SKIP NAV

PERSPECTIVE

a pragmatic approach to websiteS
Graphic of research, design, prototype and testing cycle.
2022-10-31

How Com-X and I found that Mailchimp was the best newsletter service for their needs right now. I'll go out on a limb and say it's the best one for most small businesses in 2022.

Find out why ...
Guides
San Diego abstracted as palm trees and ocean waves
2022-10-31

VeryCleverDesign is now based out of San Diego. Working hours are on Pacific Standard Time.

Upcoming changes...
Personal
Communicating beauty through peacock graphic or 2 women admiring an image on a laptop
2020-08-04

Why redesign your website? At some point you can't ignore that the website solution you designed yesterday isn't right for the problems you face today. New design trends might make you feel the need for a makeover. What’s more important is understanding changes in user behavior that drive new trends and coming up with a response that makes sense for your business context.

Thoughts on 3 website iterations...
Personal
Google and Microsoft branded keys
2020-07-16

If you've been using email since the 90's (or earlier) choosing a new email for your small business isn't simple. Email accounts and associated passwords are now the keys to your online life. Compartmentalize them into separate personal and professional silos to balance your convenience, security, and privacy.

Choosing Google vs Microsoft...
Guides
LA palm trees to HK building skyline
2020-07-16

Our family relocated to Hong Kong from LA in August 2018. I will continue to maintain VeryCleverDesign as a California based company and build websites for clients remotely through email, WhatsApp, and Skype. Here are a few first impressions on my new location.

Living in the future...
Personal
Fashionably bespectacled designer
2020-07-16

Many website builders promote themselves as DIY (do-it-yourself) solutions where no designer or developer is needed. Is it worth your time to DIY? When would hiring a designer help your website achieve your business goals faster and better results than DIY?

Expert help for your new website...
Guides
Small person lifting outsized object
2020-07-16

A single page microsite from Carrd.co is a good approach for businesses who want a simple fully responsive online point of contact. The product is geared towards techies who understand how HTML and CSS work but don't want to hand code their websites.

Succeed with a one page website...
Reviews
Woman shopping on her phone and in person
2020-07-17

The Shopify Ecommerce platform offers a significant step up from Squarespace. Its features include: Strong support for different online channels - In-Person Point-of Sale - Wholesale - Customer Accounts with Recurring Payments

One stop ecommerce ...
Reviews
Like finding the right shoe for the occasion
2020-07-16

Pick the right SaaS provider for your small business website. I walk through the process that I use to match services with the business needs of my clients and narrow the field to a manageable number of contenders. Examples of typical basic, upgrade and advanced features for different business cases are presented along with their benefits.

Pick the right SaaS services...
Guides
Monolithic and tensile truss structure compared
2020-07-16

A SaaS website builder like Squarespace is a good alternative to WordPress for many small business websites. I provide a short overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the SaaS approach compared to WordPress or other open-source based solutions.

Compare SaaS and WordPress...
Guides

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