Writing
Notes on web craft, AI for business, and the modern web.
Long-form essays and shorter notes from the practice. Four pillars: higher-ed web, WordPress at enterprise scale, web strategy, and AI for business.
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Mobile-First Design: Beyond Responsive
Designing for how people actually use the web
Responsive design was the first step. True mobile-first design goes further—starting with mobile constraints, optimizing for touch, and recognizing that mobile isn't a smaller desktop. Here's what mobile-first really means in 2026.
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Web Design vs. Web Development: What to Actually Hire For
The honest version of a question that sells you a smaller project than you need.
Most people shopping for a website search for either a "web designer" or a "web developer" and assume they need one or the other. The honest answer is that the work has overlapped to the point where you almost never need just one. A breakdown of what each actually does, and what to ask for instead.
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AI Prompting for Business Users
Get better results from AI without being technical
The difference between mediocre AI output and genuinely useful results often comes down to how you ask. Here's a practical guide to writing better prompts for business applications—no technical background required.
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What "Web Design" Means in 2026
The phrase still has meaning. The work expanded.
Web design used to mean making a website that looked good. In 2026 the word still applies, but the work it points to has expanded into AI integration, answer-engine optimization, and measurable business impact. A look at what the term means now.
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Redesigning Department Sites Without Chaos
Managing stakeholders and expectations across the university
Department website redesigns in higher education are notoriously difficult—too many stakeholders, unclear ownership, and competing priorities. Here's how to run these projects without losing your sanity or your relationships.
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WordPress Database Optimization Guide
Speed up your site by cleaning up your database
A bloated WordPress database slows down your site. Here's how to identify database performance issues, clean up accumulated clutter, and optimize for speed without risking data loss.
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Website Launch Checklist: What Most People Miss
Don't let excitement override thoroughness
Launching a website is exciting, but rushing to go live leads to embarrassing mistakes. Here's a comprehensive pre-launch checklist covering the items most commonly overlooked—plus a downloadable version for your team.
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Measuring AI ROI in Your Business
Beyond the hype to actual business value
AI investments need to deliver measurable returns. Here's how to track AI ROI, what metrics actually matter, and how to determine whether your AI tools are worth their cost.
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Summer Website Projects for Universities
Making the most of the slower season
Summer offers universities a window for website improvements that are difficult during the academic year. Here's how to plan and execute meaningful web projects during the summer months when traffic is lower and stakeholders are more available.
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WordPress Staging Environments: A Complete Guide
Test changes safely before they hit production
A staging environment lets you test WordPress changes without risking your live site. Here's everything you need to know about setting up, using, and maintaining staging environments for WordPress.
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When to Fire Your Web Developer
Recognizing when it's time to make a change
Ending a web developer relationship is never easy, but sometimes it's necessary. Here's how to recognize when the relationship isn't working, how to end it professionally, and how to transition to someone new without losing your website.
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AI Image Generation for Business: Practical Applications
Using AI images without the legal headaches
AI image generators like DALL-E and Midjourney can create stunning visuals, but using them commercially requires understanding their limitations, legal considerations, and appropriate use cases. Here's a practical guide to AI image generation for business.
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Virtual Campus Tours: Technical Best Practices
Building tours that actually recruit students
Virtual campus tours have become essential for recruitment, but many universities implement them poorly. Here are the technical considerations, platform options, and best practices for creating virtual tours that genuinely help prospective students choose your institution.
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WordPress Plugin Conflicts: Prevention and Resolution
Keeping your plugins playing nice together
Plugin conflicts can crash your WordPress site, break functionality, or cause subtle bugs that take hours to track down. Here's how to prevent conflicts, diagnose them when they occur, and resolve them without losing your mind.
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Website Contracts: What to Look For
Protecting your business before signing
Website development contracts can protect you or leave you exposed. Before signing with a web developer or agency, here's what to look for, what to negotiate, and what red flags should make you walk away.
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AI for Small Business: Starting Without Overwhelm
A practical guide to getting started with AI
AI tools can transform small business operations, but the hype makes it hard to know where to start. Here's a practical, no-nonsense guide to adopting AI without getting overwhelmed or wasting money on tools you don't need.
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Student Portal UX: What Universities Get Wrong
Why student portals frustrate users and how to fix them
University student portals are often frustrating labyrinths of poor UX. After years of working with higher ed web systems, here are the most common problems and practical solutions for creating portals students actually want to use.
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WordPress Gutenberg: The Block Editor Finally Matures
After years of growing pains, the block editor delivers
The WordPress block editor has come a long way since its rocky 2018 launch. Here's an honest assessment of where Gutenberg stands in 2026, what it does well, and where it still falls short.
