New Leaf Eco Landscapes
This new business was launched with the goal of creating and supporting ecologically diverse native landscapes. Our assignment was two-fold: design a site that maintained the branding for their existing tree care business, while also creating a new and separate site for those who want to learn about these new services. The content clearly explains what they do and why they do it, and nearly every image is from their own portfolio of projects.
Sally Helgesen
Chatham, NY
Our goal for this new site was to develop a more contemporary look by incorporating the colors from Sally’s critically-acclaimed book Rising Together. This included creating a more open and inviting layout, styling text to make scanning easier and improving the quality of images. The biggest challenge involved completely restructuring the blog to make finding information easier and creating categories that were more relevant.
Kinderhook Memorial Library
Kinderhook, NY
The folks at the library explained to us that their existing website was showing its age. It was busy, put too little emphasis on everyday services and focused too heavily on special events. Additionally, it was difficult to make ongoing changes. We started by simplifying the layout and the navigation. New photos give the site a new freshness and really illustrate what an architectural gem the library is. Finally, we optimized the footer, consolidated all contacts to a single page and added a blog.
825 Main Products
Poughkeepsie, NY
We have been been working with 825 Main Products since they owned Coppola’s Restaurant in Poughkeepsie, NY. In 2011 the restaurant closed to focus on selling their pasta sauces. Our involvement included logo design, sauce label designs, Facebook setup, and website design and development. In 2023 we completed a website redesign giving it a more contemporary look, consolidating content and improving on-site search.
The Blue Spruce Inn & Suites
Valatie, NY
The Blue Spruce Inn & Suites opened as a traditional motel in the 1960s. After a full renovation, they have reopened, now catering to business travelers and families. Our goal with this redesign was to promote a sense of quiet comfort and safe surroundings. The client provided the images and selected the reservation system.
Town of Stuyvesant
Stuyvesant, NY
When the town’s existing development company was no longer able to serve their needs at a reasonable price, they were stuck. Because the site was built with proprietary software, they could not move their website—they had to start over from scratch. The town liked that we were local and had a long history of reputable work. We downloaded and organized more than 20 years of history and nearly 700 individual documents. We transformed the sitemap, optimized the pages, and improved the calendar. The final site is clean and simple, making the content easy to update.
Holmquest Farms
Hudson, NY
When Holmquest Farms dramatically expanded their facility in 2003, they hired us to design a logo and build a new website. Our goal was to bring the excitement of seasonal harvests to the page by using closeup images of fresh food and plants with spectacularly bright colors. In 2023, their 80th anniversary!, they’re back for a redesign.
Flint Law Firm
Chatham, NY
We built Flint’s first website back in 2016. Through a series of face-to-face meetings and information gathering forms, we learned about their business. It was important for them to rank high in local search, so we reviewed old content and recommended new topics. (Their previous website had been built by a big company specializing in website development for law firms.)
In 2023, Paul came back to us for a refresh of his brand. New logo, new marketing materials and a new website.
Columbia County Tourism
Hudson, NY
When we first built this website back in 2017, there were several goals:
- make the site mobile-friendly
- improve back-end usability
- simplify calendar page
- review, revise and transfer content
- add social sharing buttons
- optimize site for search engines
This time around, May 2022, we replaced the theme, recategorized the database and refreshed the theme. It’s so rewarding to work with clients who come to the table with well-thought-out ideas and who understand the value of a good-looking website.
Morris Memorial
Chatham, NY
The Morris Memorial is the 113 year-old community center in our village, Chatham, NY. Their previous website did not reflect the community or the people that it served and it did not have the functionality that they needed. Our goal was to create a new website that is more useful to the people who use it and is easier for staff to update.
North Chatham Free Library
North Chatham, NY
NCFL had a custom website that wasn’t working for them. It was difficult to find things, even harder to update, and the site did not have the small-town feel of the library. The first thing we did was review all the content on a granular level. (The library Website Committee’s work was invaluable here.) Once we understood exactly what information needed to be presented, we started on reorganization and design. (The style and colors for the site were based on an existing logo.) Images were scarce so a photographer was brought in to take good, clear, up-to-date photos.
