Writing
Plain-language notes on technology for small businesses.
Practical explainers on accessibility, AI, web, and analytics — including, often, the honest case for spending nothing at all.
Does it matter that people look at your website on their phone?
Someone has probably quoted you a scary number about mobile traffic. That number is likely out of date, and the real one is closer to half. Here's where those figures come from, why the honest version is more useful than the alarming one, and how to find the only number that actually matters — your own.
Who actually owns your website?
Paying for a website and controlling it turn out to be different things. Most of the time nobody did anything wrong — the question simply never came up. Here's what you should own, three free checks that tell you whether you do, and what to do if you find a gap.
What it's like to use a website with a screen reader
Most people picture a robot voice reading a page from top to bottom. That's not how it works — and the difference explains why some sites are perfectly usable without sight and others are impossible. Here's what I see go wrong in real audits, and a ten-minute way to try it for yourself.
The hidden costs of 'easy' website builders
Squarespace, Wix, and the rest are genuinely good tools, and for some businesses they're exactly the right call. But 'easy' and 'cheap' come with tradeoffs nobody mentions in the ads. Here's an honest look at what they cost you beyond the monthly fee — so you can choose with your eyes open.
Why your business doesn't show up on Google (and what actually moves the needle)
It's the most common question small-business owners ask me, and the answer is almost never as mysterious — or as expensive — as they fear. Here's an honest look at what actually decides whether you show up, and the free things that move the needle most.
What a website actually costs (and why quotes vary so wildly)
If you've gotten website quotes ranging from $500 to $50,000, you're not being scammed — 'website' just covers an enormous range. Here's an honest breakdown of what drives the price, what a low quote often leaves out, and how to figure out what you actually need.
What your website could be telling you
Most small businesses have a website but no idea what it's doing. Your site is quietly collecting the answers to questions that matter — here's what you're probably missing, and how to start listening.
You probably don't need an app
"We should have an app" is one of the most expensive assumptions in small business. Usually there's a faster, cheaper answer that does the same job — here's how to tell.
Is your website a legal liability?
Most small-business websites have accessibility problems the owner has never been told about — and the lawsuits have moved down-market. Here's what that actually means for you.