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March feels like a good time to talk about something most businesses never think about until something goes wrong or the threat of lawsuit ends up at their door: accessibility.

Not because it’s having a moment. Not because the lawsuit headlines are getting louder. But because a website that not everyone can actually use isn’t really doing its job.

At Rock, Pixel, Scissors, we audit a lot of WordPress websites. They look great. Clean design, solid content, no obvious problems. But when we look at them through an accessibility lens, the gaps are almost always there.

The good news? They’re rarely intentional. Most sites just haven’t been looked at this way before.

Here’s what we find most often and why it’s worth paying attention to.

Missing Alt Text on Images

Alt text is how screen readers describe images to users who are blind or visually impaired. Without it, those images simply don’t exist for a portion of your audience and any information they convey disappears with them.

Most WordPress sites we review have dozens, sometimes hundreds, of images with no alt text at all. It’s one of the easiest things to fix and consistently one of the most overlooked. (It also affects SEO, which is a nice bonus.)

Poor Color Contrast

Light gray text on a white background has been a design staple for years. It also happens to be unreadable for a significant number of people. Those with low vision, color blindness, or even just older eyes on a bright screen.

ADA guidelines set minimum contrast ratios for a reason. When text and background colors are too similar, readability suffers for everyone, not just users with disabilities. If someone has to squint to get through your content, they probably won’t.

Broken Heading Structure

WordPress makes it easy to change the visual size of text, which has led to a lot of sites where the heading structure looks fine but is technically a mess. Multiple H1 tags, headings that skip levels, text that’s been styled to look like a heading without actually being coded as one.

Screen readers use heading structure to help users move through a page efficiently. When that structure is out of order or inconsistent, navigation becomes a frustrating guessing game.

Forms Without Proper Labels

Contact forms are where we see some of the most significant accessibility failures. Placeholder text standing in for real labels. Error messages that aren’t communicated clearly. Required fields that aren’t identified until after submission fails.

If a user can’t independently figure out how to complete your form, you’ve lost that inquiry and possibly flagged yourself for a compliance issue.

Keyboard Navigation That Doesn’t Work

A lot of people don’t use a mouse. Some rely entirely on a keyboard to move through a website, and many assistive devices work the same way. If menus can’t be tabbed through, buttons can’t be activated, or there’s no visible focus indicator showing where you are on the page, those users hit a wall.

It’s one of the more technical issues we find, and one of the most commonly missed during the original build.

Auto-Playing Media

Videos that launch without warning and pop-ups that interrupt page flow aren’t just annoying, they create real barriers for users with cognitive disabilities or those using screen readers. Accessibility means giving users control over their experience, including whether and when media plays.

Why Any of This Matters

The case for accessibility goes beyond legal risk, though that’s real too. Accessible sites tend to have cleaner structure, clearer navigation, and stronger SEO fundamentals. The improvements that make a site more usable for someone with a disability usually make it better for everyone.

It’s also just the right thing to build.

Where to Start

Most of the WordPress sites we audit weren’t built with bad intentions. Accessibility just wasn’t part of the checklist. If your site hasn’t been reviewed recently (or ever) it’s worth finding out where you actually stand.

A proper audit will show you what’s working, what’s exposed, what’s a quick fix, and what needs more involved work. Some of it you can address right away. Some of it takes more planning.

But addressing it now, on your own terms, is almost always easier than addressing it after a complaint or a demand letter.

Like all great relationships, it is about more than the big gestures of flowers, cards, or elaborate dinners.

It is about the little moments of basic care throughout the year. 

And your website is the same way.

Every year, we talk to business owners who are convinced their website needs a full redesign:

“It looks dated.” 

“Traffic is down”

 Or “Something just feels off.”

And while couples counseling can do a lot of good, it won’t fix a website.

At Rock, Pixel, Scissors, we regularly find that the real problems have nothing to do with how a site looks and everything to do with how it’s maintained.

