Web design, SEO and conversion
Plain-English notes on what actually moves the numbers for a website.
How to read a website speed test without panicking
A red 38 at the top of a PageSpeed report looks like a verdict. It's usually the least useful number on the page. Here's which parts of a speed test to read, what Google's pass marks actually are, and what to ignore.
How to tell whether your website was built badly
Owners judge an inherited site by how it looks, because that's the part you can see. The worst-built site I've opened this year looked completely fine and hadn't delivered an enquiry email in months.
Website integrations: what to connect first, and what to leave alone
A client had his enquiry form wired into a CRM, a spreadsheet, Slack and a welcome email. It was genuinely impressive. Five enquiries that month never arrived anywhere, and nobody had noticed.
Who actually owns your website, and why it's often not you
The domain, the DNS, the hosting and the Google profile are four separate accounts, and on most small business sites at least one of them is in someone else's name. You find out at the worst possible moment.
Conversion rate optimisation when you haven't got the traffic to test
Almost every CRO article assumes thousands of visitors a month. On a few hundred, the maths says you'd finish your first A/B test somewhere around 2028, so the job becomes something else entirely.
Migrating off WordPress in 2026: why, where to go, and what it actually costs
The security numbers got worse again, the hosting bill never shrinks, and the cost of rebuilding has collapsed. When to leave WordPress, when to stay, and where each kind of site should go.
Changing your domain name without losing what you've built
The search side of a domain change is well documented and mostly goes fine. The part that costs people money is email, and nobody puts it on the checklist.
How people actually shortlist a builder
A building client reads your website five times over three months, usually with someone else looking over their shoulder. A gallery of finished kitchens answers none of what they're worried about.
Plumber websites: your site won't win the emergency, and that's fine
Nobody reads a website with water coming through the ceiling. The money is in the jobs people sit on for months, and almost no plumber writes a word about those.
Redesigning your website without losing your rankings
The traffic drop after a rebuild is almost never the design's fault. It's a list of old addresses nobody wrote down before the old site was switched off.
Electrician websites: what actually gets the after-hours call
An electrician's site has two readers who want completely different things, and most sites are built for the wrong one. Here's what the 7pm caller reads before they ring.
Wix and Squarespace SEO: where the platform stops helping
Builder sites we take over almost always have their SEO settings filled in correctly. The ceiling is real, but it sits somewhere else entirely, and plenty of businesses never reach it.
Why your website isn't showing up on Google
Most sites we're told are invisible turn out to be indexed and ranking badly, which is a different problem with a different fix. The genuinely invisible ones are usually one leftover setting from build day.
Getting Google reviews without being weird about it
Most owners who say they can't get reviews are asking at the wrong moment, in the wrong way, or filtering who they ask. Fixing the timing does more than any request template.
Small business SEO: what to do first when you've got about an hour a week
Most small operators don't need a strategy. They need to know which four or five things to do first, and which ones they can safely ignore until the phone starts ringing.
Local SEO: the half that happens on your website
Fixing your Google Business Profile gets you into the map pack in one suburb. Getting into the next four is a job for your website, and most sites never even say where they work.
Tradie websites: what actually gets you the call
Most tradie websites lose the job in the first twenty seconds, and it's almost never the design's fault. Here's what we find when we open one on a phone, and what to fix first.
Why your website feels slow, and what it's quietly costing you
Slow sites lose enquiries before the phone ever rings. Here's what usually causes the lag when we audit a site, and the handful of things that actually fix it.
Does your business show up when customers ask ChatGPT?
More people are asking an AI assistant who to hire instead of scrolling Google. We started checking whether our clients get named. A lot don't yet.
Google Business Profile: where local customers actually find you
For most local businesses the map pack sends more enquiries than the website's homepage. Here's what we check on a Google Business Profile, and why it's usually the fastest win.
A faster, sharper Pagecog
We rebuilt our own site on the same stack we sell: a custom build on TanStack Start and Cloudflare, not a WordPress template, content written by an actual person.
Sanity CMS and headless web design: fast, custom sites
How we use Sanity CMS with a React or Next.js frontend and Vercel hosting to build fast sites that are easy to edit and built to last.
How to build an Australian eCommerce site with Shopify
How to build an online store with headless Shopify, and how we use it to give Australian businesses a faster, more flexible storefront.
Web design and development in Sydney: meet Pagecog
Need web design and development in Sydney? We build fast, custom sites that convert. Here's how we help Australian businesses grow online.
How to write good website content and keep it updated
Write clear, useful website content and keep it current. Writing tips, the SEO basics that matter, and how we help Australian businesses stay sharp online.
What custom website development actually costs in Australia
Real numbers on what custom website projects cost in Australia, where the money goes versus Wix, Squarespace and WordPress, and how Pagecog's monthly plans compare.
Custom website development in Australia: what to know before you build
Thinking about a custom website? Here's what it actually means, what to expect when you hire someone, what to avoid, and why we're a fast and upfront Australian team.
How to choose the right website development company in Australia
Most web dev companies look the same on the surface. Here's what actually separates a good one, what to ask, and why we might be the right fit for your next build.
How to create a website: a simple guide for beginners
Need a website but don't know where to start? A plain guide for Australian businesses, no fluff, just the steps that matter.
SEO basics: a plain guide
Getting found on Google comes down to a few things done well. Here's how SEO actually works, and what we set up for you so your site ranks.