Journal. Notes from the work.
Practical writing for owners and operators: what we learned building websites, dashboards and hosting, and what we would do again.
- Accessibility
Accessibility overlays don't fix your site
A script that adds an accessibility toolbar doesn't change the code that fails. Fix the source, check it every morning, and keep a record of what you fixed.
4 min read - Process
How we scope a project in one page
Before we write any code, we write one page: the problem, the idea, what's in, what's out and the note we'll send on launch day. If it doesn't fit on a page, it's two projects.
4 min read - Operations
The card-fee audit nobody runs
Card fees sit on every store's statement and rarely get compared. Work out each store's effective rate, line it up against its brand, and you'll know what to ask your processor.
4 min read - Hosting
What “ready” means for a standby server
A standby server only helps if it can serve your site the moment you need it. We call a site ready when both servers serve the same page, and we check every minute.
4 min read - Websites
QR codes that outlive the poster
A printed QR code is permanent. Where it points shouldn't be. Put a short link you control between the two, and a reprint stops being the fix for a broken link.
3 min read - Operations
One set of numbers for every store
When each brand runs its own point-of-sale system, comparing two stores takes an afternoon. Joining them is mostly about definitions, names and timestamps, not charts.
3 min read - Websites
Every location deserves its own page
A single locations list is easy to build and hard to find. One page per store, with its own hours, menu, map and structured data, does more for search and for the person standing on the corner.
4 min read
Have something that should work better?
Tell us what is getting in the way. A person reads it and replies within two business days.