When “Outdated” Really Means “Unmaintained”

Most websites don’t suddenly stop working. They don’t have a dramatic breakup moment. They slowly drift into dysfunction.

Plugins don’t get updated.
Security patches are skipped.
Performance issues stack up quietly.
Content stagnates. 

The site feels sluggish. Rankings dip. Users get frustrated. That’s usually when people start shopping for a redesign—looking for something new instead of addressing what’s actually wrong.

But redesigning a site without fixing those underlying issues is like jumping into a new relationship without unpacking the last one. It might feel exciting at first, but the same problems tend to show up again—just with a different layout.

Security Is Not Optional (Even If It’s Boring)

Security updates aren’t romantic.

They don’t come with a new color palette, flashy animations, or a big reveal moment. But they’re the digital equivalent of showing up, communicating, and locking the door behind you.

Search engines trust secure, well-maintained websites.
Users feel safer on them.
Hosting providers expect them.

Skipping updates doesn’t just increase risk, it quietly damages performance, visibility, and credibility.

If your site hasn’t been checked in a while, security alone might be the relationship issue you’re ignoring.

Small Fixes That Actually Move the Needle

A website refresh doesn’t need to be dramatic or expensive.

Some of the most effective improvements come from:

• Cleaning up navigation
• Fixing broken links
• Improving load times or shrinking giant images
• Updating metadata
• Addressing accessibility gaps
• Adding or refreshing content

None of that requires tearing your site down and starting over.

Start With the Boring Stuff (It Works)

Before committing to a redesign, it’s worth asking one honest question:

Is this a design problem—or a maintenance problem?

An audit gives you that answer without guesswork. Sometimes it confirms a redesign is the right move. Other times, it saves you from a costly decision driven by frustration rather than facts.

Either way, it’s better than assuming.Because sometimes the website doesn’t need replacing.
It just needs a little attention.

If your website creaks when you try to open it, gives visitors the chills, or seems to have a ghost (or two) in the machine… you might be dealing with a haunted website.

Sure, it’s October,  the season for jump scares, cobwebs, and horror marathons, but there’s nothing fun about spooky surprises coming from your business site. From outdated code to broken pages, neglecting your website maintenance can turn your digital home into a full-blown haunted house.

Here’s what might be haunting your site and how to send those ghosts packing.

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The Ghost of Plugins Past

Old plugins that haven’t been updated in months (or years) can cause all kinds of chaos. From security risks to strange glitches that leave you wondering if your site is possessed.

Think of plugins like the locks on your doors. If they’re old or broken, you’re basically leaving an open invitation for trouble to stroll right in. Regular updates keep your site secure and your features running smoothly.

Exorcism Tip:
Run updates regularly, or schedule monthly maintenance so your site stays clean, stable, and spirit-free.

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Cobwebbed Code

If your website was built years ago and never dusted off, there’s probably some outdated code hanging around. Those cobwebs can slow down your site, mess with new browsers, and make your SEO scream in agony. If your site was built prior to 2018, it might just be time to knock that haunted house down and build again.

Modern websites evolve fast  and if yours isn’t keeping up, visitors can sense it. (Nothing scares away potential customers faster than slow load speeds.)

Exorcism Tip:
A code audit can reveal where your site is lagging. Sometimes all it takes is a refresh to bring it back from the dead.

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 The Zombie Pages That Just Won’t Die

You know those old blog posts, outdated promotions, and random “Test Page” links still lurking around? Yeah, they’re not harmless. They’re SEO zombies, dragging down your rankings and confusing visitors.

Exorcism Tip:
Archive or delete anything that’s no longer serving your audience. Clean navigation is key to keeping your site’s user experience alive and well.

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The Phantom Form

Have you tested your contact form lately? Because one of the scariest things that can happen is realizing no one’s been able to reach you… for months.

Outdated or broken forms are the silent killers of conversions. People want to contact you, but their messages vanish into the void. Terrifying.

