Blogging & Content
Why I dropped my newsletter (and what I do instead)
I ran a newsletter for a year. I dropped it. The people who really wanted my writing already had RSS, and the weekly cadence was making the posts worse.
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Author: Marin Holvers
Marin Holvers is the senior editor at Pivot. With a background in PHP development and a soft spot for the early-2000s era of dynamic publishing tools, he writes about web design, content strategy, and the craft of building independent websites that last. When he isn’t editing, he’s usually breaking and re-fixing his personal blog.
Web Development
Building a tiny CMS from scratch as a learning exercise
I wrote a 300-line PHP blog over a weekend, just to remember how it feels. Here's what's in it, why it works, and why I'd never use it for a real client.
Digital Marketing & SEO
What I actually track in Plausible (and what I ignore)
I switched from Google Analytics to Plausible in 2021 and I track maybe four things. Bounce rate isn't one of them. Here's what I look at and why.
Web Design & UX
What good empty states actually look like
Most empty states say "No items to show" and call it a day. The good ones explain what goes in the box, suggest the next move, and have a tiny bit of personality.
Business & Startups
Pricing rules of thumb I’ve learned the hard way
Twenty-plus years of freelancing has beaten a handful of pricing rules into me. None of them are clever. All of them came from undercharging.
Technology & Software
Why I switched away from VS Code (and where I landed)
After about eight years of VS Code I moved to Sublime Text. Here is what pushed me, what I miss, and what is better. VS Code is still fine for most people.
Blogging & Content
The one thing I changed to actually finish drafts
I had a folder with 17 unfinished drafts. The single rule that fixed it, plus a few smaller habits that helped. Your mileage may vary.
Web Development
What I actually use Tailwind for (and where I drop it)
Tailwind is great for some things and a poor fit for others. Here is where I reach for it, where I avoid it, and why pivotlog itself does not use it.
Digital Marketing & SEO
The SEO advice I have stopped giving people
A list of the SEO tips I gave clients five and ten years ago that I no longer give. Plus what I tell them instead, which is shorter and less interesting.
Business & Startups
The hidden cost of saying yes to a freelance client
Freelance hourly rates need a 1.5x to 2x multiplier on top of your salary equivalent. Here is why, and the recent project that ended up costing me money.