[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":674},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-list":3},[4,132,254,392,541],{"id":5,"title":6,"body":7,"date":118,"description":119,"extension":120,"image":121,"imageAlt":122,"meta":123,"navigation":124,"path":125,"seo":126,"stem":127,"tags":128,"__hash__":131},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-mobile-first.md","Why mobile first is the way to go",{"type":8,"value":9,"toc":109},"minimark",[10,14,17,22,25,28,32,39,45,51,57,61,64,83,87,90,93,97,100],[11,12,13],"p",{},"When someone hears about your business, the first thing many of them do is look you up on their phone. They might be on the sofa, on the bus or standing outside your shop wondering whether you're open. If your website is awkward to use at that moment, they don't pinch and zoom. They go back and try the next result.",[11,15,16],{},"That's the whole case for mobile first, and it's why every site I build starts on a phone screen.",[18,19,21],"h2",{"id":20},"what-mobile-first-actually-means","What \"mobile first\" actually means",[11,23,24],{},"It means I design the small-screen version first, then scale it up for tablets and desktops. The opposite approach, designing a big desktop site and squashing it down afterwards, tends to leave you with tiny buttons, hidden menus and text you can't read without zooming.",[11,26,27],{},"Starting small forces the right questions. What does a visitor actually need? What's the one thing they should be able to do? Whatever survives that cut is what your site is really for.",[18,29,31],{"id":30},"four-reasons-it-matters-for-a-local-business","Four reasons it matters for a local business",[11,33,34,38],{},[35,36,37],"strong",{},"1. That's where your customers are."," People searching for local services, opening hours or directions are very often doing it on a phone. If the phone experience is the poor relation, you're letting down the people most likely to get in touch.",[11,40,41,44],{},[35,42,43],{},"2. Google looks at your mobile site first."," Google uses the mobile version of a site when it decides how to rank it. A site that works well on a phone is helping your search visibility, not just your visitors.",[11,46,47,50],{},[35,48,49],{},"3. It makes you say what matters."," There's no room on a small screen for waffle. Clear headings, a short description of what you do, and an obvious button to call or book. That clarity helps desktop visitors too.",[11,52,53,56],{},[35,54,55],{},"4. Faster pages for everyone."," Designing for a phone means keeping things light: sensible images, no clutter, nothing that makes a slow connection crawl. A quick site feels better to use on every device.",[18,58,60],{"id":59},"what-it-looks-like-in-practice","What it looks like in practice",[11,62,63],{},"For a local business, a good mobile site usually means:",[65,66,67,71,74,77,80],"ul",{},[68,69,70],"li",{},"Your phone number as a tap-to-call button, right at the top",[68,72,73],{},"Opening hours and address easy to find, not buried in a footer",[68,75,76],{},"A map link that opens straight in the visitor's maps app",[68,78,79],{},"Buttons big enough for a thumb, with space around them",[68,81,82],{},"Short sections and readable text without zooming",[18,84,86],{"id":85},"a-quick-test-you-can-do-right-now","A quick test you can do right now",[11,88,89],{},"Open your website on your phone and give yourself five seconds. Can you find your opening hours and phone number? Can you tap a button without hitting the wrong thing? Does the page load quickly on mobile data rather than Wi-Fi?",[11,91,92],{},"If any of those make you wince, it's costing you customers, and it's fixable.",[18,94,96],{"id":95},"where-wordpress-fits-in","Where WordPress fits in",[11,98,99],{},"I build every site on WordPress with custom fields, so you can change your hours, prices and photos yourself without calling a developer. Mobile first and easy to edit go together: a site that's simple to use on a phone is usually simple to keep up to date too.",[11,101,102,103,108],{},"If you'd like me to take a look at your current site, or build you a new one, I'd be happy to help. ",[104,105,107],"a",{"href":106},"#contact","Get in