Journal
Notes from the atelier.
Plain-language pieces on websites, SEO, and the quiet machinery that runs your studio. Written for makers who'd rather be making.
- Back office3 min read
Tutorial: get every Shopify order into a Google Sheet, automatically
A step-by-step walkthrough for makers: connect Shopify to Google Sheets with Make.com so every order lands in one spreadsheet on its own. Free tier, no code, about 30 minutes.
Read → - Shopify3 min read
How much does Shopify cost in Australia? (2026)
The full cost of running a Shopify store in Australia: the monthly plans, transaction and card fees, apps, theme, and what it costs to have someone build it. The real total, not just the sticker price.
Read → - Web design3 min read
Does my small business actually need a website in 2026?
An honest answer for Melbourne small business owners. When a website earns its cost, when a Google Business Profile and Instagram are genuinely enough, and the version of having a site that actually pays for itself.
Read → - SEO4 min read
Why is my website not showing up on Google?
A plain-English diagnostic for Melbourne small businesses. The eight real reasons a site does not show up on Google, how to tell which one is yours, and what to fix first. Includes the Shopify and Squarespace specifics.
Read → - Web design6 min read
How much does a website cost in Melbourne? (2026, honest version)
A plain-English breakdown of what a website actually costs in Melbourne and Australia in 2026: real price ranges by type, what moves the number, the ongoing costs nobody mentions, and how to not overpay.
Read → - Back office4 min read
Admin automation for Melbourne artists: a plain-English guide
How solo artists and makers in Melbourne automate the admin behind the studio: the tools, what to fix first, and how a workflow is scoped.
Read → - Back office4 min read
Notion automations for artists: the setups that actually save studio time
How independent artists use Notion as the back-office hub: inquiries, orders, invoicing, content planning. The automations worth wiring up, and the ones that aren't.
Read → - SEO3 min read
The four SEO pillars, without the marketing-speak
SEO sounds like a religion. It is not. Four boxes to check, in order, in plain language, for artists who have a website but not a marketing team.
Read → - SEO3 min read
Google Business Profile for Melbourne artists: do you need it?
The cheapest local SEO win you can claim. When GBP matters for an artist, when it doesn't, and the 20-minute setup.
Read → - Back office3 min read
Stop copying invoices: small automations every solo artist can set up
Three automations that pay for themselves in admin time. The tools I use, the trade-offs, and when it's worth outsourcing the setup.
Read → - Web design4 min read
Squarespace, Shopify, or custom: which one fits your work?
An honest comparison. When Squarespace is enough. When Shopify wins. When a custom build earns its cost. No referral codes, no hidden bias.
Read → - Back office4 min read
Starting a newsletter when you'd rather be making
The minimum viable newsletter for an indie artist. Platforms, format, growth, and the perfectionism trap that kills most artist newsletters in the first three issues.
Read → - Web design3 min read
What makes a website good (for an artist, anyway)
There are two definitions of "good website". One is what designers mean. The other is what an indie artist actually needs. The five things that matter, and the four that don't.
Read → - SEO4 min read
Why nobody finds your portfolio on Google
Six common reasons your beautiful site isn't showing up in search, and the 10-minute diagnostic to know which one is yours.
Read → - Web design4 min read
Do indie artists actually need a website in 2026?
A direct answer to a question I hear often. When a website matters for an independent artist in Melbourne, when Instagram is still enough, and the version of "having a site" that actually pays for itself.
Read →