Read these before you hire anyone.
Written for buyers, not to sell retainers. Every guide exists because its topic is where hiring goes wrong — cost, briefs, vetting, contracts, and which engagement model your project actually needs.
What a website really costs in 2026
Honest 2026 website cost breakdowns for five project sizes — including the line items nobody quotes for upfront.
BriefsHow to write a brief developers can quote
The six questions every developer asks anyway — answer them upfront and get real quotes instead of more questions.
Vetting14 questions that expose a weak developer
The vetting call, scripted: 14 questions with what a good answer sounds like and the three red flags that end evaluations.
ContractsWho owns the code you paid for?
IP assignment, repository access, milestone payments and the five clauses that decide who actually owns your website.
ModelsFreelancer vs agency — the honest math
Freelancer, agency, dedicated team or in-house: the real cost per project, not per hour, with three worked examples.
ComparisonsWordPress vs Shopify — which one should actually power your store
The real difference between WordPress and Shopify: ownership versus rails, plugin sprawl versus app fees, and which projects each one genuinely wins.
ComparisonsShopify vs WooCommerce — the same store, two very different bills
Both build serious stores. The honest comparison: hosted rails with platform fees vs owned code with maintenance debt — with the numbers that decide it.
HiringHow to hire a web developer — the complete process
The full hiring process from goal to launch: define the job, set the budget band, source candidates, vet properly, contract the terms, and manage the build.
ChoosingHow to choose between developers — the decision framework
Three candidates, three quotes, all plausible. The framework for choosing: compare specs not prices, weigh the signals that predict outcomes, and know when to walk.
ProcessWhat actually happens during a website project
The honest anatomy of a website project: discovery, design, build, content, QA, launch and aftercare — what happens in each phase and what is expected from you.
ComparisonsWordPress vs custom development — the honest fork
The decision between WordPress and a custom build, made honestly: content and commerce vs bespoke workflows, plugin economics vs engineering, speed-to-launch vs speed-to-change.
RedesignThe website redesign guide — modernize without starting over
How to run a redesign that does not torch what the old site earned: audit first, keep URLs or map every redirect, separate refresh from rebuild, and launch rehearsed.