touch"," for a free, no-pressure quote.",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":112},"",2,[113,114,115,116,117],{"id":20,"depth":111,"text":21},{"id":30,"depth":111,"text":31},{"id":59,"depth":111,"text":60},{"id":85,"depth":111,"text":86},{"id":95,"depth":111,"text":96},"2026-10-08","Most local customers will see your website on their phone first. Here's why designing for mobile first gets you more enquiries.","md","\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-mobile-first.jpg","Someone tapping the screen of a phone",{},true,"\u002Fblog\u002Fwhy-mobile-first",{"title":6,"description":119},"blog\u002Fwhy-mobile-first",[129,130],"Mobile first","Websites","Z1NEz16S8UztyjSYM0hNsCujVQZ0FGqejNdoXbO88u8",{"id":133,"title":134,"body":135,"date":243,"description":244,"extension":120,"image":245,"imageAlt":246,"meta":247,"navigation":124,"path":248,"seo":249,"stem":250,"tags":251,"__hash__":253},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-brief-a-web-designer.md","How to brief a web designer, and get an accurate quote",{"type":8,"value":136,"toc":231},[137,140,143,147,150,154,157,161,164,168,171,175,178,182,185,189,192,196,199,203,220,224],[11,138,139],{},"If you've ever asked three web designers for a price and got three wildly different answers, you're not alone. Often the difference isn't about who's expensive. It's that each designer was guessing at what you wanted, because they weren't given enough to go on.",[11,141,142],{},"A little preparation makes quotes more accurate and the project smoother. Here's what to have ready.",[18,144,146],{"id":145},"_1-whats-the-site-for","1. What's the site for?",[11,148,149],{},"Be specific about the job you want it to do. \"To look professional\" is a start, but \"to get more enquiries from homeowners in Leigh\" or \"so customers can see my latest work\" gives the designer something to build around.",[18,151,153],{"id":152},"_2-who-are-your-customers","2. Who are your customers?",[11,155,156],{},"Who are they, what do they want to know, and how do they usually find you? A site for busy parents booking a service on their phone looks different to one for a business customer comparing suppliers.",[18,158,160],{"id":159},"_3-what-pages-and-features-do-you-think-you-need","3. What pages and features do you think you need?",[11,162,163],{},"A rough list is fine. For example: home, about, services, projects, contact. Mention anything more specific, such as a gallery, an online booking link, a map or a way to request a quote. Say what's essential and what would be nice to have, so the designer can price the essentials first.",[18,165,167],{"id":166},"_4-what-do-you-already-have","4. What do you already have?",[11,169,170],{},"Do you have a logo, brand colours, professional photos, written text? If not, that's fine, but it affects the plan. Content is the part that most often slows projects down, so decide early who will write it and take the photos.",[18,172,174],{"id":173},"_5-websites-you-like-and-dislike","5. Websites you like (and dislike)",[11,176,177],{},"Share two or three sites you like and say why. It might be the colours, the simplicity or the way a page is laid out. Examples of ones you dislike are just as helpful. They don't need to be in your industry.",[18,179,181],{"id":180},"_6-your-timeline","6. Your timeline",[11,183,184],{},"Is there a date you need it by? If there's a launch, an event or a busy season coming up, say so early so it can be planned in.",[18,186,188],{"id":187},"_7-your-budget","7. Your budget",[11,190,191],{},"It can feel awkward, but sharing a rough budget helps. A good designer will tell you what's realistic, or suggest a smaller first version if the full wish list doesn't fit. Without it, you may get a quote for something far bigger than you need.",[18,193,195],{"id":194},"_8-who-will-look-after-it-afterwards","8. Who will look after it afterwards?",[11,197,198],{},"Think about who will update the site, who handles hosting and your domain name, and what happens if something stops working. Ask each designer to spell out what's included and what's extra, so you can compare like for like.",[18,200,202],{"id":201},"questions-worth-asking-any-designer","Questions worth