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Web Site Creation
Metro Sports Report is a site dedicated to the 7 Cedar Rapids and Marion, Iowa, metro high schools and the 21 sanctioned high school sports. This team of experienced local journailists and photographers have a deep passion for high school sports and are providing much needed and appreciated coverages of all of the local high school teams.
This site was constructed using the Joomla! content management system with heavy template customization and the addition of several Joomla! extensions. This was an extensive project that required a great deal of collaboration with a variety of staff members at Metro Sports Report. The result is an dynamic, informative, easy to use site jam-packed with high-quality, professionally written and photographed content.
Marion Enterprise Center is a 184 acre business park jointly developed by the Marion Economic Development Company (MEDCO) and the City of Marion, Iowa. This site provides information about the property and the intended uses and design standards to potential land buyers and developers. Documents, drawings and information about the Marion, Iowa community are provided.
This site is built on the Joomla! content management system, which, once the site is first contructed, allows site owners to update their own information, should the desire.
Heritage Associates Corporation of Cedar Rapids, Iowa is one of the of the leading real estate sales and management companies in Eastern Iowa. Heritage offers a wide range of real estate products and services for commercial tenants and real estate investors, as well as quality rental housing for the general public.
Heritage and Wylie Creative Communications first met during the creation of the St. Martin Airport Plaza Web site (see below). From that relationship, which began through an introduction from another WCC client, work began to centralize several of the Heritage sites and update those sites.
The Heritage Associates site is actually made up of about three sites -- the main site, the property listings information site which is inset within the main site, and the Heritage Commercial Realty Site.
Talent Development, Inc. is a Human Resources consulting firm in Jacksonville, FL. This company contacted Wylie Creative Communications to build their first Web site and also provide product photography services for their flagship product, the Performance Development Portfolio.
Wylie Creative Communications was provided with their logo and samples of printed materials. From that, the site was designed. The client was very pleased, stating that Wylie Creative Communications had taken ideas in their collective mind that they couldn't quite explain, and brought them to life on the screen.
St. Martin Airport Plaza is a land development project of the St. Martin Land Company...a national land ownership and development company with it's roots in Eastern Iowa.
The Airport Plaza project required the creation of custom maps using Google maps as a base, along with the modification of existing PDF documents.
This land development and construction project is located in a highly-visible area adjacent to the Interstate 380 Eastern Iowa Airport exit. Plans include a variety of retail and office space, with build to suit lots ideal for businesses with a need for quick airport freight access or who frequently entertain out of town clients, or any other business that would benefit from this excellent location on I-380.
Lovely Lane United Methodist Church requested a new Web site for their church family. We suggested that the site be created within a content management system so that a variety of staff and church members could make updates to the site, rather than the job falling on the shoulders of one or two people.
This site includes several sections and features such as audio and video from church services, a photo gallery, news stories, the inclusion of a Google Calendar, a top of page dynamic photo display and more.
Munson Electric, Inc. of Hiawatha, Iowa, contacted Wylie Creative Communications with a request to build an informational Web site for their business.
This custom-designed site was created using the Munson logo as the basis for the colors and overall design.
This is the first Web site for this well-known, Eastern Iowa company.
Midwest Home Distributors in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was looking for a reference site for new and current dealers. The 'bones' of this site have been constructed, with more to come. The site currently includes a Flash XML slideshow viewer for the product galleries and information on how to contact the business.
Future development plans include a secure area for dealers with exclusive news, information and resources for the products distributed by the company. This is a custom design, based on the request to have the gallery images as large as possible, while still providing information and reference within the page.
Heritage Property Management in Iowa City, Iowa, wanted to change from a static, HTML Web site to a data-driven, self-managed site. In order to keep costs down, Eric Wylie created a solution that uses available technology, customizing those tools for the needs of the client.
This site is created based on the Joomla! content management system, combined with a Joomla! plug-in known simply as "Estate Agent," and a design template. By customizing all of these tools, Heritage Property Management has a dynamic site which pulls content from a database that can quickly be updated using the Joomla! content management system administrator tools.
This system provides Heritage Property Managment with the opportunity to 'turn a property off and on' in the data listings, while maintaining the record in the database. So, for instance, when a property is rented, it can be 'unpublished' (no longer available in the listings when a user searches for properties) -- or 'published' and available for display online when the unit is again available for rent.
Following this Web site work, Eric was asked to create a new logo and design business cards for Heritage Property Management.
AB
Transport, Inc. contacted Eric Wylie (after working with him on their Telephone On Hold Message) looking for an update to their
current site.
It was determined that the template that was already in place was suitable, but needed a higher level of customization and implementation than what had initially been set-up.
Since working on AB Transport's Web Site, Eric has been honored to assist AB with a variety of communications initiatives including email marketing consulting, news releases, printed materials and more. AB is also using their Web site to keep their offices connected with an employee-only online training center.
The latest addition to the AB Transportation solutions Eric has provided is an internal Web application designed to share critical business data between staff members, which should result in increased revenue for the company.
Yet another development came in the fall of 2010, when the public site was re-built using the Joomla! content management system.
Information Technology Services is an Eastern Iowa technology company that helps businesses assess, choose and apply technology that solves problems and makes people more productive. Companies needing to integrate new servers or workstations into existing networks, or businesses who are new or are preparing to revamp entire systems and networks can make use of the services of ITS.
This site is a custom design, built around the company's logo.
Heartland
Heat sells and installs outdoor wood
and grain-burning furnaces. These outdoor furnaces use local, renewable resources (primarily corn) to heat rural homes and
outbuildings (and they work in the city, too!). The furnaces
efficiently heat water which is then pumped to the various buildings
on site, providing comfortable, radiant heat.
