Ten messages, ten businesses, ten real findings

CopyHi, I was looking at coach operators around Merseyside and noticed aintreecoachline.com is still showing the "we're on our way" holding page. Guessing that's been in progress a while, or someone let you down. I build sites for established local firms out of Liverpool. For a coach company the useful bit isn't really the site itself, it's what sits behind it — someone puts in the journey, the date and the group size, and gets a price without you having to pick up the phone on a Saturday. Happy to put a proper quote together, or if it's easier I can just show you what I'd build first so you can see it before spending anything. Either way, worth getting something up there. Thirty years of reputation and the domain's showing a placeholder. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, Quick one. I had a look at citytoolandplant.co.uk this week and there's no analytics on it at all — not an old tag that's stopped working, just nothing. So there's no record anywhere of how many people visit, what they look at, or how many give up. The other thing is weight. There's a single image on the homepage that's 907 KB, and about 1.5 MB across the page. On a phone on site, that's slow enough that people go back to the search results. I do a free write-up on this sort of thing — actual numbers, no sales pitch, and it's yours whether you use me or not. Want me to send it over? Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, I'm a web developer in Liverpool and I had a proper look at your site this week. Two things I thought you'd want to know. The first is that your analytics is the old Google version, which stopped collecting data in July 2023. It's still sat in the code so it looks like it's working, but nothing's been recorded for about three years. The second is smaller but probably costs you more. There's no tap-to-call link anywhere on the homepage. Someone on a phone can see your number but can't press it to ring you, and for a business that runs on the phone that's a bit of friction on every single enquiry. I do a free audit — I measure the site and send you the numbers, no pitch attached. Happy to send yours over if it's useful. Longer term, the interesting bit for a fleet your size is letting people see what's free and book it online rather than ringing. But that's a conversation for later, if at all. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, I had a look at jemcentres.com this week. The analytics on it is Google's old version, which stopped processing data back in July 2023 — so the code's still there, but nothing's actually been recorded for about three years. Worth knowing mainly because it means there's no way to see which of your trade customers are looking at what, or how many people land on the site and leave. I do a free write-up on this — real measurements, no pitch, yours either way. Say the word and I'll send it. The bigger thing for a merchant, whenever you're ready for it, is giving trade customers a login: their agreed prices, their order history, statements, and reorder in one tap instead of ringing through. That's the sort of thing I build. But start with the free bit, no strings. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, I've been looking at waste and skip firms across Merseyside this month, and yours is genuinely one of the better sites of the lot — analytics actually working, which is rarer than you'd think round here. One thing stood out though. The site talks about booking throughout, but there's no way to actually book. Every job still comes down to ringing you in office hours. Anyone who decides they need a skip at nine on a Sunday night ends up somewhere else. I've built exactly this for another skip operator — pick a size, pick a date, pay, waste transfer note emailed automatically. And for the merchants you supply, a trade login with their sites and consolidated monthly invoicing. I do a free audit first, always. Real numbers, no pitch. Want me to send yours? Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, Had a look at seaforthgroup.co.uk this week and noticed something worth flagging: you've got both the new Google analytics and the old one loading at the same time. The old one stopped collecting data in 2023, so it's just sat there — usually a sign someone started the migration and never finished it. Whatever numbers you're being shown are probably not telling you the whole story. Fair play on the lazy loading though, most sites round here don't bother. There's a 478 KB image on the homepage that could come down a lot, mind. I do a free audit — measurements, plain English, no pitch, yours whether you use me or not. The thing I'd actually find interesting with a business like yours is the service side. Planned maintenance across all those kitchens, which unit is due, who's going, job sheets and certificates. Usually that lives on a wall planner. But that's a later conversation. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, Quick thing I noticed on selfstorage-liverpool.co.uk. There's no description tag on the homepage, which means when you come up in Google, Google picks whatever text it likes off the page to show underneath your name. You've got no say in what people read before they click. Also worth knowing: your analytics is the old Google version that stopped recording in July 2023. Both are quick fixes. I do a free audit that covers this sort of thing — numbers, no pitch, yours either way. The bigger one for storage, whenever you fancy it, is letting people see which sizes are free and reserve one online with a direct debit set up. That's the whole advantage the national chains have over independents, and it's not complicated to build. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, I had a look at merseyvets.co.uk this week and spotted something that's easy to miss: you've got Google's Site Kit plugin installed, but there's no analytics tag actually firing. So it looks set up from the dashboard, and it's recording nothing. The other thing is the images. There's about 1.8 MB of photos loading on the homepage all at once, including one that's over half a megabyte on its own. On a phone that's a slow first few seconds, and people looking for a vet are usually in a hurry. I do a free audit on this — actual measurements, no sales pitch, and it's yours whether you hire me or not. The thing that'd make the most difference day to day, I'd guess, is people booking consults and repeat prescriptions online instead of everyone ringing at half eight in the morning. That's the sort of thing I build, but no rush. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, Had a look at your site this week. The analytics on it is Google's old version, which stopped collecting data in July 2023 — the code's still there so it looks fine, but nothing's been recorded since. I do a free audit covering this sort of thing. Real numbers, no pitch, yours either way. The reason I got in touch specifically though: with workwear it's the same customers coming back every time they take someone on, and it's usually the same painful bit each time — logo files going back and forth by email, and size grids being agreed in a thread and then typed up by hand. Four smalls, eleven mediums, six XLs, three different garments. If your customers could log in, see their approved logo already saved and reorder against last time's size grid, that's most of the admin gone. That's the sort of thing I build. Start with the free audit though, no strings. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, I build sites and systems for hire firms around Merseyside and had a look at liverpoolaccess.com this week. Two things. There's no analytics on it, so there's no record of who's visiting or what they're after. And the page mentions booking and availability, but neither actually does anything — it's all still a phone call. The one I'd genuinely want to talk to you about though is inspections. With MEWPs you're on six-monthly thorough examinations, and in most yards that lives in a spreadsheet somebody has to remember to check. A system that tracks each machine's next date, keeps the certificates, and physically won't let a machine go out on hire once it's overdue takes that risk off you entirely. I do a free audit of the site first — numbers, no pitch, yours either way. Want me to send it? Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool

CopyHi, Just bumping this in case it got buried. The offer stands — I'll measure your site and send you what I find, free, no pitch attached. Takes me an hour and you keep it whether you use me or not. If it's not something you're bothered about, no problem at all, I won't chase again. Adam Macka Saltwork, Liverpool