Tag: Small Business Website

  • Eight Years, One Shop, and a Website That Grew With the Business

    Eight Years, One Shop, and a Website That Grew With the Business

    Case Study  |  David Martin Design  |  Client Work

    How Bloomington Window Tint went from a placeholder page and a quiet phone to a professionally managed digital presence built on trust and consistency.


    At a Glance

    Client: Andrew Felt, Bloomington Window Tint LLC
    Industry: Automotive and commercial window tinting, paint protection film, solar shades
    Location: Bloomington, Indiana
    Relationship: 2017 to present (8+ years)
    Services: Website design and development, Google Business Profile management, Google review responses, Google Ads guidance, Google Analytics, WordPress maintenance, LLumar product integration, content updates, blog writing, website redesign planning

    Where It Started

    In the summer of 2017, Andrew Felt reached out with a problem that a lot of small business owners know well. He had launched Bloomington Window Tint, was doing good work, and had built a reputation through word of mouth. But his phone had gone quiet.

    The issue was straightforward: his website was a placeholder. Not a real site. Google wouldn’t treat it as a legitimate web presence, so search visibility had dropped off. Andrew was considering running Google Ads directly to his Facebook page just to get the phone ringing again.

    Instead of doing that, he called Dave Martin.

    Within a few weeks, Andrew had a real WordPress website. It included a landing page with a custom background image and logo, a pricing table, a testimonials page, a photo gallery, and a working contact form. The site went through a round of detailed back-and-forth — tweaking copy, fixing a broken link, adjusting the layout — with Andrew involved in every decision.

    “I have to do something soon, my phone is dead quiet.”

    Andrew Felt, July 2017

    That urgency turned into the beginning of a long-term working relationship.


    Growing the Site as the Business Grew

    One thing that stands out across eight years of working with Andrew is how closely the website has tracked the growth of his business. When Andrew added a service, the site reflected it. When a product partnership came together, the site communicated it.

    In the fall of 2017, Andrew became an authorized dealer for Halcyon Shades, a solar shade product line. The site was updated promptly, with new pages written to match copy Andrew was already running on Facebook. A few weeks later, he added paint protection film — another service page, with photos and a clear explanation of what the product does.

    In late 2019, his relationship with LLumar deepened. He connected with a regional rep at Eastman Performance Films, and the website was updated to include LLumar’s interactive tint viewer tool — a resource that lets potential customers visualize the difference tint levels make on a vehicle or building. Working through logo files, background images, and Eastman-provided templates, Dave and Andrew brought a more polished product presence to the site.

    By 2025, Andrew was an authorized LLumar SelectPro Vista Dealer — a meaningful industry credential. A blog post was written to mark that milestone, with Andrew reviewing and editing the copy directly. His direction on the headline was characteristically practical: state the fact plainly, skip the celebration. The post went live with the headline “Bloomington Window Tint is a LLumar SelectPro Vista Dealer.”


    The Work That Keeps Things Running

    Most of the ongoing work in a long-term web relationship isn’t visible to customers. It’s the maintenance that prevents problems, the monitoring that catches issues early, and the management that keeps a business’s online presence consistent.

    For Andrew, that has included:

    • Monthly WordPress maintenance — plugin, theme, and security updates handled through Wordfence, keeping the site current and protected
    • Google Business Profile management — product listings, category updates, and keeping the profile accurate as services evolved
    • Google review monitoring and responses — Andrew authorized Dave to respond to reviews on his behalf, keeping the conversation with customers going even during busy stretches
    • Google Ads guidance — navigating account questions, policy notices, and platform changes over the years, including an account cancellation issue in 2025 that required prompt investigation
    • Google Analytics setup — including a hands-on in-shop session to migrate from Universal Analytics to GA4 ahead of Google’s 2023 deadline
    • Email deliverability troubleshooting — when customers started missing Andrew’s emails due to spam filter issues, the problem was diagnosed and resolved
    • Third-party directory management — keeping Bloomington Window Tint’s presence consistent across platforms including Apple Business Connect

    None of this is glamorous work. But it’s the kind of consistent attention that keeps a business from falling behind without realizing it.


