September 14, 2026 · 5 minutes read
What a website actually costs: a real price, not a range
Published ranges run from $10 to $100,000 and cannot be used. Here is a firm price, what it includes, what year two costs, and what you own at…
Writing
Notes on brand, and on the web.
What a thing costs, what belongs in it, and what breaks later. Written while doing the work rather than after it.
September 10, 2026 · 4 minutes read
What a brand guide costs, and exactly what you get
The published figure runs from $1,000 to over $100,000, which helps nobody. Here is a firm price, the itemised contents, and the three things that move it.
September 5, 2026 · 5 minutes read
What belongs in a brand guide: the standard contents
Published brand guidelines come in two species and most advice conflates them. What each contains, what a small business needs, and the page most omit.
September 1, 2026 · 5 minutes read
Brand guide, style guide, design system: which you need
Three of these four words mean the same thing. One means something different, and the difference is code. What to ask for, and what each one actually costs.
August 27, 2026 · 5 minutes read
What a custom WordPress theme is, and when you need one
Block theme, classic theme or a page builder. What theme.json really controls, why one site here used the older approach, and what the choice costs later.
August 22, 2026 · 5 minutes read
Who owns your website: the GPL, and what it leaves out
What the GPL means for a theme you paid for, the part that is not automatically yours, what to check before you sign, and the grey areas named.