In today's competitive market, a website alone isn’t enough for your small business to thrive. If you provide quality services, you need to promote your business, and engage with potential customers. After all, what good is a fantastic website if no one sees it? Little Shredders Pediatric Dentistry is an example of a startup firing on all cylinders.

When Dr. Christopher Swisher decided to open his own pediatric dental practice in Hood River, Oregon, he wanted his practice to be “out of the box.” We partnered with Dr. Swisher to create a winning website and a dynamic digital marketing plan.

Winning website with Search Engine Optimization

Little Shredders Dental website is a fun reflection on the personality of Dr. Swisher and the community of Hood River. It conveys that he isn’t your typical dentist; he genuinely understands kids.

In addition to the visual design, we needed strong SEO to show up on Google. Our focus was on searches relating to “pediatric dentist” and “Hood River.” Little Shredders is listed first on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) for a variety of related searches.

Social Media Marketing

Hood River is a smaller community, so social media marketing plays a large role in getting the word out. Following our Digital Marketing Plan, Dr. Swisher quickly built a following on Facebook. We ran a campaign to further spread the word in the surrounding area, reaching over 10,000 people with more than 200 clicks through to the website!

Reviews are more important than ever, and Chris has chalked up 20+ on Facebook, focusing on Google to grow the portfolio there.

Traditional Local Marketing

Another key aspect of marketing is community involvement. Dr. Swisher participates in local events, bringing the Shredder bus and sponsoring with free pizza. As a Hood River native, he demonstrates his care for improving his community.

The result? Little Shredders is a thriving practice, with people raving about Dr. Swisher’s excellent care of their children.

If you're a small business owner, the word "Vacation" may cause a stress reaction, either because you don’t remember the last time you took one or because the thought of taking one causes panic. Vacations are good for you and your business; they recharge your creativity and make you more productive upon return.

So, here are a few ideas to make it easier:

Don’t Think All or Nothing

It doesn’t have to be a cruise or a month on the Riviera to count as a vacation. Start small. Pick a nearby favorite place to explore or try a “stay-cation” to experience local activities.

A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way

If you’re gone for more than a couple of days, check your calendar for tasks you’d be completing. Pay bills, assign tasks to employees, inform clients of your absence, and avoid starting new projects before leaving.

To Call or Not to Call

Decide if, how much, and when you will be in contact with your office during your absence. Clarify with your staff what constitutes an emergency.

A Little Extra Wiggle Room

Consider giving yourself an extra day at the end of your time off to re-group. Catch up on emails and personal matters before diving back into work.

Anticipation

Planning a vacation can be fun and focus you on something outside of daily tasks. When you discover that vacations can work, the anticipation of your next vacation grows.

Take a break! Caring for yourself should be a priority; after all, you are your business’s greatest asset.

The last few months have seen a flurry of activity at Modern Interface! Two new sites were launched, and more are on the way. Plans for an expanded ModernInterface.com are in motion.

New Sites

FundAmerica is a crowdsource tools provider that needed a site update. We redesigned the existing concept from the ground up with new graphics. Check it out here: FundAmerica.com

Endeavor College Prep is a charter school network in Los Angeles. We programmed their design in WordPress to meet their specifications. Visit EndeavorCollegePrep.org.

We’ve Moved!

Digitally speaking, our server has moved to Santa Clara, CA, cutting our ping time in half to 40ms from Portland to Santa Clara. Our bandwidth is now measured in TeraBytes, which means super fast page loads and response times for all our customers.

As a web developer, I’m often asked about my favorite websites, which varies greatly by purpose. Here are a few that make the cut:

Your Turn!

What are your favorite websites? Enter them below.