    What the Relationship Actually Looks Like

    Andrew is a hands-on business owner who runs a busy shop. He’s not always available for scheduled calls — sometimes a monthly check-in gets skipped because he’s in the middle of a big job. That’s fine. The work continues regardless.

    When Andrew has a question or concern, he forwards it. A confusing Google notification, a policy email from Google Ads, a Search Console alert — rather than trying to decode it himself, he sends it over and asks for a plain-language read. That’s a reasonable division of responsibility, and it’s the model that works for a lot of small business owners.

    Over the years, the communication has evolved. In the early days, there was more back-and-forth on the basics of how websites work. By 2025, Andrew was collaborating on a suggested redesign outline, reviewing the scoped work, giving feedback on photography direction, and editing blog copy. He’s become a more capable client — and that’s partly the point.

    “Something must be working right.”

    Andrew Felt, May 2024, on why he’d been too busy to schedule a meeting

    Where Things Stand

    As of late 2025, work is underway on a broader website refresh for Bloomington Window Tint. The plan includes more professional photography — Andrew wants to move away from DIY car photos toward images of commercial buildings around Bloomington where he’s done work. That’s a clear-eyed decision: showing the scope of a business through real local landmarks is more credible than showing a generic car with tinted windows.

    The LLumar SelectPro Vista certification has opened a new chapter in how the business presents itself online, and the content strategy is being updated to reflect it.

    The relationship is still active. The phone, presumably, is no longer quiet.


    What This Kind of Work Is

    This case study isn’t about a big launch or a dramatic transformation. Bloomington Window Tint didn’t go viral. There’s no 10x traffic graph here.

    What’s here is something quieter and, in the long run, more useful: a small business with a web presence that has been consistently maintained, steadily improved, and responsive to how the business itself has changed over eight years.

    Andrew Felt runs a good shop. He does quality work, he builds real relationships, and he’s been in business long enough to have earned the credibility that comes with longevity. The website’s job is to reflect that — accurately, accessibly, and without pretense.

    That’s the work.


    Work With David Martin Design

    If you’re a small business owner in Bloomington or beyond looking for a web partner focused on long-term relationships over quick turnarounds, I’d be glad to talk.

  • Ava’s Waste Removal: 7 Years of Website Support for a Growing Local Business

    Ava’s Waste Removal: 7 Years of Website Support for a Growing Local Business

    Project Overview

    Ava’s Waste Removal has been a client since February 2019 — one of our longest-running partnerships. What started as a custom website build for a small trash hauler in Ellettsville has turned into seven years of steady, practical support: newsletters, holiday announcements, recycling schedule updates, award graphics, form troubleshooting, and most recently, a refreshed reviews and awards page.

    Steve Groh and his team don’t need a flashy agency. They need someone who picks up the phone, understands how the business works, and keeps the website doing its job. That’s what this partnership has been about from the start.


    The Beginning: A Custom Website from Scratch (2019)

    When Steve and Mary first reached out in early 2019, Ava’s Waste Removal didn’t have a website. We built one from the ground up — handcrafted HTML with structured data, connected to the full Google ecosystem: Analytics, Search Console, Google My Business, and a shared Google Calendar for recycling schedules.

    Beyond the website itself, we set up the digital foundation the business needed to be found online: domain registration, Mailchimp for email newsletters, Yelp listing, Facebook page consolidation, and a shared workspace for content planning.

    The goal was simple: help customers in Bloomington, Ellettsville, and the surrounding area find Ava’s, understand the services, and get in touch.


    What Ongoing Support Actually Looks Like

    Most of our work with Ava’s doesn’t happen in big projects. It happens in small, consistent touches throughout the year — the kind of work that keeps a website accurate, trustworthy, and useful to customers.