Exorcism Tip:
Test your forms and buttons at least once a month — especially after updates. If you’re not getting form submissions, that’s a major red flag.

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The Budget Boogeyman

Here’s a scary fact: many businesses still have unused marketing dollars sitting in their accounts by the end of the year. And just like ghosts, those funds disappear if you don’t use them.

If your website needs updates, improvements, or security fixes, this is the perfect time to invest. Don’t wait until January to realize your old site scared off more customers than it brought in.

Exorcism Tip:
Use your Q4 budget wisely. Website maintenance and updates are business expenses that actually deliver ROI (and peace of mind).

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 Ready for an Exorcism?

Your website shouldn’t give you nightmares. Whether you need a quick cleanup, plugin refresh, or a full resurrection, we can help make sure your site is smooth, secure, and running like new.

Don’t wait for the jump scare. Book a website maintenance check with Rock, Pixel, Scissors — before the ghosts of neglected sites come knocking.

👉 Schedule a Maintenance Check

(Spoiler: Number 10 will blow your mind!)

It’s that time of year again. Kids are back in the classroom, backpacks stuffed with sharpened pencils, and parents everywhere are finally able to have some routine. While they’re learning fractions, spelling, and the periodic table, I’ve been reflecting on some lessons I’ve picked up over the years. Not from textbooks, but from being a freelance web developer.

Turns out, school never really ends. The lessons just look different.

1. Sometimes You Need Some Code

Think of this like high school math. You can get pretty far with a calculator or a no-code builder, but sooner or later you’ll need to actually do the math. The same goes for websites. Out-of-the-box builders are great until you want something truly custom. Then it’s time to crack open some CSS or JavaScript.

2. Invoice on Time

Remember how teachers never accepted late homework? The same applies here. I learned early that if I don’t send invoices on time, I don’t get paid. You can only control how quickly your clients pay by so much with net 15 or net 30 due dates, but if you delay sending the invoice, you’ve just pushed your payment back even further. Staying on schedule keeps the money flowing.

3. Use the Right Tools

Typing up an essay in Comic Sans was never a great look. Sending invoices out of InDesign with duplicate numbers was also not a great look. Once I switched to actual invoicing software, my “grades” in bookkeeping improved dramatically.

4. Speak Your Customer’s Language

Teachers don’t hand you a science test written in Shakespearean English. Why? Because you wouldn’t understand it. The same goes for clients. There’s an old example from the early days of SEO where airlines were optimizing for “low fares” but customers were searching for “cheap flights”. Listen, learn, and use their language in your content.

5. Allow Time for the Unknowns

Procrastinating on a project and pulling an all-nighter is something we have all experienced. But as a developer, I’ve learned that padding the schedule for surprises means fewer late nights and fewer panic attacks. If I think something will take four weeks, I tell the client six. That way, I can be the kid who turns in homework early for once.

6. Just Because I Use a Computer Doesn’t Mean I Fix Them

This one is like assuming your English teacher can also grade your math homework. Just because I work on a computer does not mean I want to – or even know how to – fix your Windows error or troubleshoot your email. I will fail at IT support.

7. You Don’t Have to Do It All Yourself

In grade school, one person could handle a project. These days, websites are more like grad school group projects. They take a team. Designers, developers, copywriters, SEO folks, it’s a village effort. Collaboration isn’t just more productive, it’s more fun and leads to better results.

8. Time Away From Screens is Good

Teachers call it recess. I call it sanity. Breaks make us better. Go outside, stare at a tree, or just look away from the wall in front of you. The internet will still be there when you come back.

Pro Tip: Try to position your computer so it’s not right up against a wall so you can look past the screen more easily.

9. Listen, Then Guide

Students want candy for lunch every day, but teachers guide them toward veggies. The same is true with clients. Listen to what they want, but also recommend what they need.

10. And Finally: Bake Smart

This one has nothing to do with websites, but is still incredibly important. If you’re baking cookies, crinkle up the parchment paper so it lays flat. And say no to silicone baking mats. Trust me.

