Two-Factor Authentication Is Now Required on Every Administrator Account
Two-factor authentication is now required on every administrator account we manage. Here’s the reasoning, including what 2FA doesn’t protect you…
Geoffrey Lowthian — Lowthian Design
Writing about the craft
Practical notes on WordPress, nonprofit tech, and the long view.
All posts (32 entries)
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What’s New in WordPress 7.0 — and What You’ll Actually Notice
WordPress 7.0 is here — a fresher dashboard, easier post lists, and lighter images. Here’s the plain-English version of what’s changing and what…
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Why Your Nonprofit’s Website Feels Slow — and the Free Fix Hiding in Your Photos
The photos that tell your nonprofit’s story are probably what’s slowing your website down. Here’s a free, no-developer fix any volunteer can do in a…
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Safe Ways to Obtain Photos for Your Website
A practical guide to using images legally on your nonprofit website — from taking your own photos to navigating stock libraries and public domain…
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Why I Recommend Shopify for Most of My E-Commerce Clients
Shopify has become my go-to recommendation for clients launching an online store. Here is an honest look at why — and when I would still point you…
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WordPress Security: How Lowthian Design Protects Your Nonprofit Website
How I secure the WordPress sites I manage for nonprofits — the layered approach, the specific risks smaller organizations face, and the practices…
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Own Your Digital Presence: Why Your Nonprofit Should Post on Your Website First
Social media is rented land. Publishing to your own WordPress site first — then sharing out to Facebook, Instagram, and the rest — protects your…
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Why You Should Never Use the WordPress Administrator Account for Daily Tasks
The Administrator account in WordPress is a master key. Using it to write posts or check comments every day hands attackers a shortcut. Here is how…
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Why Your Nonprofit Deserves Better Than a Website Builder: The Case for Managed WordPress Support
Wix and Squarespace look easy until you hit the wall. For a nonprofit that wants real support, real ownership, and room to grow, managed WordPress is…
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Why Your Non-Profit Needs a Custom Email Domain (And How It Builds Trust)
Is your non-profit still relying on a generic Gmail address? You could be missing out on key benefits that enhance your credibility, boost donor…
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The Pitfalls of Text in Images
Burying headlines and key copy inside image files hurts your SEO, breaks screen readers, and looks worse on mobile. Here is why I steer clients away…
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Safeguarding Your Digital Identity: The Crucial Role of HaveIBeenPwned
HaveIBeenPwned is a free tool that tells you if your email or passwords have shown up in a data breach. Here is how to use it, what to do if you are…
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Utilizing the Wayback Machine on Archive.org: A Web Designer’s Time Travel Tool
The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine is a design history library. I use it to recover lost content, study how sites have evolved, and pull…
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The Impact of Image Size Consistency and Concise Titles on Your Website’s Aesthetic and Usability
Two small habits that make a blog look professional: featured images that share one size ratio, and titles that do not sprawl. Both shape how a…
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The Importance and Process of Deep Cleaning Your WordPress Options Table
The WordPress options table quietly bloats over the years with leftover plugin data. Here is why it matters for performance and the process I use to…
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Serving Humanity: A Journey of Purpose and Fulfillment
Ikigai, Peace Pilgrim, and Baba Amte shape how I approach this work. A reflection on why service to others is not an add-on for Lowthian Design — it…
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The Importance of Proper Font Licensing for Websites
Fonts are copyrighted, and print licenses rarely cover web use. I walk through the difference, the risks of getting it wrong, and the font sources I…
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Collaborating with Your Website Management Firm: Roles and Responsibilities for WordPress Websites
What I handle, what you handle, and where the two meet — a plain-language breakdown of the partnership between me and the nonprofits whose WordPress…
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The Power of Reliable Plugins: Why Trustworthy Sources and Regular Updates are Key
Plugins are how WordPress grows — and where most trouble starts. Here is how I decide which plugins to trust, why reputable sources matter, and what…
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Transferring your domain registration
Moving a domain from one registrar to another is straightforward if you do it in the right order. Here are the steps, the gotchas, and what to watch…
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Why GreenGeeks is our choice for website hosting
I host all my client sites on GreenGeeks — for the environmental commitment, the support quality, and the reliability. Here is the case for an…
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Images, best practices
JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP — which to use where, how to size them, and how to name them so your website stays fast. A reference post for anyone uploading…
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7 Best Practices for Crafting Engaging WordPress Blog Posts
Strong headlines, smart length, images that belong, SEO that does not feel like SEO. Seven habits I keep in mind when helping clients publish blog…
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The Importance of Backlinks for Website SEO
Backlinks are votes of confidence from other websites. Here is why search engines weigh them so heavily, and the honest ways a nonprofit can earn…
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Does your website look broken? It might be your cache.
When a site suddenly looks wrong to you but fine to everyone else, the browser cache is usually the culprit. Here is how to clear it in every major…
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Ways WordPress Sites Get Hacked and How to Prevent Them
Outdated software, weak passwords, bad plugins, phishing — the real attack paths I see on WordPress sites. A plain-English rundown of the risks and…
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Image file size is very important to maintain website performance
Large images are the number-one reason nonprofit websites feel slow. A walkthrough of how to resize and optimize photos before you upload, with the…
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The Importance of Secure Passwords and Examples of Strong Ones
Passwords are still the front door to most accounts. I cover passphrases over passwords, what actually makes one strong in 2026, and how a password…
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Peace Pilgrim
A short tribute to the American spiritual teacher whose 25,000-mile walk and radical commitment to inner peace still shape how I show up for clients…
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Payment Gateways
PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, and the nonprofit-specific options — how they compare on security, fees, integration, and support. A starting point…
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Keeping WordPress Safe
The foundational security practices every WordPress site needs — updates, strong passwords, a real security plugin, and a firewall. My current…
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Why WordPress is the best choice for non-profits
Open source, endlessly extensible, and the single largest website platform in the world — WordPress gives nonprofits the freedom to grow without…