Practical website guides
Plain-English guidance about choosing, improving and promoting a website. Start with the decision in front of you, not the technology behind it.
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The guide library
Search by the question you have or narrow the collection by subject. Every guide is written to help you make a practical choice.
23 resources shown
Complicated setup, recurring costs, email privacy and the work behind sending quotes. A practical look at the drawbacks, with examples and a simpler alternative.
Reviewed 13 October 2026
Read the guideGood UX is rarely about ticking boxes or copying what another site is doing - it comes from making sensible decisions that help people find what they…
Reviewed 28 April 2026
Read the guideYou launched your website. You search for your business name on Google and nothing comes up. That can feel wrong, but it’s completely expected with a new…
Reviewed 15 April 2026
Read the guideA strong FAQ section should help people make a decision, not just fill space on a page. This piece shows how to find the questions clients actually…
Reviewed 15 April 2026
Read the guideMost weak calls to action are not a copy problem - they are a usability problem, usually appearing too early, too late or with too little context.…
Reviewed 10 April 2026
Read the guideMost business sites do not need a long list of WordPress plugins, but they do need the right ones doing the right jobs. This piece cuts through…
Reviewed 4 April 2026
Read the guideMost clients do not care whether a site is built with Gutenberg, Kadence or something more bespoke - they care whether it is quick, easy to manage…
Reviewed 1 April 2026
Read the guideVisitors use your navigation to work out where to go next, not to admire your menu. This article shows how clearer labels, sensible page depth, and familiar…
Reviewed 31 March 2026
Read the guideYou do not need a technical checklist to spot why a website feels off - you need a clearer way to look at it. This piece walks…
Reviewed 28 April 2026
Read the guideA slow website is not always a design problem - weak hosting, the wrong server setup, or bargain hardware can do just as much damage to speed,…
Reviewed 27 March 2026
Read the guideA site can look polished and still feel slow, jumpy or awkward once real people start using it. This piece explains Core Web Vitals in plain English,…
Reviewed 26 March 2026
Read the guideSchema helps Google and AI systems read your site more clearly, but it is not a magic fix for weak content or a muddled structure. This article…
Reviewed 25 March 2026
Read the guideIf your WordPress site feels slow and the first suggestion is “add a cache plugin”, this checklist will help you see what is actually causing the drag.…
Reviewed 16 March 2026
Read the guideMost SEO problems are baked in before anyone touches a plugin or writes a line of code. This guide covers what web designers need to think about…
Reviewed 8 March 2026
Read the guideHow web design shapes SEO - covering site structure, rendering, performance, mobile design, and accessibility. The design decisions that affect whether search engines can find, read, and…
Reviewed 2 March 2026
Read the guideWhy adding a phrase is not enough, how Google discovers and evaluates pages, and how to decide whether to improve an existing page or create a useful…
Reviewed 3 September 2026
Read the guideAI is already part of modern web design, whether you asked for it or not. Used well, it can speed up the boring bits and help you…
Reviewed 25 February 2026
Read the guideIn 2026, the platform decision usually comes down to a trade-off: launch speed now versus control later. SaaS website builders are quick and tidy, but you rent…
Reviewed 20 February 2026
Read the guideA good-looking homepage is not the same thing as a good website. In 2026, your site is judged by outcomes: can real people find what they need…
Reviewed 17 April 2026
Read the guideWebsite planning is the part most people skip, yet it decides almost everything that follows. When planning is rushed or ignored, problems appear later as slow performance,…
Reviewed 9 February 2026
Read the guideFor many people, the first sign is a short email from their hosting provider. It usually says something vague about email delivery changes or external access. Most…
Reviewed 18 February 2026
Read the guideLondon has no shortage of web designers. The hard part is picking one who builds something that works, not just something that looks fine on launch day.…
Reviewed 28 April 2026
Read the guideGoogle tends to reward pages that feel fast and stable for real people. That is the key word - feel. It is not just “how quickly the…
Reviewed 12 January 2026
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Using this library
No. They are written mainly for business owners and people responsible for a website. Technical detail is included only when it helps you compare an option, avoid a risk or ask a better question.
A guide explains the general decision and common trade-offs. Your goals, current website, budget, data and technical constraints can change the right answer. Send Ernest the website address if you want the information applied to your situation.
Each migrated guide carries a reviewed date. Material is checked and revised when the recommendation, platform or evidence changes materially. A date is kept visible so you can judge whether a time-sensitive detail needs confirming.
Yes. Send the question and explain what you are trying to decide. Recurring, useful questions can become new guides, while a question specific to one website may be answered directly.
Your website is not a generic example
Send the address and the decision, task or result you are dealing with. Ernest will tell you what kind of help fits.