At the end of the day, whether you’re in a classroom or at a keyboard, the real takeaway is this: learning never stops. And sometimes, the best lessons come from trial, error, and the occasional cookie.

(Yes, We’re Turning the Tables This Time)

Last month, we shared a post about what developers wish designers knew. Now it’s time to flip the conversation.

Because as much as we developers love to joke about logo-final-FINAL-v3.png and mysterious button-like shapes with no annotations, the truth is, designers have a few frustrations of their own — and they’ve got receipts.

To gather some real-world perspective, we reached out to our designer community, including a shoutout to the incredible creatives in the Freelance Rockstars Facebook Group led by Julie Cortés.

If you’re a freelancer looking to grow your business, sharpen your communication skills, and surround yourself with smart, supportive people — you’ll want to check it out.

Here’s what designers had to say — and how we can all do better.

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Design Is More Than “Making It Pretty”

Good designers don’t just make things look nice. They’re building entire systems that:

• Support usability and hierarchy
• Guide the eye toward key conversion points
• Create consistency across screens and platforms

When developers make small changes like swapping a font, resizing graphics, or adjusting spacing “just to make it work,” it can unravel the logic behind the whole visual experience.

Alicia White of Alicia in the Wild

Our take: Clean builds start with clear communication. Don’t assume. Ask.

Pixel-Perfection Isn’t the Goal — But Precision Still Matters

Designers know the web isn’t print. Things will shift, stack, and reflow across breakpoints. But there’s a difference between responsive adaptation and a build that only vaguely resembles the mockup.

Designers want:

• Consistent spacing and alignment
• Proper font sizes and hierarchy
• Colors and visuals that reflect brand and accessibility standards

Jen Rarey of Rarified Creative

Our take: Pixel-perfection is unrealistic. Pixel-respect isn’t.

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Designers Need Communication Too

Designers don’t love surprises — and neither do devs. The earlier both parties can collaborate on how things work, the better. Especially when it comes to UX behavior and platform constraints.

Tom Byer

This isn’t just sass — it’s a real breakdown in collaboration and expectations. Whether it’s tools, UX limitations, or platform constraints, devs and designers need to open the door to clearer conversations.

Our take: This isn’t about saving time — it’s about protecting the integrity of the design and the user experience.

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Accessibility and Usability Are Shared Responsibilities

Designers think about legibility, contrast, type hierarchy, and button accessibility from the very beginning. Developers are responsible for upholding those choices during the build.

Changes to styles, spacing, or functionality can unintentionally reduce readability or accessibility.

Our take: If a design doesn’t work for web or accessibility standards, it’s a conversation — not a silent substitution.

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Respect the Creative Process

Just like developers have systems and standards for writing clean, functional code, designers have a process for building intentional visual frameworks. “Quick tweaks” often have ripple effects.

When developers make changes without understanding the visual logic, the result feels disjointed — and sometimes unrecognizable from the original design.

Our take: Designers aren’t trying to be difficult. They’re trying to keep the product cohesive. Collaborate instead of overriding.

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The Bottom Line: Collaboration Wins

Whether you’re on Team Design or Team Dev, the goal is the same:
A clean, functional, well-branded, user-friendly site.

Designers aren’t trying to micromanage. Developers aren’t trying to ignore the design. Most frustrations come from unclear expectations and missing communication.

So talk early. Talk often. Work together. Respect each other’s zones of genius. That’s how great websites get made.

Want a dev team that actually loves working with designers?
👉 Let’s talk.

Spoiler: It’s not another file named “logo-final-FINAL-v3.png”

Let’s get this out of the way: we love good design. We love when something is beautiful and functional. But sometimes, in the rush to create something visually compelling, the final design handoff leaves developers… well, scrambling.

If you’ve ever worked with a developer and been surprised at how long it took to “just build the site,” it probably wasn’t the code. It was the gaps.