Banks Fry-Bake
Hudson, NY
This gorgeous new ecommerce website is our second for Fry-Bake. (We built the first one back in 2013.) The new site looks more modern and takes advantage of many new improvements to technology. The site is faster, sleeker and better optimized.
Special thanks to Molinski Photography for their beautiful images.
Chatham Fire Department
Chatham, NY
In 2020, Chatham Fire Department’s Membership Coordinator David Levow worked with advertising art director Doug Welch and photographer Peter Zander to create a series of powerful ads featuring Chatham fire fighters. The campaign increased recruitment and earned FASNY’s Recruitment and Retention Award.
In 2021, we volunteered to build a new website for the Chatham Fire Department pro bono, piggybacking on the work that Levow, Welch and Zander started. The new site follows a similar aesthetic and features three pages about the department (history, members, apparatus), an expansive photo gallery, comprehensive volunteer page, and a blog.
Patients Rising
Reston, VA
This is the second project that we have worked on with this nonprofit advocacy organization. We worked with their writers and directors to create a design that is an evolution of their previous site.
Content will change frequently and they intend to make those changes in house. Reusable modules and consistent formatting will make that as simple as possible.
Patients Rising Stories
Washington, DC
The purpose of this website is to share patient stories about healthcare in America. Our task was to design and build it following the branding elements of Patients Rising, the parent organization.
Using a comprehensive online form, site visitors can submit their own stories. After submissions are reviewed and approved, they are posted to the website and can be browsed on a map or filtered by disease or issue.
Town of Ghent
Ghent, NY
Initially, we were hired to maintain the content on the Town of Ghent’s existing website. During the tech review we discovered that the theme that was used was no longer being supported by the developer. Therefore, we would need to replace the existing theme with a new one.
Our goal with this design was to bring more of the important content to the top of the page, so users don’t have to scroll down so far to get what they need. We also added publication date and a new set of categories to the blog posts, which will make finding related posts easier. Finally, we improved consistency of formatting to make pages easier to scan.
Town of Claverack
Claverack, NY
We were initially asked to take over website software maintenance and security for the Town of Claverack. During the tech review we discovered that the theme that was used was no longer being supported by the developer. Therefore, we would need to replace the existing theme with a new one.
The three priorities were:
- Design a simple layout that would allow for a single image to be changed to reflect the seasons.
- Integrate the calendar.
- Prioritize the quicklinks.
Chatham Keep Farming
Chatham, NY
When Chatham Keep Farming was first getting off the ground, we volunteered to build their website for them. That was in 2005. The technology that people use to access websites as well as the technology used to build websites has changed a lot in 15 years. This new website is mobile friendly and is built with WordPress, a content management system that, among other things, simplifies ongoing updates.
Carwile Biebel Consulting
Chatham, NY
Carwile Biebel is one of our original clients. We built their very first website, as well as designing their print marketing materials. This year we redesigned and rebuilt the site to make it mobile friendly.
Columbia County Recovery Kitchen (CCRK)
Hudson, NY
When CCRK opened, a website was not a priority. However, it quickly became apparent that they would need additional funding. A professional website could make individuals more likely to trust that their contributions would be well-spent.
The Covid-19 pandemic meant that we couldn’t meet our client in person, so all work was done via phone and email. We were given about two pages of information and a handful of photos. From that we developed the layout, logo and all the individual pages.
The Lily Pond Animal Sanctuary
Ghent, NY
The Lily Pond began promoting their sanctuary with a strong social media presence on Facebook and Instagram. When they were ready to build on that success by creating a website that enhances their credibility, reputation and authority, they called us. Together we were able to present their story in a clear and interesting way.
- Expansive gallery with three photo albums
- Informative FAQs page
- Easy to update Meet the Animals database
- Comprehensive Support page
Newton Hook Tree Care
Stuyvesant Falls, NY
This local arborist had a website previously, but was not happy with the way it looked or how it ranked in search results. Now, Newton Hook Tree Care has a website that truly reflects their knowledge and experience. We worked together carefully to develop content that would drive new traffic and answer all the basic questions that a potential customer might have. Many new services pages were added, as well as an FAQs page and extensive photo gallery.
