What Are Those Fake “WooCommerce Automated Testing Product” Orders?
How to Stop Card-Testing Fraud on Your WordPress Store Quick Answer: If you are receiving orders for a product called “WooCommerce Automated Testing Product,” your store is being targeted by a card-testing attack. Bots are using this commonly forgotten placeholder product to verify stolen credit card numbers. The fastest fix: delete or set this product […]
How to Market When Nobody Is Buying
Business feels strange right now. The stock market looks fine-ish on paper, but if you’re a small business owner, you probably aren’t feeling it. Leads are slower. Decisions are taking longer. Clients who seemed interested have gone quiet. You’re not imagining it — and you’re not alone. There’s a real disconnect between what the headlines […]
The State of Small Business in 2026: Cautious Optimism and the Cost of Standing Still
Small businesses enter 2026 with more confidence than they’ve had in years, and more uncertainty about what to do with it. The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index closed out 2025 at 99.5, sitting above its 52-year average for the first time in a while. A Citizens Financial Group survey found that 68% of middle-market companies […]
5 Marketing Strategies to Maximize Your Home & Garden Showcase Booth
How local businesses can turn tradeshow visitors into qualified leads at the Flathead Building Association’s biggest event 2026 Home & Garden Showcase Presented by the Flathead Building Association | March 7th, 10am-5pm & March 8th, 10am-4pmLocation: Flathead County Fairgrounds – 265 N Meridian Rd, Kalispell, MT 59901 The 2026 Home & Garden Showcase in Kalispell […]
WordCamp US 2025: Insights from Portland on the Future of WordPress, AI, and Digital Marketing
After a decade-long hiatus from WordCamp events, I returned to WordCamp US 2025 in Portland with renewed purpose. As the founder of Hill Media Group, managing over 100 WordPress websites for small businesses and nonprofits, I wanted to reconnect with the community that has been central to my work since WordPress version 1.5 introduced themes […]
Will AI Replace Digital Marketing Services? My Real-World Experiment
A question I get constantly from business owners is whether AI will eventually replace the services they provide. As someone who helps small businesses with digital marketing, I wonder the same thing about my own work. With tools like Claude Artifacts making it possible to build functional tools in minutes, I decided to put AI […]
5 Communication Failures That Cost Nonprofits Donors and Volunteers (And How to Fix Them)
Last year, I attended the annual fundraiser for a nonprofit I’ve supported for several years. I walked into that event expecting the usual energy and excitement; stories of impact, updates on programs, and that feeling of being part of something meaningful. Instead, I left feeling disconnected and confused. The organization hadn’t sent a single email […]
5 Ways Local Service Businesses Can Use AI to Win More Customers (And Keep Them Coming Back)
After attending Search Marketing Expo Advanced earlier this month, I’ve been flooded with questions my clients about one topic: artificial intelligence. The feedback from my recap insights has been incredible, but the most common question I’m hearing is this: “How can my local business actually use AI without breaking the bank or becoming too technical?” […]
3 Website Changes That Actually Drive More Customers
Your website is often the first impression potential customers have of your business. In today’s mobile-first world, that first impression happens on a smartphone screen while someone is scrolling through search results, looking for a solution to their problem. Whether you’re a service-based business owner trying to attract local customers, an online retailer competing for […]
SMX Advanced 2025 Recap: What Small Businesses Need to Know About the Future of SEO
SMX Advanced 2025 marked the first in-person SMX conference since early 2020, and it was worth the wait. Held in Boston, the event brought together some of the sharpest minds in search marketing to discuss how AI, structured data, and user-centric strategies are shaping the next generation of SEO. For small businesses navigating the evolving […]