Blog

Notes on design, code and getting found

Plain-English articles for small business owners on websites, hosting and search.
Showing 25 - 36 of 44 Posts
Shop front signage in the 1960s - The photo shows a branch of Stanwood Radio on an Essex high street.

Found & Ranked

The best marketing isn't always digital: how offline work gets you found

Signage, leaflets, networking, and the phone still win real work, and they boost your online visibility too. An honest look at offline marketing from BrainWeb.

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The Thinking Brain

Cognitive load: designing for a limited mind

Cognitive load is the mental effort your website demands. Here's the psychology of the three kinds of load, and how to reduce the ones that cost you visitors.

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Running the Studio

How we actually use AI (our honest AI policy)

Exactly where BrainWeb uses AI in its work, and where we keep humans firmly in charge. An honest, no-hype AI policy from Ric at BrainWeb.

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The Thinking Brain

The Zeigarnik effect: the pull of the unfinished

The Zeigarnik effect: unfinished tasks pull at the mind. How progress bars and step indicators lift form completion, and where the nudge becomes a dark pattern.

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Design & UX

Typography in web design: how to choose and set type that works

How to choose typefaces, pair them, and set type for comfortable on-screen reading. A practical, plain-English guide to web typography from BrainWeb.

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The Thinking Brain

Can psychology build you a better website?

How psychology builds better websites: first impressions, colour, persuasion, cognitive load, and trust, from the BrainWeb Thinking Brain series.

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Found & Ranked

The death of the click: what zero-click search means for your website

Zero-click search is real, but for a small business the picture is better than the headlines. What it means for your website, and how to respond. From BrainWeb.

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Words & Reach

Why your email list is the only audience you actually own

An email list is the one audience a small business truly owns. The plain-English guide to building one properly and legally in the UK, from BrainWeb.

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Found & Ranked

What is generative engine optimisation (GEO), and does a small business need it?

What generative engine optimisation (GEO) is, in plain English, and whether a small business actually needs it in 2026. An honest explainer from BrainWeb.

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The Thinking Brain

The psychology of easter eggs and hidden surprises

Why hidden surprises delight us, and how to use easter eggs in marketing well. The neuroscience of surprise, discovery, and the goodwill a small touch can earn.

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Design & UX

Layout and white space: why good design needs room to breathe

Why white space is structure, not waste, and how good layout makes a website calmer and easier to use. A practical guide to spacing and arrangement from BrainWeb.

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Build & Tech

Should your website be built on WordPress or something more modern?

WordPress or a modern static site like Astro or Next.js? The honest trade-offs in plain English, and how to tell which is right for your business. From BrainWeb.

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