Blog

Notes on websites and AI tools.

Practical writing on building websites that work, and honest takes on the AI tools worth your time.

A printed website wireframe with three coloured tabs on its edge, beside a fountain pen and a coffee mug on a wooden desk in warm window light, with a laptop softly out of focus behind it

Web Basics · 15 min read

How Much Does SEO Cost? Build Work vs a Retainer

How much SEO costs depends on the invoice: technical work in a website build, a one-time project, or a monthly retainer. How to compare quotes in 2026.

15 November 2026

Hands holding a printed small-business website layout with a terracotta hero and boxed sections, beside a laptop showing the same soft-focus website design on a wooden desk in warm window light

Web Basics · 14 min read

Small Business Website Design: Template, Builder, or Custom?

Small business website design as a decision tree: choose a template, builder or custom build, what to launch with, and who updates the site.

11 November 2026

Two hands typing on a laptop showing a light-mode AI chat window, with a phone on a stand beside it running a second chat assistant, on a wooden desk at dusk with coffee, a plant and an open notebook

AI Tools · 20 min read

ChatGPT Alternatives in 2026: How Founders Should Choose an AI Assistant

Best ChatGPT alternatives in 2026 for founders: Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity, DeepSeek and Notion AI, with official prices and a decision tree.

11 November 2026

A hand on a laptop keyboard at a wooden desk at dusk, with a notebook checklist, a phone, and a small server with blue lights in the background

Web Basics · 10 min read

Website Maintenance Cost: What Founders Pay After Launch

Website maintenance cost, split into hosting, domain, software and human time, with dated 2026 prices, a checklist and a retainer vs ad-hoc decision tree.

10 November 2026

Top-down view of a wooden desk with a calculator, receipts, a pen, a coffee cup and a laptop showing a blurred chart

AI Tools · 7 min read

OpenAI API Pricing (2026): GPT Token Rates & API Costs

OpenAI API pricing in 2026: official GPT-6 token rates, batch, Fast and long-context pricing, how to estimate GPT API costs, and what changes your bill.

10 November 2026

A laptop showing a code editor on a wooden desk, connected by blue cables to a small server box with status lights, with a brass padlock and notebook beside it

AI Tools · 17 min read

MCP Servers for Web Development: Choose Access First

MCP servers for web development: what a server adds, the access each task needs, read-only setup in Cursor, Claude Code and VS Code, and when to skip one.

10 November 2026

A hand holding a printed quote on a wooden desk in window light, with a pen on the papers, a coffee mug and a laptop softly out of focus

Web Basics · 16 min read

How Much Does a Website Cost? Cost to Build, by Scope

How much does a website cost in 2026? The cost to build or make a website by scope, with dated builder prices, freelance rates and a quote checklist.

10 November 2026

A wooden desk in morning window light with a laptop showing an API usage graph, a calculator, a notepad and a coffee mug

AI Tools · 7 min read

Gemini Flash Price & Gemini API Pricing (2026): Rates

Gemini Flash price and Gemini API pricing in 2026: official 3.8 Flash, Flash-Lite, 4 Argon and 3.1 Pro token rates, free tier, Batch and price changes.

10 November 2026

A woman at a cafe table in window light thoughtfully comparing options on a laptop, with a printed sheet, coffee and a plant

AI Tools · 7 min read

Claude Models Explained (2026): Fable, Opus, Sonnet, Haiku

Claude models explained: Fable, Opus, Sonnet and Haiku — what each is for, context and pricing basics, and when to use the API vs a Claude plan.

10 November 2026