web site design

A terrible web site can be worse than no web site at all. Most businesses can't afford not to be online, but any business really can't afford a site that is hard to use, unattractive, slow, or outdated. A well-designed site should communicate what visitors need to know, give them a reason to come back often, and be pleasing to the eye, usable, and fast.

As seen from our site and others we've worked on, we don't use templates or "cookie cutters". Each of our web site designs is conceived from evaluating the client's needs, researching comparable sites from companies in similar businesses, and creating both graphic design and coding that creates a unique look and function. We build our experience on what works online into every site we do – and help avoid what doesn't work so well.

To create our sites, we use advanced technology including HTML, CSS, Adobe ColdFusion, Adobe Flash, RSS, and more. We can also select and license stock photography, or process client-supplied photos. Our approach and capability gives our clients a unique look, and the ability to customize features.

Additionally, we optimize our sites for search engines, working with titles, descriptions, keywords, and text to give weight to terms of interest. For instance, as of June 2007 one of our clients has a first page result on Microsoft Live Search for the phrase "holiday gift packs".

We also offer web site hosting, or can work with a client's existing hosting arrangements.

business identity

One thing people often forget when setting up their LLC or corporation name: planning ahead to research and select a domain name. It's very distressing and expensive for a business to pick and register a name, then get ready to go online and find out the domain name they wanted is taken, or worse yet undesirable.

Bad names really do happen, and the results can be devastating. Researching domain names up front is smart business, and consulting with a professional web design firm even before committing to an online presence is critical.

A good name and logo design couple to form a powerful brand identity that people will remember. Designing a name and logo requires more than a graphics artist - it requires extensive marketing experience. We can create a name and logo for a new business, product, or service, or update a look with a new logo design for existing businesses or offerings.

We also do business card and brochure designs, helping businesses make a first impression in the real world as good as their online impression.

e-mail and podcasts

Electronic communication is a must today. Many customers prefer contact via e-mail, but poorly designed e-mail gets trapped in spam filters or tossed. Designing Flash into email sounds like a great idea, but the facts are that most e-mail programs aren't set up to allow Flash to be viewed, and the result is a big empty box. We can design text or HTML e-mails that deliver a marketing message effectively, and avoid pitfalls.

The popularity of portable audio players has swelled, and many busy people prefer to listen to updates instead of reading a newsletter. Podcasts can be played directly from a website, or downloaded to an audio player for listening as needed. We can script, record, and produce podcasts delivering a rich, convenient audio message for audiences.