AI’s Website Advice Is Free. The Second Opinion Isn’t.
The short version It usually starts with a forwarded list Every so often, a client forwards us a list of website recommendations from an AI tool and asks, “Should we do this? Can you make these changes?” Sometimes they went looking for advice. Other times they asked about one thing and the AI led them…
Read MoreWhen to Say No to a Client: Lessons in Building a Sustainable Business
Back in 2011, when we started McCullough Web Services, we said yes to almost everything. A client needed a quick fix on a WordPress site someone else built? Sure. Someone wanted enterprise-level functionality on a budget? We’d figure it out. A prospect couldn’t articulate what they wanted but needed it “soon”? Let’s give it a…
Read MoreWhy You Need to Talk About Yourself on Your Company’s About Page
Still tempted to keep your identity hidden on your website? You’re not alone. Many small business owners feel the same. Some want their site to appear more “corporate,” others are shy, and some simply assume that customers don’t care who’s behind the brand. But they do. In fact, they care a lot. People prefer doing…
Read MoreWhy Getting Google Reviews Is Just the First Step
Reviews on Google Maps are a significant ranking factor for local businesses, but obtaining them is just the first step. To maximize their impact on local SEO, reviews must be managed strategically. Always Be Getting New Reviews Infrequent reviews will not provide as much benefit as a steady stream of fresh reviews will on Google…
Read MoreWhy We Build Websites from the Ground Up
We often get asked to manage or add functionality to websites that other agencies built. In this post, we’ll describe why we respectfully decline these projects. While our decision may initially seem like a rejection, this approach is not driven by convenience or preference, but instead by a commitment to delivering the best possible experience…
Read More10 Website Updates Every Small Business Owner Should Make in Q1
Updating your website is one of the best ways to keep it fresh, and it can offer an advantage in terms of both SEO and user experience. Even if you regularly update your blog, some yearly “housekeeping” updates can be critical. Here are updates that we recommend you make in Q1 of every year. 1.…
Read More7 Reasons We Might Not Take You as a Local SEO Client
Why are we so successful at local SEO? Why have so many of our clients expanded into new offices, new markets, and added so many team members? It’s because, if we choose to take you on as an SEO client, we have done our research and are nearly certain that we can be successful in…
Read MoreHow to Report an Issue With Your Website
Having an issue with your website can be frustrating! We want to help you most efficiently, so we created this guide so you know what information to provide us when you are experiencing an issue. When we have the right information from you, we can start to solve the problem. Maybe there’s a bug we…
Read MoreHow to Write Alt Tags and Image File Names
Alt tags and image file names are easy to overlook. Many business owners get hyper-focused on web content and don’t think about images as anything more than aesthetics. Sure, we all know that picking good visuals can lead to better conversion rates, but there’s a real temptation to pop in any photo you have the…
Read MoreCelebrating Partnerships with Truckee-Tahoe Nonprofits
We are thrilled to collaborate with nonprofits in the Truckee-Tahoe area. We have dedicated ourselves to establishing strong relationships with our local nonprofits and select at least one project each year for which we donate a portion of our time. Our deep understanding of nonprofits comes from my direct experience. I co-founded and ran a…
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