The library
Guides for getting a shopfront live this month
Read them in order if you are starting from zero: vocabulary, default setup, then the Saturday walkthrough. Comparison and cost sit beside those, not instead of them.
The vocabulary · 9 min
Domain vs hosting vs website builder — what a local business actually buys
Plain-language difference between a domain name, web hosting, and a website builder, and which of those a plumber, photographer, or consultant needs in month one.
Start here · 12 min
The best first website setup for a local service business
A default stack for getting a US local service business live this month: own the domain, use a builder, add professional email, skip WordPress until you have a reason.
The comparison · 11 min
GoDaddy vs Squarespace vs Wix for a one-person trade
An honest comparison of GoDaddy Website Builder, Squarespace, and Wix for plumbers, HVAC, photographers, and consultants — not a generic hosting shootout.
Looking like a business · 8 min
Professional email for a local business (you@yourdomain.com)
Why a Gmail address undercuts a new shopfront, how Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace differ, and how to connect mail to a domain you already own.
Trust · 8 min
SSL and the looking-legit checklist
HTTPS is table stakes. The rest of looking legitimate is matching NAP, a real phone number, hours, and a page that could sit next to your Google Business Profile.
The desk · 10 min
Printer, laptop, and office kit for a one-person shop
A practical HP laptop + printer setup and the Office Depot consumables that keep invoices, permits, and job photos moving — because a website is not the whole shopfront.
The bill · 10 min
What it costs to launch a local business website in 2026
Line-item costs for domain, builder, email, SSL, and a basic office kit. Cheap path, sensible path, and the upsells to skip.
Do this next · 14 min
Walkthrough: domain name to first published page
A Saturday sequence: pick a name, buy the domain, start a builder, publish one useful page, turn on HTTPS, and create you@yourdomain.com.