The Challenge

Things were broken on Deneen Pottery’s website, and they knew they needed a website that would work well on mobile devices. Their products are high quality, handmade in the U.S., and their company is family owned and operated. The opportunity to tell their story visually was a challenge on this website design, along with making a site that captured the attention, elicits trust, and drives action.

The Solution

I created a video-centric design on WordPress. The responsive design was search engine and e-commerce friendly. We included a tool that easily allowed customers to sort the mug styles and glazes to find what they want. Altogether ‘conversions,’ or amount of actions we wanted customers to take, went up by 82%. As a freelance WordPress designer and developer in Minneapolis, smaller companies come to me partly because I can do both. This means lower costs for you, and more affordable web design.

Key Numbers – 6 Months After

From the client

The Challenge

We needed to help Bank Systems Marketing create an E-commerce website for their check scanner company – that actually drove sales and helped them turn their website into a lead magnet for their more enterprise level solutions.

The Solution

We created a compelling website, that helped BSM showcase their products in a compelling way, allowed them to make more money from the site, and get more leads on a regular basis.

From the client:

“My company launched our completely revamped website and couldn’t be happier with the way the site turned out, and our experience with [Hook Agency]. They took our old website with outdated graphics, poor sales results and transformed it into a modern, incredibly attractive and sales thriving site. In 6 short months we have seen a 300% increase in sales by online traffic, a greater return than we had ever imagined. Our product keywords are up over 350% and our website can easily be found on top of any major search engine.

The [Hook Agency] team is amazing. They are creative, quick and so much fun to work with, I highly recommend them to any business.”

The Challenge

Treasured Spaces was in need of a rebranding, as well as some significant work on their web presence. I not only did Google surveys to make sure the current name was the best for the job. We determined it was because the prime demographic and decision maker for projects they specialize in are older women and older women preferred the name heavily to the alternative (Grand Builders.)

The Solution

We created high-end website experience, and have helped this particular construction company go from 1 keyword to 40 ranked keywords including many that are “high-intent”, meaning that people would be searching for these when making a purchase decision.

Key things I learned in this process

I loved working with Josh, and have solid evidence now to prove I can take a website from very little organic search traffic and one ranking keyword to 4000% ranked keywords in 4 months.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for

• A no-nonsense approach to web design and development
• Mobile-centric design and development
• Construction Company focused marketing services
• Local search optimization and homegrown WordPress Minnesota web design
• A partner who will take the initiative, is successful and loves helping others be successful
• A web design company with a purpose – To help others as much as I can

The Challenge

Katie Kurtz, a Minneapolis and North Oaks Realtor, was in a predicament. She had a website she liked, but it wasn’t built in the same place as her blog. It was like trying to make a store, but all of your weekly promotions are directing people to the wrong address. We were going to need to integrate her blog into her site, and perhaps update the look and feel of both to better represent the high-quality work she does.

The Solution

We talked through the things she liked about the site that was created on a website builder/template. By no means did she hate it, so I navigated through murky waters to make sure everything she liked about the site made it onto the new one, and that it used the same grey and white color scheme, along with big airy photos that emphasized white decor. By creating the whole site in WordPress, it allowed us to keep the same look and feel from the home page to the blog, to the new area showcasing press Katie had received. We helped showcase press appearances, including participating in an HGTV show,  in a way that increased visitor trust and helped Katie present her story more professionally to the world. A high-end website design is good for both ego and business.

Key things I learned in this process

The realty market is competitive, so we targeted the site for a very niche market. Focusing on North Oaks specifically, allowed us to start ranking the site for a less densely competitive market and start the process of search engine optimization during development. The takeaway from this tactic, if you are in a market that’s extremely competitive, niche down further until you find a less crowded set of keywords to optimize your site. This is the kind of marketing consultation I’m happy to give any clients I work with, and what sets me apart for a web design firm and any freelance web designers in Minneapolis in my same range.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for

• A no-nonsense approach to web design and development
• Mobile-centric design and development
• Real Estate related to web design services
• Local search optimization and homegrown WordPress Minnesota web design
• A partner who will take the initiative, is successful and loves helping others be successful
• A web design company with a purpose – To help others as much as I can

The Challenge

AD Hays Group needed a serious website that showed why they were special. I sat down with Art (AD) and talked through what he was an advantage he had over the competitors and how we might be able to showcase that uniqueness with a custom website. I honestly love digging into these types of challenges, and there were definitely some in this build. Priority number one, finding a way to list properties in a clean and visually compelling way while making them easy to add.

The Solution

From the video header on Art’s site, to the property carousel and big “SOLD” feature on properties, all of the design choices were intended to persuade people to make the next step and contact him. Testimonials are front and center on the home page and include photos of clients, so there’s no doubt that the text is from real people. Every page has a call to action at the end, giving a visual representation of the site’s intention to make it more likely people will take the next step!

