Gordon Banks

Pre-1995, I was a print person, but thereafter, I left the print world and have focused purely on web technologies. I like to think that my web skills are good on the front-end (design) but I also like crawling/coding around on the back-end (server side) of web development because only back-end technologies can result in truly dynamic websites. I guess this makes me a so called "web designer-developer".

Typically, I build sites alone for my clients, and then hand the site over to in-house staff. My goal is building sites that can be updated and edited easily by non-web professionals, so they can keep their web content fresh but not get bogged-down with the technical coding complexities. I usually recommend clients investigate Adobe Contribute which allows clients to easily become the "content providers" for their site with minimal web experience.

If the client also needs a blog component to their site, I usually recommend configuring a WordPress site design. After only a few hours of experimentation within the WordPress admin pages, most clients have successfully taken over the updating of their site's content and expansion.

If SEO (search engine optimization) is important to the client, I will work together with a SEO expert, but in most cases, SEO costs are very high, and my SEO efforts and good client SEO research are adequate for reasonable search engine results.

After a new site goes online, my clients thereafter can hire my services on an hourly basis ($30/hour) as needed.

Pre planning thoughts for new websites - FAQs

Gordon Banks

There is a lot of leg-work/planning in getting content ready for the web designer. Clients always underestimate this task. If you give your web designer crappy content, then you should expect a crappy website.

Organizational site chart

It is recommended that your website planning team draw out a tree diagram/organizational chart (see diagram above), so it is clear to the web designer what pages you want and how the browser will navigate through them. The web developer will use this diagram to construct the site menu.

How does a new site basically evolve?

1. Menu system is developed, blank site pages are created by the web person. Client or content provider gathers MIA (missing) text and picture content and delivers to the web person.

2. Page Template Developed - web person designs one page of the site. If approved, other site pages are created based upon the client approved template design.

3. Polish Stage. Client reviews web pages as completed. Web person inserts client's change orders.

4. Client and web designer work on meta-SEO information together. It is the client's responsibility to provide web content that search engine worms will successfully digest and categorize. The web person will assist with this murky SEO process. The client may desire additional expertise and enlist a search engine specialist.

5. The site goes online. The site maybe Google Analytics enabled. These site statistics allow the client to understand the site's impact in the cyber-world and prepare for future site improvements.

Web Hosting Options

It is recommended that the site be built and tested on the server environment that will eventually host the site. There are basically two server platforms: Microsoft and Linux. There are three hosting scenarios: I develop and host the client's domain, or, I only develop the site and the client already has a hosting plan, or lastly, I only host the site and have nothing to do with the site's development.

How do you get content to web designer?

If you have an FTP utility, then it is recommended that you upload the files to an off-line content folder in the web space. The web designer will need to email you FTP access info:

If you don't have FTP access, then email attachments or CD-Rs are other less-recommended options.

Artwork/Lineart

It is always recommended to send artwork like logos in the EPS Format (vector artwork) vs. sending bitmap artwork (jpgs). This allows the web designer to scale, modify and optimize artwork for web output.

How long does it take to build a site?

A 30 page site takes about 4 to 6 weeks to get online once the web designer receives all content materials.

Client Sites

Some of these sites I maintain entirely. For others, I designed and built the original site structure, but an in-house content provider is maintaining the site on a day-to-day basis:

new belgium brewery

Site - Follow Your Folly

Tastes great, less land-filling. New Belgium Brewery's sister-site celebrating and show-casing individuals who "are making more from less and livin large";. Flash site, Flash streaming video, and Flash animation.

Doug Rager Architecture

Site - Doug Rager Architecture

This is an all Flash-based site that highlights an architect's design portfolio. This site also displays Autocad "Fly-Throughs" as QuickTime movies for his clients' visualization of architectural plans.

Backcountry Access

Site - Backcountry Access

P2P or Point to Point. BCA to 7 BCA vendors. Getting your browsers to the correct shopping cart with one click. Coordinating vendor's inventories and current site maps. A major coordinating nightmare. The process was to combine vendor XML inventories, allowing the browser his choice of online vendors, and finally getting him to the correct shopping cart page. With just one click.

Anadyr Adventures

Site - Anadyr Adventures.com

Anadyr Adventures is a sea-kayaking outfitter in the Prince William Sound area of Alaska. Some cool things about this site:

Moki Treks

Site - Moki Treks .com

This adventure travel site wanted maps to show the itinerary of their trips and at the same time, set a visual tone of the early North American explorers.

North Carolina Rivers and Creeks

Print - North Carolina Rivers & Creeks

This was a break from web projects and a chance to hone my print design skills. Click here for some sample layout spreads.

The Shimoda Group

Site - theshimodagroup.com

This client reports that work is up as a result of having a web presence. The site is self-managed using Contribute, and considering the client is a whitewater park consultant, she's she's doing a pretty good job of maintaining her website, which is a tough task for most.

Web Hosting

I also have my own LAMP server (Linux-Apache-mySQL-PHP). A LAMP server is all "open source" server software. When programmers can read, redistribute and modify the source code for a piece of software, the software evolves quickly. This is good for everyone. I have the capacity to host sites I build. This means I can build, host, and serve a client's whole web presence. No ISPs. No third parties. No extra charges. This keeps it simple and saves $.

Google Analytics

Google Analytics

You can pay a lot of money for web statistics or you can have Google Analytics for free. I do charge for setting up the service initially.

Applications/Server Technologies

Adobe CS3

I work 100% with the Adobe Creative Suite like most of the web world. Mac or PC doesn't matter. I also use Flash Actionscript 3, PHP, and SQL web server technologies.

PHP SQL development

Web Applications

CAIC

Web Application - CAIC

Colorado Avalanche Information Center. The client needed a web graphic drawing tool that would generate avalanche hazard graphics daily, quickly and automatically.

Imagevuex

Web Application - Event Calendar

The client requested a dynamic web browser event calendar. Allows all employees to share a company calendar. Road reps can contribute to company events from remote locations. I built this web app with Flash/PHP/SQL technologies. Post an event yourself (no password required in this demo).

Franklin Handholds

Web Application - Photo Gallery

This site has the Imagevuex photo gallery integrated into their site. Helpful when a client has many product shots to manage. In this instance, Franklin Handholds needed to organized many sets of climbing handholds. The Imagevuex application allows browsers to see all the handhold sets on one web page, and with no scrolling. The Imagevuex app also provides a web-based admin page for all product shots, including auto photo thumbnail creation and a server upload utility for additional product shots.

With Imagevuex and Contribute web image tools, Franklin staff can manage and adjust all their site's images without ever using an image editing application. No, you don't need an in-house Photoshop expert!

Parasoft

Blog Sites

I use the WordPress blog engine written in PHP. The goal is to integrate the blog into your site, and not look like everyone else's blog site. WordPress code is compatible with bloggers that want to use Adobe Contribute for their blog posts. Audio clips or video content optional.