Posts
Smart, Sharp, and Overlooked: Moves That Make Small Business Websites Great
A great small business website doesn’t have to be flashy. But it does have to be fast, clear, and built with intention. Too many small business sites end up bloated, vague, or simply underperforming — not because of bad design, but because of small missteps that stack up. If you’re building from scratch or giving your site a needed refresh, consider these seven often-overlooked strategies. Each one sharpens the page where it matters most: usability, visibility, and trust.
Image via The market doesn’t care if you’re a beloved local shop or a bootstrapped startup with passion to spare. When economic downturns hit, they don’t knock—they bulldoze. Customers become cautious. Budgets get tight. Every click matters, every scroll has to count, and your website suddenly goes from “nice-to-have” to the central engine of your business. The good news? You don’t need an enterprise war chest to make your site work smarter, harder, and more empathetically. You just need the right digital instincts and a willingness to rethink your online approach.
FearlessCMS Update
FearlessCMS has been in alpha for a few weeks now. I never got around to announcing it here. But we’re already on Alpha 2.
I expect to be on Alpha 2 for some time. I want other developers to start trying it out and developing for it. I want to create a good plugin and theme ecosystem for the CMS.
I also decided to add an export script to export to a static HTML/Javascript site, much like Hugo would create for you, even though it’s a full content management system, unlike Hugo.
GeekDown Markdown Editor
Yesterday, I published the first release of the GeekDown markdown editor. It’s version 0.0.1. This should indicate it is very early alpha software. With that being said, I am using it right now to write this post for the website. So while it’s alpha, it is useful in production.
Definitely do not expect everything to be perfect with this app, however. There are issues I definitely know about it.
FearlessCMS
I am currently working on FearlessCMS, a content management system that I will be using for new clients. I hope to have this in alpha by the end of May. It is a flat-file system, meaning it doesn’t connect to a SQL database. It uses markdown and saves to markdown files.
I feel it comes at a pivotal time, considering there is a lot of drama in the Wordpress community. I will continue to support Wordpress-based sites. But I do have to wonder about the future of Wordpress.
So I found out while I was in the program that it wasn’t necessarily for three months. Besides, my insurance would only cover 45 days.
It’s all good. I got the healing I needed for the time being. Now I’m ready to get to work on some awesome projects.
Development projects I was able to do while in treatment:
- A javascript CLI app for contacts, compiled with Bun
- A Mad Libs clone I call GeekyLibs
I’m also refreshing myself on Python. While I had learned that a while back, I never really did anything with it, and I do want to do something with Python.
Hi everyone! Well, interestingly, the same day I made my last post that said I was doing better, I had a bit of a meltdown and crisis later that day.
I spent a week in the hospital, and then was recommended for residential therapy at a local treatment program. This program also has an option for transitional housing at the end. This will be great since I’m at the shelter right now, and that takes a toll on me as it is. So I get the benefit of therapy and it’s a ticket out of the shelter.
Hi everyone! I had hoped to work on certain projects a bit more, but I pretty much needed a mental health break. I had several weeks where it was a struggle for me. So I didn’t focus on FearlessCMS or the other projects like I really wanted to.
January is generally a rough month for me anyway. Perhaps January should just be a month where I largely focus on my mental health going forward for me.
Well, it’s a new year! And a lot has changed! I have decided to redo my website. Honestly, it’s still in progress, but I wanted to go ahead and get something up as I took the old site down several months ago.
I have started my own new projects, but also looking for new clients in this new year.
I have made some changes in my life. I have moved to Salt Lake City, Utah! It’s a beautiful city with a thriving technology scene. I do miss Charlotte, but I needed a new start.