Hi Eric, tell us about yourself and the services you offer?
"I used to work for Adobe Systems off and on for 13 years, that ended about three years ago. At one point I was the European Product Manager for Illustrator, Photoshop and their related Creative Pro graphics applications. I got into developing websites as a way to use Adobe’s tools -- I needed to make sure I was well grounded in the challenges that real-world users were facing so I could help guide the development of new features and functionality in our applications. Of course, that was back in the days of Illustrator 10, Photoshop 5.0 and Image Ready 1.0. My web design business just fell out of using the tools and doing some pro-bono work for a couple of non-profits in the Seattle area. Years later it’s grown into a nice little side business for me."
Where are you located?
"Seattle. My web design business is located in
my studio in the back yard."
Do you do this full time?
"I’m fortunate, my web design business is really an avocation... a way to pay for my technology addiction and my sailboat."
Do you have any staff?
"I don’t have any staff, though I do love collaborating with local designers, which I’ve done on a number of occasions for both web development and print design work.
And if you haven’t figured it out yet, I am not a "real" web developer, I’m just a design savvy guy who thinks he can write code. I’ve never read a single book on web programming, never took a class on HTML, and seriously cannot tell you the difference between PHP, ASP, SHTML, DHTML, Java, JavaScript, or any other web programming language. I can tell you that a colleague of mine who was seen reading a C# book at a bar did not pick up the waitress... Thank God I’ve got your tools backing me up."
What are your tips for clients and developers building sites in a slow economy?
"Good customer service is the key to a solid business, no matter what the state of the economy. It also helps that I price my work at reasonable, if not slightly lower than average prices. Also, all of my clients know they can drop me an email and ask a question at any time. This approach makes it easier for me to have a long term relationship with my clients, and one that’s built on trust. I had some downtime earlier this year so I contacted a couple of my older accounts, let them know about the new features and tools available from InteractiveTools.com, and got orders for upgrading their old sites... one Article Manager 1.x to 2.x upgrade and one Listings Manager to CMS Builder upgrade."
Why did you choose CMS Builder over other products and free solutions?
"I am not a web developer per se, I’m just really good at hunt n’ peck and copy & paste. The combination of Support, Community, and GREAT tools has made InteractiveTools.com my vendor of choice. CMS Builder provides me with an exceptionally flexible and easy to use foundation from which to begin. The elements I love about CMS Builder include:"
- It manages my MySQL database including the creation of all the tables and fields for me (this is big for someone without any formal programming / engineering training).
- It makes creating a whole host of page designs possible. My page design can reflect the wishes of my clients (for better or worse) rather than the limitations of the content management tool.
- The User Community and Support Staff at interactivetools.com.com are fantastic. I’m frequently getting new ideas and picking up snippets of code from the user forums, and sensible guidance from Support.
What CMS Builder powered sites have you built so far?
How long does it take to set up a new section?
"How about updating an existing website with static content to a fully CMS Builder managed site in just 3 hours, and that even included installing CMS Builder!!"
What is your advice to other developers who are thinking of getting started with CMS Builder?
"Plan a 2 Martini lunch – you’ll now have enough time in the day to enjoy it! Oh, but more seriously, use the Support Forums; CMS Builder is really flexible, and lots of new ideas have already been explored and shared in the Forum."
What other benefits of using CMS Builder really stand out for you?
"Besides the 2 Martini Lunch? How about the 4 PM Happy Hour? It all comes down to saving time. Being able to complete a project more quickly allows you to get on to other tasks, whether that be more time to dig up new clients, more time to complete more projects, or more time to spend with friends and family. And if you bill out your development projects on a fixed price basis rather than hourly, you’ll see your revenue per hour invested suddenly shoot through the roof; just like gas prices."
What are some of your favorites web development sites and resources?
"Ugh... I have to admit, I don’t have a single development site bookmarked in my web browser. I have a three step approach to figuring out things I don’t know (and there are a lot!).
#1. Use Google and do a couple of quick searches
#2. Browse the Forums at InteractiveTools.com
#3. Submit a help question and wait patiently for Theo, Ross, Mike, Donna or Jake to respond (it’s the perfect excuse to hit that 2 Martini lunch).
oh... and #4: just give it a try, many times I’ve solved a problem without just by trying out a few different ideas...
The solution you need is certain to materialize."
We've been hearing all sorts of great feedback about the current sale. Many of you have told us that these prices make it possible to offer our products to your clients. We've heard things like "this is great, I can now use CMS Builder for all of my projects where before I could only afford it for a select few."
Last newsletter we introduced a new payment plan where you can purchase any of our products for three equal monthly payments. We're now introducing a new six month payment plan. For example, with a six month payment plan you can purchase a license of CMS Builder for only six monthly payments of $27.99.
Eric Hess of Hess Collective tells us he's already successfully used CMS Builder to power five of his clients' websites. Eric was kind enough to talk to us about his thoughts on CMS Builder and his web design business.
Many of you have told us how much you hate our automated voicemail system. So good news, it's gone!
Here are a couple of useful resources for web developers and designers. Send me an email with YOUR favourite resources - I might be able to feature them in a future newsletter.
