Kansas City’s fastest growing Web Design & Internet Marketing
Firm finds unique ways to give back to the community.
see full pictorial article in Mission Hills Magazine (pages 16-17)
When Kansas City entrepreneur Mike Barrett went looking for a local Kansas City web design company, he was a bit overwhelmed. There were plenty of Web designers, but which one would work best for his business?
Early last year, Barrett started “Booth Crazy Photo Booths,” which provides modern photo booths for parties, weddings and corporate events. Booth Crazy had a “Flash” website that was nearly invisible to search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing.
Like many local Kansas City businesses, Mike had been bombarded almost daily with emails and telemarketers hard-selling Internet marketing services.
“Finally, we proactively searched online for web design and SEO service providers in Kansas City and Kansas City Website Design consistently popped up first,” Barrett says. “Let’s face it, we wanted our company to pop up high on searches, so it was a good sign that our potential designer was a leader.
“We then checked out many of Kansas City Website Designs’ references and were surprised to find every one of their clients at the very top of Google searches,” he adds. “It made our decision easy. Fast forward a couple months, and we now have a great new web design and are now the top-ranked photo booth company in Kansas City. This has been a huge boost for our business and may be one of the best investments I have ever made.” (see: Kansas City photo booth)
Barrett is one of dozens of Kansas City companies that have engaged Kansas City Website Design (KCWD) for search engine optimization and web development services. With more than 90% of consumers using the Internet to purchase local products and services, SEO has become a top priority for most businesses. KCWD specializes in “organic” online searches as opposed to pay-per-click advertising that typically yields a much lower return on investment.
Dr. Stanley Hoehn of The Bariatric Center of Kansas City, the metro’s highest volume bariatric surgery practice, comments: “We tried using another Kansas City web development firm, but after a substantial investment and over six months of effort, they could not meet our website needs. This time we did our homework and contracted with the best we could find. With KCWD, we experienced more progress and satisfaction in the first two weeks of our partnership than all of the time we spent with the previous website company. Our new website fits in perfectly with our corporate identity, and will be an important tool for us to continue grow our business.” (see: Kansas City lap band)
KCWD’s founder Phil Singleton, who has a strong background in finance and venture capital endeavors, explains what led him to a career in web design and SEO services:
“I definitely do not fit the typical web marketing or web developer profile in terms of educational training or experience,” he says. “I have a BS in Finance from Fairfield University, an MBA from Thunderbird, the American School of International Management and I lived in Asia for over 10 years. I spent the early part of my career raising Asian venture capital funding for US and European technology companies. After gaining a fluency in Mandarin Chinese, I was able raise venture capital investment for my own project and founded a software startup in Taipei, Taiwan.”
Singleton’s experience in this venture opened his eyes to the power of SEO.
“Over 50% of our global sales were coming from search engines and online affiliate marketers – and this was ten years ago,” he says. “We sold the venture a few years later and since then I’ve been helping companies of all sizes use SEO to capture market share while reducing marketing and advertising expenses, such as phone directory advertising which is virtually obsolete.”
Singleton says 2012 is off to a great start.
“We are very excited about 2012 and are already working on several high profile projects,” he says. “For example, we are really excited to be working with Bottom Line Communications, one of Kansas City’s premier Public Relations firms. Founder John Landsberg not only has experience as a Fortune 500 spokesman, he is one of Kansas City’s most influential media bloggers, so this is a particularly interesting project for us.”
“We heard consistently that our content was great on our site, but our Web site design and functionality needed some help,” says Landsberg. “Since we reach thousands of KC media professionals and potential customers every day, it was really important to us to find a proven SEO-savvy web developer who could understand our unique business needs.
“To me, Kansas City Website Design was an easy decision. No other firm we found had their track record in search engine optimization, and every one of their client references gave gushing reviews.” (see: Kansas City pr firms)
“We have the best job in the world.” Singleton says. “There is nothing more rewarding than helping small and medium businesses turn the corner or being acknowledged as their new engine of growth. We had such a good year in 2011 that we wanted to find some way to give back to the community.
“One new initiative has been to provide selected KC non-profits and charitable organizations with pro-bono websites. We hope to use our SEO and Internet marketing skills to help these organization reach more donors, supporters and volunteers through the Internet.”
KCWD’s first pro-bono project is with “CreativeWorks,” an organization that engages marginalized teens through Applied Theatre and Digital Media programs that explore, challenge, and enhance the self and society. The organization’s mission is to provide programs that contribute to an equitable world free of violence, where all young people feel empowered to discover and achieve their potential.
(more of the pro-bono program is detailed here: Extreme Website Makeover)
“We are grateful and excited to partner with Kansas City Website Design on our website makeover!” says CreativeWorks founder and CEO Amanda Hashagen” We are an arts nonprofit that offers programs to at-risk teens involved in the court system, alternative schools, and residential facilities in the Kansas City metro. There are many young people who could benefit from our unique and interactive programs, and we are thrilled that Kansas City Website Design is going to help us take an exponential step forward in reaching them.
“I am most impressed with the professionalism of KC Website Design and their level of engagement,” she adds. “Although CreativeWorks is a pro bono client, they have treated us as if we have paid double!”
Singleton hopes to be able to assist more non-profit groups in the future. “We hope to do at least one more pro-bono project in 2012 and perhaps two to four in 2013,” Singleton says.
In the meantime, Kansas City Website Design will continue targeting highly competitive KC markets that are wide-open in terms of search engine optimization such as real estate, automotive dealerships, financial services, and a wide variety of retail and trade services. (see: web design Kansas City).