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Higher Ed Web Predictions for 2026
What college and university websites need to prepare for
What should higher education institutions focus on for their web presence in 2026? Based on a decade of working with universities, here are the trends and priorities that will shape college websites this year.
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2025 Web Development Trends That Actually Mattered
A year-end review of what changed and what didn't
Now that 2025 is behind us, which web development trends actually delivered? A practical review of what mattered for businesses, what was overhyped, and what to carry forward into 2026.
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Headless WordPress: When It Makes Sense
Decoupled architecture for the right use cases
Headless WordPress is powerful but not always necessary. Learn when decoupling your front-end from WordPress makes sense—and when traditional WordPress is the better choice.
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Website Budget Planning for 2026
How much should you actually spend on your website?
Planning your website budget for 2026? Learn how to allocate resources wisely across development, maintenance, content, and marketing—with realistic numbers based on actual project costs.
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AI Tools I Actually Use Every Day
Practical AI for a working web developer
Forget the hype—here are the AI tools that have actually made it into my daily workflow as a web developer, what I use them for, and honest assessments of their limitations.
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Preparing Your WordPress Site for the Holidays
A pre-season checklist for traffic spikes and time off
The holidays bring traffic spikes, increased transactions, and reduced staff availability. Here's how to prepare your WordPress site so you can enjoy the season without website emergencies.
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WordPress Multisite: Lessons from Managing 50+ Sites
Hard-won wisdom from a decade of network administration
After managing WordPress Multisite networks with 50+ sites for over a decade, here are the lessons that would have saved me countless hours—and the practices that make large networks manageable.
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How to Evaluate Your Website's ROI
Measuring what actually matters for your business
Is your website a business asset or an expensive brochure? Learn how to measure your website's real return on investment with metrics that matter, not vanity numbers.
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WordPress vs. Drupal for Higher Education in 2026
An honest comparison for university web teams
The WordPress vs. Drupal debate in higher ed has evolved. Both platforms have matured significantly. Here's an honest assessment of where each excels and which might be right for your institution.
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Chatbots vs. AI Assistants: What's Right for Your Website?
Understanding the options for automated customer interaction
Traditional chatbots and modern AI assistants serve different purposes. Learn when each makes sense for your business, what they actually cost, and how to avoid expensive mistakes.
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Enrollment Season: Is Your University Website Ready?
A pre-season checklist for higher ed web teams
Peak enrollment traffic is coming. Is your university website ready to convert prospective students into applicants? Use this checklist to audit your site before the rush begins.
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Building Custom WordPress Plugins: When and Why
Making the right call between off-the-shelf and custom solutions
Custom WordPress plugins can solve problems no existing solution addresses—but they also add complexity and cost. Learn when custom development makes sense and when you should stick with existing plugins.
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The Real Cost of a Cheap Website
Why the $500 website ends up costing you thousands
That budget website deal might seem smart, but hidden costs add up fast. Learn what cheap websites actually cost in lost revenue, security risks, and eventual rebuilds—and how to invest wisely instead.
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Website Governance for Higher Education: Who Owns What?
Creating clarity in the chaos of decentralized university web management
University websites suffer from a unique problem: everyone owns them and no one owns them. This guide helps institutions establish clear governance that balances central control with departmental autonomy.
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AI-Powered Content Workflows: A Practical Guide
How to integrate AI into your content process without losing quality or authenticity
AI can transform content creation from time-consuming to efficient—but only if integrated thoughtfully. Learn practical workflows for using AI in content strategy, research, drafting, and editing while maintaining quality and your unique voice.
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What to Ask Before Hiring a Web Developer
The questions that reveal whether a developer is right for your project
Hiring a web developer is a significant investment. Ask the wrong questions and you get polished sales pitches. Ask the right questions and you learn who will actually deliver. Here's what to ask—and what the answers reveal.
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WordPress Performance Optimization: A Technical Deep Dive
Beyond the basics: server-level tuning, database optimization, and architecture decisions that matter
Basic WordPress optimization advice is everywhere. This guide goes deeper—covering server configuration, database tuning, object caching, and architectural decisions that separate fast sites from truly performant ones.
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Automating Repetitive Tasks with AI: A Small Business Guide
Practical automation that saves hours weekly without enterprise budgets
AI automation isn't just for big companies. Learn which repetitive tasks small businesses can automate today, what tools actually work, and how to implement automation without technical expertise or huge budgets.
