At the risk of sounding like a broken record, if you have not already done so please register and lock down the .au variation of your domain name. In stark contrast to .com.au domains, anybody can register .au domains. $30-$40 per year is a small price to pay for a bit of insurance.
In saying that, fair play to the gentleman who snatched the domain palmer.au and then sold it to me with a massive markup attached.
copy.ai and ChatGPT
AI seems to be the hot topic of discussion in recent times. I am generally not a huge fan of AI generated content, as it's very evident in a lot of high ranking articles.
However, I have started to integrate AI into my workflow. AI gets me out of those frustrating situations where I can't put pen to paper, or it's hard to get thoughts into words eloquently.
Generating text in copy.ai or ChatGPT gives me a full slate of information which I can pick to pieces, pulling out what I want to elaborate on and ditching the remaining 90% of fluff.
Managed Website and Server Hosting
2022 was not a good year for those of us using hosted platforms and services. I turned 40, hosting costs increased across the board, and a number of companies/providers announced plans to review their pricing structure for future increases.
I sold my website hosting business in 2016, which had non-compete clause in the terms of sale. This clause expired last year.
Over the past 6 months I have worked with services from several very well-known companies to develop a managed site/server hosting platform, similar to my "go to" Kinsta but for AU/NZ without the USD premium. The easiest way to explain the platform is to say I am cherry-picking the best features from the best providers, and combining them in one place.
We are close. Very close. New features are regularly being added, almost weekly since October, but I need to ensure the client portal is up to scratch before I send out more invitations and open things up to a wider audience. Thanks once again to those early adopters (you know who you are).
Github Pages - Free Website Hosting
If you do not have a website editor or admin login, you probably have a static site. Github (code versioning and storage) has a neat feature tucked away called "Github Pages".
Github Pages is a compelling free alternative to standard website hosting. No hidden tricks or surprise invoices, just genuinely free hosting for basic/static websites.
There is a minor catch. Github repositories are complicated beasts. Setting up a Github account, creating a repository, pushing code, and publishing via Github Pages is for developers or those of you technically inclined.
Please send me an email if you would like to take advantage of Github Pages, there is a one-off cost to setup and migrate a website but this can easily be offset with the savings over time on your existing website hosting payments. Github Pages won't be suitable for the majority, but it is a great solution for that small percentage with a basic website that doesn't need regular updating.