AG Carpentry
Chatham, NY
When we first met with AG Carpentry, they did not yet have any web presence. Their goal was to create a website for use primarily as a reference tool.
Their new online portfolio for prospective customers is easily browsable, whether on a desktop computer or a mobile device. Most importantly, it can be updated in-house.
Gallagher’s Stud
Ghent, NY
Our goal for this website was to promote a feeling of history, as well as a sense of being current and active. We added large, gorgeous photos of the property in all seasons and created a blog for posting things happening at the farm (from recent race winners to births to new staff.) Finally, we built clear, consistent tables that can be updated quickly and easily.
Help Yourself Win Foundation
Schenectady, NY
Two non-profit organizations, Help Yourself Foundation and Schenectady Win, were planning to merge. They needed a new website to promote the new larger organization: Help Yourself Win Foundation. We worked with them to develop a new site structure that gave the foundation a sense of unity, while clearly explaining the individual programs. We incorporated their old color scheme and logo images. Finally, working with PayPal, we were able to set up a page that allows donors to choose which specific program to support.
Mentored by the Legend
Columbia County, NY
This client’s goal was to offer his customers the opportunity to rent one-of-a-kind instructional videos of golfing legend Mike Austin. Our solution: integrate a WordPress landing page with the video and ecommerce functionality of Vimeo.
Greater Capital Region Science and Engineering Fair
Troy, NY
For thirty years, middle and high school students throughout the Greater Capital Region have entered the Greater Captial Region Science and Engineering Fair. While GCRSEF had a website, it wasn’t as functional and engaging as it could be. We started with a thorough reorganization of content to make finding information easier. Our clients were fairly hands-off with regard to design, and trusted us to create a simple, easy to understand structure and style. In addition, the client wants to maintain site content themselves, so we paid special attention to making commonly update areas easy to change.
Spencertown Academy
Spencertown, NY
This community-oriented organization did a terrific job keeping their old website up-to-date. They also stay in touch with their members through a consistent email marketing schedule, and spread the word throughout the community with well-branded print ads, posters and signage. We were thrilled to be selected to design and build their new website. Their goals included reworking the structure to remove redundant pages, brighten the overall look, and simplify the navigation. They needed an events calendar, photo gallery, and a new area to post links to press coverage.
Julie Metz
Hudson, NY
Julie is a New York Times Best Selling Author. When she contacted us, she had a new book in progress. She needed an updated site with new features including an events calendar that could be employed closer to publication and a page of links to print and podcast interviews. Julie is also a graphic designer and how the site would look was very important to her.
Face to Face Courses
Niverville, NY
This husband and wife team teaches a variety of live classes throughout New York State. In the past, they relied on printed flyers to drive new business. While this worked for many years, they knew they were losing business by not promoting themselves online.
A mobile-friendly, search engine optimized website allows Face to Face Courses to be there when potential customers are looking for a solution to their problem. Rather than hoping someone who wants to take one of their courses happens to be in a place where their printed brochure is available, their website is available to everyone at anytime.
Palampore Fabrics and Hangings
Germantown, NY
The launch of this website is also the launch of a new business. Owner and designer Alison Kouzmanoff had a crystal clear vision of how the website should look. She shot her own photography, wrote all the copy and provided precise mockups. This allowed us to give her a website that looked just as she had envisioned it.
And as experienced developers, we were able to help her identify important questions and make educated decisions regarding such issues as setting up trade accounts, shipping, and delivery fees.
Junior’s Diesel Repair
Clinton Corners, NY
Juniors’ outreach had been limited to Facebook and word-of-mouth. Our job was to build a strong and effective website that would drive new business to this diesel repair center in Dutchess County. We based much of the look of their new website on their already existing, highly graphic logo. For content we worked with the owners to clearly explain who they are, what they do, and what makes them different from their competitors.