So let’s talk about what we actually need from designers to bring their vision to life—without guesswork, wasted time, or a dozen zooms and email follow-ups.

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File Names Matter (A Lot)

Imagine opening a folder with 47 files named logo.png. That’s what many developers deal with regularly. We get it—different designers and branding studios have their own internal systems for file naming. And that’s fine! But what matters most is that the files you send to your developer are clear, specific, and usable.

Ideally, we want to know three things right away:

• Who it’s for (the client or brand)
• What it is (logo, icon, header, etc.)
• Any relevant details (size, usage, color variant)

When files are clearly named with size, context, or usage, they’re instantly usable. When they’re all called “final,” “revised,” or “export,” we’re playing a game of “what even is this?”

Naming files this way helps us keep everything organized on our end. Especially when we’re juggling multiple projects or referencing assets weeks later. If everything’s called logo.png or FINAL-export-v2.png, it’s a lot harder to keep things clean and consistent in the build.

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Fonts, Colors, Specs—Please Send Them

Got a gorgeous PDF? Great. But if you’re not including font names, weights, sizes, color hex codes, and spacing guidelines, we’re left guessing. And while we can guess, we’d rather spend that time actually building your site.

Think of it like this: if you wanted the walls painted blue, but didn’t say which blue, would you be happy if we guessed sky when you wanted navy?

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Tell Us What Things Do

If something looks like a button… should it be a button? Apparently not always, for some reason.

Design tools like Figma are incredible, but they don’t tell us intent. If you want a section to scroll, expand, animate, or link—annotate it. Add notes. Draw arrows. Write it in a shared doc. Anything that tells us what’s supposed to happen.

When we see shapes and layers with no explanation, we have to guess what’s interactive and what’s decorative. And here’s the kicker:
If a developer can’t intuitively guess what an element is supposed to do, your users probably can’t either.

From a usability perspective, ambiguity in design usually translates to confusion in the final product. Clear handoff communication = better functionality and better user experience.

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Map the Links

If something needs to connect to something else (menu item → page, image → external link, CTA → form), just say so.

This might seem obvious, but it’s one of the most frequent causes of post-launch revisions. A simple map or even a quick bulleted list will save hours

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Flexability

While we are also believers in stretching, here we’re talking about the simple reality of responsive web. 

Ever since Ethan Marcotte invented responsive design way back 14-15 years ago, websites have been fluid. One randomly selected client has had users visit their site on 431 different screen sizes in the last month alone.

The point is – web is not print. 

And while our goal is to deliver what you designed, the fact is, elements move around. Text re-flows and can change size. Very few web layouts are pixel perfect exactly the same all the time no matter what. And trying to build sites that exactly match one specific design file like that is slow, and very very very expensive. And almost all of the time, absolutely not worth it.

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Respect the Timeline: Dev Takes Time Too

Here’s the truth: development should take just as long as design—maybe more. If your design timeline is 4 weeks, expect at least 4–5 weeks for proper development.

Why? Because implementation, testing, responsiveness, accessibility, performance, and functionality all require careful attention. Rushing development is how you get broken layouts, clunky interactions, and frustrated clients.

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TL;DR: Designers, We Love You. Help Us Love You Faster.

The goal is collaboration, not conflict. The smoother the handoff, the better the final product. And trust us, your vision is way more powerful when it actually works the way you imagined.

So the next time you deliver assets to a developer, think like a dev:

• Are my files clear and usable?
• Do they explain what things do?
• Is everything labeled and specced properly?
• Are we cool with the design/layout changing on different screen sizes and platforms?
• Did I give them enough time?

Small changes on your end = massive improvements in dev efficiency.

And if you’re not sure what we need? Just ask. We’re not scary (unless you send us another logo-final2.png, then we might be).

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Want to send this to your favorite designer? Go for it. We’re here for better collaboration, cleaner launches, and fewer headaches—for everyone involved.

Coming soon: What designers wish developers knew. ‘Cause they don’t know it all!