asking any designer",[65,204,205,208,211,214,217],{},[68,206,207],{},"What exactly is included in the price?",[68,209,210],{},"Who owns the website and the content when it's finished?",[68,212,213],{},"How many rounds of changes are included?",[68,215,216],{},"Can I edit the site myself afterwards?",[68,218,219],{},"What does ongoing support cost, and is it optional?",[18,221,223],{"id":222},"a-simple-way-to-start","A simple way to start",[11,225,226,227,230],{},"You don't need a formal document. A short email covering the points above is enough. Or just ",[104,228,229],{"href":106},"get in touch"," and tell me about your business. I'll ask the right questions and come back with a clear, friendly quote.",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":232},[233,234,235,236,237,238,239,240,241,242],{"id":145,"depth":111,"text":146},{"id":152,"depth":111,"text":153},{"id":159,"depth":111,"text":160},{"id":166,"depth":111,"text":167},{"id":173,"depth":111,"text":174},{"id":180,"depth":111,"text":181},{"id":187,"depth":111,"text":188},{"id":194,"depth":111,"text":195},{"id":201,"depth":111,"text":202},{"id":222,"depth":111,"text":223},"2026-09-30","A short list of what to have ready before you ask for a quote, so you get a fair price, a sensible timeline and a site that suits your business.","\u002Fblog\u002Fbrief-a-web-designer.jpg","A notebook headed Website brief next to a phone and coffee",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fhow-to-brief-a-web-designer",{"title":134,"description":244},"blog\u002Fhow-to-brief-a-web-designer",[130,252],"Small business","tb_Dl1kD6XXvJ8Q_fw9Rst1wuOyDJYfIScWidjZ_uo0",{"id":255,"title":256,"body":257,"date":381,"description":382,"extension":120,"image":383,"imageAlt":384,"meta":385,"navigation":124,"path":386,"seo":387,"stem":388,"tags":389,"__hash__":391},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwordpress-custom-fields-explained.md","WordPress custom fields: how you can edit your own site without breaking it",{"type":8,"value":258,"toc":373},[259,262,265,269,272,275,278,280,283,295,298,302,305,325,329,335,341,347,353,357,360,364,367],[11,260,261],{},"If you've ever been handed a website and told \"just log in and change it\", you'll know the worry. One wrong click and the layout breaks, a photo stretches, or half a page disappears. A lot of business owners end up leaving their site alone for years because they're afraid to touch it.",[11,263,264],{},"There's a better way to set a site up, and it's called custom fields.",[18,266,268],{"id":267},"what-are-custom-fields","What are custom fields?",[11,270,271],{},"Think of a website as having two parts: the design, and the content that goes into it. Custom fields keep those two apart.",[11,273,274],{},"Instead of editing a page in a big, open editor where you can accidentally move things around, you fill in a simple form. There's a box for your opening hours, a box for your phone number, a place to upload a photo, a list of prices you can add to. When you save, the site puts the information in the right place, in the right style, every time.",[11,276,277],{},"The tool I use for this is called Advanced Custom Fields, or ACF. It's widely used by professional WordPress developers.",[18,279,60],{"id":59},[11,281,282],{},"Say you're a caterer and you want to change this week's menu. With custom fields, you:",[284,285,286,289,292],"ol",{},[68,287,288],{},"Log in and open the Menu page",[68,290,291],{},"See a form with a heading, a list of dishes and a price for each",[68,293,294],{},"Change the text and press Update",[11,296,297],{},"That's it. You can't make the page look wrong, because the design isn't something you're editing.",[18,299,301],{"id":300},"what-you-can-usually-change-yourself","What you can usually change yourself",[11,303,304],{},"Depending on your site, I can set it up so you can update:",[65,306,307,310,313,316,319,322],{},[68,308,309],{},"Opening hours and contact details",[68,311,312],{},"Prices and service lists",[68,314,315],{},"Photos and galleries",[68,317,318],{},"Customer reviews and testimonials",[68,320,321],{},"Project pages, such as new jobs you've finished",[68,323,324],{},"Blog posts or