Here’s how I work.

I want to know what you need before I touch a single tool. What you're trying to accomplish, who your visitors are, what you want them to do when they come to your site. That conversation shapes everything that follows. Even though I'm based in the Catskill region of New York State, I can - and do - work with clients anywhere.

Research

Often a website is created for the person who owns it, not for the people who visit it. The owner wants to tell you about their history, their philosophy, their team. The visitor wants to know if you can solve their problem and how to reach you. Those are different things, and a good website has to get them in the right order.

Before I start building, I look at what similar sites are doing — what's working, what's getting in the way. I look for places where a well-placed page or a clear answer can save you time. If you're fielding the same questions by email every week, those answers belong on your site. As the Venn diagram below shows, a good website is more than a brochure; it's a tool.

Building Websites

Every site I build starts from scratch. No templates, no platforms, no shortcuts. You get a custom design — your colors, your fonts, your content — built by hand and sized right for every screen. I give you a detailed proposal before any work begins, so you know exactly what you're getting and what it costs.

Accessibility

Every site I build follows accessibility best practices, because a website that works for everyone is just a better website:

• Descriptive text in the code for every image
• Logical page structure that screen readers can follow
• Layouts that work without a mouse
• Color contrast that meets federal guidelines

Privacy

I don't build tracking into my clients' websites. No hidden analytics scripts that follow your visitors around the web, no embedded social widgets that report to Facebook or Google. If you want traffic data, I use Cloudflare's privacy-respecting analytics — no cookies, no visitor tracking.

Fixing Websites

Many small businesses have a website that was built many years ago — it's hard to read on a phone, the design looks dated, or something is broken and nobody knows who to call. That's a solvable problem that I'm glad to tackle!

I can assess what you have, tell you what's worth keeping and what needs to go, and build you something that works. One thing to know up front: I don't work inside WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, or similar platforms. If your site is built on one of those, I can audit it and give you an honest picture of what I'd do differently — but the fix means a new site, built from scratch.

If you're not sure where your site stands, send me a note. I'm glad to take a look.

Copywriting

You can't build a site without content — and good content is harder to write than most people realize. After thirty years of helping clients find the right words, I know what works on the web and what doesn't. That might include writing new copy or simply revising copy that already exists; sometimes a site just needs clearer language, not a full rebuild.

What I can help with

• Homepage messaging — what you do and why it matters, stated plainly
• Service descriptions without jargon
• Editing and tightening copy you've already written
• Headlines and calls to action

My approach

Good web copy is direct, honest, and written for the reader — not for the writer. Too many websites bury the lead in three paragraphs of background. I don't do that.

Copywriting is typically quoted as part of a larger project proposal, or as a standalone project if that's what you need.

Webmaster Services

Once your site is live, you may want me to stay involved — updating content, adding pages, fixing anything that breaks. That continuing partnership is available, on whatever basis makes sense for you. No ongoing commitment is required.

What this covers

• Updating text and images as your business changes
• Adding new pages or sections
• Keeping the site looking current and well-maintained
• Fixing anything that breaks
• Answering your questions when they come up