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Everyone says PHP is dead. Meanwhile, 77% of the web runs on it and local shops keep choosing it over trendier options. Here's why.
PHP runs 77% of the internet, costs almost nothing to host, and doesn't send you a subscription renewal email. Here's why boring tech wins.
A real story about building a custom supply chain management system in PHP for a Bay Area food distributor - what worked, what broke, and what it actually cost.
Everyone assumes small businesses need MySQL or Postgres on a managed server. SQLite handles more than you think - and costs nothing to run.
Your Google listing is basically a dating profile - and yours needs work. A step-by-step guide to local SEO basics that actually get you found.
Webflow is excellent for a lot of businesses. But there's a specific point where custom code wins - and most people cross it without realizing.
A custom CMS for your small business means a dashboard built around your workflow - not a template's idea of it. Here's what it costs and how it works.
Most small businesses use 4-6 AI tools daily without reading a single privacy policy. Here's a free 30-minute audit checklist that replaces the $15K consultant.
Most small businesses pay for 14 features and use two. A smarter SaaS tool alternative approach saves money and actually works better.
A practical guide to spotting AI-written competitor blogs - and what their shortcuts reveal about where your own content strategy should go next.
Your site's search bar is decorative. A chatbot trained on your own content actually answers customer questions - here's how it works and what it costs.
A step-by-step guide to building AI agent workflows that handle real busywork - without enterprise software or a six-figure budget.
You're paying for 14 SaaS tools. You use three. Here's what happens when a small business owner finally audits the credit card statement.
Most A/B testing advice assumes enterprise traffic. Here's how to actually run useful tests when your site gets hundreds of visits, not hundreds of thousands.
The Cheesecake Factory has a 21-page menu and nobody calls it the best at anything. Here's why your content marketing small business strategy shouldn't look like that either.
Regular SEO and local SEO are different games with different rules. Here's how to set up local SEO for your small business in 2026, step by step.
A squirrel dad vibe-coded the #1 App Store hit alone. Here's how one person business dev setups actually work when nobody's watching.
Most small businesses grab Typeform or HubSpot for their signup forms. A custom-coded alternative tripled conversions for a Bay Area dental office.
Twenty years of solo developer lessons distilled into the stuff nobody puts in their LinkedIn posts. Freelance truths, told with dice rolls.
Most florists pay $80-100/month for website platforms that rank poorly in local search. Here's the alternative approach that actually books weddings.
Platform fees are eating your margins alive. Printify lets you sell custom products with zero inventory and keep more of your money.
Most service businesses skip case studies entirely. A simple case study site template changes how prospects evaluate you before the first call.
Most salon booking platforms charge $60-110/mo. Square Appointments charges nothing for solo operators. Here's what that actually looks like in practice.
Most Bay Area landscapers pay $150+/mo for platforms that bury their work. A basic custom site with real project photos outperforms all of them.
Every restaurant has a junk drawer of disconnected tech. Here's how POS integration actually fixes that - with real pricing, real tools, and zero hype.
Most small business websites are quietly failing Google's Core Web Vitals. Here's how to diagnose the problem and fix it before lunch.
No-code tools are popular for good reasons. But once you hit their walls, the monthly fees keep climbing while your options shrink.
The monthly fee isn't the expensive part. AI vendor lock-in is - and most small businesses don't see it until they try to leave.
I went through a client's SaaS subscriptions tool by tool. $220/month across seven platforms. Two did the same thing. One hadn't been opened since October.
Most AI content workflows produce generic slop. Here's a step-by-step guide to building an honest ai content workflow that keeps your voice intact.
Most website chatbots are a search bar in a trench coat. Tidio Lyro trains on your actual FAQ so it stops guessing and starts helping.
Zapier connects apps. AI actually thinks through tasks. Here are five workflows where the difference matters for small businesses.
You're paying monthly for software you barely open. Here's when to buy once and walk away - and when the subscription actually earns its keep.
Most conversion audit guides assume you have a CRO team and $3K/month in tools. Here's the version that works with a browser, a Saturday, and zero budget.
Everyone says social media is where the customers are. For most small businesses, a simple email newsletter crushes it on ROI, reach, and actual revenue.
Most businesses build geo landing pages wrong - churning out 50 thin city pages. Here's how to build fewer pages that actually rank and convert.
Every solo dev has a chaotic toolbelt that actually works. Here's what's happening in freelance dev tools right now - and why the weird picks matter.
Most small warehouses pay $150-300/month for inventory software they half-use. Here's what happened when one switched to a custom inventory management system build that cost less than a year of subscr...
A $2K bug, a panicking bakery owner, and the pre-launch checklist that now lives rent-free in my head. Here's what went wrong and what I check every single time now.
Bandcamp takes 10-15% of every sale. Big Cartel gives musicians a simple website with zero revenue cuts - free for up to 5 products.
