Content

There's an old saying about content:

"Content is King."

In other words, there's no magic solution for a great website. A site is only as good as the information on it.

Your website is a representation of your business. The best graphic design in the world means nothing if your text is uninformative or plagued by errors and broken links.

Search engines are getting more advanced, and that means it's no longer enough for web designers to use tricks to get traffic. The best practice is to give users what they are looking for: quality content. This fosters trust in the user - if a site is reliable, they'll come back.

As a writer for the web, I know that customer trust is at the core of good business. That's why I strive for quality content.

Design

Web design is a blend of visual design and semantic code. For your site to effectively communicate, it has to display on multiple browsers and screen resolutions.

Try shrinking this window.

You'll notice that the columns of the page scale with the size of the window, while the logo stays centered. This is one way to ensure that anyone can view your website without missing any important content.

As a designer, I aim for a balance of a clean, professional appearance with user-friendly navigation and browser-oriented structure. This helps your site deliver at many levels.

 My goal is to give you a clear idea of how I build websites and how I can help your business succeed.

Just want to get in touch? Email me.

Approach

From the start, my approach is to meet your immediate requirements with flexibility to expand in the future. I build from scratch, designing the graphic look and feel to meet your specific industry. Once the framework is in place, I'll work with you to groom your content for the web until the site is ready for publication.

But it doesn't end when your site goes online. As your business grows and changes, so should your online presence.

Methods

How do I give you control over your website? I use a Content Management System, or CMS. A CMS allows you to maintain your site after the design stage is over. It includes a text editor, so you don't have to know HTML to make edits. It's as simple as using a word processor.

The CMS I use is called MODx*. It's open-source, which means there's no cost for using it. MODx also helps generate clean code and uses "friendly" URLs, like www.company/contact.html instead of www.company/pageid=231.php. That means it's good at Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Optimization

A website is much more than what you see in your browser. Your site can only succeed if it reaches the right people. That's where Search Engine Optimization, analytics and reporting come in.

I incorporate SEO-friendly practices in my designs. You'll have access to meta keywords and descriptions for each page, so you can help search engines find you. And that means people can find you.

I'll add tracking code so you can take advantage of the detailed reporting of Google Analytics. Find out where your site traffic is coming from, how long visitors stay, what pages link to you, and more.

I'll also create a Google Webmaster Tools account for your site, and add Conversion Tracking if you are using online ads. This lets you see exactly how much you're spending on advertising per sale in an online store or per click on a promotion.

Examples

View examples of my work.

High Ranch Nursery

Site: www.hrnursery.com
Business Description: Commercial plant nursery, selling to both wholesale clients and general public via online retail store
Requirements: Complete site rebuild, including secure wholesale login, e-commerce solutions, plant database search / browse feature, news article archive, and blog
Note: I also manage this site as webmaster.

Landmark Construction

Site: www.landmarkconst.net
Business Description: Public school construction firm.
Requirements: Secure project document download pages, photo galleries for keynote projects, site navigation restructure.
Note: I work with a writer on this site. It is under construction pending her updates.

Jennie Nitta Landscape Design

Site: www.jennienittalandscapedesign.com
Business Description: Independent landscape designer.
Requirements: Online equivalent of business card, integrating client's written content and photos into a portfolio-centered site.

Contact

Please email me if you'd like more information, including rates and estimates.