Practical guides on websites,
Google and local business.

Every guide came out of a real client question or a problem we found on a project — which is why they have steps, checklists and examples, rather than marketing fog and invented statistics.

Before you read on

Five items. Two minutes.

Open your own website on a phone and go through this list. Every item that fails is a reason why somebody calls you — or does not. The guide below works through each of them.

  1. A clear offer. The first screen shows what you do, and who for.
  2. Contact within reach. A number that dials with one tap on a phone.
  3. A mobile version. No pinching to zoom, no dragging left and right.
  4. Fast loading. The first screen appears before the person gives up.
  5. Google finds you. The site appears when you type your own business name.
Guide: what a website must have

Start here

The three most-read guides.

The three questions clients ask before anything else: what it costs, what a website must have, and whether you even need local SEO.

PricingWhat a website actually costsWhat actually goes into the price of a website, why the cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest project, and how to tell one level of work from another.17 min read · Read the guide
WebsitesWhat a small local business website must haveSeven things without which a local business website brings in no calls — and how to check each of them.5 min readLocal SEOWhat local SEO is, and when you need itNo jargon: when local SEO makes sense for your business, and when it is money down the drain.9 min read

Websites and prices

From preparing the material to comparing quotes.

WebsitesWhat to prepare before you commission a websiteA 7-item checklist that shortens the build and protects the budget — the material and the decisions that are yours alone.8 min readPricingHow to compare website quotes24 items that belong in every quote, a table to fill in and nine questions to ask before you sign.9 min readWebsitesWho should own the website, the domain, the hosting and the emailThe eleven things that all get called “the website”, who should own which, and what to do if they are all on somebody else’s account.8 min read

Google and local visibility

How customers find you — and what they see when they do.

GoogleWhat customers see on your Google profileHow to see your own profile through a customer’s eyes in five minutes, and spot what puts them off.9 min readGoogleGoogle asking you to verify your business againWhich methods exist, how to record the video on your phone, and what to do if Google rejects it.11 min readGoogleHow to ask for a Google review without the awkwardnessThe right moment and the right words to ask for a review — without pressure and without awkwardness.9 min readVisibilityWhy your business isn’t getting enough callsFour points where customers most often drop off — and the order in which it is worth checking them.6 min read

Maintenance and business tools

When the site already exists — and when you need more than a site.

MaintenanceWhat is actually done when a website is maintainedWhat maintenance covers, how a website decays when nobody maintains it, and how to pick the level you need.8 min readAI for small businessesCan an AI assistant help a small businessWhere an AI assistant genuinely helps a small business and where it does not — honestly, without the sales pitch.9 min readBusiness toolsIs Excel still enough for your business?Five signs you’ve outgrown the spreadsheet, how to tidy it up for free, and a one-week test.9 min read

From here

Three routes that usually do the job.

ServiceWeb designA site that leads people to a call or an enquiryServiceGoogle Business ProfileSo they find you when they type a trade and a townPricePricingThree levels of work, and what each one covers

Not sure where to start

Tell us what you do — we’ll suggest the first step.

We look at what customers currently see and where it makes sense to start — with no obligation.

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