Solo founder reflects on 20+ years of code — from writing 200 VB6 bots for Yahoo Pool forums at age 14 to building production AI systems for small businesses today. Why AI disruption is the same old...
Template stores are the frozen lasagna of e-commerce. Here's what custom ecommerce bay area shops are actually building - and why it tastes better.
Most financial advisor websites look great and violate SEC rules on day one. Here's what compliance actually requires and who builds for it.
HIPAA compliance for therapist websites has been turned into a $400/month industry. Here's what it actually requires and what it should cost.
Lead-gen platforms charge contractors $30-80 per lead. A single well-built site can replace all three - here's the tool that makes it practical.
Your restaurant's napkins are the perfect shade of off-white. Your website still shows hours from 2022. Square Online fixes that for $0.
A $5/month VPS runs a Fremont cabinet shop doing $412K a year. The boring stack outperforms SaaS for most small businesses - here's the math.
ADA lawsuits targeting small business websites are surging. Here's a step-by-step guide to making yours accessible before a lawyer makes it expensive.
No-code platforms are a $21 billion market. But the real question isn't which is better - it's which is cheaper for YOUR specific situation.
WordPress runs 43% of the web. But for a lot of small businesses, a custom website does the same job for less money and zero plugin headaches.
Most small businesses feed their customer data into ChatGPT without a second thought. There's a free tool that runs AI entirely on your own machine.
A real look at how to build inventory management system software from scratch - 6,700 files, one developer, and why custom beat the $400/mo SaaS stack.
Most chatbot widgets answer questions nobody asked. Here's what happens when you build a custom AI chatbot trained on your actual business - with real numbers from real installs.
If you're asking 'do I need a website for my small business,' the answer is yes - and the cost of not having one is probably higher than you think.
A dental office manager burns 90 minutes a day on tasks an AI could handle in seconds. Here's the $49/month agent tool I keep installing for small shops.
One solo operator ran AI content creation for six months straight. Here's the real cost, the real output, and whether it's worth your time.
A fully custom-coded landing page with a trained AI chatbot, $500 one-time. No subscription, no template. Here is what is in it and how it stacks up against Wix, Framer, and agencies.
Framer is a powerful DIY website builder - but when does a Sunnyvale small business actually need a local web developer instead? An honest comparison with real pricing.
Most small business websites lose leads at 9 PM when nobody's answering. An AI chatbot changes that math entirely.
What to actually look for when you search 'web developer for small business near me' - and how to avoid the expensive mistakes most owners make.
Thryv just launched AI Lead Flow for small businesses. Here's an honest breakdown of what it does, what it costs, and who should skip it.
OpenAI killed Sora. Google VEO stepped up. Here's how real small businesses are using an ai video generator to make content that actually converts.
Most social tools cost $20-80/month forever and still leave you doing 90% of the work. The Full Setup package is $1,500 one-time, you own it, and it actually replaces the workflow.
Most Bay Area small businesses have a website nobody finds. Google Business Profile is the free tool that fixes that - here's exactly how to use it.
How a Bay Area property services company went from a broken WordPress site to a custom web app in 14 days - and doubled their monthly leads.
Most small business websites lose leads after hours. An AI chatbot for small business website changes that - here's how it actually works, what it costs, and whether it's worth it.
Most AI tools overpromise and underdeliver. Here are the ones that actually work for small businesses - with real pricing, real examples, and zero hype.
Google Veo is now inside Google Vids with AI video generation, avatars, and music. Here's what it actually means for small business owners in 2026.
Bay Area small businesses deserve websites built by people who know the market. Here's why local beats remote - and what it actually costs in 2026.
A real custom web application case study showing how a small auto parts exporter replaced spreadsheets with a built-to-fit inventory system - and saw 11% more sales.
Most small businesses slap a QR code on a flyer and hope for the best. Here's how to actually track what happens after the scan - and why it matters more than you think.
Comparing Tidio, Intercom, and custom-built AI chatbots for small business websites - real pricing, real use cases, and what actually works.
Your website might look fine to you - but your customers are bouncing. Here's how to tell if your small business site is quietly costing you thousands.
A real look at Make.com - the AI automation tool I set up for plumbers, salons, and HVAC companies - and whether it's worth your money.
Most AI automation for small business is overhyped nonsense. Here's what actually saves time and money for real owners - tested by a developer who builds it.
What building an AI trading bot taught me about ai automation for small business - and why the same principles apply to your HVAC company or bakery.
New AI rules are hitting at the federal and state level. Here's what matters if you run a plumbing company, a bakery, or a med spa - not a Fortune 500.
Most small business owners think AI tools cost thousands. The real numbers tell a very different story - and some of the best tools cost nothing at all.
Most small business landing pages look fine but produce nothing. Here's how to build one that turns visitors into paying customers - step by step.
Most small business owners pay for ChatGPT and use 10% of it. Here's an honest comparison of ChatGPT and Claude - and which one actually fits how you work.