services

Is this technology really going to support my business mission?

In the time since our inception in 1993, things have certainly evolved and changed.  As new ideas and techniques are introduced, there is an industry-wide mad rush to be the first to demonstrate mastery of new technologies by forcing them onto clients’ websites—clients who bear the cost for the new bells and whistles whether they needed them or not.  The question remains the same today: “Is this technology really going to support my business mission?”

Does it increase sales, efficiency, profitability?
Frames, Flash intro screens, big buttons versus small buttons, WordPress driven websites…. We’ve seen the “latest trends” used in a variety of ways.  At EhrenWerks, however, we use technology only if it is appropriate for the customer, easy to use, light and fast, and results in increased web site traffic and responses to calls to action.  If it doesn’t increase sales and make a business more efficient and profitable, why add the extra expense?

The current rage is to use WordPress to provide a framework and content management capabilities for your website.  Will this solution be flexible enough to work for you?  Should we use Drupal, CFWebstore, static HTML, Flash? We won’t know until we talk personally and come to a better understanding about your business and its mission.  Only then can we craft a plan to match your needs specifically.

Off-the-shelf vs. Customized
Way back when, everything was custom programmed.  We still do this kind of work to specifically craft a solution that best matches a client’s needs.  Since the commercialization of the Internet, however, many web-based applications have been created and are now available for anyone to use.  These applications are either “open source” or require a license fee.  EhrenWerks has considerable experience in integrating and customizing these applications into a solution tailored to meet the needs of the client.

The following is a brief summary of the services we provide.  Please be advised, it is not inclusive and subject to change as we continue to research and find judicious ways to introduce new technology to best benefit our clients.

Web Site Design
Design is the cornerstone of a website.  The design should support and enhance the message, not overwhelm it.  Website design will present a compelling argument in an appealing way, and invite the site visitor to interact and come back. EhrenWerks website designs display a distinctive brand and leave a lasting impression on the site visitor.

Web Development
Don’t weave a tangled website. Without a well organized, compelling structure that presents information where visitors expect to find it, a website is nothing but a hodge-podge of interlinked pages guaranteed to cause frustration.  A web site map is like the blueprints to build a new house.  Putting a bunch of wood in front of a bunch of carpenters without a blueprint is a recipe for disaster.  Building an awesome website works the same way, but instead of the blueprints for a house, we outline an appropriate online sales cycle.  By starting with the right plan, everyone’s smiling upon delivery of a project.

Programming and Web-based Applications
One of the most exciting parts of our job is to hear the question from a client, “Can we do this?”  Well, yes, we can.  Sometimes you just can’t get what you want from Web-In-A-Box, so a custom programming solution is required to specifically match your requirements.

E-Commerce
From the onset, EhrenWerks has been assisting clients with their ecommerce initiatives.  There is nothing more satisfying than seeing orders show up from an online web store.  We have considerable experience in a wide variety of fee-based and open source cart mechanisms.  Most importantly, we also ensure things like security and PCI compliance are part of your package.

Content Management (CMS)
Need to update your website on a moment’s notice?  Can’t wait for someone else to make the changes? Drupal, WordPress, custom solutions and yes, good ol’ HTML editors like Adobe’s Dreamweaver and Contribute are all supported EhrenWerks solutions.

Web Video
Nothing presents a compelling argument that a well produced, appropriate piece of video footage.  Are you placing product review and demonstration videos in YouTube yet?  Show your clients how good you are with video.

Marketing Programs

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization, otherwise known as “will my site show up in the search engines?” starts at the onset of web site development. Populating the site with relevant content laced with key words and phrases and appropriate meta-tagging is a good way to start.  EhrenWerks provides custom SEO, SEO setup and SEO tuning programs.

Internet/Online Marketing
Interested in a jump-start with web visibility?  Make sure you get the best bang for your buck with EhrenWerks custom, setup and tuning programs for Google Adwords. Considering ad placement in a high traffic website? This may be another option, too.

Email Marketing
Marketing 101 states you must reach out and touch your current, past and potential clients on a regular basis with relevant, useful information.  There is no better method than collecting your own list and mailing to them regularly.  EhrenWerks can assist you with fee-paid and open source solutions for this crucial marketing activity.

Social Media Marketing (SMM)
Cast a net out into a huge pool of fish like Facebook and haul them back into your website boat.  Do this without being overwhelmed with too many sites to maintain.  EhrenWerks offers setup, custom, advertising and ongoing programs for all Social Networking sites.

Reputation Monitoring
Believe it or not, this is nothing new.  Social Media just makes it a heck of a lot easier to either build, or bust a reputation. EhrenWerks regularly reports to our clients the pulse of public opinion regarding their products and services, and have since we started.  We’ve actually saved a few of them from inadvertently building—and eventually dying from—a bad reputation.

Usability Consulting
Your site visitors might let you know if your website sucks.  Give your users a superior experience instead.  Let us tell you first before too many more visitors come to your site and leave in frustration.  Comprehensive investigation on our part will provide a host of suggestions on how to improve visitor experience.

Consulting and Strategy
EhrenWerks battle cry from our inception has always been “use internet technology to enhance our client’s marketing position, streamline business functions and provide a cost-effective way to position your company ahead of the competition and in front of your customers.”  We can help you create a map to your buried treasure.  EhrenWerks provides interactive master planning, interactive business consulting and RFP development services.

Brand and Identity Development
How can such a simple picture need to say so much?  The logo is the cornerstone of any business identity.  Would you trust your business success to a cookie cutter?  Or would you rather create a logo that is a true expression of what you do and the philosophy of how you do it?  EhrenWerks’creative talent can polish any Brand Strategy, Logo Development and Graphics Standards for your company.

Graphic Design
Company Brochures, Product Brochures, Annual Reports, Press Kits, Advertising, Packaging, Trade Show Graphics, Corporate Signage… Whew!  So much to do!  Let EhrenWerks help you with any and all of these projects.

Analytics, Auditing and Reporting
Interested in finding out a return on investment for online and traditional marketing expenditures?  EhrenWerks can set up, monitor and interpret a full spectrum of tools to gauge the level of success for any web-based and traditional marketing effort.

Hosting
There are so many options for web site hosting available.  Why us?  To be honest, we have clients that host with us and we manage client’s sites hosted with other companies as well.  EhrenWerks uses both co-located and leased dedicated servers with all the “peace of mind” features we need to sleep at night: nightly backups, SMS alerts, SQL injection and cross scripting protection… Clients that host with us usually have some pretty interesting things happening in their websites, so they get the freedom and flexibility working with us.  What is the real reason to host with us?  You get us on the phone when you call.  Getting adequate tech support on the phone with Yahoo or GoDaddy can be a challenge…

Internet Security
The internet is a dark, nasty place.  Have you been hacked yet?  It’s not if, but when.  Don’t want to be hacked?  We can help.  Need a site or server cleaned up?  We can help with that, too.