Whether you're just starting out in web design or trying to make sense of your business website, this podcast meets you where you are. I'm Andrew Backhouse, a web designer with over 25 years in the industry. Each episode covers one idea in around 10 minutes - the kind of thing they don't always teach in courses, and the kind of thing clients don't always ask about. Practical, honest, and grounded in real freelance experience. New episodes every two weeks.
Somebody asked me this last week, and it is the same question I get about once a month. They said, I have got a Facebook page and it is doing alright. Do I actually need a website as well. Now I could give you the answer you would expect from someone who builds websites for a living. That is not much use to you, so I am going to give you the honest one instead. Because there are times when a social page on its own is fine. And there is a fairly clear point where it stops being fine. Hi, I’m A...
17 Aug 2026
Don't design for willpower
I'm on medication that needs taking regularly and I have social appointments that I forget about - Ideas pop into my head when I'm out walking. But I'm someone who, if I get half a chance, will avoid the computer and hide my phone. I need systems that work around how I actually behave, not systems that require willpower. Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design and in this episode of “A web designer did what?!”, I'm taking a tree-top view of how design systems shoul...
3 Aug 2026
Why your website isn't working
I had a client who was a local independent shop. Good quality stuff. People actually liked them.
When they came to me they wanted an online shop. That was the brief. They were thinking: we need to sell online, reach people on the internet, that is where the business is going.
And I looked at their site and it was obvious straight away. The problem was not that the site was badly designed. The problem was that they were trying to compete with hundreds of other shops selling similar things cheaper.
The online shop would not have worked because they were trying to answer the wrong question. The website should not be your business. The website should be the invitation.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I'm talking about website conversion issues.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-backhouse/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewbackhouse.design
20 Jul 2026
Why I will not send you a price list
Someone gets in touch about a website. We go back and forth a bit, and then they ask the question. Can you just send me a price list.
I get why people ask. It feels fair. Everyone sees the same numbers. Everyone pays the same amount. Nothing hidden.
Except it is not that simple. And if I sent you a price list with one number on it, I would be lying to you a bit, without meaning to.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer did what?!”, I'm telling you the secrets behind transparent pricing.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-backhouse/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewbackhouse.design
6 Jul 2026
Accessibility doesn't limit good design. It builds it.
I used to think accessibility was a checklist. Add some alt text. Pick a readable font. Tick the box and move on.
Then a client called and the building of a website changed my mind.
Sound of Wonder is run by DJ Scooby, who I work with at Harrogate Community Radio. So this isn't a stranger's project. It's someone I know well, asking me to solve a real problem for real readers.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I'm talking about accessibility in web design and how it forces design forward.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
22 Jun 2026
What every small business homepage needs
I want to talk about something I get asked about more than almost anything else. And that is: why is my website not getting me any enquiries?
It is a fair question. You have got a website. It exists. People can find it, presumably. So why is nobody picking up the phone or filling in the contact form?
A lot of the time, when I actually look at the site, the answer is pretty obvious. And it usually starts on the homepage.
So today I want to walk through what a small business homepage actually needs to do. Not what it should look like. Not colours or fonts or any of that. What it needs to do. Because those are different things.
This is not a very long episode. I am going to keep it practical.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I'm talking about the essentials every small business website needs on their homepage.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
8 Jun 2026
Your website is not your brochure
Today we are talking about something I say to almost every client. Your website is not your brochure.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I'm talking about why lots of small business websites work exactly like brochures - they look nice, they list the services, they have a phone number at the bottom.
And, then the owner wonders why nobody is getting in touch.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
25 May 2026
Accessible design is for everyone
Welcome to the eighth episode of "A web designer in Harrogate did what?!" Today I want to talk about something that affects every single person who uses a website, an app, or a phone. And yet, most people have never heard the term for it. It is called accessible design. And no - it is not just for disabled people
Before I go any further, I want to be clear about something, Making things accessible for disabled people is the right thing to do, full stop. But today I am focusing on something slightly different; I want to show you how design choices made for accessibility end up helping all of us every day, without us even noticing.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I am exploring value based pricing; but, this approach isn't without difficulty. It takes confidence to quote a higher number and hold your ground. Some clients, especially smaller local businesses, are used to comparing hourly rates - and a fixed fee without a visible hourly breakdown can feel opaque to them.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
11 May 2026
Stop charging by the hour - try value-based pricing. What I charge for web design.
