Over four months have passed since I’ve updated this blog. That is unacceptable. Especially for someone who’s claiming to be knowledgeable about SEO.

Back in June, I boldly claimed that I would have a page one ranking in Google for web design in San Luis Obispo County. Did I succeed? Of course not. If you’re looking for web designers in my hometown of Arroyo Grande, then you’re sure to find me. However, I fell far short of my goal to stand out amongst developers in SLO County.

So what happened? Well, shortly after launching this site, my phone started ringing. Although my web design site has stood here stale and outdated, behind the scenes I’ve actually been quite busy. I have a tendency to get tunnel vision sometimes, which causes me to focus solely on one project until it reaches completion. Starting today, I’m going to strive to become better at multitasking and managing multiple projects – mainly my own personal websites, such as this one.

Apart from juggling other projects and obligations, the other reason I left the site alone was because I actually feared additional business at the time. When it rains, it pours. I was concerned that I’d start getting too much search engine traffic and not be able to meet the demands of new clients. Sounds like a good problem to have, but one I wasn’t prepared to deal with at the time.

That said, I’m glad to be back, looking forward to updating you on recent projects and other news, and welcoming any and all new clients.

You got some work for me? Bring it on!

iArtisan is very much alive and well.

What exactly does it mean..?

The idea behind the name comes from the concept of applying a skilled trade, or trades, to create something magnificent. As opposed to simply an artistic approach, I like to view website creation as not only developing something aesthetically pleasing, but also functional.

Rather than go with something artsy fartsy, I decided to adopt a name that was more descriptive of a craftsman approach. Hence the name, Artisan. While Artisan can mean many things, including highly artistic trades such as painting and sculpting, it can also refer to more functional crafts such as masonry or woodworking.

My approach to developing websites is more of a solution, than it is a design. The design of the website wraps around the functionality, as opposed to adapting the functionality to the design. Does that make any sense?

Basically, I try to develop sites that are effective and practical first and foremost, while also paying close attention to detail and aesthetics. I am more of the fine cabinet maker as opposed to the abstract painter. Needless to say, that is how I identify with the iArtisan moniker.

So what’s with the “i”..? Well, that’s a funy story, that wasn’t so funny at the time.

Initially, my intent was to be known as, “eArtisan”. However, there was some funny business that went on with my registrar, and the name ended up getting sniped by a domain reseller. I had secured the name with a live operator on a Friday, but by Monday morning when it hadn’t yet shown up in my account, I was pretty concerned.

I distinctly remember the account representative going, “Oh wow, that’s a great name”. Six years ago, having an “e” at the beginning of your URL was all the rage. I had thought it was a terriffic grab at the time, and apparently so did someone else at my registrar.

Needless to say, due to this little snafu, some “random individual” purchased it out from under me. When running a whois search, I quickly identified the person as a power domain reseller. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do about it. Apparently, it was “pure coincidence” that another individual happened to purchase this domain moments before I did. Mhmm… yeah…

My customer service representative did indicate that one option I had was to offer a buyout price for the domain, and they would contact the domain owner with my proposed bid. Now tell me if that doesn’t sound shady…

I had some minor grievances with this hosting company prior to this incident, but this was a huge red flag. Ultimately, I escalated my complaint to level “how did you get my extension..?!” support, and ended up being awarded a $60 credit. Yippee.    I was also given a free consolation domain, which ended up being none other than, “iArtisan”.

Things tend to happen for a reason in my opinion. I’m actually glad that I revisited the domain name choice, because Eartisan just doesn’t have the same panache. iArtisan is difficult enough for some to pronounce, let alone Ear-tisan. At least with the “i” in front it forces you to anunciate the syllable, where as with an e it just ends up becoming an ear.

Alright, so back to the relevance of the “i”. What do you suppose it pertains to..?

Yep, that’s right… “Internet”. iArtisan stands for Internet Artisan. I am an Artisan who practices his craft in cyberspace. Makes sense now doesn’t it..?

As you may have guessed, I moved my business to a new webhost shortly after that mishap. Since it was so long ago, I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt by withholding their company name from this post, and hope that they are more professional now than they were back then.

I suppose if you’re dying to know I could respond to an e-mail inquiry.

…which is the primary reason why I’ve chosen to develop this site with it. It’s one of the sexiest content management systems available.

