Ideas, Insights, and Occasionally Opinions.
Web design, AI, SEO, and the business of the web. Plus music, photography, and the odd idea that has no business working but does anyway. Twenty-some years in, we stopped pretending those were separate jobs.
What's Next for Live Web Studios: A Look at the Year Ahead
2026 has been a year of change at LWS. Here's where we've been, what we learned, and what we're building toward.
LWS News
AI Consulting for Small Business: What It Is and Whether You Need It
Everyone's talking about AI. Most owners have no idea where to start, and the advice ranges from useful to confusing. Here's a ground-level view.
AI & AutomationRunning a Business Online
Why We're Moving Away From WordPress (And What We're Moving To)
After 23 years of building WordPress sites, we're moving to a modern AI-built stack. The honest reason why, and what it means if you're a client.
WordPress & MigrationLWS News
Understanding Your Website Analytics: A 5-Minute Guide for Business Owners
Analytics dashboards look intimidating. But you only need a handful of numbers to know whether your website is actually working. Here's the short version.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
Local SEO in 2026: How to Get Found by Customers in Your Area
If you serve a local area, you're playing a different game than the national brands. Here's how local SEO works in 2026, and what to do about it.
SEO & Local Search
Let's Talk About Styles
Two clients, two businesses, the same photo on both Facebook pages. Nine real web design styles, and why AI can't pick the right one for you.
Web Design
The Case for Decluttering Your Website: Less Really Is More in 2026
More pages, more content, more features. It sounds like more value. It's usually the opposite. Why the best sites in 2026 do less, and do it better.
Web DesignRunning a Business Online
What AI Can (and Can't) Do for Your Small Business Website
AI is everywhere right now. So are the claims. What AI actually does, and doesn't do, when it comes to building and maintaining your website.
AI & Automation
Why Your Website Needs a Blog (Even If You Think You Have Nothing to Say)
"I'm a plumber, not a writer." Fair. But your customers Google plumbing questions before they call anyone. A blog is how you show up for those.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
5 Website Mistakes Small Businesses Make That Kill Their Google Rankings
After 23 years of building small business websites, these are the mistakes I see most. The good news. They're almost always fixable.
Web DesignSEO & Local Search
What Is Google Search Console and Why Should You Care?
Search Console is the closest thing to seeing your site through Google's eyes. What it tells you, and why every owner should know the basics.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
From WordPress to AI-Built: What the Migration Process Actually Looks Like
Migrating a site sounds intimidating. It isn't. A plain walkthrough of the process start to finish, and what you have to do. Spoiler: not much.
Hosting & PerformanceWordPress & Migration
Speed Kills Your Bounce Rate: What Page Load Time Really Does to Your Business
Slow pages cost you visitors before they read a word. Here's what the load-time research actually shows, and what you can do about it.
Web DesignHosting & Performance
Why Monthly Reports Are the Most Valuable Thing Your Web Agency Should Be Sending You
Most web agencies go quiet after launch. A monthly report flips that. It's the single best tool for a productive long-term relationship.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
Small Business SEO in 2026: What Actually Moves the Needle
SEO in 2026 isn't about tricks. It's a handful of things done well, over and over. Here's the straight version of what actually matters.
SEO & Local Search
Case Study: How One Long-Term Client Got a Faster, Cheaper, Better Website
Our first AI-stack migration is done. Here's what we did and what the numbers look like on the other side.
Hosting & PerformanceWordPress & Migration
Google Changed the Rules This Summer. Here's What That Means for Your Website.
If your website hasn't been touched in a year or two, this summer's Google updates are not your friend. Two things happened, and most owners missed both.
SEO & Local Search
How We Build a Site in 2026: The New LWS Stack Explained
For 20 years, the answer was WordPress. In 2026, we build differently. The results are measurably better. Here's exactly how it works.
Web DesignLWS News
AI Isn't Coming. It's Here.
AI isn't coming. It's here. And most small business owners are ignoring it, panicking about it, or clicking around on ChatGPT wondering why.
AI & Automation
The Hidden Cost of Outdated Hosting (It's Not Just the Bill)
Your hosting bill is the visible cost. What about the rankings you lose, the customers who bounce, and the maintenance that should be automatic?
Hosting & PerformanceRunning a Business Online
What Is an AI-Built Website? A Plain-English Guide for Small Business Owners
Everyone's talking about AI websites. Most explanations are too technical or too vague. Here's what it actually means, and what it means for you.
