How much does a Shopify store cost in 2026? Plans, apps and developer fees
The real cost of a Shopify store: plan prices, transaction fees, the theme, apps, a domain and a developer, with a first-year budget you can copy.
7 min read
Blog
Notes on building for the web.
Plain-English guides on choosing a platform, speeding up a store and getting a website to bring in customers.
@usman
How much does a WordPress website cost? A realistic 2026 breakdown
WordPress is free, but a website is not. Here is what hosting, a theme, plugins, a domain and a developer really cost, and what to budget each year.
6 min read
WordPress “Error establishing a database connection”: how to fix it
The database connection error means WordPress cannot reach its database. Check the credentials, the host, then repair the database, with the code and commands for each.
6 min read
WordPress stuck in maintenance mode? How to fix “briefly unavailable” fast
If your site says it is briefly unavailable for scheduled maintenance and never comes back, one small file is the cause. Here is how to remove it and finish the update safely.
4 min read
Shopify SEO checklist: 12 fixes that help your store rank on Google
A practical Shopify SEO checklist: titles, descriptions, URLs, images, speed, structured data, redirects and robots.txt, with the code and free tools to do each one.
8 min read
How to connect a custom domain to Shopify (and fix it when it will not connect)
Step-by-step: point your domain at Shopify with the right DNS records, set the primary domain, and fix the usual reasons a domain will not connect.
5 min read
Shopify Scripts and checkout.liquid have stopped working: what to do now
Shopify retired Scripts on 30 June 2026 and checkout.liquid in late August. If your checkout lost a discount, a banner or a tracking tag, here is how to rebuild it, with the code.
8 min read
WordPress site hacked? How to clean it up and stop it happening again
Most WordPress hacks come through plugins, not WordPress itself. A calm, step-by-step clean-up with the exact commands, and the hardening that prevents a repeat.
9 min read
Shopify cart abandonment: why shoppers leave and how to win them back
Most people who add to cart do not buy. These are the usual reasons, the fixes that matter most, a free-shipping bar to copy in and how to switch on recovery emails.
7 min read
What to prepare before you hire a web developer
A short checklist that saves weeks: the goal, the content, the examples you like and the decisions only you can make.
4 min read
WordPress white screen of death and 500 errors: fix them step by step
A blank page or a 500 error is almost always a plugin, a theme or a PHP limit. The order to check them in, with the wp-config and .htaccess code to copy.
7 min read
Upgrading your Shopify theme without breaking your store
Old themes miss new features, but a careless upgrade drops customisations and breaks apps. A safe way to move to a modern theme, with the CLI commands and code to use.
7 min read
Shopify or WordPress: which fits your business?
Both can run a great site. Here is how to choose based on what you sell, who will maintain it and how you plan to grow.
5 min read
How to speed up a slow WordPress site
Slow WordPress sites usually share the same handful of causes. Here they are, in the order that gives the biggest gain, with the plugins and code that fix each one.
8 min read
Why your Shopify store is slow, and what to fix first
Five common causes of a sluggish Shopify store, from oversized images to too many apps, in the order worth tackling them.
5 min read
What makes a small business website turn visitors into customers
Clear words, one obvious next step and proof that you are real: the basics that matter more than any design trend.
4 min read