Many people automatically think “Blog” when they hear the term Wordpress. Well, that’s just one practical usage for it. It is indeed a marvelous platform to use for blogging, but with some customization, Wordpress is capable of so much more.

Sure, I had thought about developing my site from the ground up, but these days I prefer not to re-invent the wheel. Right out of the box, Wordpress is capable of handling most anything I need to do. With a few customizations here and there, along with some fancy plugins, I have a robust website that I’m able to launch within record time.

Did I mention that all of my web hosting plans provide easy Wordpress installation, and that you can have your own website or blog up and running within about a minute? Yes, that’s right. Within the time it takes to enter an e-mail address along with a few clicks of the ol’ mouse, you can be on your way to blogging fantasia or website administration.

However, Wordpress is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the features offered with iArtisan Web Hosting.

There are loads of them. No joke.

Upon making the decision to travel down this road as a main form of income, I did a little investigating as to the amount of competition in this area. It is steep indeed.

Not only is San Luis Obispo County home to dozens of established web design companies, but there are also flocks of freelance designers hovering around, ready to swoop in for your business.

The current economic situation and vacuous job market is undoubtedly responsible for causing many individuals, myself included, to turn towards the internet and home-based business in general as a primary means of income. I have provided website design and hosting services for my friends and associates in San Luis Obispo County for years, but it wasn’t until recently that it became a primary source of income.

So with all of the competition in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, how does a small independent web developer and hosting provider such as myself stand out amongst the crowd? I’ll tell you… but not all at once. I need some topics for future posts too.

For starters, potential clients need to be able to find me. Aside from asking a friend, relative or colleague to recommend a web designer or host, where do people turn first and foremost..?

The interwebs.

For the handful of people that will actually read this post within the next few weeks, take heed. I may be small, but I am mighty when it comes to SEO.

Within 60 days I expect to be on page one of Google for regional web services.

My goal is to prove my abilities by showing my clients that even an upstart website designer and hosting provider can compete with the big boys. By the first week of August 2009, if I am not amongst the top results in Google for any or all of my web services, I will eat crow. However, I don’t see that happening.

By the way, Does crow taste like chicken..? Little joke there.

Now if I can achieve those results with a fresh web presence, imagine what I can do for you or your business..?

Oh, almost forgot… I plan on doing this without spending a dime on internet advertising.

Stay tuned…

If you’re visiting the site for the first time, please excuse the mess. I’m chipping away at it in-between clients’ projects, and hope to have it complete by late next week.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail at: info@iartisan.com. I’ll try to have a proper contact form up this weekend, along with a lot of other new features.

I don’t have an exact date for when this site will be ready for primetime, but she should be fully operational by next weekend, if not sooner.

Until I get the website complete, here’s a listing of some of the services I provide:

• Website Development
• Website Hosting
• Domain Name Registration
• SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Graphic Design and Desktop Publishing
• Consulting Services

After a few years of having a minimal, and sometimes non-existent web presence, I’ve finally decided to hunker down and force myself to create the iArtisan Web Solutions website that I’ve so badly needed.

Perhaps this is a common problem amongst web developers, or maybe it’s just me (I doubt it), but the hardest site to build is always my own. Building sites for my clients is always so much easier for me it seems. When I have a clear idea of my clients’ vision and I know what’s needed, it’s often very easy to deploy. Where as when it comes to my own site and the sky’s the limit, I get overwhelmed.

I often tend to get too hung up with presentation, image, design and perfection, that I am almost never satisfied, and ultimately back-burner it indefinitely while I move onto something else. It’s hard to find the time to create my epic vision of a site when I’m so busy with everyone else’s. Yeah, that’s it… I like that excuse.

At any rate, I’ve elected to force myself to deploy this site within a week’s time so that I can at least have a web presence showcasing all of my services. I have relied upon the devotion of friends and associates, as well as word of mouth referrals for quite some time. However, it’s time to hit the global stage and expose myself, well… my services rather , to a whole new audience.

Actually, my main goal is to increase my profile within San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. I’m sort of a grass roots guy, and while I certainly wouldn’t mind taking on some national or international clients, I feel there are some folks in SLO County and beyond that could use my services. Once I get this site built, they’ll know who to call.

Coming in June 2009… the new and improved website for iArtisan Web Solutions.