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Insights

Notes worth your time.

Plain-English tips on websites, SEO, and running a small business online in Kansas City. No jargon, no fluff, just the stuff that helps you make a better call.

Latest

A frustrated man pinching the bridge of his nose, the way a bad website makes visitors feel
Web Design

5 Signs Your Website Is Quietly Losing You Customers

Nobody emails to tell you they gave up on your website. Here are the five failures that cost you customers silently, and how to check for each one in about ten minutes.

7 min read
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A laptop with diagrams and notes on a cafe table, set up for planning a website build
Web Design

WordPress or a Custom-Built Site? How to Choose

WordPress powers a huge share of the web, but it is not always the right call. Here is the honest comparison of WordPress versus a custom-built site, and how to tell which one fits your business.

7 min read
A small business website displayed on a laptop screen in an office
Web Design

Web Designer vs. DIY Site Builder: What's Right for a KC Small Business?

Wix and Squarespace make building your own site look easy, and sometimes DIY really is the right call. Here is the honest tradeoff versus hiring a web designer, and how to tell which fits your business.

7 min read
A man waiting for a small business website to load on his phone outside a storefront
Web Design

Why Website Speed Matters, and How to Tell If Yours Is Too Slow

Your site feels fast to you because your browser cached it. Here is the real test, the number Google cares about, and what to do if your site is on the wrong side of it.

6 min read
A small business owner meeting with a web designer to discuss a project
Web Design

Hiring a Web Designer in Kansas City: 8 Questions to Ask First

The right questions beat a pretty portfolio. Here are the 8 things to ask any web designer before you sign, and what a good answer actually sounds like.

7 min read
A small business owner writing a blog post on a laptop at their desk
SEO

Does Your Small Business Actually Need a Blog? (And How to Prove It Works)

Everyone says your small business should have a blog. Here is the honest answer: when it is worth it, when it is not, and how to measure whether yours actually works.

6 min read
A smiling Kansas City small business owner working on a laptop outside their shop
Web Design

How Much Does a Website Cost in Kansas City?

Wondering what a website really costs in Kansas City? Here are honest 2026 ranges for small business sites, and the things that actually move the price up or down.

7 min read
A small business website open on a desktop in a Kansas City web design studio
Web Design

Web Design in Kansas City: Do You Need a Static Site or a CMS?

Meet TJ Slade, your Kansas City web designer, and get a plain-English answer to the first question I ask every client: does your business need a static site or a CMS?

6 min read

What I write about

Topics worth your time.

Web design & development

How to build a site that actually works for your business, and what separates a good one from a template.

SEO & getting found

Plain-English ways to show up when Kansas City customers search for what you do.

Pricing & planning

What a website really costs, how to budget for it, and how to avoid paying for things you'll never use.

Running a business online

Practical tips on content, email, and turning your website into something that brings in real work.

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