Short thoughts, work in progress, lessons learned, & the occasional personal update.
I’m continuing an Elementor project, and I can see myself building custom solutions around it again.
For growing sites with heavy dynamic data and conditional layouts, it’s not really its strongest area.
But it’s still great for marketing sites and for less technical users. Also noticed it now has an MCP, which is a nice plus if you’re using AI.
8 structured data systems in one project. Connecting and strategizing everything so it all works from day one.
I guess freelancing feels fulfilling once you’re done with this kind of project. But the process behind it? That’s a bit overwhelming.
This time I’m not starting from scratch though, the previous provider left it at about 15% progress so I’m just picking up where they left off.
The only real challenge? The language. Shifting from English to Deutsch 😅
Hallo zusammen 👋
Currently working on one of my monthly site care tasks, checking the speed of a client site. And it’s still performing well. These routine checks don’t look exciting but they keep things running the way they should.
Speed is one of the hardest things to improve on a website because there are so many factors like server, how the pages are built, and the tools used to build them. But I’m still glad I was able to improve this one.
One thing you can’t really control when handling projects is the timeline. It can shift at any point, especially when you’re working with trade businesses.
I’ve tried the more popular ones, but Basecamp is still one of the most straightforward tools out there.
Btw I’m almost done with a new post on how I onboard client projects using it.
Since I left my corporate job last year to go full-time freelancing, I’ve been putting a lot more effort into this website.
Just added a new post and it got indexed almost immediately.
Got my new earbuds from Anker and I’m really liking the noise cancellation so far. Been using the one from Baseus for 2 years and it finally needed a replacement.
Looks small but this pair really helps when I need to focus.
My WP Booking System review is now showing up in AI Overviews and SERP, just like my Bricks Builder one. Been ranking for both too.
Found some old clips of my website designs done on Adobe XD. Different versions of my site over the past 10 years. A lot of testing and trial and error. It’s been a journey.
Had to switch to Figma with all the issues around XD being phased out.
I can’t remember if they’re going to post recordings of the 2-day event, but I was still able to gather some insights from my phone and memory 🙂
Here’s the new blog about HighLevel Live Manila.
Since I’ve already added more than 10 notes, I can say I’m really liking this new feature on my website.
See the full post on why I added microblogging to this website.
Nah maybe a discount 😅
But seriously, if you’re going with WordPress, at least use a solid page builder like Bricks (my bias), Beaver, Divi, or Elementor. Launching a site is just a small part of it.
Building new pages and optimizing over time is the long game, and your site builder matters for that.
Looking at these skylight photos all day got me thinking. What’s it like living in a house with a transparent roof like that? Then I imagined having one here in PH. Sounds great when it rains. Then summer hits 😂
jk, these skylights are actually automated and packed with features.
WPBakery might be the only page builder where the experience is equally rough whether you’re using backend or frontend editing. Divi handles this way better.
Sorry, I keep comparing these two because they both offer both modes, but the quality gap is real. Credit to the Divi team for getting that right!
I just realized I wasn’t able to record everything. Now I’m trying to piece together all the info I remember and the photos I have.
The insights they shared were pretty overwhelming 😅
I have an urgent page build using WPBakery. Although we have a 1-week deadline, I’m confident I can deliver. But seriously, at least give us a custom CSS field per widget. Even Divi has that!
I’m not really the type to rant about tools I use for work. I get that every builder is built differently. But every time I have a project using this one, it just takes so much longer than it should.
You know, one thing that still bugs me is not asking my old clients to leave their review on my Google Business page.
I just collected them through email or other apps. Should’ve known better 😬
You know what makes doing this stuff worth it? People who still remember you and refer you even if you haven’t spoken in a long time!
Just got an inquiry! Turns out someone I spoke with 2 years ago referred them. As a small service provider, that kind of thing means a lot 🙂
Late night timelapse of us getting things done. I don’t know why, but I always feel more productive at night.
Also, I just recently got that standing desk, and I can’t appreciate enough how helpful it is when you’re getting older 😂
Reader Disclosure
Disclosure: I may occasionally include affiliate links in my posts or pages. If you click on one of these links and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, which helps me keep this website running and create more useful content. However, this does not affect my opinion on the product or service in any way. I only recommend products and services that I truly believe in and use myself.
I’ve been talking a lot about direct booking websites on this blog. Reviews of booking plugins, case studies, all that. I actually started with WP Booking System before switching to YITH Booking & Appointments for a client project.
But after the switch, I never really got to explore WPBS further. So this time I built a fully working demo site that shows exactly how WP Booking System can help with building a vacation rental booking website.
The site is called Coastip & Co., and you can check it out at bookingdemo.emdevsite.com.
This is probably the first question. Why spend time building something for a plugin demo?
Honestly, it comes down to one thing. Telling someone “I can build you a direct booking website” is not the same as showing them one. A live demo lets you click around, check available dates, go through the booking flow, and experience the whole thing for yourself.
WP Booking System does have a demo on their site, and it’s helpful for getting a feel for the plugin’s features. But from what I saw, it’s mainly a page with calendars and forms. It doesn’t really show you how everything comes together on a full vacation rental website with property listings, descriptions, and a complete booking flow. That’s the gap I wanted to fill. Something where a property owner can see how the system actually works in context.
Coastip & Co. is a demo site for a boutique property management company based along the California coast. It manages three vacation rental properties, each with a different vibe.
For the actual build, the stack is pretty straightforward if you’ve been following my other posts.
For typography, I’m using two fonts from Adobe Fonts: Powell for headings and Clother for body and UI text.
That’s the core build. No WooCommerce. No heavy eCommerce setup. Just a clean booking flow.
Fewer OTA fees, direct guest relationships, and a booking experience you control from start to finish.
Includes 3 months of Site Care + a Personalized Growth Guide
I want to be upfront about this. I used AI for some of the elements important to the demo. Specifically two things: content and property photos.
Content and Copy
All the written content was drafted through conversations with Claude. That includes the property descriptions, taglines, short descriptions for listing cards, the “About” section narrative, and other important property details.
Property Photos
All the property images were AI-generated using Gemini. Exteriors, interiors, and outdoor spaces. Approximately 18 images total across the three properties.
That’s pretty much the whole build. If you want to see how it all comes together, the demo is live at bookingdemo.emdevsite.com. Feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to me directly if you have any questions.
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