giving small businesses the tools (and confidence) to show up online without the overwhelm. So if you’d rather spend your time running your business than deciphering tech jargon, or overpaying for another tool that promises to automate your business, you’re in the right place.