Arnold Jakobsen on the Built In NOCO podcast
Host Clint asked Arnold Jakobsen, founder of Telos Creative, why so many business websites look fine and still do not bring in calls. His answer: many never tell visitors what to do next, say too little about the problem they solve, and send people to the wrong page.
Built In NOCO, conversations with Northern Colorado business owners · 53 minutes · published July 2026
What Arnold covers
The conversation runs from his own story, born in Colombia and raised in the Faroe Islands, to the website mistakes that cost businesses leads. More on the same ground: website design mistakes that cost you clients and StoryBrand messaging.
- Every page needs a clear next step. People who are ready to book should never have to hunt for the button. Arnold puts a call to action in the top right corner, where the eye goes first, and again further down the page.
- Say what you do in plain words. A website should say whose problem you solve and how. A physical therapist relieves pain and gets people moving. A hair stylist helps people feel confident. Vague words make people close the tab.
- Give people a plan. Step one, step two, step three. Arnold quotes Donald Miller of StoryBrand: “If you confuse, you lose.”
- Send ad clicks to the matching page. Someone who clicks an ad for one service should land on that service, not on the homepage.
- Start with the brand. The logo, fonts and colors come before the website. Real photos beat stock photos, because people want to see who they are dealing with.
- Use AI website builders with care. Tools like Lovable get a site 80 to 90 percent of the way, but the same prompts give the same designs, and they often stop at a single page. Every service needs its own page.
- Animation only when it helps. Movement that slows down the information or pulls attention away from booking costs money, however good it looks.
- Search is everywhere now. People ask ChatGPT and Claude as well as Google, so a website has to be built so those tools can read it.
In Arnold's words
Your website is a hub, and people are going to visit your hub. The question is just, when they visit your hub, what are they going to do?
So people are actually on your website, but you're not guiding them to take an action.
You are trying to solve someone else's problem, and that should be on your website. How are you helping people win the day?
I should not be landing on your front page. I should be landing on that specific page so I can book that appointment.
People, they don't have time. So if I'm waiting for information loading because you have animation, I don't have time for that.
People want to know: How are you solving my problem? What's the plan? … What's the next step? Where do I book? That's it.
Quotes are lightly edited to remove filler words.
Chapters
- Why every business needs an effective website00:00
- Arnold’s journey to Northern Colorado01:22
- How Arnold entered the creative and web design industry03:57
- Starting with purpose, branding, and strategy07:09
- What makes a website bad?10:20
- Calls to action that convert visitors12:12
- Clear messaging: how do you help customers win?16:30
- Your website as the hub of your marketing20:55
- Building a website with AI22:54
- Website animations: useful or distracting?29:11
- What makes a strong, versatile logo?35:34
- Websites and personal brands in regulated industries42:24
- The future of search and AI discovery47:59
- How to connect with Arnold and Telos Creative49:30
Want a website that brings in calls?
Start with a free audit of your site, or book a call with Arnold.