The result is a strong statement of their commitment to good service and professionalism. Clear calls-to-action guide users to the information that they need quickly and easily.
Magdalena’s
Valatie, NY
While Magdalena’s had an active Facebook page, they didn’t have a website. It was our job to create a design that accurately reflected what they’re all about. The budget didn’t allow for a professional photo shoot, so we were limited to stock art. To that end, we concentrated on the appeal of their fresh ingredients and colorful interior. Now Magdalena’s has a platform for improved branding, the ability to reach a larger audience, and we have optimize their website for search. Finally, to make updating the site as simple as possible, we built each menu in a way that is easy for the staff to do themselves.
Chatham Grill
Chatham, NY
The Chatham Grill opened in 2016. For two years they had an active Facebook page, but didn’t have a website. Having a website gives them a platform for improved branding, the ability to reach a larger audience, and optimize for search.
The new website clearly reflects the look and feel of the cozy local restaurant. Meant for loyal customers, as well as those who have never been before, the site has a Catering FAQs page, gallery of photos, and news page. Also, we built each menu in a way that is easy for the staff to update themselves.
Valatie Bar and Grill
Valatie, NY
When the new owners of the Valatie Bar and Grill purchased this business, there was an existing website. For several reasons they couldn’t continue to rely on the old website so we were asked to register a new domain name, arrange new hosting, and build a new WordPress website that was a truer reflection of the business. We expanded content, sourced new photos, added calendar functionality, and made it easier for the business to update the site themselves.
The Cascades
Hudson, NY
This popular restaurant in Hudson, NY needed a new mobile-friendly website.
- The new look says “high quality, deli-style, casual, and good value.”
- Authentic, historical black and white photos contrast beautifully with the bright colors of the freshly-prepared food.
- Menus are easy to read and update.
- Catering section is easy to understand.
- Call to action buttons at the bottom of each page make it easy for potential customers to get more information quickly and easily.
Sally Helgesen
Chatham, NY
This author, speaker, and leadership consultant had a website she loved, but it wasn’t mobile-friendly. We were able to maintain the overall design and have it work well on desktop, mobile and tablet. One requirement was that the new design had to feature information about the launch of her new book, while being versatile enough to accommodate any future books. We also worked with her to optimize her text, feature new content, and reorganize the blog. The new site is fresh and light, easy to use, and update.
Tanenbaum Gallery
New Milford, CT
We don’t often build websites for people we’ve never met, but that’s just what happened with the Tanenbaums. They found us through a Google search and, after a couple phone calls, we were hired. Artist Steven E. Tanenbaum had a general idea how he wanted the site to look, which simplified the design phase. This being his first website, he wasn’t quite ready to sell online, but he wanted the ability to do that later on. For that reason we set up the site as a store, but with the ecommerce functionality disabled.
Notable features
- Mobile-friendly, responsive design
- Portfolio slideshow on the homepage
- Online store with ecommerce functionality disabled
Dells’ Plumbing, Heating & A/C
Chatham, NY
Dells’ had a static website for years and understood the value of a strong online presence, but their site was out of date. It was neither mobile friendly nor search engine optimized.
Updating the look and expanding the content were key priorities, so we:
- modified the color scheme
- incorporated professional photography
- added new relevant content to drive more traffic
- enhanced calls to action
- expanded the Contact page to encourage additional inquiries.
Special thanks to Mike Molinkski of Molinski Photography for his work.
Lea’s women’s clothing boutique
Chatham, NY
The wife and husband team of Lea and Robert Harvey have had a successful women’s clothing boutique in Chatham, NY since 2000. A well-defined product line and exceptional customer service are key to their success and solid customer base. What they lacked was a strong online presence. With their input, we were able to create their first website which clearly reflects their personality and aesthetic and allows them to sell online.