Key things I learned in this process

With every site I work on, I love learning new things. Having been part of 30+ website design and promotion projections, running point on more than half of those, I’ve gained a keen respect for the unique perspective of entrepreneurs, marketing directors, and solopreneurs. I would say on this project – I realize how much I love it when there’s trust in the process, and honestly, I think that’s how I do my best work.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for

• A web designer who really cares about his work
• Web Design Minnesota – totally focused on your business goals
• Visually striking design that grabs people’s attention
• Mobile friendly design and easy to use content management

The Challenge

Sean Hickey needed a new website – as it had been a number of years since the site had been updated. We wanted to tackle it with a fresh approach as Sean Hickey is in a league of his own as a composer, and prides himself on an eclectic style that benefits from some compelling visual representation. I walked through the things he felt he did best live and listened to every album he had that I could get my hands on in preparation and during the visual design phase.

The Solution

Because I wasn’t the person developing the site (it is being developed in Drupal), I had a unique opportunity to set my jaw on the design challenge at hand and get into it with an almost artistic fervor. Little abstract touches like a very light background combining both a spiral staircase and a spiral seashell – echoed his previous album covers and added visual interest without overwhelming the content. In the end the time and attention paid to the typographic elements, imagery, and user interface allowed for a strong solution that created a very professional impression to anyone checking Sean out or looking to work with him.

Key things I learned in this process:

Although I love small business and working on contractor, home builder, and realtor websites, this challenge brought to bear some of the depth of feeling I have in regards to nuanced design decisions. I like feeling out the strengths of a business, an organization or individuals – and weighing that in tandem with what’s making them money and what action they want people visiting their site to take, and attempting to get the design to exude that feeling.

Even in these more artistic explorations – my design strategy is always extremely goal focused. What do you want this site to accomplish, and every pixel should be in service to that goal.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for:

• Goal oriented Twin Cities web design
• A Minnesota-based freelance web designer passionate about their craft
• A business-savvy technician
• Someone who understands abstraction and communication for clarity

The Challenge

Alpine Asphalt had a small business web design done by Dex, which is apparently not equipped to create compelling small business website designs at scale. The site was not mobile friendly, and there was a lot of opportunities for the website to be better indexed by search engines. The site didn’t do a great job at showcasing what Alpine does that is special – which is make it easy! A lot of companies that do what they do make it overly complicated, so they take a different approach.

The Solution

WordPress offers very solid indexability, so using it was the perfect solution to build the site on and give full ownership over to the small business owner! Once the site is in place Dawn, who manages Alpine’s day-to-day web presence, is now fully in charge of content as much as she wants. Also, we are doing a 3-month engagement to get better linking and content strategy on the website to increase traffic, which allows me to be there for her ongoing for anything that comes up as well.

Key things I learned in this process

I love small business web design! People that love what they do, like Dawn Reid and Alpine Asphalt, make me excited to be an entrepreneur. They have a serious focus on work/life balance with part of their year spent skiing, which they love to show off on their site. If anything it reminded me that it’s important to be a person too, not just a business person.

I always learn a little bit about business and treating people well and being of service when I work on projects with small business owners – it’s a great perk of my job!

The Challenge

MINNE Apparel has a beautiful line of clothing and amazing photos to showcase it. So there was an opportunity in site design that show it all in grand style. I worked on the development, and with another designer as the art director and co-designer on this project. We wanted to push the limits and utilize modern design and development techniques to associate this high-class brand with a flair for the tastefully dramatic.

The Solution

We created the site with interactive elements in mind from the beginning. Having a developer who can deliver on the development strategy be part of the design process allowed us to stay nimble and creative the whole time. With elements like the mobile menu, we were able to experiment with a fresh look and not stick with more common and slightly overused mobile menus. Utilizing the mobile menu look on the desktop version, made it look particularly fresh.

Key things I learned in this process

For me, bringing design into development is just as important as bringing development concerns up during design. Design in development means that little code and finesse elements in the look of the build don’t get overlooked. These little details are super important to make sure that the site is as professional as it can be and makes the business look good. The process focusing on these details allowed me to fully bring my skills to the table in this regard and bring my finesse in web design to the next level.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for

• Finesse in web design
• Web design that keeps the details in mind
• Mobile-friendly web design
• Web design that allows for easy edits

The Challenge

Artful Living Magazine was trying to determine what they should do with their WordPress website – rebuild or modify? The theme was well built and had a solid aesthetic, so I encouraged them not to rebuild if what they wanted was still in the same realm as the existing site. Sometimes WordPress theme modification projects can actually require more attention than full rebuilds because you have to work around the theme in development but in this case, it was definitely the more efficient solution.

The Solution

The stakeholders in the organization wanted a web design firm that could change the navigational structure beyond what the theme options offered. They wanted something where the navigation was under the big ‘hero unit’ (the top area on the home page). I suggested we get the typography cleaned up and more intentional with a greater focus on the main actions we wanted visitors to take on the site, along with a solid list of other changes that were needed, which we determined together. Executing on the list of planned theme modifications we created a website that they are proud of – and I am too!

