These are all RUSH JOBS (a rush job means the client calls me and says, "EEK! My website disappeared! Make me a new one! A new website is put together in the next 48 hours and posted LIVE on the web. Rush jobs are only for clients who are willing to give WG artistic license with their websites.)

Journey of Sound
Designing With Nature

Reno Trade Banc

Thriving Community

I have a stack of designs and websites that don't seem to be happening because the client can't make up their minds or just don't like what WG is all about. Don't waste WG time if you don't like what you see, and aren't willing to give up some control to the experts (and control freaks)!

2009 Scholarship Contest | 02.27.09
Waking Girl Web Design to select third annual winner of the WG Anti-Scholarship, for students going directly into the business world from high school. The prize money, $500, is to be used for special training, tools or supplies to start a business. Winner to be announced here and Perham High School, Perham, Minnesota.

Your website has no soul | 02.22.09
Waking Girl has been hard at work in the same groove for about two years. Now it's time for a change. I'm not talking about some lame change offered by a smooth talking politician--I'm talking about taking my life back. WG hereby declares that it will not create anymore websites that have no soul. I'm tired of surfing the same old websites on the same old internet. I'm not going to be a part of that. I'm tired of being asked for a discount on the discounted price, and then being ordered around as if YOU know what's best for your website. I got into this business to avoid slave labor. I got into this business because I'm a leader, I can manage myself. I know what I'm doing.

What am I doing?

I'm quitting.

If you want a website from Waking Girl Web Design, you're going to have to get on your hands and knees and assure me that you will not get in the way of the artist. That's what I am, and that's what this is all about. Art. If you want a color-in-the-lines-primary-school-worksheet I can direct you to several great template-based web designers. I can also encourage you to NOT have a website. If it's going to look like everyone else's, just put your measly advertising budget into better business cards.

Yeah, business cards. The whole world knows what those are. They won't be freaked out by your standard cardstock rectangle. And your insecurities about you, your business and your advertising--will not be at the forefront of your mind as you twiddle your thumbs waiting for a customer.

You can be confident knowing that your business cards did not scare one customer away.

Let's face it--websites are now a mandatory part of owning a business or running an organization. In other words, you have a lot of competition. Not only are you competing with everyone in your industry, in your town, but now you're competing with ALL the websites on the web.

How will your website stand out? After hours of searching, how can you expect anyone to remember your website, much less your widgets?

I'm tired of coloring inside the lines only to see your website fail. Clients who are stuck inside the box are becoming a major liability to me. I can't put your website in my portfolio, I can't show unique web concepts to new clients, I can't raise my rates because you're barely holding on.

I'm cutting ties from this co-dependent relationship. I will not help you fail.

Ok, maybe that was a little harsh. Having a standard, boring, commonplace website doesn't mean your business will fail. It just puts you on the same team as those people who throw trash out their car window. You're littering. You're making our drive on the information superhighway dull and trashy.

And what a time to do that! We're on our way into a depression. The only businesses that will succeed are the ones that can adapt (or have deep reserves of precious metals). That means you need to do something new and different and feel confident about your decision. Maybe you need to cut all your staff and run everything solely through your website. Maybe you need to put a twist on how you offer your goods and services. How in the world wide web will you be able to come up with these adaptations if you're afraid of a unique website?! Your fear will kill all your ideas, all your enthusiasm, all your business survival skills.

Oops. I made it back to the insinuation that your poor website indicates an upcoming business failure.

Don't worry--you can always ask for a bailout.

We can trust that our elected officials will not bring change. It must come from us. It will come from everyday people doing everyday things in a new and better way. It will come from business owners putting out a new and better product and service, reflected by their new and better website. It will come from consumers making new and better choices in how they spend their money, reflected by the websites they browse.

I am making a first step. As a business owner, I am doing something new and better: catering only to clients who are offering something new and better, and are willing to reflect their change in a new and better website.

If that's you, I can't wait to chat.

New Year, Old Advice | 01.25.09
Ok, I'm just going to throw it all at you again. I come up with instructions for myself or for my clients (or for the pro bono family member), to increase page ranking, invite traffic, and otherwise cause mayhem on the world wide web. And then I start to doubt that it works. Maybe it's the client's refusal to follow directions, or Google's frustrating lag (that's lag, not leg; when it comes to SEO, there's no instant gratification).

Eventually, you see results, if you just DO something! You don't have to do EVERY search engine optimization trick. Just start with one (or better yet, get your secretary to start on one of these).

Waking Girl Emergency SEO Tips:

• Frequently change your title tags (that's the text at the very top of your browser).
• Write, write, write! Your front page is the most valuable section of your site. Become a reporter for your business. Tell us what's going on!
• Use your website as a file cabinet. Google likes to see bulky websites. Store information (files) on your site (proposals, invoices, old advertising campaigns).
• Travel the web, and leave your url everywhere you go (be sure not to violate any forum rules!).
• Include a link to your site in your emails.
• Visit Yahoo Answers and answer questions related to your industry. Leave your link in the source field.

Break a lag! Get started today!

Take a peek at the WG Archived Blog.