Articles and Guides on Web Design, SEO and Security
11 bylined articles I have written for the 1st on the List blog, plus the free guides published on this site.
Guides on this site
How Much Does Website Maintenance Cost in 2026?Real market ranges for keeping a business website updated, secure and online, what drives the price up or down, and the questions to ask before you sign up for a plan.
A Technical SEO Checklist for Small Business WebsitesThe technical checks I run on every site, in the order I run them. Most can be done with free tools and an afternoon; a few need a developer.
A Website Security Checklist for Small Business OwnersThe steps that prevent most website hacks, ordered by how much protection they give for the effort. Includes a WordPress section, since WordPress sites are the most targeted.
Published on 1st on the List
Each title opens the full article on 1stonthelist.ca, where I write as Michael Mitov.
- How to Build a Mobile-First Website: A Complete Guide to Success
Designing for the small screen first, and what that changes for rankings, usability and sales.
Web design - Why Custom SEO Is Your Business’s Secret Weapon (And Cookie-Cutter Tactics Just Don’t Cut It)
The case against packaged SEO, and what a strategy fitted to one business looks like instead.
SEO - What Is Brand Messaging and How to Get Started
A plain-language starting point for deciding what your business says, and how it says it.
Content - 5 Reasons Image Optimization Matters for SEO
Five ways heavy or badly labelled images cost a site speed, visibility and image-search traffic.
SEO - 5 Ecommerce SEO Best Practices You Can’t Ignore
Five store fundamentals, from product pages to site structure, that decide whether products get found.
SEO - What You Need to Know About SSL Certificates
What the padlock really means, which certificate types exist, and how to confirm yours is set up properly.
Security - Website Performance and Page Speed in Modern SEO
How load time feeds into search visibility, and where to start when a site feels slow.
SEO - What Every Dental Clinic Website Needs to Attract New Patients and Build Trust
A checklist for clinic websites that need to reassure nervous patients and fill the appointment book.
Web design - What Is SEO Friendly Web Design and Why Is It Important?
Why ranking potential is mostly decided while a site is being designed, not after it launches.
Web design - Don’t Delay! The Importance of Regularly Updating Your WordPress Themes and Plugins
The security and stability reasons to keep WordPress current, and a safe routine for doing it.
WordPress - Web Design SEO Best Practices
How designers and SEOs can work as one team from the first wireframe. Updated February 2025.
Web design
Tell me about your website
A few lines about your site and what is bothering you is enough. You will get a reply from me within one business day: what I would look at first, and what it would roughly involve.