news",[18,326,328],{"id":327},"why-its-better-than-a-typical-page-builder","Why it's better than a typical page builder",[11,330,331,334],{},[35,332,333],{},"It's harder to break."," The design is locked in, so you only change content.",[11,336,337,340],{},[35,338,339],{},"It's quicker."," A short form is faster than wrestling with a visual editor, especially on a phone.",[11,342,343,346],{},[35,344,345],{},"It keeps your site consistent."," Every project page, for example, looks the same, because they all use the same template.",[11,348,349,352],{},[35,350,351],{},"It's easier to hand over."," If a member of staff needs to update the site, there's very little to explain.",[18,354,356],{"id":355},"do-you-need-to-be-technical","Do you need to be technical?",[11,358,359],{},"No. If you can fill in an online form, you can edit a site built this way. I'll show you how it works when the site goes live, and I'm still around if you get stuck.",[18,361,363],{"id":362},"what-about-updates-and-security","What about updates and security?",[11,365,366],{},"WordPress, its plugins and ACF all need updating from time to time to stay secure and working properly. That's one of the things the optional monthly care plan covers, along with hosting and your domain name, so it doesn't land on your to-do list.",[11,368,369,370,372],{},"If you'd like a site that you can edit without the worry, ",[104,371,229],{"href":106}," and we can talk through what you'd want to be able to change.",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":374},[375,376,377,378,379,380],{"id":267,"depth":111,"text":268},{"id":59,"depth":111,"text":60},{"id":300,"depth":111,"text":301},{"id":327,"depth":111,"text":328},{"id":355,"depth":111,"text":356},{"id":362,"depth":111,"text":363},"2026-09-16","What \"custom fields\" means in plain English, and why it makes keeping your website up to date quick, safe and stress free.","\u002Fblog\u002Fwordpress-custom-fields.jpg","Hands typing on a laptop showing a simple form",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fwordpress-custom-fields-explained",{"title":256,"description":382},"blog\u002Fwordpress-custom-fields-explained",[390,130],"WordPress","T-tzJm2hjTIFbm1xmSZIlAC6iefNAYBKySvGea1cdj4",{"id":393,"title":394,"body":395,"date":530,"description":531,"extension":120,"image":532,"imageAlt":533,"meta":534,"navigation":124,"path":535,"seo":536,"stem":537,"tags":538,"__hash__":540},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-business-profile-for-local-businesses.md","Your free Google Business Profile, and how to get it working for you",{"type":8,"value":396,"toc":521},[397,400,404,407,411,414,452,456,459,463,466,469,480,484,487,491,494,508,512,515],[11,398,399],{},"When someone searches for a local business, the first thing they often see is a map with a few names under it, plus phone numbers, opening hours and reviews. That's your Google Business Profile, and it's free. If you haven't claimed yours, or you set it up years ago and never looked at it again, it's worth an hour of your time.",[18,401,403],{"id":402},"claim-it-first","Claim it first",[11,405,406],{},"Search for your business name on Google. If a profile already exists, there will be an option to claim or manage it. If not, you can create one from the Google Business Profile site. Google will ask you to verify that the business is yours, usually with a code by post, phone or email depending on your business.",[18,408,410],{"id":409},"fill-in-every-section","Fill in every section",[11,412,413],{},"Profiles that are complete tend to be more useful to customers, and a half-empty profile looks neglected. Check these:",[65,415,416,422,428,434,440,446],{},[68,417,418,421],{},[35,419,420],{},"Business name."," Use the name customers know you by, exactly as it appears on your sign or van. Don't stuff it with extra keywords.",[68,423,424,427],{},[35,425,426],{},"Category."," Pick the one that best describes your main service, then add a few others that genuinely apply.",[68,429,430,433],{},[35,431,432],{},"Opening hours."," Keep them right, including bank holidays. Wrong hours are one of the quickest ways to annoy a customer.",[68,435,436,439],{},[35,437,438],{},"Phone number and website."," Check the website link goes to