Sometimes the most meaningful help you can provide isn’t about building something complex from scratch—it’s about solving a real problem with the simplest solution possible.

The Problem

I was connected with someone who had built a website to help tenants find information about their landlords. She had put a lot of work into creating this resource, but as her project evolved, she needed to transition users to a new, improved version of the site.

The challenge? People were still visiting the old site, and she needed a way to smoothly guide them to the new location without losing visitors or creating confusion.

The Solution: Keep It Simple

Instead of building some complex migration system, we went with the most straightforward approach: a simple HTML redirect button.

Here’s what we implemented:

<div class="redirect-notice">
  <h2>We've Moved!</h2>
  <p>Find My Landlord has a new home with improved features and updated information.</p>
  <a href="https://new-site-url.com" class="redirect-btn">
    Visit Our New Site
  </a>
</div>

With some basic CSS styling to make it prominent and user-friendly, this simple solution accomplished exactly what was needed.

Why This Approach Worked

1. Immediate Clarity: Visitors instantly understood what was happening 2. No Broken Experience: The old site still worked, but clearly directed people forward
3. Low Maintenance: No complex backend systems to maintain 4. Fast Implementation: We had this up and running in minutes, not hours

The Real Impact

While this might seem like a trivial fix, it had real impact:

• Preserved User Experience: No one got lost during the transition
• Maintained Traffic: Visitors smoothly moved to the new site instead of bouncing
• Reduced Stress: The site owner could focus on improving the new site instead of worrying about losing users

The Bigger Picture

This project reinforced something I believe strongly: expert help shouldn’t be gatekept. Sometimes people don’t need a complex, expensive solution—they need someone who can quickly identify the right approach and implement it.

As developers and technologists, we have the knowledge to solve problems that might seem insurmountable to others, but are actually quite straightforward with the right approach.

Takeaways for Small Projects

If you’re facing a similar situation:

1. Start with the simplest solution that works
2. Don’t over-engineer when a basic approach will do
3. Focus on user experience over technical complexity
4. Sometimes a quick fix is exactly what’s needed

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Have a small tech problem that feels overwhelming? Sometimes it’s simpler than you think. Feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to help you find the right solution.