Resources for website owners

I tend not to write much here anymore. For articles on design, frontend development, and accessibility, head to my blog.

1. Hero images – pros and cons

   Resource posted 25th November 2019 in Content

   Hero images are those big images at the top of a blog post. They have some compelling benefits, but there are some things to consider.

2. Why you need a privacy policy

   Resource posted 22nd September 2016 in Content

   A privacy policy lets your visitors know that you care about their privacy. If you collect their data in any way you’re obliged to tell them.

3. Google gets serious about SSL

   Resource posted 14th September 2016 in Security

   SSL is an an easy way to boost your search ranking, but Google are introducing something much more damaging to websites that aren’t served securely

4. SSL for everyone

   Resource posted 28th June 2016 in Security

   Every now and then something big happens on the web. Sometimes it’s really obvious, sometimes a bit subtler, but still very important. SSL is a subtle

5. Website updates and avoiding content loss

   Resource posted 23rd August 2015 in Content and Website admin

   Between your web designer starting work on a new feature and it going live, any changes you make to your website could be lost. Here’s how to avoid th

6. Types of email and when to use each

   Resource posted 13th August 2015 in Email and Website admin

   Email can be pretty complicated. There are three different email formats and each comes with its own pros, cons, and best use case.

7. Regular backups are important

   Resource posted 16th July 2015 in Website admin

   If your website was to to disappear somehow, restoring it is easy if you have a recent back-up somewhere. How can you back things up? Read on!

8. Edit your blog posts off-line

   Resource posted 2nd July 2015 in Content and Website admin

   There are many advantages to writing your blog posts on a dedicated writing app and not directly on your website.

9. Design and build for the worst case scenario

   Resource posted 29th June 2015 in Accessibility, Performance and Search

   Performance matters. If your website loads slowly it could be costing you business, so make sure it works for even the slowest of internet connections

10. Look after your domain name

    Resource posted 11th June 2015 in Search and Website admin

    Look after your domain name. It’s one of your most important business assets and the cost of losing it can be huge.

11. Regular website maintenance

    Resource posted 3rd June 2015 in Website admin

    Regular attention and TLC is good for any website, small or large. How? Read on!

12. Website video

    Resource posted 1st June 2015 in Content

    Using video on your website is a powerful way to engage your visitors. Here’s how planning and shooting the video for my website went.

13. Bookmark icons

    Resource posted 28th May 2015 in Content, Meta-data and Search

    Your website has lots going on behind the scenes, and one of those things should be a series of bookmark icons!

14. Giving social media the right information

    Resource posted 18th May 2015 in Content, Marketing, Meta-data and Search

    Put some text in a box. Writing a post on social media used to be so easy. These days, when you enter an address into that box some extra things happe

15. Tidy up your site’s addresses for search

    Resource posted 29th April 2015 in Meta-data and Search

    Google have made a few changes lately. The most recent in the pipeline is the way URLs (web addresses) are displayed in their search results.

16. Mobile friendly markers

    Resource posted 6th April 2015 in Accessibility and Search

    You might have noticed that if you search for something on Google on your phone there’s a new ‘Mobile friendly’ label.

17. The three golden rules of sending marketing emails

    Resource posted 24th March 2015 in Email

    Sending emails can be a bit of a minefield. Learn how to avoid some common pitfalls and the three ways to avoid being thrown in the junk folder here.

18. Displaying an email address on your website

    Resource posted 5th March 2015 in Content, Email and Website admin

    Putting your email address on your website turns out to be surprisingly complicated issue. Read on to find out why!

19. What is meta data

    Resource posted 14th October 2014 in Meta-data

    Have you ever wondered what meta data is? If so, this is the (very brief!) article for you.

20. Webfonts

    Resource posted 11th September 2014 in Brand and Performance

    So what’s all this about webfonts? Can’t I just have my website display my text in the font I want? Well, the answer is “yes and no”…

21. How the web works

    Resource posted 4th September 2014 in Performance

    When you open a website in your web browser what you see isn’t on the internet. Confused? This article will reveal all!

22. What is SSL and is it worth the bother?

    Resource posted 27th August 2014 in Search and Security

    Google look favourably on websites that use SSL. What is SSL, why does Google like it and and do the benefits outweigh the costs?

