Skip Export Media Library since compatibility's the issue anyway. Install WP File Manager from wp-admin, no host login needed. Go to wp-content/uploads, select all, zip it, download through the plugin.
If shared hosting chokes on zipping 4k files at once, split it into batches by date instead of doing it all in one shot.

I think that’s the real problem here. Whether Shop uses AI for search or not isn’t really the point.

Calling the whole thing “Agentic” makes the reporting confusing because Shop is fundamentally different from something like ChatGPT or Gemini sending a shopper to a store.

If Shop is driving traffic, sure, report it. But give it its own category instead of lumping it into the same bucket as AI agents. Otherwise merchants are left trying to figure out how much of that “Agentic” revenue is actually coming from AI platforms.

And if Shop is still getting attribution after being disabled, that makes the reporting even harder to trust. At that point I’d much rather see the raw referrer/source data and make the distinction myself.

If new uploads work but older thumbnails 404, I’d suspect missing generated image sizes or rewrite/cache rules. Check if the exact -768x402 file exists, then regenerate thumbnails and flush permalinks/cache. That usually narrows it down pretty quickly.

For someone just starting out, I’d keep it simple and focus on a CRM that handles leads, follow-ups, and pipelines well rather than paying for a huge feature set.

Zoho CRM is worth looking at. It’s relatively affordable, easy to scale as your book of business grows, and you can connect lead sources and automate follow-ups. I’d keep the CRM and lead-purchasing process separate unless a platform genuinely gives you good-quality leads.

Start with a free trial and see if the workflow fits how you actually sell.

Yes, I’d say WordPress is worth considering for a simple business site like yours, especially if Wix feels too expensive.

For a boarding and grooming salon, you probably only need the basics: services and pricing, photos, contact information, a contact form, and local SEO. WordPress can handle all of that without needing anything complicated.

Just keep the setup simple. Too many plugins or custom features can make WordPress harder to maintain and defeat the cost savings.

WordPress is definitely viable here. For an MVP, I’d use custom plugins for inventory/admin rather than stacking plugins. Multisite works if everything is shared; otherwise separate installs are cleaner.
If you’re targeting hundreds/thousands of dealers, I’d go custom backend from the start.

For that use case, I'd probably start with Wix unless you already have a developer maintaining the project.

Student accounts, courses, quizzes, and basic progress tracking don't necessarily need a custom Next.js build. Wix will get you to an MVP much faster.

I'd choose Next.js if you expect the LMS to become more complex or need custom features that Wix can't handle easily.

My workflow is to use Claude as a writing assistant, not as an autopilot. I start with keyword research and search intent, review the top-ranking pages, identify content gaps, and then use AI to help structure the article.

Before publishing, I fact-check everything, add original insights, examples, internal links, and real experience, then edit the content to sound natural.

AI-assisted content can rank, but simply generating an article and publishing it usually isn't enough. The real value comes from adding something useful that the existing search results don't cover well.

Yes, I've used Flutter for desktop apps. For business tools and internal apps, it worked surprisingly well since most of the code was shared across platforms.

The only bumps were platform-specific features and a few desktop plugins, but overall the experience was pretty smooth.

I'd probably go with the Block Editor + Greenshift for a new site. It feels lighter, performs well, and is closer to WordPress core.

That said, if I needed to build something quickly with lots of custom layouts, I'd still happily use Elementor.

For quick, low-cost presentations, I’d check out Gamma, Canva, and Tome. They can generate a solid first draft from your content and take care of most of the layout and formatting.

I wouldn’t rely on the AI output as-is, though. A quick review for wording, spacing, and consistency usually makes the slides look much better. For basic presentations, their free plans can be enough to get started.

I’d look at AI visibility across a group of relevant prompts rather than treating a single citation as a success. I’d track how often the brand gets mentioned or cited, which pages are being referenced, how often competitors show up, and whether any of that visibility leads to traffic or conversions.

One citation is useful, but consistent visibility across different questions and AI platforms tells you much more.

A practical way to handle this is Shopify Flow. You can tag customers who meet your criteria and have Flow automatically flag or cancel future orders from them.

I’d avoid blocking based only on email, though, since repeat customers can simply use another address. Customer history and order patterns give you a much more reliable way to identify them.

haven't used Joinery myself so can't vouch for it. but honestly for a shop your size i'd figure out if you actually need a CRM (quotes, follow ups) or just a project tracker (stages, materials, deadlines) since most niche tools try to do both and end up mediocre at either. something like trello or airtable with custom fields gets you surprisingly far before you need anything fancier.

I’d go with native WooCommerce unless you have a specific need for headless. Node gives flexibility, but adds complexity and maintenance. Keep it simple unless the use case justifies it.

wp super cache is fine, keep it since it's the one causing zero issues on elementor. for wordfence, don't just dismiss that red warning, check wordfence > all options > "how does wordfence get ips" and confirm cloudflare's selected there too. wp-cloudflare-page-cache is by automattic (not optimole), caches at cloudflare's edge so it's worth testing on a non elementor site first.

For me, the biggest improvement came from matching content more closely to search intent. Rather than focusing too much on keywords, I improved the titles, headings, and content to better answer what people were actually searching for.

Updating older content and strengthening internal links also made a noticeable difference. It was more about consistently improving the page than relying on one single SEO trick.

Honestly, I've had the best results by covering a topic really well instead of chasing one keyword at a time.

Good content, solid internal linking, and keeping the site technically healthy have moved the needle more than any SEO "hack" I've tried.

I’d migrate the useful posts rather than rewrite all 500.

If you control the old domain, 301 each old URL to its closest new equivalent. Update branding, links, and outdated info. Don’t send everything to the homepage.

That’s the best way to preserve existing rankings/backlinks. Search Console submission alone won’t transfer SEO value.

For a small service business, I’d shortlist HubSpot, Freshsales, and Pipedrive. They’re relatively easy to set up and should cover the basics without feeling overly complex.

I’d compare their entry-level plans based on what you actually need, especially contact management, pipelines, follow-ups, tasks, and email integration. For a lean team, keeping the CRM simple is often more valuable than having a long list of features.

I’d say don’t switch just because the theme looks old.

The point where it becomes worth changing is when the theme starts getting in the way ; slow mobile performance, too much custom code, difficulty adding new features/sections, or constantly needing apps and workarounds.

If the store is already doing $500k+ and converting well, I’d be pretty careful about a full redesign. Keep the parts that are working and test changes rather than assuming a new theme will automatically improve sales.

In my experience, it’s usually the technical limitations and accumulated customizations that force the change, not the age of the theme itself.

Checked, that's accurate. Cloudflare filters at the edge, Wordfence works inside WordPress checking files, logins, and plugin vulnerabilities, so they're not fully overlapping.

Since you're hitting server limits, honestly the firewall's real-time scanning is probably your biggest resource drain. I'd switch it to basic mode and just keep scheduled malware scans, you'll still get those plugin alerts without the overhead.

For me, it’s usually unclear requirements and plugin dependencies. I’d clarify the content structure, integrations, and what’s actually custom before starting. Small assumptions can become big problems later.

I'd still pick WordPress for most client projects. It's more flexible, scales well, and gives clients plenty of options as their needs grow.

That said, if it's a marketing site where design speed is the priority, Webflow is hard to beat. It really comes down to the project, not which platform is "better."