Web DesignAI & Automation
Why Your WordPress Site Might Be Slowing You Down (And What We're Doing About It)
WordPress has been the web's workhorse for 20 years. But most small business sites carry weight they don't need. Here's what that costs you.
Hosting & PerformanceWordPress & Migration
Why We Walked Away from WordPress
After 20 years on WordPress, we moved forward to static HTML and AI. Here's why, and who it's right for.
WordPress & MigrationLWS News
AI Didn't Replace Our Agency
AI didn't replace our agency. We put it to work and doubled our output. Here's exactly how.
AI & AutomationLWS News
What Should SEO Actually Cost?
The $49/mo service vs the $10K retainer. Real numbers, and how to pick the right one.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
How Americans are Integrating AI into the Workplace
What AI at work actually looks like right now, from someone using it daily rather than writing about it.
AI & Automation
Custom Web Apps & Smart Business Tools Built Just for You
Websites are one thing. Sometimes what you actually need is a tool. Here's what we build now.
AI & AutomationLWS News
What We Do for Our Hosting Customers
What hosting with us actually includes, and why an hour a month of changes is part of it.
Hosting & Performance
How Business Owners Can Profit from SEO-Driven Traffic
Traffic isn't the goal. Here's how to tell whether your search traffic is actually earning anything.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
How SEO Services Can Help Your Business Grow
What SEO work actually consists of, step by step, without the mystery or the monthly retainer fog.
SEO & Local SearchRunning a Business Online
Celebrating 20 Years of Innovation: Unveiling Our New Website and a Special Gift for You!
Twenty years this month. It started with a plumber who needed a website, and it never really stopped.
LWS News
The Benefits of Custom Web Design for Your Business
Custom costs more. Here's when it pays for itself, and when a template is the smarter call.
Web DesignRunning a Business Online
How to Create a Professional Website on a Budget
You can get a good site cheap. Here's where to save, and the two places you shouldn't.
Running a Business Online
Web Design Best Practices for E-Commerce Websites
Most online stores lose people at checkout. Here's where the money leaks out.
Web DesignRunning a Business Online
The Advantages of Using a Website Builder
Wix and Squarespace are genuinely good now. Here's when one is the right call, and when it isn't.
WordPress & MigrationRunning a Business Online
The Importance of Website Security and How to Protect Your Site
Nobody targeted you. Bots scan everything. Here's the short list that actually protects a small site.
Hosting & PerformanceRunning a Business Online
Web Design Tips for a Better User Experience
Five things that make a site easier to use. Watch one stranger try to find your phone number and you'll see it.
Web Design
You REALLY don't have a Google Business Account yet?
Free, takes an afternoon, and it's why your address shows up wrong. Go claim it.
SEO & Local Search
Website Services 101: Using an All-in-One Company
One company for design, hosting and upkeep, or three specialists? Here's the honest tradeoff.
Running a Business Online
Website hosting basics (for non-techies)
Cheap hosting isn't cheap. What you're actually buying, explained without the jargon.
Hosting & Performance
ChatGPT Interviews Jon Wolf
ChatGPT asked to interview me. It also tried to write my answers. I rewrote those myself.
LWS News
Getting the Most Value Out of Your Website
You already paid for the site. Here's how to get more out of the one you've got.
Running a Business Online
5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Professional Website
Five reasons, minus the sales pitch. Mostly it comes down to what people assume when they can't find you.
Running a Business Online
The Benefits of a Content Management System (CMS) for Your Website
A CMS lets you edit your own site without calling anyone. Here's when that's worth it, and when it isn't.
WordPress & MigrationRunning a Business Online
5 Common Web Design Mistakes to Avoid
The same five problems, on site after site, for twenty years. All of them fixable.
Web Design
How to Choose the Right Web Hosting Provider for Your Business
Hosting is invisible until it isn't. What actually matters when you pick, and what doesn't.
Hosting & Performance
The Benefits Of Responsive Web Design
Most of your visitors are on a phone. Here's what it costs you if your site doesn't handle that.
Web Design
How to Choose the Best Domain Name for Your Website
Your domain is the one thing you can't easily change later. Here's how to get it right the first time.
Running a Business Online
The Essential Elements of a Successful Website
Five things every site that actually works has in common. None of them are design trends.
Web Design
Why Your Small Business Needs a Website
You can run a business without a website. Plenty do. Here's what it quietly costs you.
Running a Business Online
Web Design Basics
Plain-English answers to the website questions nobody wants to admit they have. No jargon, I promise.
Web Design
Is Color Important?
Color is the first thing anyone notices, and most people freeze when it's time to pick. Here's how I think about it.
Web Design