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WordPress Security Hardening: A 2026 Checklist
Practical steps to protect your WordPress site from today's threats
WordPress powers 43% of the web—making it a prime target for hackers. This actionable checklist covers the security measures that actually matter, from basic hygiene to advanced hardening techniques.
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How to Write a Website RFP That Gets Great Proposals
The information developers actually need to give you accurate estimates
A vague RFP gets vague proposals. Learn how to write a website request for proposal that attracts quality developers, enables accurate pricing, and sets your project up for success from day one.
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WCAG 2.2 Compliance: What Higher Ed Needs to Know in 2026
The new accessibility standards and what they mean for your university website
WCAG 2.2 introduces new success criteria that affect university websites. Learn what changed, what's required for compliance, and how to prioritize accessibility improvements without overwhelming your team.
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AI Won't Replace Your Web Developer (Here's What It Actually Does)
Cutting through the hype to understand what AI can and can't do for web development
Headlines claim AI will replace developers. The reality is more nuanced and more useful. Learn what AI actually does well, where it falls short, and how smart teams are using it to build better websites faster.
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What Marketing Directors Need to Know About Website Maintenance
The non-technical guide to keeping your institution's website secure, fast, and effective
Website maintenance isn't just IT's job. Marketing directors need to understand what keeps a university website running smoothly, what can go wrong, and how to budget for ongoing care. A practical guide for non-technical leaders.
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The Website Redesign Trap: When to Refresh vs. Rebuild
Why most redesigns fail—and how to know what your site actually needs
Not every website problem requires a full redesign. Learn to diagnose whether you need a visual refresh, strategic overhaul, or complete rebuild—and avoid the costly trap of solving the wrong problem.
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Why Your WordPress Site Is Slow (And How to Fix It)
The most common performance killers and practical fixes that actually work
A slow WordPress site costs you visitors, conversions, and search rankings. Learn the real reasons your site drags and the proven fixes I use on enterprise sites handling millions of pageviews.
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How I Use AI to Build Websites Faster
A practical look at AI-assisted development—what works, what doesn't, and why the human element still matters
AI tools are transforming web development, but not in the way most people think. Learn how one senior developer integrates AI into real client projects while maintaining quality and avoiding common pitfalls.
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5 Signs Your Small Business Website Is Costing You Customers
Common website problems that drive potential customers away—and how to fix them
Your website might be losing customers without you knowing it. Learn the five most common issues that cause visitors to leave, and practical steps to turn your site into a customer-generating asset.
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Why WordPress Multisite Makes Sense for Universities
How a single codebase can power dozens of department sites while reducing maintenance overhead by 80%
Universities face unique web challenges: dozens of departments, limited IT resources, and the need for brand consistency. WordPress Multisite solves these problems elegantly. Learn why top institutions choose this architecture.
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Website Project Management for Non-Technical Stakeholders
What to expect when you're expecting a new website
Managing a website project without technical expertise can feel overwhelming. Here's a practical guide for marketing directors, business owners, and project managers navigating their first (or fifth) web development project.
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Redesigning Department Websites: A Strategic Approach
Balancing institutional consistency with departmental identity
Academic department websites serve multiple audiences with competing needs. Here's how to approach department redesigns strategically, balancing university brand standards with the unique requirements of academic units.
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Composer for WordPress: Package Management Done Right
Modern dependency management for professional WordPress development
Composer transforms WordPress development from manual plugin wrangling to proper dependency management. Here's how to implement it correctly and why it matters for maintainable WordPress projects.
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AI Tools for Web Development: My Current Stack
The AI tools I actually use daily (and the ones I've dropped)
After two years of experimenting with AI coding assistants, image generators, and productivity tools, here's what's actually made it into my daily workflow—and what turned out to be hype.
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Website Migration: Planning and Execution
Moving your website without losing traffic, rankings, or your sanity
Website migrations are high-stakes projects where small mistakes have big consequences. Here's a comprehensive guide to planning and executing a migration that protects your traffic and improves your online presence.
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Event Calendar Solutions for Higher Ed
Finding the right fit for your campus events ecosystem
Universities manage thousands of events annually across departments, athletics, arts, and student life. Here's how to evaluate event calendar solutions that actually work for higher education.
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WordPress Theme Development in 2025
Modern approaches to building WordPress themes
WordPress theme development has evolved significantly. Here's how to approach theme development in 2025, balancing modern tools with WordPress's evolving architecture.
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Local LLMs: Running AI On-Premise
When and how to run AI models on your own infrastructure
Cloud AI services aren't the only option. Local LLMs offer privacy, control, and cost benefits for certain use cases. Here's what you need to know about running AI on your own hardware.
