About Graphic Karma

It has struck me as interesting how many times in my work on websites I have felt that there are a lot of similarities between auto mechanics and web site developers. Primarily this is because most people both do not know how their car works, and also most people do not know how their website works. Because of this, it can be difficult and intimidating to find the right choice for your website needs.

Like the automobile owner, you have to begin with your initial purchase. Like a car, no website will last forever, but you want something reliable. You want to get the most for your money. And you want to get the most use out of it for as long as you possibly can. And ideally, after it's purchase, the maintenance of your website should be uneventful for you. You don't want to find out when you take it in for its fourth oil change that the brakes are out and you'll need to cough up $600. Let's face it, the process and decisions that come along with the responsible and effective creation of your new website will take some time and effort. Once that is done, you should be able to kick back and enjoy. New cars shouldn't break down!

Here at Graphic Karma, I like to think of myself as the mid-sized, fuel efficient Honda of the web site world. I classify other options into about four categories:

First, you have the template programs that you build and maintain yourself. They might seem cheap now, but at what cost? Templated, self created and maintained programs are to the website world as the Ford Pinto is to the car world. They might be cheap, but they're not reliable and the manufacturers know they might blow up while you're driving them. But they are to make more money not fixing the problems than helping you out. The risk isn't worth the possible reward.

The next step up is the college student, or your buddy who dabbles in web sites - or more simply, the non-professional. The advantage is they won't blow up on you, and you will definitely be working with someone who speaks English. But the money you save on the website might not be worth the fact that your 60s Chavelle is a gas hog and almost impossible to park in these new sub-compact spaces. Not to mention it is rusty and unimpressive.

Next we'll skip to the Maserati. This is your expensive design firm. Good, large, fancy design firms have their place. For very large businesses, usually in the product and not service industry, you might want all the bells and whistles. The chrome, the leather, and the V8 will probably impress the 15 year olds that you need to convince that they have to have your companies newest shoes. But if you're just looking for a reliable, efficient and trendy but not overly flashy web site, this is going to be overkill.

I fall in between your buddy/the college student, and the giant design firm. I love to work with small to medium sized organizations. I love to educate people and give them options so they can make educated choices about what they need for their online presence. Because I work alone, I don't need to charge an arm and a leg to do this. But I do know what I'm doing, unlike the first two categories. And my knowledge isn't just limited to the design, which I love, but which is incomplete when building a website. I like to focus on ease of use and efficiency just as much as the look. I'm also going to make sure that your design looks the same in different browsers. And I'm going to hand code every piece of it so it's easy to maintain in the future. Yes, I like to think of myself as the down to earth, fuel efficient, mid-sized car, but I'm also a mechanic who can maintain and keep up the products I sell. And I look forward to meeting you and serving you in your business needs. I am based in Durham, NC and am happy to work locally with anybody in Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Morrisville, Cary, Wake Forest or other nearby cities.

Thank you for your time in reading this. I hope I have helped your decision making process.

 
Alicia L. Weller