a page that works properly on a phone.",[68,441,442,445],{},[35,443,444],{},"Service area."," If you travel to customers, list the areas you cover instead of publishing an address you'd rather keep private.",[68,447,448,451],{},[35,449,450],{},"Description."," Say what you do, who for and where, in plain language.",[18,453,455],{"id":454},"add-photos","Add photos",[11,457,458],{},"Real photos of your premises, your team and your work make a profile feel trustworthy. They don't need to be perfect. Clear, bright photos taken on a modern phone are fine. Add a few new ones now and again so the profile looks active.",[18,460,462],{"id":461},"reviews-matter-so-ask-for-them","Reviews matter, so ask for them",[11,464,465],{},"Most happy customers will leave a review if you ask and make it easy. The best time is right after a job goes well. Google gives you a direct link you can send by text or email, so there's no searching involved.",[11,467,468],{},"Some tips:",[65,470,471,474,477],{},[68,472,473],{},"Ask everyone, not just the customers you're sure will say yes",[68,475,476],{},"Reply to every review, good or bad, politely and briefly",[68,478,479],{},"Never offer discounts or favours in exchange for reviews, and never write your own. It's against Google's rules and customers can usually tell",[18,481,483],{"id":482},"keep-your-details-the-same-everywhere","Keep your details the same everywhere",[11,485,486],{},"Your name, address and phone number should match across your website, your profile, Facebook and any directories you're listed in. Small differences, like \"Rd\" in one place and \"Road\" in another, can confuse both people and search engines, so it's worth picking a format and sticking to it.",[18,488,490],{"id":489},"make-your-website-match","Make your website match",[11,492,493],{},"Your profile gets people to your door, and your website helps them decide. Make sure your site:",[65,495,496,499,502,505],{},[68,497,498],{},"Loads quickly and reads well on a phone",[68,500,501],{},"Shows your phone number, address and opening hours clearly",[68,503,504],{},"Has a page that describes each of your main services",[68,506,507],{},"Mentions the areas you cover, such as Leigh and the surrounding towns",[18,509,511],{"id":510},"a-five-minute-monthly-habit","A five-minute monthly habit",[11,513,514],{},"Once a month, open your profile, check your hours, reply to any new reviews and add a photo if you have one. That small routine keeps it accurate and active.",[11,516,517,518,520],{},"If you'd like help getting your website and your profile working together, ",[104,519,229],{"href":106},".",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":522},[523,524,525,526,527,528,529],{"id":402,"depth":111,"text":403},{"id":409,"depth":111,"text":410},{"id":454,"depth":111,"text":455},{"id":461,"depth":111,"text":462},{"id":482,"depth":111,"text":483},{"id":489,"depth":111,"text":490},{"id":510,"depth":111,"text":511},"2026-09-02","Many local customers find you on Google Maps before they ever see your website. Here's how to set up and look after your free profile.","\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-business-profile.jpg","Someone holding a phone showing a map in front of a shop",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fgoogle-business-profile-for-local-businesses",{"title":394,"description":531},"blog\u002Fgoogle-business-profile-for-local-businesses",[539,252],"Local SEO","5jgvzS73Qg1Y4W5uYATIyqISNaUqOeJW9EyQK4FFSvI",{"id":542,"title":543,"body":544,"date":664,"description":665,"extension":120,"image":666,"imageAlt":667,"meta":668,"navigation":124,"path":669,"seo":670,"stem":671,"tags":672,"__hash__":673},"blog\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-a-small-business-website-needs.md","What a small business website actually needs",{"type":8,"value":545,"toc":657},[546,549,552,556,562,568,574,580,586,592,596,613,617,620,623,627,630,641,644,648,651],[11,547,548],{},"Plenty of small business websites try to say everything and end up saying nothing. Others are so thin that a customer can't tell what you do or how to reach you. The right answer sits in the middle, and it's shorter than most people expect.",[11,550,551],{},"Here's