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The Case for Continuous Website Improvement
Why websites need ongoing attention, not just periodic redesigns
The "redesign every 3-5 years" approach to websites is outdated and wasteful. Here's why continuous improvement delivers better results and how to implement it effectively.
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WCAG 2.2: What's New and What It Means
Understanding the latest accessibility guidelines
WCAG 2.2 introduced new success criteria focused on cognitive accessibility and mobile interactions. Here's what changed and what it means for your website accessibility efforts.
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WordPress Plugin Development Fundamentals
Building custom functionality the WordPress way
Custom plugins extend WordPress to do exactly what you need. Here's a foundational guide to WordPress plugin development, from basic structure to best practices.
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AI and Privacy: What Businesses Need to Know
Navigating data concerns in the age of AI adoption
AI tools are powerful, but they raise legitimate privacy concerns. Here's what businesses need to understand about data privacy when adopting AI tools, and how to use AI responsibly.
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Website ROI: How to Measure Success
Beyond traffic numbers to meaningful business impact
Website success isn't about page views—it's about business results. Here's a practical framework for measuring website ROI that connects web performance to actual business outcomes.
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Recruitment Cycle Web Strategy for Universities
Aligning your web presence with the enrollment marketing calendar
The student recruitment cycle has predictable phases with different information needs at each stage. Here's how to align your university website strategy with the enrollment marketing calendar for maximum impact.
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Object-Oriented PHP for WordPress Developers
Moving beyond procedural code to maintainable WordPress development
WordPress's procedural roots don't mean you're stuck writing procedural code. Here's how to apply object-oriented principles to WordPress development for cleaner, more maintainable plugins and themes.
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WordPress 6.5 Features and Impact
What's new and what it means for your site
WordPress 6.5 brings significant improvements to the block editor, fonts, and developer experience. Here's what you need to know about the release and how to take advantage of new features.
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AI Coding Assistants: GitHub Copilot vs. Alternatives
Comparing AI tools for software development
AI coding assistants have transformed how developers work. Here's a practical comparison of GitHub Copilot and alternatives, with guidance on choosing the right tool for your needs.
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The Website Discovery Process: What to Expect
Understanding the crucial first phase of web projects
Discovery is where successful web projects are made or broken. Here's what happens during discovery, why it matters, and how to get the most value from this critical phase.
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Accessibility Testing Tools Compared
Evaluating automated accessibility testing options
Automated accessibility testing tools catch issues quickly, but not all tools are created equal. Here's a practical comparison of popular options to help you choose the right tools for your needs.
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WordPress Multisite Network Administration
Managing multiple sites from a single WordPress installation
WordPress Multisite enables running multiple sites from one installation. Here's what you need to know about administering multisite networks effectively.
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AI for Document Processing: Practical Use Cases
Automating document workflows with AI
AI can extract, summarize, and process documents at scale. Here are practical use cases for document processing AI that deliver real business value, along with implementation considerations.
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Campus Map Integrations: Options and Best Practices
Interactive mapping solutions for university websites
Interactive campus maps help visitors navigate complex university environments. Here's how to evaluate and implement campus mapping solutions that actually help users find their way.
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Building Custom Gutenberg Blocks
Creating reusable components for the WordPress block editor
Custom Gutenberg blocks extend WordPress's native editing experience. Here's how to approach block development, from planning to production-ready implementation.
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Creating Effective CTAs: A Data-Driven Approach
Call-to-action design backed by research and testing
The right call-to-action can dramatically improve conversion rates. Here's how to create effective CTAs based on research, best practices, and systematic testing.
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Higher Ed Web Trends to Watch in 2025
What's shaping university websites this year
The higher education web landscape continues to evolve. Here are the trends shaping how universities approach their web presence in 2025, from AI integration to accessibility requirements.
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WordPress Performance Benchmarks: What to Aim For
Realistic performance targets for WordPress sites
How fast should your WordPress site be? Here are practical performance benchmarks based on real-world data and Google's Core Web Vitals, with guidance on what's achievable.
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AI Integration Strategies for Small Business
Practical approaches to adopting AI without enterprise budgets
AI isn't just for big companies. Small businesses can leverage AI tools strategically to improve productivity and competitiveness. Here's how to approach AI integration realistically.
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Setting Web Goals for the New Year
Strategic planning for your website in 2025
A new year is the perfect time to evaluate your website's performance and set meaningful goals. Here's a practical framework for web goal-setting that connects your site to business outcomes.