Embracing the digital landscape

The shift to digital offers physical businesses a big opportunity to expand. Responsive web design is crucial for enhancing user experience. Mobile users expect seamless, flexible images and adaptable web-page layouts on every user device. A responsive site provides a usable experience on desktops, laptops, and smartphones. This meets modern customer expectations, boosts usability, and enhances website design strategy.

The rise of mobile users

Data shows that mobile internet usage now surpasses desktop usage, significantly impacting how we approach responsive web-page layout. Key statistics include:

• Over 50% of global web traffic comes from mobile devices, highlighting the need for responsive images and layouts.
• Consumers spend more than five hours daily on smartphones, emphasizing the importance of a great user experience and progressive enhancement.
• Over 70% of shoppers use mobile devices in-store for reviews and pricing comparisons.

These statistics underscore the necessity for mobile-friendly designs, flexible images, and thoughtful device screen size consideration. Failing to meet these expectations can mean losing potential customers and affecting user behavior.

Integrating physical and digital

To maintain brand consistency, seamless integration of physical stores and digital platforms is key. This strategy enhances user experience, accommodating various users' needs. Brick and Code Web Design expertly employs responsive design principles and a single codebase for efficiency and maximum display size adaptability.

User engagement and technical excellence

We focus on user engagement and technical excellence:

• Responsive Design: Flexible images and adaptable layouts using CSS3 media queries reduce costs and streamline design.
• UX/UI Design: Guides customers smoothly, boosting engagement and conversion both in-store and online.
• Performance Optimization: Fast, reliable sites reduce bounce rates and increase conversion by adapting to dynamic changes in user behavior and viewing environments.

These factors enable businesses to leave lasting impressions and maximize physical shopping experiences.

Prioritizing accessibility and compliance

Accessibility is vital and legally important. Brick and Code Web Design ensures sites meet WCAG and Section 508 standards, enhancing user experience across all device screen sizes. This approach broadens your customer base and reflects values of inclusivity and adaptability to user interface plasticity.

The impact of compliance

Why is accessibility valuable?

• Broader Audience Reach: Accessibility extends your audience reach, akin to creating inclusive spaces and optimizing for screen sizes.
• Improved SEO: Accessibility features make sites easier for search engines like Google to index, improving visibility.
• Enhanced Brand Reputation: Shows commitment to all customers, fostering a positive image and aligning with user expectations.

Conclusion

Responsive and accessible web design is essential. Partner with Brick and Code Web Design to transform your business. We bridge the gap between offline and online, creating responsive layouts for devices of all sizes. Let's create something extraordinary together.

Small businesses are more than just storefronts or online shops; they're the lifeblood of local communities, the creators of personalized experiences, and the embodiments of entrepreneurial spirit. Every small business carries a story—often one of passion, resilience, and relentless creativity.

Did you know that small businesses account for nearly half of all U.S. economic activity? Yet, beyond statistics, these businesses enrich our lives in unique and meaningful ways:

• Community Impact: They often give back by supporting local charities, sponsoring school events, or simply providing a gathering place for the community.
• Personal Connections: They offer personalized service, remembering your favorite orders, your name, or even your pet's birthday.
• Innovation and Creativity: They constantly innovate, bringing fresh ideas and products tailored specifically to their community’s needs and tastes.

Supporting small businesses isn't just an economic choice—it's a personal one, a way to keep our communities thriving and connected.

Today, take a moment to appreciate the small businesses that add value and joy to your life. Visit a local coffee shop, leave a kind review for your favorite boutique, or simply share their story. Every little act makes a big difference.

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Why Personalized Customer Experience Should Be the Foundation of Your Website

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If your website speaks to everyone, it speaks to no one.

That’s the core truth behind personalized customer experiences—tailoring content, design, and functionality to fit your visitor's needs, preferences, and behaviors. In a digital world flooded with generic interactions, personalized experiences build trust and drive conversions.

What is a Personalized Customer Experience (PCX)?

PCX is about more than just using someone’s first name. It means delivering relevant content, recommendations, and services based on a user’s:

• Behavior
• Location
• History

Why It Matters for Your Website

• Boosts Engagement
  Users stay longer and explore more when content feels tailored to them.

• Drives Conversions
  Personalized CTAs (calls-to-action) can increase click-through rates by over 200%.

• Builds Loyalty
  Repeat visitors are more likely to return to a site that "gets" them.

How I Can Help

At Brick and Code, I specialize in crafting user-first websites that adapt and engage—whether that means:

• Location-based messaging
• Smart content blocks
• Custom onboarding flows

Together, we can make your website work smarter, not harder.

