Resources for the DIY-Minded
Whether you’re just getting started or want to sharpen your skills, this page is a curated list of tools, platforms, and learning resources I genuinely recommend. No fluff — just the stuff I’d point a friend to.
Freebies
Here are a couple of free tools and guides I’ve made.
The Anatomy of a High-Performing Service Website
Your free cheat-sheet on how to design a high-converting website, and stand head-and-shoulders above your competition.
The Hallmarks of a Healthy Website
A free checklist to help you find what isn’tworking and how to explain what feels “off.”
Quiz: Can You Safely Patch Your WordPress Site?
Six quick questions to figure out whether you can patch your site yourself, whether it needs stabilising first, or whether it’s time for a proper upgrade conversation. No email required.
Free SEO Score Checker
Quickly assess the SEO score of one of your pages and one keyword, plain English. No email required.
Webinars:
Quick Wins
Simple, affordable ways to understand your website and take your first steps with SEO.
Prices are exclusive of GST.
Know Your Website
Find out what’s actually happening on your site before you decide what to fix.
$100 AUD
SEO First Steps
Get SEO broken down into plain English, in this one hour lesson.
$9 AUD
“Direction Finder” Consults
Consult with me for 30-60 minutes to get directions.
$60 – 120 AUD
Building Your Website
If you’re not ready to hire someone and want to get a feel for having an online presence, starting simple is completely fine.
- Google Sites is free, lives in your Google account, and is a great low-pressure way to get something online fast
- Squarespace is your next step up — a polished, hands-on editor with built-in features like blogging, booking, and calendar integration, without needing to touch any code
Web Hosting (for Australian Businesses)
Skip this section if you’re using an all-in-one platform like Squarespace or Shopify — hosting is already included.
If you’re going down the WordPress route and need hosting, I use and recommend VentraIP. They’re Australian-owned and reliable. One tip: choose their managed WordPress option if you’d rather not deal with core or plugin updates yourself. Trust me, it’s worth it — here’s what’s actually involved in WordPress maintenance and the things that can quietly break if you’re not watching.
Learning Digital Marketing
- Social media and Facebook/Meta Ads — The Digital Picnic is my top recommendation, full stop
- Google Ads — Kaity Griffin makes it approachable and practical
- Google Analytics — Subscribe to the Love’s Data YouTube channel for bite-sized, easy-to-follow lessons
Understanding Design
You don’t need to become a designer, but understanding why good design works will change how you look at everything — your website, your emails, even your signage.
Two books I recommend to anyone building something for the web:
- Don’t Make Me Think — Steve Krug — A quick, accessible read on intuitive web design
- The Design of Everyday Things — Don Norman — A brilliant look at how design shapes the way people interact with objects and interfaces
Learn from Me
If you like learning through real-world examples and plain-English explanations, my blog covers the kind of web and digital topics that come up most with my clients. I also send a newsletter with tips and updates when they’re actually worth sharing — no inbox clutter.
Explore Recent Articles on My Blog
AI vs Web Designer: Should You Use AI to Design Your Website?
Dead Internet Theory: Why We Need to Make the Web More Human
