Bouncing Ball LLC
Websites & Marketing
Oh Hello!
The website-building seal seems to be ever so busy building client websites He could not possibly build more websites than he’s already building. If only new clients would stop asking for websites!
What’s that?
You need a website, too?
Become part of the problem.
Contact Bouncing Ball for a smartly designed website that does exactly what you need, and a customer service experience that’ll leave you clapping your flippers.
“But what about…”
What if I spend a bunch of money, and I really don’t like the result?
What if I end up with a web designer who’s way better at dealing with bits than dealing with humans?
How do privacy regulations work? Will my website get me in trouble?
What about updates? I don’t want to get nickel-and-dimed on content changes and maintenance!
You’re asking the right questions.
Many web designers want to get married on the first date. It’s not a recipe for a strong relationship.
Discovery is the key to a successful marketing project, and I won’t rush it—or rush you.
Meet the Seal(e)
The man behind the curtain behind the wide-eyed marine mammal mascot
I’m Chris Seale.
I’ve built a rich understanding of marketing psychology, informed by diverse storytelling experiences woven through a wildly eclectic career path that’s seen me:
- Performing laser light shows in a wee bitty Yukon town named Watson Lake;
- Pioneering diagnostic techniques for troubleshooting DSL, an early broadband technology. Ask me about my CPE Petting Zoo!
- Building a modest travel blog up into the central source of news, scores, and livestream tournament broadcasts in the early days of modern roller derby;
- Shipping a cardboard cutout standee of a planetarium projector pioneer from continent to continent for industry conferences;
… and many more adventures along the way. I have some stories, I tell you what.
I’m not acually an adorable computer-using sea floof. Sorry I misled you up there.
But you’re not here for my stories
You’re here to tell yours. Here’s how we’re gonna do it:
1) Discovery
Why are we here?
The why informs the what. To build a website that’s actually worth your investment, we need to define:
What’s the shape of your business or non-profit? How does it relate to the industry and community you operate in?
Who are the people you hope to reach? What choices or behaviors do you want to prompt in them?
What methods are available to communicate your message? What resources (time, money, skill set) can you bring to bear?
Measure twice, cut once
I spend longer in the Discovery phase than you might expect. Experience has taught me that “first thought, best thought” doesn’t work in websites.
A moderate amount of time spent on discussion, goal-setting, and brainstorming can save us many weeks of frustrating direction changes and reworks.
Fear not! I won’t send you a project commencement invoice until we’re both confident that we have a strategically sound and complete game plan.
2) Triage
We’re making a list. We’re checking it twice.
This is where we carefully assess your needs and resources, to make sure every dollar you spend actively advances your goals.
We’ll sort your wishlist into three categories:
- Must-Have: Essential functionality for your core organizational needs
- Would Be Nice: Valuable features that would deliver ROI, but may need to be deferred or scoped out entirely based on available resources
- Not Worth It: I’ll steer you away from investing time (money) on elements that won’t likely pay off
W(h)ither the Blog?
The number one casualty in Triage is the website blog section.
A blog can do wonders for your search engine standings, if—and this is a load-bearing if—IF you can keep it well-tended.
Unfortunately, few small organizations can spare the resources to post regularly. Down the road, that zombie blog will actively cut into your credibility.
Where other vendors will just bill you to build the blog section you asked for, I’ll help you reality-check whether it’s money worth spending!
3) Carpentry
Let’s raise this barn, together.
I’ll swing the hammer! I need you to bring the boards and nails: images, video files, draft copy (which I’ll help you tighten up and polish).
I also need your feedback throughout the process, from color palette and font selection, through structure and design, so my time (your money) isn’t wasted on dead ends.
You have an organization to run! I will work within your schedule so you can focus on your core business. I will never call a meeting that could’ve been an email.
YOLO? No No NO
Too many web designers dive straight into Carpentry, taking your initial wishlist as their final punch list without any consideration for the Why behind the What and How.
It’s an example of Ford’s parable of the consumer: “If I asked customers what they want, they’d say ‘A faster horse’.” It’s not that they’re wrong; it’s that it takes an expert to discover what “right” can be!
(Yes, this is me hammering in my previous point about Discovery.)
In fact, this is where much of my “website overhaul” business comes from, as clients discover the deficiencies of their prevoius vendor’s “Just check it off” approach to design.
“What’ve You Done?”
I’ve done some sites! Here’s a sampling of my work:
Client: Christopher Farnsworth
Bestselling Author
https://christopherfarnsworth.com
With a major new novel on the way, Christopher approached me to overhaul his Squarespace website. Working within a tight budget, I converted his simple blog site into a comprehensive showcase of his books in print.
His books are really good. You should read them. There’s a powerful vampire who is bound by a blood ritual to obey all commands of whoever is the current President of the… you know what? Maybe hold off on that series.
Client: Dice Hockey
Indy Board Game
https://dicehockey.com
Dice Hockey is the fulfillment of my long-time colleague’s long-time dream: to create and publish a hockey board game that’s truly exciting to play.
The website serves primarily to validate the game as an attriactive product for game stores to stock. Despite the significant challenges of self-publishing without a distributor, less than one year after launch Dice Hockey can be found in over 100 game stores throughout Canada.
As part of the website’s implementation, I installed and configured the WPML translation plugin to fulfill Canada’s dual-language requirement.
Client: Tau Immersive
Scientific Data Visualization
https://tauimmersive.com
Dan Tell honed his immersive media skills over 20 years in planetariums, initially at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and later at the California Academy of Sciences.
A highly-respected planetarium technician, content creator, and system engineer, Dan has taken the leap into self-employment as Tau Immersive. The nature of his work demanded a visually compelling website, able to communicate the sophistication, beauty, and data fidelity of Dan’s multimedia productions.
Whatya Say?
Don’t be shy. Drop me a line, even if you’re not sure you’re ready. I’m chatty.
Chris Seale
+1 484-832-8372
chris@bouncingball.pro