what I'd put on a local business website, and what I'd leave off.",[18,553,555],{"id":554},"the-essentials","The essentials",[11,557,558,561],{},[35,559,560],{},"What you do, in one sentence."," Someone should know within a few seconds whether you can help them. \"Family-run plumbing and heating in Leigh\" beats \"Welcome to our website\".",[11,563,564,567],{},[35,565,566],{},"Where you work."," If you cover Leigh and the towns around it, say so. It helps customers and it helps search engines understand who your site is for.",[11,569,570,573],{},[35,571,572],{},"How to get in touch."," A phone number that can be tapped on a mobile, an email address and a simple enquiry form. Put them at the top and again at the bottom, so nobody has to hunt.",[11,575,576,579],{},[35,577,578],{},"Proof that you're good."," A few real reviews, photos of your work, or the names of customers who are happy for you to mention them. This does more than any amount of clever wording.",[11,581,582,585],{},[35,583,584],{},"Opening hours and address."," If customers visit you, this is often the first thing they look for. Make it easy to find.",[11,587,588,591],{},[35,589,590],{},"A clear next step."," Every page should lead somewhere: call, book, request a quote. If a visitor finishes reading and has nothing to click, you've lost them.",[18,593,595],{"id":594},"things-you-can-leave-off","Things you can leave off",[65,597,598,601,604,607,610],{},[68,599,600],{},"A long \"about us\" history that nobody asked for. Two or three friendly sentences about who you are is plenty.",[68,602,603],{},"A page for every tiny service. Group them sensibly.",[68,605,606],{},"Stock photos of handshakes. Real photos of you, your team and your work are better, even if they're taken on a phone.",[68,608,609],{},"A news section you'll never update. An old date at the top of your latest news makes a business look closed.",[68,611,612],{},"Music, pop-ups and sliders that move on their own. They slow the site down and annoy people.",[18,614,616],{"id":615},"how-many-pages-do-you-need","How many pages do you need?",[11,618,619],{},"It depends on the business. A single well-designed page can be enough for a business that just needs to be found and contacted. A builder or tradesperson with project work to show usually benefits from a few pages: home, about, services, projects and contact. Something more complex, like an estate agent with property listings, needs a custom build.",[11,621,622],{},"Start with what your customers need to know, then pick the number of pages that fits. Not the other way round.",[18,624,626],{"id":625},"a-quick-self-check","A quick self-check",[11,628,629],{},"Ask someone who doesn't know your business to look at your site for ten seconds on their phone, then tell you:",[284,631,632,635,638],{},[68,633,634],{},"What do we do?",[68,636,637],{},"Where do we work?",[68,639,640],{},"How would they get in touch?",[11,642,643],{},"If they can't answer all three, that's the first thing to fix.",[18,645,647],{"id":646},"keep-it-easy-to-update","Keep it easy to update",[11,649,650],{},"A site is only useful if it's accurate. Opening hours change, prices go up, you finish a new project. That's why I build every site on WordPress with custom fields, so you can update the important bits yourself without waiting for a developer.",[11,652,653,654,656],{},"If you'd like a second opinion on your current site, or you're starting from scratch, ",[104,655,229],{"href":106}," and I'll give you honest, friendly advice.",{"title":110,"searchDepth":111,"depth":111,"links":658},[659,660,661,662,663],{"id":554,"depth":111,"text":555},{"id":594,"depth":111,"text":595},{"id":615,"depth":111,"text":616},{"id":625,"depth":111,"text":626},{"id":646,"depth":111,"text":647},"2026-08-19","A simple checklist of what to put on your website, what to leave off, and how to tell whether it's doing its job.","\u002Fblog\u002Fsmall-business-website.jpg","A notebook with a website layout sketched next to a checklist of pages",{},"\u002Fblog\u002Fwhat-a-small-business-website-needs",{"title":543,"description":665},"blog\u002Fwhat-a-small-business-website-needs",[130,252],"xD7Uy6UbOyiCcDB2WeMUdvfytTKJ7ogXlX9OlIIZTlc",1792019791870]