E-Commerce

This online store has a large catalog and multiple payment methods. The software is quite powerful and is an excellent value for the price. Free shopping carts have a tendency to look free and require extensive custom modifications in order to make them usable. The good news is, investing in a stronger cart will save on maintenance costs. And, a better cart inspires more customer confidence and therefore more sales.

It's possible to do basic e-commerce sites with fewer payment methods for merchants just starting out, or for those who just need to accept payment for a couple of items, subscriptions or memberships.

Services provided: Graphics, complete website with multiple payment methods, copywriting, facebook page, blog, e-mail marketing, print marketing.

Lucysbuckles.com

Craft and Fashion Trimmings & Accessories

Chamber of Commerce

The goal for a Chamber website is to get people to come to your town and part with their money -- visit, shop, buy a home, relocate a business, or even shoot a film. So, branding is every bit as important for a town as it is for a business.

Above: Grand Street Fall Festival (Whitewright Area Chamber of Commerce). This is becoming a large regional festival thanks to an active Chamber and marketing assistance from the USDA's "Go Texan" program. The Chamber decided that a year-round website would help quality vendors as well as attendees from outside the area find the festival. Services provided: Logo, website, copywriting.

Right: Tom Bean Chamber of Commerce. Services provided: Logo, complete website with calendar & directory, copywriting.

Tom Bean is a small town with a lot of heart. It does not have a town square, so we are emphasizing the beautiful countryside and unique attractions such as a winery and bluegrass festival venue. Visual inspiration is taken from the town's namesake and founder who was a surveyor.

Leonard, TX Chamber of Commerce

Leonard's most obvious asset is it's nearly-pristine and spacious town square. While cities all over America are building fake town squares, Leonard has a real one. So, the goal was to play up the history and vintage appeal, while showing that it's a dynamic place for families and businesses. Therefore, modern typefaces and a clean white background are used alongside period typefaces and tinted vintage photos. Motifs and colors are inspired by the 1915-era details on the square's buildings.

To enable the Chamber to communicate with members and residents, there is an events calendar and blog.

Services provided: Branding research, graphics, complete website (pages, blog, membership directory, photoshow), copywriting, photography.

Chambers should augment their website efforts with a blog, facebook page, e-mail marketing and print marketing, all having the same look and feel. Websites can't be treated as stand-alone efforts, especially for businesses and towns in rural areas.

Small Business -- High-End Retail

The merchandise: Unique and fabulous. The proprietors: Delightful and knowledgeable. The challenge?

The store isn't located in a big-city design district. Once people visit, they become raving fans, but we need to entice them to drive the extra few miles North, and hopefully bring a friend.

Summit Mercantile

High-end interiors retailer

This challenge is ideally suited for social media. We created a Facebook page with customized FBML and graphics. The customer provided beautiful photos and the logo. Facebook and e-mail marketing helps the business stay on top of mind with existing customers; a highly geo- and demographically- targeted Facebook Ads campaign, along with a brand new search engine-optimized website and blog will help find new ones. Services provided: Complete website/blog, facebook page, e-mail marketing, all are wrapped around existing brand.

Small Business

Left: Durning House Restaurant and Bed & Breakfast.

Provided a completely new look and website for a 20-year-old local institution, spotlighting the menu and special services such as the party room and lodging. Services provided: Website, logo, facebook and e-mail marketing.

Professional Services Consulting Firm

Introduces an innovative concept in Human Resources Consulting with a blog and much more. Services provided: Complete website with order forms and e-Commerce (downloadable and tangible). Utilized existing company logo.

Law Firm

Texas Dog Lawyer. Services: Website, logo, copy, e-mail marketing, business cards. The site is also used to motivate people to get involved in legislative issues, and has driven growth in email subscribers and donations.

R&K Outlet Building Supply Store

A building supply outlet changes from an auction model to an outlet store model: How to showcase everything the remodeled store has to offer? Blogging and and e-mail marketing will keep customers informed about the hottest deals and show locals that they don't have to go into town to get everything they need.

Services provided: Website, logo, photography, e-mail marketing, copywriting, local search optimization.

Are you unhappy with your local search results? Ask for a no-obligation consultation. One local business was not on the first page of Google for several key local search terms -- I fixed some flaws in his website (a new site was not necessary) and now he is on the first page or even #1-2 in Google for the key words about which he was concerned. No tricks, spam or scams -- I just used the plain old English language to help customers find him. While no one can or should promise a first-page ranking, there is usually room for improvement especially for local, highly-specific search terms.

Basic small business examples:
some of the below may still be works in process

Minis and Friends North Texas
Van Alstyne Counseling Center
Van Alstyne Dental
AAA Burleson Fence

Small Business -- Agricultural

Now that there is wide public interest buying local food, here is a great way to tell your story and engage customers. A website can help you promote produce, livestock, or any other farm product or farmers' market/co-op.

Similar setups would be ideal for a local restaurant to feature menus, catering, directions and background about the owners and chef.

Above: Shady Bridge Farm: Local farm products. This solution includes a website, blog, simple Paypal e-commerce, a facebook page and e-mail newsletter.

Services provided: Graphics, complete basic website, copywriting.

Dapkus Southdown Sheep

Show sheep breeder

Organization, Campaign or Issue-oriented Websites or Blogs

WordPress is an ideal platform for political campaigns, non-profits or issues. This sort of website is easily expanded as your content grows, pushing the newest or most important content to the top. Use your website to get people involved: Integrate with Facebook or Twitter, have a discussion, take donations, sign people up for your newsletter and much more.

You can have multiple authors and editors with different permissions, so the head of the organization can approve content before it goes live.

Services provided: Graphics, complete basic website, copywriting.

Lone Star State American Pit Bull Terrier Club
Campaign or issue

About This Site

Last but not least, the site you are viewing now is based on a content management system called Joomla.

Most clients can accomplish the same end result with WordPress and find it much more intuitive. The time to go live, development hours and user training required for a Joomla site would be considerably greater than for a WordPress site but it could be worthwhile for newspapers, magazines -- businesses with lots of different kinds of content [maybe]. To be honest, Joomla is slow and irritating and when I have time I am moving this to WordPress. However, if a client needs help managing an existing Joomla site I can help.

This is a case where hiring an experienced consultant can save you time and money by understanding your requirements and helping you find the best fit.

Other Services - Print and more

Left to right: Two-sided rack cards, e-mail marketing campaigns for Chamber of Commerce. I have done a number of print projects lately and will be glad to share more examples. I post the most recent stuff on our facebook page (you don't have to be a member of facebook to view it).

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3" Promotional sticker for fashion show