Key things I learned in this process

Theme modifications aren’t my number one favorite type of project – but if someone’s website is already on a theme, and 70% correct and how they want it, it doesn’t make sense to throw the baby out with the bathwater and start from scratch. What I’ve learned about myself is that I’m much more concerned with pragmatism and business success than I am with impressing engineer types with my sophisticated coding frameworks and building everything from nothing.

The Challenge

The team at Amtrust had a landing page for their personal identity product that was not converting as well as they would like. They knew they needed an updated look, and I assured them that their trust was well placed with me. We worked hard to find out exactly what their customer’s needed to see, we leveraged insights from a competitor, and we prepared by sketching possible solutions.

The Solution

When I revealed the concepts for their new design, the team at Amtrust referred to it as ‘Rockstar work,’ which I strive for on all my projects. Everything was intentional, from the color psychology, the imagery, and the use of the logo in the header section as a design element. When it came to the photography I chose subtle, and not so subtle, psychological clues to draw attention to the prime demographics vulnerability (in the man’s bag). From there we used other imagery that illustrates the ways in which someone’s identity can be breached.

Why my experience on this project matters to you

Having worked on websites for companies with revenue in the tens of millions, would you guess I’m better prepared to create websites for small businesses? I started creating WordPress websites in Minneapolis because I love helping small businesses and I feel that I provide a ton of value for companies of any size. My strategy on color psychology, layout, eliciting trust from visitors, and using the appropriate imagery to elicit trust from your company’s or organization’s core demographic applies no matter the size of your company or organization.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for:

• Responsive / Mobile Friendly
• A personalized experience from a web designer who is business goal oriented
• A Minnesota web design provider who is passionate about clients success.

The Challenge

Northface Construction is a fairly new small business, and I collaborated with him to get the kind of content he needed on the site to satisfy visitors and attract traffic from search engines. His business has three main services, so we knew we needed to work collaboratively to give the site the kind of longer form content search engines like Google love. At the same time, we wanted visitors to the site to be able to access the content quickly, so we needed to present the content in a visually compelling way.

The Solution

We created the site on WordPress, which enabled the owner of the contracting business to edit the content quickly. Affordable web design in Minneapolis doesn’t mean it has to be complicated. As a small business, this contractor/construction website perfectly fits the owner’s needs while providing tons of clues to visitors to elicit trust, from testimonials to lots of photographs of successful jobs, to badges from the Better Business Bureau and industry specialty organizations. I worked with another visual designer on this project, plus I art directed the visual solution and provided strategy and information architecture. Everywhere on the site, there is an emphasis on the primary action we want visitors to take, to fill out the form and get in contact with the business.

Why my experience on this project matters to you

Most importantly I helped Josh hone in on what the unique value he provides through his service business, which is personalized attention and quality of materials. I established and emphasised this fact during our discussions with some very intentional questions. Though I am an affordable web designer in Minneapolis, I believe that marketing-centric web design is attainable at this level. I’m grateful for my clients and like to learn from you about your industry and enjoy the process of working towards the best web design in Minneapolis we can create.

The Challenge

Copycats Media is a Minnesota Company that does media duplication and replication. They needed a website that really tells their story. Collaborating with the internal team, which included a couple of visual designers, I focused on what I do best, user interface design and designing for mobile.

The Solution

Working with their internal illustrator, we brought in the cartoon theme they use as part of their branding and other visual assets. We focused on the homegrown appeal, testimonials from high-profile clients like Macklemore, and big visual displays that work.

Why my experience on this project matters to you

Responsive design and interaction design has unique challenges that require an eye for it and an understanding of the technology. Creating websites in Minneapolis for over three years now, with over 25 websites launched, I can provide that perspective.

You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for:

• A conscientious Minneapolis WordPress design
• A Freelance Minneapolis web designer who cares about their client’s success
• Minneapolis web design that reflects well on your company
• Down-to-earth service in web design

The Challenge

eCig Market needed a new website, and this time they wanted to sell their products online. They knew they couldn’t spend tens of thousands of dollars for an eCommerce store, so that’s where I came in. They needed something that looks nice, tells their story, and that directs people to their physical location.

The Solution

From wireframes on up, the solution focuses on what I dug up as the difference between eCig Market and their competitors. They only offer high-end eLiquid, versus many shops that just sell the cheap stuff. With their new vaping bar they have a higher end experience, and we accentuate that in the design. By showcasing their wonderful reviews from Google and Facebook and making them easy for the clients to add, we established a social trust factor for the site and showcased some of their best customer feedback.

Why my experience on this project matters to you

e-Commerce web design is not always for the faint of heart. It takes consideration of a lot of elements, and the design of this website takes all of those elements into consideration down to the checkout. As a freelance web designer I can to handle e-Commerce websites and make them beautiful, but also affordable. This particular website uses WooCommerce, and the theme is a custom, from-scratch theme developed for the sole purpose of making this beautiful, sturdy website built to serve this client for years to come.