    Seasonal Updates

    Every December, we upload the new recycling schedules for Group A and Group B and update the dates across the site. Every major holiday — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day — we’ve either sent a Mailchimp newsletter or configured the on-site announcement banner to let customers know about delays.

    Newsletters & Customer Communication

    From 2019 through 2021, we managed regular Mailchimp campaigns covering everything from new container sizes and route changes to COVID-19 safety policies and CDL driver job postings. As the team grew and Cassidi joined the office in late 2020 to handle social media, the newsletter cadence shifted — but the website remained the central hub for customer information.

    Community Engagement

    Every fall since 2020, Ava’s has run a Thanksgiving food drive benefiting Pantry 279 in Ellettsville. Each year, we design the promotional graphic with updated dates, accepted items, and drop-off details.

    Troubleshooting & Quick Fixes

    When something breaks, we fix it. Google Forms stopped sending email notifications three separate times (2024 and 2025) — same root cause each time, and we walked the team through the fix. When a customer reported a JavaScript issue on the roll-off request form, we tracked it down. When Steve got a scam “website bill” in the mail, we confirmed it wasn’t real and explained what to watch for.

    This is the unglamorous work that keeps a small business website running. It matters.


    Five-Time Best of B-Town Winner

    One of the most rewarding parts of this partnership has been watching Ava’s earn recognition from the community. The Herald-Times Reader’s Choice “Best of Bloomington” awards have come in five times:

    2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2024

    Each year, we updated the website and created graphics for social media. In early 2026, we separated the Best of B-Town badge from the header logo and built a dedicated Awards page to give these wins the visibility they deserve.

    Screenshot of Ava’s Waste Removal Awards page showing Best of B-Town Community’s Choice Winner badge and list of award years from 2019 to 2024
    Awards page showcasing Ava’s Waste Removal as a five-time Best of B-Town Community’s Choice Winner in Bloomington, Indiana.

    Recent Work: Reviews & Awards Pages (2026)

    In late 2025, Steve reached out with a short list of updates — new recycling schedules, a PO Box addition to the footer, and a typo fix on the dumpster page. We completed those and proposed a couple of improvements we’d been thinking about: refreshing the reviews page and creating a proper awards showcase.

    Steve approved, and in February 2026 we delivered:

    • Reviews page — 12 curated five-star Google reviews, pulled directly from their Google Business Profile (19 of 20 total reviews are five stars)
    • Awards page — a clean showcase of five years of Herald-Times Reader’s Choice wins
    • Header cleanup — Best of B-Town graphic separated from the logo for a cleaner look across the site
    • Structured data fix — resolved a Google Search Console warning for site-wide schema

    The whole project was scoped at 2 hours and completed for $210.

    Screenshot of Ava’s Waste Removal Reviews page displaying five-star customer testimonials and award recognition in Bloomington, Indiana
    Reviews page highlighting five-star customer testimonials and community recognition for Ava’s Waste Removal in Bloomington, Indiana.

    What Makes This Work

    Seven years is a long time to work with anyone. Here’s what I think makes this partnership hold up:

    Small, scoped requests. Steve or Cassidi send an email, we get it done, and nobody’s surprised by the bill. Most updates take under an hour.

    No unnecessary complexity. The site is still built on clean HTML and CSS — not because WordPress wouldn’t work, but because this setup serves the business well and the team knows how to make basic updates through File Manager.

    Trust built over time. When we suggest an improvement, Steve knows it’s because we think it’ll help — not because we’re looking for billable hours. And when something isn’t worth doing, we say so.

    Consistency. Recycling schedules get updated every December. Holiday banners go up on time. Food drive graphics get designed every fall. The rhythm is reliable, and that reliability is the point.


    Client Feedback

    “David did a great job! He’s responsive, organized, and generally cares about helping us grow our business. From beginning to end David was attentive to our needs and delivered a great website. Highly recommend his services!”

