From the studio
Blog
Practical advice on websites, SEO, and the web for small businesses across New Zealand.
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3 August 2026
Do you need a business email address, or is Gmail fine?
yourname@gmail.com works. yourname@yourbusiness.co.nz works better. Here's what a proper business email actually buys you, and what it costs.
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3 August 2026
What's a good conversion rate for a small NZ business site?
Industry-wide numbers rarely fit a small local site. Here's how to work out a benchmark that actually means something for your business.
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3 August 2026
Google Business Profile matters as much as your website
For local searches, your Google Business Profile often gets seen before your website does. Here's how to actually set it up properly, not just claim it.
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3 August 2026
How to choose a domain name for your NZ business
.co.nz or .com? What if your business name's taken? A practical guide to picking a domain that won't need changing in two years.
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3 August 2026
Mobile-friendly design matters most for trades, hospitality
For tradies and hospitality businesses, mobile isn't secondary — it's nearly the whole audience. What that actually changes about the build.
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3 August 2026
Website analytics: what small businesses should track
Analytics dashboards throw dozens of numbers at you. Here's the handful that actually matter for a small business, and the ones safe to ignore.
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3 August 2026
Website maintenance plans — what should actually be in one
Some sites need a paid maintenance plan, plenty don't. Here's what a legitimate plan should include, roughly what it costs, and the red flags worth avoiding.
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3 August 2026
Basic website security checklist for small NZ businesses
Most website security problems aren't sophisticated attacks — they're weak passwords, missing HTTPS, and old logins nobody's cleaned up. A practical checklist.
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1 August 2026
The most common SEO checker flags — do they matter?
A free SEO checker report can look alarming. Here's a flag-by-flag guide to what's genuinely worth fixing and what's safe to ignore for a small local site.
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1 August 2026
SEO audit vs website audit — what's the difference?
The terms get used interchangeably, but 'SEO audit' and 'website audit' actually cover different ground. Here's the real split, and which one to ask for.
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31 July 2026
What should be in a website quote?
The line items a proper website quote should spell out, and the vague ones that come back to bite you later.
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30 July 2026
10 questions to ask before hiring a web designer
The questions that actually reveal whether a web designer is the right fit for your business — before you sign anything or pay a deposit.
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30 July 2026
Do you own your website? Ownership and lock-in explained
What 'owning your website' actually means in practice — domains, hosting, source files, and the lock-in traps small businesses run into.
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30 July 2026
Free SEO audit tools: what they show, and what they miss
PageSpeed, Search Console, free crawlers — each checks something real and misses something else. How to read them without over-trusting one score.
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30 July 2026
How much does SEO cost for a small NZ business?
Real numbers for what SEO actually costs in New Zealand, why it's priced so differently across agencies, and where a small business gets the best return.
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30 July 2026
How often should you redesign your website?
There's no fixed interval — but there are real signs your site's overdue. Here's how to tell if it's time, without guessing off a gut feeling.
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30 July 2026
How to choose a web designer in Nelson or Marlborough
Local studio or national agency, template or custom build — a practical guide to picking the right web designer for your small business.
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30 July 2026
Off-the-shelf software vs custom-built: how to decide
Paying for five subscriptions that don't talk to each other? Here's how to work out whether off-the-shelf tools or a small custom build is the right call.
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30 July 2026
What does an SEO audit actually check?
SEO audit, SEO checker, SEO report — same idea, different names. Here's exactly what a proper audit looks at, and what to do with the results.
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30 July 2026
Why does SEO take months to show results?
What's actually happening behind the scenes while you wait for SEO to work, and why anyone promising fast rankings is skipping a step.
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30 July 2026
Why is my website not showing up on Google?
Searched your own business and come up empty? Here's how to work through the actual reasons, in the order most likely to be the culprit.
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23 July 2026
What does a custom web app cost in NZ in 2026?
Booking systems, customer portals, quoting tools — here's what a small, purpose-built app actually costs, and why that number has dropped.
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23 July 2026
When a brochure site stops being enough
A brochure website is the right call for most small businesses — until it isn't. Here are the signs you've quietly outgrown one.
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17 July 2026
Website vs web app: what's the difference?
The two get used interchangeably, but they're built to do different jobs. Here's how to tell which one your business actually needs.
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17 July 2026
What happens after your website goes live?
Launch day isn't the finish line. Here's what actually happens in the weeks after launch, and what you should expect from whoever built it.
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6 July 2026
Should you be on Instagram, a website, or both?
Instagram is brilliant for showing off what you do — but it can't do everything a website does. Here's how to think about the two for a Nelson business.
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28 June 2026
Five things to check before paying for a redesign
Before you spend thousands on a new website, make sure you actually need one — and that you're solving the right problem.
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22 June 2026
What does SEO actually mean for a small Nelson business?
SEO sounds technical and expensive, but for most small businesses in Nelson and Tasman, it comes down to a few straightforward things you can start doing today.
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15 June 2026
Do you need a blog on your business website?
Blogs aren't just for influencers — but they're not for everyone either. Here's how to tell if one's worth your time.
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8 June 2026
How long does a website take to build?
From first chat to launch day — here's a realistic timeline for a small business website, and what actually slows projects down.
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5 June 2026
Do Nelson tradies need a website, or is Facebook enough?
Facebook pages are free and familiar — but there are real limits to what they can do for your business. Here's an honest look at both.
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5 June 2026
Squarespace vs a custom-built site: which is right for you?
Squarespace is genuinely good. So is a custom-built site. The right choice depends on what you need — here's how to think through it.
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5 June 2026
What to put on your small business homepage
Most small business homepages either say too much or too little. Here's what actually needs to be there — and what you can leave out.
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15 May 2026
How much does a website cost in New Zealand in 2026?
DIY builders, freelancers, agencies, and custom studios — here's what you'll actually pay, and what you get for your money.
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