✦ Blog

Website essentials articles.

Plain-English guides to owning and running a business website: domains, backups, security, budgets and choosing the right people to work with.

Illustration of a simple world map with clock markers showing overlapping working hours between time zones, beside a workflow icon. Website essentials

· 5 min read

Working with a web development team in India: a practical guide

Practical points for working with a web development team in India: time zones and overlap hours, communication, contracts, access and starting small.

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Illustration of two side-by-side comparison columns weighing capacity, skills mix, continuity and communication, with a briefcase icon. Website essentials

· 5 min read

Freelance web developer or agency: how to choose

A neutral guide to choosing a freelance web developer or an agency: capacity, skills mix, continuity, communication, contract points and questions to ask.

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Dark illustration of four side-by-side cards labelled shared hosting, VPS, edge platform and full cloud, with a server icon above them. Website essentials

· 6 min read

Shared, VPS, edge or cloud: choosing the right website hosting

A plain comparison of shared hosting, VPS, edge platforms and full cloud infrastructure, with the trade-offs and the kind of site each one suits.

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Dark illustration of a consent settings card with toggles for necessary, analytics and advertising cookies and a cookie icon. Website essentials

· 7 min read

Cookie consent and GDPR: a practical guide for small websites

What UK and EU cookie consent generally requires, how to make your banner control tags, Google Consent Mode v2 and keeping banners fast. Not legal advice.

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Dark illustration of a timeline card with a magnifying glass and steps labelled inventory, analytics, integrations and benchmarks. Website essentials

· 5 min read

How to audit your website before a redesign

A step-by-step pre-redesign audit: content inventory, redirect map, visitor drop-off, forms and integrations, speed benchmarks and team interviews.

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Dark illustration of stacked cards for DNS records, email authentication and HTTPS, topped with a shield icon. Website essentials

· 6 min read

DNS, SSL and HSTS explained for business website owners

What the main DNS records do, how SPF, DKIM and DMARC protect your email, how HTTPS and HSTS work, and the risks of HSTS preload.

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Dark illustration of a monthly checklist card with a wrench icon and ticked rows for updates, backups, monitoring and support hours. Website essentials

· 5 min read

Website maintenance retainers: what to include each month

What a website maintenance retainer should cover, how it differs by platform, response times to agree and the questions to ask before signing.

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Illustration of three website quotes compared line by line, with ticks and crosses for content, SEO migration and training Website essentials

· 5 min read

How to compare website quotes when the prices are miles apart

Three agencies, three very different prices. How to make website quotes comparable, the questions to ask, and the red flags to watch for.

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Illustration of a password manager vault and a phone showing a two-factor code, protected by a shield Website essentials

· 5 min read

Password managers and two-factor authentication: security basics for small teams

Most small-business breaches start with a reused password or a convincing email. A practical security set-up your team can finish in an afternoon.

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