Zip ties are legit, correct, and required. Make sure they're good ones, lots of the ones you see are plasticky and brittle, and won't stay.
My brakes are apart right now, or I'd check with a tape. A good brake pedal (with the air fully charged) stops under firm (heavy) application just a hair above half way down. It will progressively fall as the shoes wear, and will rise again with adjustment. You can get it better than that, but that's just splitting hairs and is not realistic to maintain.
It should be firm all the way. If it's at all spongy, that indicates air, and that must be corrected before any concern is given to the actual pedal travel, as it will necessarily be lower than it should be when it's applied.