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Plain-English guides for small-business owners. Search or browse by topic.

First Impressions in Web Design: What Visitors Judge First
DesignFirst Impressions in Web Design: What Visitors Judge FirstVisitors decide in seconds whether your website feels trustworthy. Here is what they judge first and how to…
How to Choose a CMS for a Small Business Website
Build & platformsHow to Choose a CMS for a Small Business WebsiteWhat a content management system (CMS) is, how WordPress, Wix, Squarespace and Drupal differ, and five…
Color in Web Design: How to Pick a Website Palette
DesignColor in Web Design: How to Pick a Website PaletteHow to choose website colors that match your brand, stay readable and work on phones: a simple 3-color…
Website Navigation vs Sitemaps: What's the Difference?
Build & platformsWebsite Navigation vs Sitemaps: What's the Difference?Navigation helps people move around your site; a sitemap helps search engines find every page. What each one…
How to Get More Website Visitors Without Paid Ads
Get found & growHow to Get More Website Visitors Without Paid AdsPractical ways for a small business to get more website visitors for free: search basics, your Google…
Does Your Website Need a Privacy Policy?
Website basicsDoes Your Website Need a Privacy Policy?When a small-business website needs a privacy policy, what it should cover, and why analytics, forms and…
Email Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Get found & growEmail Marketing Tips for Small BusinessesSimple email marketing tips for small businesses: build a real list, write emails people open, follow…
Google Analytics for Beginners: What to Check First
Get found & growGoogle Analytics for Beginners: What to Check FirstA beginner's guide to Google Analytics 4 for small-business websites: setup, the few reports that matter, and…
On-Page SEO Tips: Optimize Each Page, Then the Site
Get found & growOn-Page SEO Tips: Optimize Each Page, Then the SiteOn-page SEO basics for small-business websites: titles, headings, content, links and speed for each page,…
Google Algorithm Updates: How to Stay Safe and Recover
Get found & growGoogle Algorithm Updates: How to Stay Safe and RecoverWhat Google algorithm updates are, why rankings move, and a calm checklist for small businesses to stay safe…
Why Does My Website Say 'Not Secure'?
Website basicsWhy Does My Website Say 'Not Secure'?What the 'Not secure' warning means, the usual causes (no HTTPS, expired certificate, mixed content) and how…
Flash Websites: What Happened and How to Replace One
Build & platformsFlash Websites: What Happened and How to Replace OneWhy Flash websites stopped working, what replaced Flash (HTML5, CSS and JavaScript), and how to rebuild an…
CSS Transitions Explained, With Simple Examples
Build & platformsCSS Transitions Explained, With Simple ExamplesWhat the CSS transition property does, its four parts (property, duration, timing function, delay), simple…