Special features:
- Online store
- Blog and blog-style events calendar
- Mobile friendly
Chatham Area Business Alliance (CABA)
Chatham, NY
We built the original Chatham Business Alliance website using tables back in the early 2000s. A few years later we rebuilt it using CSS, but this is the first redesign on a new platform. Now the site is mobile-friendly, search engine optimized, and much easier to update. It gives a much better sense of what the Chatham Area Business Alliance and the area in and around Chatham are all about.
Special Features:
- Membership Directory
- Annual Photo Galleries
- Updated Calendar
Wendy P. Carroll
Columbia County, NY
This website is Wendy’s entry to the online world. Her landscape work is beautiful and natural, and she wanted a very simple website that emphasized her work. Her selective use of powerful images gives an honest depiction of abilities and services. There isn’t anything unnecessary or flashy about this website, it’s all about the work.
Roll Your Bones
Chatham, NY
This is our own blog and we run it just for fun. We designed it, built it, and create all the content – images and text. Having this information online means that when we visit family out of the country, we can access all our favorite recipes. It also means that we can replace the binder recipe book with a computer in the kitchen. It’s easy to remember where we’ve been and what we want to do again.
Using a simple theme with few plugins makes it easy to change the look of the site frequently.
Fitzsimmons and Mills P.C.
Kinderhook, NY
Designing the first website for a new business is a big responsibility, because the website is likely to be the first interaction a potential client has with that new business. Even if the business owners are already well-known and well-respected in their field, as was the case with Fitzsimmons and Mills P.C., the site’s first impression has to be a positive one. Additionally, few businesses are selling only one product or service, so deciding which to feature can be equally important.
Key features:
- Mobile-responsive
- Search engine friendly menus
Simons Catering
Kinderhook, NY
Their previous website wasn’t delivering the visual impact that their tastefully prepared and impeccably presented events deserved. Add the fact that the site wasn’t mobile-friendly, and it was obvious that it was time for a new and improved website. Our goal was to build a new website that let the photos do the talking. Special attention was paid to providing the right text to convert prospects to customers, including a testimonials page that packs a punch.
Country Life Real Estate
Spencertown, NY
Country Life Real Estate built a preliminary website with SquareSpace. It looked nice, but it was difficult to update, it wasn’t performing well in search and it didn’t have all the features they needed. We were able to use their initial design as a guide to create this new, fully-optimized, mobile-friendly website that looks great and works intuitively.
By using WordPress, Country Life Real Estate has a flexible website that can grow with their business. We will be able to scale the site to include even more features as the needs arise.
Carolina House Restaurant
Kinderhook, NY
The new owners of Carolina House Restaurant wanted a new website. The old one had been built by us as a static site nine years prior. It wasn’t mobile-friendly and it was impossible for the owners to make changes to the site. They wanted to update their regular menus, maintain a daily specials menu, and post upcoming events. They can do all of it now! In addition, the new owners wanted a new look for their site. They provided a color scheme and font preference and left the rest to us.
Key features:
- Mobile-responsive
- Search engine friendly menus
- CMS so site owners can make their own changes
Land Stewardship Design
Columbia County, NY
We were hired by Land Stewardship Designer and Project Manager Barbara Hughey to create a strong, professional online presence for her new business. Barbara was able to clearly express to us her goals for the site – from look to purpose to functionality. The site we delivered is an accurate picture of what she does. The photos she provided are exceptional and the copy clear and concise. This was a fun project from start to finish. And after completing her one-hour tutorial, Barbara is now able to make simple changes to the website on her own.
Key features:
- Two different portfolio styles that suit the functionality
- Mobile-friendly, responsive design
- Search engine optimized
Minding Your Manor
Columbia County, NY
When Julie Ulmer first contacted us, she was looking for someone to help her finish her website. She had made a good start, but couldn’t quite get all the pieces together. In her words, “I need someone to help me take my business to the next level.”
Our tasks included:
- Technical analysis of the site
- Develop ideas for new content
- Improve formatting and design
- On-site and off-site SEO
- Setup up MailChimp account and integrate it with Facebook
The Columbia Paper
Ghent, NY
The existing website was running an obsolete version of Joomla, which raised security concerns. The site also failed to display correctly on small screens, which was inconvenient for readers and unfair to advertisers.
