Blog
Hello world!
Read more: Hello world!Welcome to my blog! If you’re reading this, chances are you’re curious about who I am, what I do, or why I even started this blog in the first place. So, let’s dive in. Who Am I? I’m Vernon Howard, a freelance WordPress developer and the founder of VSHoward LLC. I specialize in building and…
Why I Avoid Plugins (But I’m Not a Snob About It)
Read more: Why I Avoid Plugins (But I’m Not a Snob About It)I don’t hate plugins. But I’ve seen enough WordPress sites break, slow down, or spiral out of control because of plugin overload. So I try to avoid them when I can. Not because I think plugins are bad. I just prefer building functionality into the theme when it makes sense. Let me explain. The Problem…
Looking Forward
Read more: Looking ForwardI’m not going to lie. The past four months have been rough. December is usually slow because of the holidays, but things normally pick up in January. This year, they didn’t. I’m still not sure why. Maybe it’s the economy. Maybe it’s the uncertainty everyone seems stuck in. Then came surgery in March, which knocked…
Using Dynamic Content to Personalize WordPress Sites
Read more: Using Dynamic Content to Personalize WordPress SitesMost websites still show everyone the same content. That’s fine for some things. But if you want to keep people around longer, or get them to take action, you need to make your content feel more relevant. That’s where dynamic content comes in. What is dynamic content? It’s content that changes depending on who’s viewing…
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone to Build a WordPress Website?
Read more: How Much Does It Cost to Hire Someone to Build a WordPress Website?One of the first things people ask when they reach out about a new WordPress site is: “How much is this going to cost?” Fair question — but like a lot of things in web development, the answer is: it depends. The price can vary a lot depending on what kind of site you need,…
Why I Still Use WordPress After All These Years
Read more: Why I Still Use WordPress After All These YearsI started building websites in 1997, back when the internet was young and boring. Everything was tables and spacer GIFs. Flash was just starting to catch on. If you wanted to change a font, you were basically asking for trouble. But I was hooked. Since then, I’ve seen the web go through a lot of…
Web Design Trends in 2025: Cleaner, Smarter, and Finally User-First
Read more: Web Design Trends in 2025: Cleaner, Smarter, and Finally User-FirstWeb design in 2025 is more practical than flashy. It’s less about trends for their own sake and more about building sites people can actually use. You’re seeing leaner layouts, smarter typography, and accessibility baked in from the start. Motion is used sparingly. Navigation is visible again. And yes, hero sliders have finally been put…
Why I Charge 50% Upfront (and You Should Too)
Read more: Why I Charge 50% Upfront (and You Should Too)Let’s talk about money for a second. Specifically, deposits. I charge 50% upfront for every project I take on. Not 10%, not 25%, and definitely not “we’ll pay you when it’s done.” Half up front, always. Why? Because I’ve learned the hard way. When I first started freelancing, I was hesitant to ask for a…
9 Signs of a High Performer (And Why This Feels Very INTJ)
Read more: 9 Signs of a High Performer (And Why This Feels Very INTJ)I came across this graphic the other day: “9 Signs of a High Performer” by Amy Gibson. My first reaction?This feels like it was written by an INTJ. Or at least, for one. If you’ve spent any time reading about the INTJ personality type, you’ll probably see the overlap too. Here’s the list, with a…
Vintage Resilience: Why I’m Not “Expired”… I’m Gen X
Read more: Vintage Resilience: Why I’m Not “Expired”… I’m Gen XThere’s a LinkedIn post making the rounds that hits a little too close to home. It calls out the mindset some companies still have when they look at a résumé with 20 or more years of experience and act like they’ve just checked the expiration date on a tub of yogurt. Yeah, I’ve felt that.…
Stop Guessing: How to Hire the Right WordPress Developer for Your Project
Read more: Stop Guessing: How to Hire the Right WordPress Developer for Your ProjectHiring a WordPress developer can feel like rolling the dice—especially if you’re not sure what questions to ask or how to tell the difference between a solid developer and someone who’s just good at configuring page builders. As a freelance WordPress developer, I’ve worked on projects that started off on the wrong foot because the…