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Let’s create a website experience that feels like it was built just for them.
Let’s Talk →

Designing for Purpose: Using Divi to Build the Quilts for Veterans Website

At Brick and Code Web Design, I believe websites should serve a purpose. One of my proudest projects to date was creating the website for Quilts for Veterans—a nonprofit that provides handmade quilts to U.S. military veterans as a way to honor their service.

To bring this project to life, I used Divi by Elegant Themes, my go-to WordPress builder. Divi gave me the flexibility and design power I needed to create something meaningful—and functional.

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The Mission Behind the Website

The organization needed a website that could:

• Tell their story with warmth and clarity
• Showcase handmade quilt images
• Offer easy access to donate
• Allow Veterans to be nominated for quilts
• Be easy to navigate and update over time

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Why I Chose Divi for the Job

Divi stood out as the best tool for this nonprofit build for several reasons:

1. Visual Builder for Quick Prototyping

Divi’s drag-and-drop interface helped me present real-time layouts to the client, eliminating extra mockups and streamlining approvals.

2. Global Design Settings

Using Divi's Global Styles, I set up a warm, patriotic inspired color palette and consistent font system to maintain brand identity across every page.

3. Responsive Controls

The mobile layout was a huge priority, and Divi made it easy to customize the experience across phones, tablets, and desktops.

4. Clean Donation Flow

Divi’s built-in buttons and layout modules helped me create clean, compelling callouts that stand out without clutter.

5. Speed and SEO Friendliness

Combined with caching and image optimization, Divi loads quickly and plays nicely with SEO plugins—making it a great long-term tool for nonprofits.

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Page-by-Page Breakdown

Homepage

I built a bold hero section, photo slider, and donation CTA using Divi's column layout and button modules.

Gallery

Using Divi’s Portfolio module and Lightbox effect, I created a quilt showcase that’s easy to browse.

Above: A sample quilt featured in the online gallery.

About

With toggles and blurbs, I included the organization's origin story and team bios without overwhelming the page with text.

Donation

A clean, simple page with large buttons and a contact form helps streamline supporter actions.

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Empowering the Client

Quilts for Veterans staff now manage the website easily on their own, updating photos and text with ease. That’s one of the biggest benefits of using Divi: it’s powerful for developers, but approachable for non-tech users too.

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Why I Recommend Divi

If you're building a site for a nonprofit or small business, I highly recommend Divi by Elegant Themes. It’s fast, flexible, and beginner-friendly—with pro-level results.

Affiliate Note: I’m a proud Elegant Themes affiliate because I truly use and love their products. If you purchase through my link, it supports my small business at no extra cost to you. 🙌

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Want Help With Your Website?

If you’re looking to build or refresh a website with Divi, I’d love to help. Whether you're a nonprofit, creator, or small business owner—let's bring your vision to life with clean design and smart functionality.

Contact Me Today

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Welcome to My First Post

Starting Brick & Code: From Idea to Internet

Hey there! I’m Trevor, and this is the first official blog post for Brick & Code Web Design, the solo studio I launched to help small businesses build beautiful, functional websites without the stress.

So… how did I get here?

The Spark

It all started when I realized a lot of incredible small businesses, especially local ones, were still rocking outdated websites (or worse, none at all 😬). I wanted to change that. So I took what I knew about design, development, and problem-solving, and decided to make something of it.

Brick & Code was born — a mix of digital creativity and practical know-how, built to bridge physical businesses into the online world.

Hand-Coded and WordPress? Yep.

The Brick & Code site (the one you're on right now) is 100% hand-coded — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and a little Markdown magic to power this blog. I really like that level of control and customization.

But not every project needs to start from scratch.

I also work with WordPress and Divi, especially for clients who want more control after launch. WordPress is a great fit when clients want to update their content easily, and Divi helps bring in that extra visual polish (without having to learn to code from scratch).

So whether you’re looking for a fully custom-coded site or a flexible WordPress build — I’ve got you.

What I’ve Learned So Far

• Every project (and client!) is different — and that’s a good thing.
• Ideas always happen at 11:47 PM.
• Balance is everything: some projects need the power of custom code, others just need a clean, editable site that works.

What’s Next?

I’ll be posting updates here about cool projects, tips for fellow creatives, and behind-the-scenes peeks at what it's like to run a solo web design biz.

If you’re a business owner looking for a site that’s stylish, strategic, and stress-free, let’s chat. Whether it’s hand-coded or WordPress-powered, I can help you bring your digital presence to life.

Reach out through my contact form

Thanks for stopping by — more posts coming soon!
— Trevor @ Brick & Code 🧱💻