    — Steve Groh, Owner, Ava’s Waste Removal (Google Review)


    Tech & Approach

    • Platform: Custom HTML/CSS with structured data (Schema.org)
    • Hosting: Managed stack on GreenGeeks VPS with updates, backups, and monitoring
    • Email campaigns: Mailchimp (2019–2021), on-site JS announcement banner (2024–present)
    • Google ecosystem: Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile, Google Calendar
    • Forms: Google Forms with email notification integration
    • SEO: Structured data, on-page optimization, local search visibility

    Looking for Steady, Long-Term Website Support?

    Not every project needs a big redesign. Sometimes what a business needs most is a reliable partner who keeps things running, makes improvements when they make sense, and is there when something breaks. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, let’s talk.

    Start a Conversation

    See More Work

    Prefer email? david@davidmartindesign.com · 812-650-4405

  • Economy Fireplace: Website Redesign, Google Business Updates & Workspace Setup

    Economy Fireplace: Website Redesign, Google Business Updates & Workspace Setup

    Project Overview

    Economy Fireplace serves homeowners across the Bloomington area with fireplaces, stoves, and accessories. Ahead of the busy season, they needed a modern website, a clearer path to request quotes, and better alignment across Google tools. We delivered a clean WordPress build, a simple content workflow, and brand updates that make day-to-day operations simpler.

    Economy Fireplace homepage hero with a clear “Request a Quote” button on desktop
    Mobile-first hero with a direct path to “Request a Quote.”

    Goals

    • Faster, mobile-first site with intuitive navigation
    • Frictionless Request a Quote flow routed to the right inbox
    • Consistent presence across Google Business Profile and Google Workspace
    • Simple pipeline for posting finished projects (website + GBP + Facebook)
    • Refresh core brand assets (logo, business cards, signage)

    What We Delivered

    Website Redesign (WordPress + Gutenberg)

    • Modern block-based theme for fast editing without a developer
    • Streamlined IA: Services and Products by Category are easy to scan
    • Custom Request a Quote form mapped to a unified inbox (labels/filters)
    • Gallery pattern for finished installs and before/after stories
    • Core SEO setup, LocalBusiness schema spot-check, performance/QA, and launch

    Google Workspace Ecosystem & Email

    • Google Business Profile alignment: categories, description, photo plan
    • Google Workspace configuration so the team sends/receives from a professional domain and keeps inquiries organized

    Analytics & Hardening

    • Google Search Console + Bing Webmaster Tools connected
    • Microsoft Clarity installed for behavior insights
    • reCAPTCHA added to mitigate spam on forms

    Branding & Collateral (Extras)

    We went beyond the original proposal to unify the brand online and offline.

    Logo Refresh

    Refreshed Economy Fireplace logo—red roofline mark with chimney icon on white
    Refined logo for better contrast on light/dark backgrounds.

    Business Cards & Signage

    • Designed cards and signage; coordinated ordering

    Results

    Customer Experience

    • Faster pages, cleaner navigation, and a direct route to request an estimate

    Operational Clarity

    • Quote requests route to the correct inbox; Google Business Profile and Workspace present a unified front

    Client Feedback

    Screenshot: 5-star Google review from Economy Fireplace with public owner reply
    5-star review highlighting clear communication and on-time, on-budget delivery.

    Tech & Approach

    • Platform: WordPress + Gutenberg
    • Tooling: Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, Microsoft Clarity
    • SEO: Structured navigation, on-page basics, LocalBusiness schema spot-check
    • Governance: Photo → post workflow; monthly cadence for finished-project updates
    • Hosting: Managed stack with updates, backups, and monitoring

    Ready for a website that’s faster, clearer, and easier to manage?

    If you’d like a practical WordPress redesign—plus the Google Business alignment, quote workflow, and brand polish that make it work day to day—let’s talk. We’ll scope only what you need and move quickly toward launch.

    Prefer email? david@davidmartindesign.com • 812-650-4405