Planning a website
A website launch checklist for business owners
A website launch checklist for business owners: content, phones, forms, policies, speed, HTTPS, redirects, Search Console, analytics and Google.
Blog · Guides for business owners
Guides on websites, SEO and Google Maps
Plain-language guides for people who run a business, not for other developers. Each one answers a question clients ask me: what a website costs, why a site is slow, how to get verified on Google, what to check before a redesign. I only write about what I do myself.
All guides
Website speed
Core Web Vitals explained for business owners
Core Web Vitals in plain words: what LCP, INP and CLS measure, Google's thresholds, lab scores versus real visitor data, and what fixes each problem.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile suspended? What to do
Why Google Business Profiles get suspended, how to find the cause, what to fix before appealing, the evidence to gather and how to stop it happening again.
SEO
Google Search Console for business owners
A plain guide to Google Search Console for business owners: setting it up, the reports worth checking, what the numbers mean and when to worry about them.
Industry guides
How a hotel website can win more direct bookings
How a hotel or homestay website can win direct bookings alongside booking sites: what guests check, what to show, how to take enquiries and what to avoid.
Google Business Profile
How Google Business Profile verification works
How Google Business Profile verification works, including video: what Google asks for, how to prepare, why it fails and what to do after a rejection.
Planning a website
How to add a WhatsApp enquiry button to your website
How to add a WhatsApp enquiry button to your website: the wa.me link format, a pre-written first message, where to place it and how to count the messages.
Domains and email
How to choose a domain name for your business
How to choose a business domain name: short, easy to say and spell, the right ending, registered in your own name, and the mistakes that cost you later.
Planning a website
How to choose a web developer
How to choose a web developer or agency: the checks to run on any of them, from ownership of your domain to live work, speed, honesty about SEO and upkeep.
Google Business Profile
How to choose your Google Business Profile categories
How to choose Google Business Profile categories: why the primary category matters most, finding the right one, secondary categories and mistakes to avoid.
Google Business Profile
How to get more Google reviews, within the rules
How to get more genuine Google reviews without breaking the rules: when and how to ask, the review link, QR cards, what not to do and replying to reviews.
SEO
How to redesign a website without losing your Google rankings
How to redesign a website without losing Google traffic: list every URL, keep what earns, map redirects, test before launch and watch Search Console after.
Local SEO
How to show up on Google Maps
How to show up on Google Maps when people nearby search for what you sell: relevance, distance and prominence, and the practical steps that improve each.
Planning a website
How to write a website brief
How to write a website brief that gets accurate quotes: your business, who visits, the pages, features, content, deadlines and budget, as a template.
Industry guides
School website checklist: what parents look for
A school website checklist from a parent's point of view: admissions, fees, the calendar, notices, transport, required disclosures, safety and contact.
Domains and email
SPF, DKIM and DMARC explained simply
SPF, DKIM and DMARC in plain words: what each record does, why business email lands in spam without them, how to set them up and how to check they pass.
SEO
Structured data explained for business owners
Structured data explained without jargon: what schema markup is, what it can and can't do for a business, which types matter and how to check it's valid.
Industry guides
The pages a payment gateway checks before approving you
The pages payment gateways usually check before approving a business: privacy, terms, refunds, shipping, contact and prices, and why sites get rejected.
Planning a website
Website accessibility basics for business owners
Website accessibility basics in plain words: contrast, text size, keyboard use, alt text, labelled forms and headings, with quick checks you can run.
Planning a website
What affects the cost of a website?
What actually changes the price of a business website: pages, who edits it, content, features, design, extras and upkeep, explained without the sales talk.
Website speed
Why is my website slow?
Why business websites are slow on phones: oversized photos, sliders, too many scripts, heavy themes and no caching, how to test for each and what fixes it.
Planning a website
WordPress or a plain HTML website?
WordPress or a plain HTML website for your business? How they differ in editing, speed, security, cost and upkeep, and a simple way to decide what fits.
Travel websites
What a travel website needs to turn visitors into enquiries
What a travel website needs to turn visitors into enquiries: packages first, WhatsApp done well, both seasons on one site, local details and real proof.
Looking for something specific?
If your question is about your kind of business, the industries pages go into detail for hotels, schools, online stores and many more. If you want a specific job done, the services page lists everything I offer. And if your question isn't answered anywhere, ask me directly using the form below. Good questions often become the next guide.
Have a question that isn't answered here?
Send it to me. I'll answer it myself, and if it's a common one, it may become the next guide.