Most of us start the same way - pick an hourly rate, estimate how long something will take, multiply the two, and send a quote. That method has a name - it's called time-and-rate estimating. On the surface it feels fair and logical.
The problem is it ties your income directly to your hours. The better you get, the faster you work - and the less you earn for the same result. That's a system that penalises you for improving.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I am exploring value based pricing; but, this approach isn't without difficulty. It takes confidence to quote a higher number and hold your ground. Some clients, especially smaller local businesses, are used to comparing hourly rates - and a fixed fee without a visible hourly breakdown can feel opaque to them.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
27 Apr 2026
Why accessible design is good for business
Today I want to talk about accessibility
Before you assume this is going to be a technical deep-dive into WCAG guidelines and ARIA labels, let me be clear: this episode is about money
It's about why making your website accessible is one of the smartest commercial decisions a business can make
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I am exploring why when I bring up accessibility in a client conversation, the response is usually polite but vague
People nod, they agree it's important, and then they ask whether it's going to add time and cost to the project
So today I want to flip that question around
The real question is: what is inaccessibility costing you right now?
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
13 Apr 2026
Fun times with Contact Forms - do you get enquiries?
Your contact form is sitting there on your website, looking the part. But is anyone actually using it?
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I look at contact forms - what makes them work, what puts people off, and why so many enquiries never arrive. I share what I've seen across client sites, from forms that quietly fail to ones that genuinely bring in business.
Whether you built your own form or just accepted whatever your theme gave you, this one is worth a listen.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
16 Mar 2026
Can people use my website?
Do you know how people use your website?
Analytics are well and good, but they don't show you how visitors actually use it - and your visitors will not use a website like you use it.
In this episode I walk you through how to conduct a usability test of your website for free.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I'm going to talk through how I run a usability test using Zoom. This is about what happens during the call itself.
At this point in the process, your participants are already recruited, the questions have been reviewed, and people have been selected. This is all assuming you know how to make a Zoom call and that the calls are booked and confirmed.
I'll cover how I open the Zoom call, how I guide the session, and how I wrap up and review interviews.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
2 Mar 2026
Design with your mum in mind
You have heard the advice to design with the end user in mind.
In this episode, I suggest something more specific. Design with your mum in mind.
Not because she represents everyone. But because she quickly reveals where things feel confusing, stressful or unclear.
If something works for your mum, it usually feels calmer and more human for everyone else too.
I talk about:
Why familiarity creates blind spots in digital design
How clear language improves user experience
Why clever layouts can reduce confidence
How to write error messages that feel calm and helpful
Why accessibility should feel like common sense
The value of testing with people who are not in tech
This episode is for small business owners, designers, and anyone building something online.
If your mum can use it without help, frustration, or feeling lost, you have probably done a good job.
Design with empathy.
Design with clarity.
Design with your mum in mind.
16 Feb 2026
Clear structure, better blogs, stronger SEO foundations
Many businesses blog regularly but see very little return.
In this episode, I explain how blog post formatting supports SEO by making content clearer, more readable, and easier for search engines to understand. I am not an SEO expert. The aim is not to replace one, but to show how good structure helps SEO specialists work more effectively.
I cover one topic per post, heading structure, paragraph length, lists, internal links, images, and metadata, and explain how these elements work together to support visibility and trust.
This episode is for Harrogate businesses and anyone who wants their blog content to work harder without chasing algorithms.
2 Feb 2026
Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress? Which one for my Business website?
Many small businesses choose Squarespace or Wix because they are quick and easy to launch.
In this episode, I explain what I often recommend - WordPress is possibly a better long term option.
Hi, I’m Andrew Backhouse. My site is https://andrewbackhouse.design (https://andrewbackhouse.design) and in this episode of “A web designer in Harrogate did what?!”, I look at how the platforms actually work, where their limits show up over time, and what that means if your business plans to grow, publish regularly, or change direction.
Follow Andrew:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewadesigner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drewadesigner
20 Jan 2026
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