Greetings!
My name is Bill Kracke. I am a Front-end Web Developer specializing in WordPress, a Digital Marketing Consultant and a general purpose work nerd. To wrap your head around what I do, just keep reading!
WHAT I DO
Front-end Web Development / WordPress Development
If you are wondering what I do most every day, this is it: I write code. More specifically, I mostly write PHP, HTML, JS/JQuery, and CSS/SASS. What does that mean in plain English? It means that I spend my days turning designs and ideas into beautiful, functional, and easy to use websites, emails, landing pages, and mobile experiences.
Technology and Marketing Consulting
This is the other thing that I do most every day: help small- and medium-businesses sort out the best possible way they can communicate digitally. From decisions about email and social media to software platform recommendations that maximize your time and meet your budget, I am frequently part of the bigger picture discussion, not just cranking out the code. I am widely versed on a variety of topics (SEO, email marketing, social media strategies, blogging, membership programs, eCommerce, and more).
Website Security and Maintenance
I offer a few different ongoing service packages from client that range from just keeping your WordPress installation up to date every month, to essentially being your part-time “web master” watching over site updates, security, and marketing results.
Copywriting
I have been able to do some word smithing for some of my clients, especially when they need technical subjects translated into plain English.
Design
I am not designing as many things as I used to, but I know enough to help a small- to medium-sized business present themselves well. If you have the budget, I will likely point you toward a designer I have worked with in the past, just so that you can get the best value from your design dollars. That being said, I am more than capable of creating something that meets your needs and looks good to boot — in print or on the web.
EXAMPLES OF MY WORK
Klingberg Family Centers
I’ve worked with Mark Johnson in the Klingberg Family Centers Development Office for years in different capacities: converting an award winning design to an easily editable WordPress template; helping launch additional sites for different services and events; working closely with different designers on redesigns; and consulting on social media, email, and other digital marketing concerns. Klinberg’s needs change year to year, but it is always a joy and an honor to work with such a great organization.
The Ana Grace Project
I was connected to the Ana Grace Project through Klingberg Family Centers. A website born out of a tragedy has grown to be part of an amazing movement spear-headed by Nelba Marquez-Greene. I am so honored to work with her as she builds an amazing legacy for her daughter’s name.
Canyon Creative
I’ve known Dale and Ann Sprague for almost my whole life. (Full disclosure: Dale is my uncle!) But for years, we didn’t work together — in part, because of the distance between Las Vegas, NV and Central Connecticut, and in part because it can be tricky working with family. But in 2003, Dale had a deadline coming and the original developers were unable to meet it. Dale gave me a shot, and a long successful business relationship was born. Dale and his team make stunning designs for a wide variety of clients in Las Vegas and all over the world. I have the honor of helping bring those designs to life in websites and emails. Please check out the Canyon Creative website to see a sampling of the kind of work we do together.
Loaves and Fishes
My first job out of college was working at Loaves and Fishes in Hartford, CT. I’ve been helping Loaves and Fishes produce their print newsletter for years and I love that I get to keep this connection alive.
WHAT I DON’T DO
I AM NOT AN SEO CONSULTANTI Can Help With SEO
All of my websites follow best practices and adhere to guidelines and standards to present the best possible data to search engines. Are you looking for someone who can promise to get you on the front page of Google or run your huge AdWords campaign? I may not be the right person for that job.
I believe that there are two “levels” of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — passive and active. Passive SEO means writing good code and following best practices to give Google, Bing, Yahoo and others that best possible look into your website. I spend time every week keeping up with the latest SEO strategies and findings related to Passive SEO.
Active SEO, on the other hand, involves targeting specific keywords, monitoring your search results daily, crafting content to very specifically target those keywords, tracking your results, adjusting the strategy, and more. It is time consuming and requires someone who is dedicated to research and content creation. If you have the budget, Active SEO is something you could pursue, but you really need someone who focuses on that more than anything else. I focus on code, so I don’t make SEO promises that I cannot keep.
I AM NOT A TECH SUPPORT SERVICEI Can Make Some Business Solution Recommendations
Are you looking for someone to recommend a computer to buy for your office? Someone to fix your WiFi? Someone to figure out why your computer keeps making that funny noise? Then you aren’t looking for me.
I used to keep up with hardware and operating systems and help fix virus infected or crashed computers, but I haven’t done that in years. I do what I love and what I am good at (website code and digital marketing), which leaves me little time to pursue the hardware side of things.
All that being said, I do spend a lot of time collaborating with different small and medium sized businesses, and my Google-fu is strong. If you need some help finding a few options for a solution you are looking for, I can help you with that. (But the final research and decision will probably be up to you.)
I DON’T BUILD APP STORE APPSI Do Build Websites That Look Great On Mobile Devices
The websites I build look great on mobile devices and in several cases have been the only mobile solution a client has needed, but when you are ready to build your own smartphone app, I will have to pass.
Mobile application development requires a different skill set, and while there are some overlaps with what I know and do on a day-to-day basis, I am not comfortable charging for a service where a specialist could better meet your needs.
I DON’T WORK FOR EQUITYI Will Work With Businesses That Are Just Starting Out
If you have an idea and all you need is a programmer to make it happen, you either need to get some funding to pay me for my services or find another partner to join you on the ground floor of your endeavor. For every successful idea on the web, there are a hundred that fail and I simply don’t have the resources to play the long game and develop the next Facebook, Instagram, Tinder, or whatever you have dreamed up without getting paid. I am sure that there are people that are like that, but I am not one of them.