The journal
Useful answers.
Ideas you can try.
Practical guides for running a better website and a less repetitive workday. Written around the questions a business owner actually has.
A guide for your next project
A better website starts before the first design.
What to preserve, what to change and how to check a redesign before it goes live.
Read the redesign guide Explore the website service
Browse the journal
A good place to start.
Buying guides, original ideas and practical next steps.
Bookkeeping firms
What should a bookkeeping firm’s website say before someone books a first call?
Scope, onboarding, document requests, client data handling and the first call itself: what a bookkeeping firm’s site should answer before booking.
Read the guideWebsite forms
Your contact form says “sent”—how do you check the inquiry actually arrived?
Trace a website inquiry from form confirmation to inbox with an end-to-end test of delivery records, spam handling, reply-to and failure states.
Read the guideCommercial cleaning
From cleaning website to walkthrough: a review of 20 public inquiry journeys
A dated review of 20 US cleaning websites, with public-page examples, readable-form limits and a repeatable checklist for the route to a walkthrough.
Read the guideEquipment rental
Can you add rental bookings to your existing website without rebuilding it?
Compare a hosted booking link, embedded rental components and a custom connection, with checks for availability, payments and account ownership.
Read the guideAI & automation
Can AI turn a customer email into a draft quote request?
Follow a fictional supplier email into draft line items, missing-information questions and human review, with pricing and sending kept as separate decisions.
Read the guideSupplier websites
Part-number search or product filters: what does your industrial catalog need?
Choose catalog discovery around three buyer journeys: a known part number, a specification to narrow down, or a replacement that needs human review.
Read the guideEquipment rental
How should an event rental website present packages and optional extras?
Show rental package quantities, exclusions, optional services, substitutions and the period behind the price, with a fictional AV example.
Read the guideCommercial cleaning
What should a commercial cleaning website show before someone requests a walkthrough?
A website checklist for commercial cleaning owners: explain coverage, show service scope and genuine proof, and make the walkthrough request clear.
Read the guideWebsite planning
Changing website developers? What access and files should you collect first?
A practical website handover checklist for domain, hosting, source files, content, reporting, forms and secure account transfer.
Read the guideSupplier websites
What should an industrial product page show when you don’t sell online?
Plan a useful industrial product page with an exact part reference, clear units, approved documents, honest availability wording and a quote action.
Read the guideEquipment rental
What should an equipment rental inquiry form ask?
Separate event dates from possession, delivery, setup and return windows so your rental team receives a useful request to review.
Read the guideElectrical distributors
What should an electrical distributor quote form ask?
A practical RFQ field checklist for electrical distributors: exact part references, selling units, approved specifications and a clear sales handoff.
Read the guideSupplier websites
How should a manufacturing RFQ receive and hand off drawings?
Compare upload and follow-up routes, keep drawing revisions tied to the request, and define observable receipt and failure checks.
Read the guideSupplier websites
Single-product vs multi-item RFQ: choose the right quote journey
Compare one-product inquiries with multi-item request lists, including units, variants, uncertain parts and a working sales-brief example.
Read the guideSupplier websites
How much does an industrial catalog website cost?
The actual 1968 Labs supplier website starting price, included scope, project scenarios and questions to ask about running costs.
Read the guideAccessibility
Automated vs manual accessibility testing: what each checks
Understand what accessibility tools can detect, where manual testing is needed and how to scope a useful review of your website.
Read the guideWebsite planning
Template vs custom website: compare the work, not just the look
A practical comparison of template and custom websites: customer journeys, ownership, launch checks and first-year costs.
Read the guideWebsite planning
Catalog website vs ecommerce: which does your business need?
Compare a product catalog with a quote request against an online store. Choose around pricing, availability, product selection and order handling.
Read the guideLocal search
What should a commercial cleaning service-area page include?
Plan useful service-area pages for a cleaning business, with accurate coverage, a practical content outline and a clear walkthrough request.
Read the guideAI & automation
How to test an AI assistant before putting it in front of customers
A practical AI assistant test plan for business owners: scenarios, source checks, human handoffs, release decisions and the operating handover.
Read the guideWebsite conversion
Website visitors but no inquiries? Check these four stages
Diagnose a website that attracts visits but few inquiries. Check audience fit, the offer, the form and actual delivery before buying more traffic.
Read the guideWebsite planning
Website redesign SEO checklist: what to keep, change and test
Plan a small business website redesign with a page decision sheet, redirect checks, launch acceptance criteria and a useful post-launch review.
Read the guideBookkeeping firms
How can a bookkeeping firm simplify document follow-ups?
An original document-collection workflow for bookkeepers: track what arrived, request only missing items and leave accounting review with the team.
Read the guidePrint shops
How can a print shop collect better job specifications?
An original print-shop workflow idea: gather job specifications, identify missing details and prepare a clear handoff for production review.
Read the guideWebsites for craftspeople
What should a custom cabinetmaker’s website show?
A website idea for cabinetmakers: show the craft, explain the process and turn an interested visitor into a useful project inquiry.
Read the guideIndustrial suppliers
What should an AI support assistant do for an industrial supplier?
An original supplier-support idea with cited policy answers, clear stock uncertainty and a handoff that keeps the buyer’s question intact.
Read the guideCommercial cleaning
How could an AI assistant help a commercial cleaning company?
A practical inquiry workflow for cleaning companies: extract the building details, clarify missing information and prepare a reply for review.
Read the guideAccessibility
Got a website accessibility report? What to fix first
Turn accessibility findings into a scoped repair plan with clear ownership, priorities and evidence from a retest.
Read the guideAI & automation
Does your small business need an AI chatbot?
Decide whether clearer pages, saved replies, a simple workflow or a narrowly scoped support assistant will solve the task.
Read the guideEquipment rental
Should your equipment rental website take bookings or quote requests?
Choose a practical rental website flow based on availability, rental dates, delivery and the decisions your team must confirm.
Read the guideCommercial cleaning
What should a commercial cleaning quote form ask?
The information an office-cleaning business needs to qualify an inquiry and arrange a useful walkthrough.
Read the guideIndustrial suppliers
How to turn a PDF product catalog into quote requests
A practical starting point for industrial suppliers: clear product pages, useful quote fields and a reliable sales handoff.
Read the guideWebsites
What should a small business website quote include?
Compare website quotes using a practical checklist of scope, running costs, ownership, testing and handover.
Read the guideIndustrial suppliers
We checked 78 US spring makers' quote forms
25 of 78 quote forms on US Spring Manufacturers Institute member websites had no upload button. The method, the limits, and three details worth copying.
Read the guideA question about your business?
Tell us what you are considering. We’ll help you define a sensible first step.