The writing

Writing

Thoughts on software, design, and doing the work well.

A laptop on a wooden desk showing a brand strategy website, beside a handwritten notebook listing pricing for brand services in euro.
Websites

How Much Does a Website Cost in Ireland in 2026?

An honest breakdown of website costs in Ireland in 2026: real price bands by site type, what affects the number, and how Trading Online Voucher grants can halve the bill for small businesses.

11 min read

All writing

Two laptops side by side on a wooden desk, each showing a different freelance designer's website, with a leather notebook open between them listing project meeting steps.

Websites

How to Choose a Web Developer in Ireland (Without Getting Burned)

Red flags to watch for, questions to ask, and how to compare quotes without getting taken for a ride.

9 min read
A split image comparing a craftsman's workshop with handcrafted wooden tools and an unfinished piece on the left, against rows of identical packaged chairs on the right.

Software

Custom Software vs Off-the-Shelf: Which Is Right for Your Irish Business?

When custom beats SaaS, when it doesn't, and when the hybrid wins. An honest decision framework.

10 min read
A phone resting on a wooden desk displaying a chat conversation interface, beside an open notebook, books, and a ceramic coffee mug.

AI & Automation

AI Chatbots for Irish Businesses: A Practical 2026 Guide

What chatbots actually cost, what they do well, what they don't, and how to deploy one without wasting money.

9 min read
A wooden block, an arrow on paper, and a completed Irish invoice arranged in sequence on a wooden desk, illustrating workflow automation.

AI & Automation

Workflow Automation: 7 Tasks Every Irish Business Should Stop Doing Manually

Seven tasks quietly eating teams' time every week and exactly how to automate each, without breaking the bank.

8 min read
A printed GDPR compliance checklist for Irish small business websites on a wooden desk, with red checkmarks beside each item, an alarm clock, coffee mug, and stack of books in the background.

Security & Compliance

GDPR for Irish Small Businesses: The 2026 Compliance Checklist

What's required, what's optional, where the DPC is actually enforcing, and what to do today.

12 min read
A developer's desk with dual monitors — the left showing React code in a code editor, the right showing the rendered website it produces — beside a mechanical keyboard, an open notebook with handwritten project plans, and a ceramic coffee mug.

Websites

Next.js vs WordPress: Which Is Right for Your Irish Business?

An honest comparison of the two platforms for Irish SMEs: speed, SEO, cost, maintenance, and which wins.

11 min read
A vintage early-1990s beige laptop with a dark, switched-off screen sitting on a wooden desk, next to a modern black notebook and pen, suggesting an outdated piece of technology no longer doing its job.

Websites

Why Your Old Website Is Quietly Costing You Customers in 2026

The seven silent killers, how to audit your own site in 30 minutes, and when to rebuild versus fix.

8 min read
A printed Website Performance Report on a wooden desk showing three months of rising bar charts and key metrics, with the conversion rate underlined in red highlighter, beside a handwritten notebook listing optimisation actions including faster page load, clearer CTA, better headline, testimonials, and trust signals.

Marketing

Conversion Rate Optimisation for Irish Small Business Websites

How to double the leads from your existing site without spending more on traffic. A practical playbook with real examples.

9 min read
An open leather notebook on a wooden desk with handwritten two-column notes headed 'AI for the business — what's worth it?'. The left column is titled 'USEFUL' and lists customer support automation, writing first drafts, summarising calls, and speeding up admin. The right column is titled 'HYPE' and lists AI strategy consultants, replacing human judgement, magic shortcuts, and buying every new tool. A closed laptop is visible to the left.

AI & Automation

How Irish Small Businesses Should Think About AI in 2026

Where AI genuinely helps, where it's hype, and how to start without wasting money on the wrong things.

10 min read