23. Image cropping

    Resource posted 7th April 2014 in Content

    Uploading an image to your website isn’t without its pitfalls. Formatting images is often a combination of preparation and your CMS’s wizardry.

24. Why I changed my baseline

    Resource posted 6th March 2014 in Accessibility and Content

    Every site I build is now mobile friendly and allows the editing of all content by default. This is for a few very good reasons.

25. The great unknown

    Resource posted 31st January 2014 in Search

    Nobody really knows what criteria search engines use to rank websites but there are some basic principles that have always held true.

26. Page titles

    Resource posted 31st January 2014 in Content, Meta-data and Search

    A page title is generally held to be one of the most important things on a web page for being found on search engines like Google.

27. Taking a break without neglecting your business

    Resource posted 20th January 2014 in Business and Tools

    As a small business owner, I find it difficult to leave work behind and here’s how I’ve tacked the problem…

28. Are you living in the past?

    Resource posted 9th January 2014

    I’ve made the informed decision to stop supporting browsers of a certain age. Is it time you did likewise?

29. Password security

    Resource posted 28th November 2013 in Security and Website admin

    Passwords are often pretty easy to hack. Using a password manager like 1Password can make all the difference to being secure online.

30. How to write a link

    Resource posted 4th November 2013 in Markdown and Search

    It is important to let your users know where a link will lead; the link text itself should contain a good indication as to where they’ll be taken.

31. How to write a link using Markdown

    Resource posted 4th November 2013 in Content and Markdown

    It’s all very well knowing the principles behind writing a link, but how do you actually write a one in your blog or other webpage?

32. What you see isn’t what you get

    Resource posted 30th August 2013 in Content

    On the web, what you see isn’t always what you get. This is why it’s so important to keep your focus on content, rather than how your website will loo

33. How headings work

    Resource posted 30th August 2013 in Content

    Headings break groups of paragraphs down into manageable and readable sections, which makes them easy to read. But are you using them correctly?

34. What is Markdown?

    Resource posted 24th August 2013 in Content and Markdown

    Markdown is a way of writing a document, but what’s so special about it? And what actually is it?

35. Markdown cheatsheet

    Resource posted 15th August 2013 in Content and Markdown

    Markdown is a brilliant way to write content for the web. Here’s a quick overview of the most commonly used Markdown, for your reference.

36. How can Twitter help my business?

    Resource posted 30th January 2013 in Marketing

    Twitter can be a way of making friends, getting human answers to questions and can even be a good income stream for your business!

37. iOS email set up

    Resource posted 16th January 2013 in Email

    Setting an email account up on your iOS device seems fairly straightforward but there are some details that are worth getting right.

38. Android email set up

    Resource posted 16th January 2013 in Email

    How to set up an email account on your Android device

39. Contact forms

    Resource posted 29th November 2012

    It might seem like a straightforward thing to add to your site but a simple contact form is surprisingly complicated little thing!

40. Do I need a CMS?

    Resource posted 20th November 2012 in Content

    A CMS (Content Management System) allows you to take control of the content on your website. Sounds like a no-brainer, but is it really the best optio

41. Should you go responsive?

    Resource posted 19th November 2012 in Accessibility

    Responsive web design is when the content of your website is laid out differently, depending on the size of the screen your visitor is using. Catering

42. Disability on the web

    Resource posted 3rd November 2012 in Accessibility

    Just like in ‘real’ life, your visitors come in all shapes and sizes. Inclusivity is—rightly—front and centre for businesses these days.

43. Calls to action

    Resource posted 3rd November 2012 in Content

    It’s no good hoping your visitors will guess what you want them to do. Let them know and you’ll see a massive difference in your website’s usefulness!

44. Links make the web go round

    Resource posted 9th September 2012 in Content

    Links are the founding principle on which the world wide web is based, but are you using them correctly?

45. Making the most of your blog posts

    Resource posted 3rd September 2012 in Content and Marketing

    Make the most of your blog posts! An article covering the various things there are to think about before writing and publishing your blog post.