To keep costs down we used an off-the-shelf theme with the absolute minimum of customization. Long term, we hope to have the opportunity to develop a custom theme that more accurately reflects the character of The Columbia Paper.
Key requirements:
- migrate archive of approximately 4,000 news stories from Joomla to WordPress, retaining author attribution
- mobile-friendly, responsive layout
George Lagonia Jr. Inc.
Hillsdale, NY
This successful local builder wanted to improve his online presence. His original website was never really finished, it ranked poorly in Google searches and he was unable to adequately display his impressive portfolio of work. We started from scratch with a new layout, new content, new system. Now his site accurately reflects the company’s work and attention to detail.
Notable features:
- Photo blog where new images can be uploaded on site from a cellphone or tablet.
- Photo gallery with large images and easy navigation.
Terra Tile and Marble
Briarcliff Manor and Fishkill, NY
We have designed print materials for this upscale tile importer since 2004. The goal for this site: to serve the current loyal brick-and-mortar customers while generating new business through increased exposure. The online store functions as a catalog now, but can be turned on for ecommerce when they are ready.
Notable features:
- Mobile-friendly responsive design
- extensive product catalog
- CMS
Village of Chatham, New York
Chatham, NY
Chatham needed a professionally designed website that would provide important information to local residents, while driving new business to the area. The site needed to be friendly, informative, and updatable by village staff.
Notable features
- Integrated calendar of events
- Multiple photo galleries
- Custom contact information feature
- Mobile friendly – mobile responsive
- CMS
James R. Nelson
Columbia County, NY
Artist James R. Nelson needed a website to display his artwork. Rather than selling the pieces online, he was looking to use his website as an online portfolio. With his new site and using WordPress’s content management system, James can now add and remove work, as well as update his resume and biography.
Notable features
- Mobile responsive – mobile friendly
- Masonry layout for portfolio
- CMS
Shed Man
New Lebanon, NY
Shed Man had trouble finding a company that could offer them a strong design, good SEO and a content management system that would allow them to manage the site and the store in-house. Now their staff can take photos of products or completed jobs and upload them directly, and manage their large catalog of in-stock items.
Notable features:
- Mobile-friendly
- extensive product catalog
- Email signup
- CMS
Hillsdale Country Realty
Hillsdale, NY
This Columbia County/Berkshire County Realtor needed to improve her online presence. Her old site looked dated, was not mobile-friendly and having changes made could prove difficult.
Notable features:
- gallery of homes on the index page
- separate but similar land and rentals pages
- embedded MLS
- mobile friendly – mobile responsive
Rebecca McBride
Old Chatham, NY
While Rebecca’s old website was useful for the content it contained, she felt that it didn’t reflect her style. We worked closely with her to create an overall design that was classic and distinctive and revised the layout of her resumé and samples pages to be easier to navigate and read. While the new website was part of the marketing campaign for her book, it was also expected to act as a brochure for her work as writer, editor and researcher.
pookstyle
Chatham, NY
Modernity is this store’s most distinctive design element–from clean lines and warm colors to the quality and variety of specialized products offered. To reflect this modern aesthitic, we used specific colors, modern fonts, and an open layout for this single page website. One woman owns and operates this business, so we were tasked with creating a stunning design that would, at all times, be seasonally appropriate.
David Rubel
Chatham, NY
There were three main goals set for the design of this author’s website: build and maintain a fan base, interact with readers, and promote the latest book. His numerous video, audio and text interviews were organized and made availablle for download, and his catalog of about 18 books for children and adults was formatted in a way that is easy to browse.
Creative Building Systems
Telluride, CO
This website was originally built for Colorado green builders Wodehouse-Augello Builders. While the company no longer trades under this name, the “Augello” in Wodehouse-Augello continues to use this site as his online business card/brochure for his new company Creative Building Systems.
Monster Machine
Chatham, NY
On his own Tom Curran created four blogs using the hosted wordpress.com service. He hired us to design a landing page that would act as an index.