s u g a r c l o u d . c o m

One-Stop Shopping
I'm pretty much a one-man-band here. Here is a partial list of my capabilities:

Creative services:

website design
2-D illustration (digital and traditional media)
storyboarding and putting together sales pitches
GIF and Flash animation, Flash interactive programming
icon/logo design
web application interface design
multi-lingual graphic design (Japanese, Chinese, European languages)
e-postcards
print media: brochures, book cover, restaurant menus, business cards
photo manipulation, restoration and cleanup
...and anything else not mentioned

Technical services:

domain name registration, website setup and hosting
website engineering & construction
interface design & usability consulting
Flash programming & CD-ROM production
multi-lingual web development
image optimization and code streamlining
dynamic programming (PHP)
database programming (MySQL or Microsoft Access)
general computer tech support and office helpdesk
training and presentations
small office networking
consumer technology consulting
security consulting and computer forensics

Getting yourself and your business on the web.
The web can no longer be seen as just an added cost of doing business. It has become an essential part of the economy and if you're not on the web, you really ought to get out there and get online. Would you ever consider not having a phone or a fax number? No, of course not! What's more, people can't remember a phone number, but they'll easily remember your website's address.

In this digital, wired economy, having a website is essential. It's not just for tech companies anymore. Today's generation is net savvy and the web is the first place they turn to for information. Whether you own a paint store, a restaurant, or a comptuer shop, it makes good financial sense to establish your web presence.

Why does design matter?
Apple sold 14 million iPods in the quarter ending Dec 31, 2005. 14,043,000 to be exact. That is quite an accomplishment. It seems like everyone AND his grandma has one these days. Why buy an iPod when there are a thousand other portable music players on the market that costs less and function just as well? The iPod's just another glorified mp3 player, after all.

The answer is: people recognize beauty and grace when they see it. We reward companies that make cool and hip things because by owning the cool and hip things they make, we feel just a tad cooler.

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we judge things by their appearance. As they say, you only get one chance to make a first impression. On the web, that chance is measured in milliseconds. Your website is your public face on the web. It had better be good looking and easy to use. If your customer comes to a boring, ugly, or confusing site, they'll quickly take their business elsewhere and not come back. If a website looks nice, people are more confdent about shopping there.

An intelligent and attractive design conveys strength, pride, reliability, and trustworthiness. With proper design, a small business run out of someone's garage can literally feel like a million bucks, competing just with the big boys.

These days you can get a website built for $200, but it is going to suck. You get what you pay for. Good designers and programmers don't come cheap, but they will make sure your site is both beautiful and properly built. Now, do you want your website to be a Ferrari or a wood paneled Oldsmobile?