46. Little by little

    Resource posted 28th August 2012 in Marketing and Website admin

    What’s the best way to approach your website updates? Little by little or wholesale change and a grand-unveiling?

47. Image alt text

    Resource posted 28th August 2012 in Accessibility and Content

    Useful ‘alt’ text on images will not only keep your visitors happy but has happy knock-on effect on your search engine ranking.

48. Like? Follow? No thanks!

    Resource posted 24th August 2012 in Content and Marketing

    This article will give you a valuable insight into the pros and cons of having social media buttons on your website.

49. Google Places

    Resource posted 18th August 2012 in Search

    Google Places is a great way to (literally!) put your business on the map. And like most things Google, it’s free!

50. CMS updates

    Resource posted 20th July 2012 in Website admin

    It’s important to keep your website up to date and this doesn’t just stop at the content that’s on there. It’s likely your site will incorporate some

51. Page descriptions

    Resource posted 21st May 2012 in Content, Meta-data and Search

    Each page of your website should have its own description that will be picked up by search engines and presented to the person who’s searching. In thi

52. Reduce spam

    Resource posted 3rd April 2012 in Website admin

    Webforms are great but they’re also a target for spam. You’ll be glad to know there’s an effective way to greatly reduce or even eliminate this!

53. Domain name renewals

    Resource posted 20th March 2012 in Website admin

    It’s not often that I feel compelled to have a rant, but today I really feel it’s necessary… I hope you see this as a warning, more than anything else

54. Google history and your ranking

    Resource posted 23rd February 2012 in Search

    If you’re using Google to see how your ranking is coming along with your keywords you may be coming up a rather large obstacle…

55. Facebook business pages

    Resource posted 22nd November 2011 in Marketing

    The first thing you should know about Facebook businesses pages is that they’re distinct from your normal Facebook profile.

56. Writing your website

    Resource posted 20th November 2011 in Content

    Writing the copy for your site is probably one of the most important jobs you’ll carry out for your website.

57. Domain names

    Resource posted 6th September 2011 in Brand and Website admin

    Deciding on your domain name (or URL) is an important starting point for any business when embarking on having a website built.

58. Older browsers

    Resource posted 26th August 2011 in Accessibility

    Some visitors to your site will use out of date browsers. Is it worth catering for these visitors? Here’s how to make an informed decision.

59. Why do I need a website?

    Resource posted 23rd August 2011 in Marketing

    Having a website is possibly the most comprehensive, cost effective marketing tool you can have.

60. What search engines want

    Resource posted 19th August 2011 in Marketing and Search

    Search Engines look for certain measurable things that they equate with a good user experience and can be divided into four broad categories.

61. Branded email

    Resource posted 17th August 2011 in Email and Marketing

    Branded email gives your business a professional feel and adds credibility to your brand. What is branded email? Read on!

62. Keywords

    Resource posted 14th August 2011 in Content and Search

    One type of optimisation that you yourself can make for search is a well thought out keyword strategy.

63. Do I need a mobile website?

    Resource posted 28th July 2011 in Accessibility

    One of the biggest changes in recent years has been the use of smartphones. How should your website cater for these devices?

64. What’s in a browser?

    Resource posted 27th July 2011 in Accessibility

    So what’s all this fuss about Internet Browsers? Maybe you, like a lot of people, you didn’t realise there was a choice…

65. Why should I blog?

    Resource posted 24th July 2011 in Marketing and Search

    There’s one massive reason why you should incorporate a blog on your website: Visitors!

66. Google+ what’s the fuss?

    Resource posted 19th July 2011 in Marketing

    Google+ is the next big social network. It has a lot of potential and is similar those we already know to be useable, but has some subtle differences.

67. The types of email

    Resource posted 15th July 2011 in Email

    There are two distinct ways of accessing your email: POP and IMAP. Here’s how to decide what’s the best for you!

68. QR Readers

    Resource posted 15th July 2011 in Marketing

    I’ve been having a (admittedly slightly belated) play with QR codes. QR stands for Quick Response code- scan it and it works its magic!

69. Google Analytics

    Resource posted 14th July 2011 in Marketing and Website admin

    Analytics are a great (and free!) way of seeing how all your hard work promoting your website is paying off…