Notes from the Bunker
Practical takes on web design, AI search, and what actually works for small business websites in 2026. Published from a basement office in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
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Jun 9, 2026
PracticalWhy your Shopify shipping rates vanish when a customer orders more than one item
In Shopify, a package you assign to a product only applies to single-item orders. Add a second item and the store default package takes over. Here's the fix.
6 min read → -
Jun 9, 2026
LocalDo you need a website if your business runs on a Facebook page?
Plenty of Northern Ontario businesses run on a Facebook page and nothing else. Here's when that's genuinely fine, and when it's quietly costing you customers.
5 min read → -
May 29, 2026
Industry takesAI search is coming for small business websites. Here's what to do.
ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's AI Overviews are quietly replacing the 'ten blue links.' If your site isn't structured to be cited, you're invisible. What to actually change.
5 min read → -
May 28, 2026
PracticalWhy your Shopify carrier shows 'configured' but quotes nothing at checkout
A Shopify carrier can show as configured in your shipping profile and still return zero rates at checkout. Here's the silent failure mode, the dependency chain, and the fix.
7 min read → -
May 22, 2026
Behind the buildBehind the build: the Boreal Brewing concept design
Walking through the strategy, structure, and design choices behind one of Bunker41's concept designs — a craft brewery site built to drive taproom traffic and online orders.
5 min read → -
May 15, 2026
LocalWhy most Sault Ste. Marie business websites look stuck in 2015
A solo studio in the Soo walks the local web and reports back. What's broken, why it's broken, and what it'd take to fix it.
5 min read → -
May 8, 2026
PracticalWhat a small business website should actually cost in Canada (2026)
Real numbers for real Canadian small businesses — template builds, freelancer builds, agency builds, and custom builds. What you get at each tier and what you don't.
5 min read →