Web & data
Mobile App Developer Hiring Mistakes
Most failed app projects were lost at the hiring stage. See the nine mistakes that cause rebuilds and the questions that expose…
10 min read
Insights
Web, Ecommerce, Data & Automation
Websites, storefronts, hosting, QA, databases, analytics and the automation between them: how each is built, what it is judged on, where they go wrong.
About Web, Ecommerce, Data & Automation
Websites, storefronts, the data underneath them, and the automation in between.
The thread running through all four is that each is judged after launch rather than at it. A site is worth what it converts, a store is worth what it ships, a database is worth what you can get back out of it, and an automation is worth the hours it removes rather than the hours it took to build.
The decisions in this area are mostly platform decisions, and platform decisions are made once and then lived with for years. WordPress or a custom CMS. Shopify or WooCommerce. Build the integration or buy it. Each of those is a cost structure wearing the costume of a technical preference, and the cost turns up in year two.
So the comparisons here are written with the ongoing numbers attached — licences, hosting, the support load each choice creates — rather than as feature tables. Feature tables are the reason people pick the wrong platform confidently.
Where to start
There are 29 pieces below. These are the ones worth opening first.
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Shopify vs WooCommerce: Which to Choose
The platform decision, with the running costs both sides usually leave out of the pitch.
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WordPress vs Custom CMS Development
Worth reading before anybody quotes you for either one.
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Shopify Store Support Services: A Guide
What happens after launch, which is where the money actually goes.
Web & data
Inventory Management Support for Online Stores
Overselling costs you reviews, overstocking costs you cash. See the daily inventory routine that keeps stock accurate across every channel you sell…
12 min read
Web & data
How to Outsource eCommerce Operations
Work out which eCommerce operations to outsource first, what to keep in-house, and how to hand over listings, orders and returns without…
10 min read
Web & data
How Hosted Remote Employees Cut Operating Costs
Salary is the smallest part of the comparison. Build the full cost of employment line by line, then see exactly what hosting…
10 min read
Web & data
Future of Web Development Trends
Most web trends are irrelevant to a business site. See the filter that separates safe adoption from expensive experiment, and what is…
10 min read
Web & data
Why Product Data Quality Affects Sales
Missing attributes stop products being found and bought. See how to structure product data, set a keying standard and outsource catalogue work…
11 min read
Web & data
What to Delegate to an Ecommerce VA
One assistant can transform a store or become a bottleneck. See which tasks suit a single VA, how to onboard properly, and…
10 min read
Web & data
How to Clean Up an Excel Spreadsheet
The spreadsheet running your reporting is probably wrong. See the checks that find the errors, the cleanup order that works, and when…
11 min read
Web & data
Build a Live Calendar and Tracking System
Before you build a scheduling system, check what off-the-shelf tools already do. See the seven decisions that determine whether a custom build…
11 min read
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