Carr Communications provides a mix of technical and editorial skills that can help you be more effective on the web. To explain what makes our approach different, it helps to understand the most common problems I see with many, if not most, small-to-midsize business websites.
Common Small Business / Community Organization Website Problems:
- Obviously outdated material – an event notice, special offer, press release, or news clipping prominently displayed on the website is obviously outdated. Makes it obvious that the website isn’t being maintained and regularly updated.
- Webmaster bottleneck – Every significant website change or update must go through the webmaster or web development firm that set up the site. Even minor changes may take days or weeks to implement.
- All beauty, no brains – The website looks good but is little more than an online brochure. Fails to engage customers or attract the attention of search engines.
- Excessive charges – The fees you pay are supposed to cover both hosting and personal service, but the service received is mediocre. The web development firm may be little more than a front for labor performed offshore.
- KA-BOOM! – Less common, but not all that rare, is the website that is truly blowing up. Important pages are displaying gibberish, or the shopping cart is miscalculating totals. Maybe the website has even been hacked. Any website can experience technical difficulties, so the real question is how quickly your web developer moves to correct them.
How Carr Communications addresses these issues:
Self-service: First of all, we try not to be the bottleneck. We believe it’s important for website owners to have control of their own websites. They should be able to post their own updates to the text of the website, or add an event or a special offer as needed. Time-sensitive material such as event listings and limited-time offers can be set to expire automatically when the time is past.
What we provide is the framework for the website. That includes the page template (the layout with your logo, font, and color choices), programming, database setup, and search engine optimization. Within that framework, you have the option of posting your own content, through self-service.
We can also post content to the website on your behalf – if you’re not comfortable doing it, or don’t have time for it, we are happy to help. Certainly, there may be times when you want us to tweak the website functionality or graphics in a way that goes beyond self service. We want you to feel like you’re in control, not like you’re “working without a net.”
Functionality: A website should be more than just an electronic brochure. Even if your website isn’t an online store per se, there ought to be some way of engaging your customers online. One of the most basic ways is by providing fresh, relevant information about your products and services, as well as observations about the marketplace in which you operate, through a company blog. Membership organizations can collect dues and provide access to a member directory. Event organizers can collect RSVPs and event fees.
Think creatively, and then talk with us about how to make your website more functional.
Pricing for 2010: I have committed to the following pricing for chamber members. I know you have cheaper options, including free or nearly free do-it-yourself web packages, but many businesses also pay far more than I charge and receive far less (see this blog). My promise to you is that I will deliver good value for the money and prompt, personal service.
| Customer Type | Basic Setup | Annual Hosting | Hourly |
| Regular/Commercial |
$1,500 |
$250 |
$85 |
| Chamber/Discount |
$1,300 |
$225 |
$80 |
By “Basic Setup,” I mean the cost of launching or re-launching a small business or community organization website that includes the self-service features described above. This is framed as a 30-day project, which may include the delivery of several prototype versions of the website prior to launch. Basic setup includes the first six months of web hosting.
Pricing will be adjusted proportionately for websites requiring more advanced features, such as e-commerce, or extensive custom programming and database development.
Hourly pricing applies to further modifications beyond website launch or outside the scope of basic setup. We promise not to “nickel and dime” you over change requests.
Additional services priced separately:
- Broadcast email management
- PayPal and other e-commerce capabilities
- Copywriting
- Logo design
Background/Qualifications:
As a writer, editor, and web programmer, I have a mix of skills that have served me well for communicating on the Internet. I am the former Technology Editor of Internet World and Baseline magazines and have had the opportunity to interview personnel at major Internet operations including Google, Yahoo, MySpace, Second Life, and the Obama campaign. My wife and business partner Beth Anne Carr is a skilled editor with training in publication and user interface design and indexing.
We created the website for the Democratic Professionals Council, which grew from its base in Palm Beach County to establish chapters throughout the state, partly on the strength of the tools I provided for managing RSVPs and online payments. I ran the website for Scott Brook’s mayoral campaign and continue to operate his law firm website.
One of my biggest commercial clients, Certified Interior Decorators, retained me to correct problems with its shopping cart and online payment systems and to simplify the management of its family of websites (also including Decorator Training Institute, Designer Templates, and Ron Renner Gallery). I am currently working on helping them automate processes like dues renewal for CID members.
I am a Certified PayPal Developer and an Authorize.Net reseller.