Eric Wylie had several meetings with business owners
Ron Horak and Mike Snyder to fully understand their business and then
worked to create a new
look and level of detail for their Web site.
This is a custom design, using
provided photographs and logos.
Speed-E-Pan is a new product conceived in Eastern Iowa. Eric Wylie met up with business
partners John and Shawn when he wrote, voiced, provided the audio mix
and assisted on-set with the creation of their new product's
introduction video (with thanks to Warren Byerly at Visual Images Productions for bringing me on board).
After proving his skills as a writer and having a firm-grasp on their product's concept and the possible applications, John and Shawn asked Eric to build a Web site for them, which undergoes periodic updates.
You can view the product video on the Web site, along with other important information about the product and, of course, purchase some Speed-E-Pans for your garage.
This site is a custom creation. Eric also
created a highly-stylized concept for a future version of this site.
Adaptive HR Solutions is a north-Florida based Human Resources consulting firm. Chad Sorenson, SPHR, heads this company that advises business leaders and business owners regarding compliance issues, succession planning, hiring or reducing staff or any part of the wide-ranging field of Human Resources. 
This Web site is a custom design and is Mr. Sorenson's first business Web site. Eric Wylie also created the logo for Adaptive HR Solutions. The logo was created based on the north Florida location of the business and the chameleon as an adaptive creature.
Morning Star Studio is comprised of two professionals with expertise in Architecture,
Interior Design and Structural Engineering. The Web site was
developed through the creation
of several prototype designs, with the clients selecting their favorite elements from
each design. The final result: a fully-customized solution.
The prototypes and the final site design were inspired by existing
letterhead, envelope and title block designs.
In 2009, the Morning Star Studio online portfolio was expanded and re-designed using an XML Flash component.
The On Hold Web Store is a site Eric Wylie created as a result of conversations with his On Hold
Messaging audio production clients early in the life of our company. Customers were asking how to connect
an on hold message player to their phone system, or where they could buy a repeating on hold message player.
After some research, our company began selling Digital Audio Players on the primary business Web site, but soon saw the opportunity to expand the reach of those sales by giving these products and services their own brand and Web site.
Originally built as a basic HTML site with PayPal "Buy Now" buttons (image above, left), this site was totally redesigned within a shopping cart/e-commerce structure that includes inventory tracking, full content management, web coupon codes, special pricing offer capabilities and much more (image above, right).
Cedar Rapids Public Relations Associates is "an informal
organization of professionals dedicated to sharing information on
effective practices and future trends affecting the public relations
field."
As a member of this organization, Eric Wylie became aware that the Steering Committee desired a refresh of their Web site, and the current Webmaster was interested in relinquishing his duties. Eric offered to take over maintenance of the site, with plans to find a suitable web template and customize it for the organization. The result is an attractive, useful site for members and persons interested in learning more about this fun and interesting organization. Eric also creates the monthly newsletter for this organization, which is web-based and distributed via email.
The group membership is made up of people from local
advertising agencies, communication coordinators for non-profit
organizations, audio and video producers, Web designers and many
others.
The Jeffrey Raymond Agency chose Eric Wylie to create their first Web site.
This was a complete
custom creation, providing the specific style and level of
information this team sought. As with most clients, Eric also set-up
the needed email accounts and assisted with their local email
program set-up. Also, through our Cedar Rapids connections, we were
able to direct the Jeffrey Raymond Agency to a local printer for the
production of their business cards and other materials.
E & R Creations is an online gallery featuring the work of artists and ceramic gift
boutique owners, Eleanor and
Ray Burke. This site was created by customizing
an off-the-shelf Web template. Eric Wylie photographed all of the
products
on-site at the E & R Creations
studio, created and customized the
graphics, wrote and edited the copy, and all of the other details
involved in
building a Web site.
Ray and Eleanor Burke, owners of E & R Creations, stated their
biggest obstacle was attracting potential customers to
visit to their shop and studio in Swisher, Iowa, just south of Cedar
Rapids and north of Iowa City. So, Eric suggested a Web site gallery as
a way to "bring the shop to the people." With over 6,000 ceramic
molds in their collection, Eleanor had quite a job of choosing just
a few pieces to initially include in the online gallery. The result
is an attractive site filled with photos of their work that will
bring phone calls and visits from potential customers not already
familiar with their shop.
Eleanor and Ray
know that simply having a Web site isn't enough -- it needs to be
promoted. They've added the Web site address to all of their
business cards and brochures and will be talking about their site to
the folks they meet at ceramic shows
throughout the Midwest.
Eric's Web Philosophy
More than just a "presence" on the Web, your business needs to have a 24/7 method of letting potential customers know exactly what business you are in and how you solve problems for your customers. Your site should also give viewers a "feel" for the attitude of your company -- is your business young and aggressive, or are you older and more experienced?
More than ever, potential customers are investigating businesses on the Web before calling or visiting a store or office. People like to save time and know what to expect before they arrive. Use your Web site to make people comfortable and confident in your ability to serve them before they ever walk through the door or make your phone ring.
While HTML code and graphics are important elements and are the "work" of creating a Web site, I enjoy the business strategy and content planning just as much as the creative design. Helping clients decide what should be included in their site (and what shouldn't) and how the site should be organized for the best user experience is a rewarding and usually revealing conversation for clients. I also help clients explore other marketing strategies to promote their Web site and their business. A Web site should be just one part of several marketing tools employed by a business.
In addition to the sites you see in this portfolio, I created and managed several Intranet (internal) Web sites while employed at MCI Telecommunications and contributed to the content for others. I managed and wrote the content for MCI's external Network Services Web site in the mid-90's. Prior to departing MCI in 2004, I was a member of the New Product Development Team, creating prototype customer Web portals for new products under development.
- Eric Wylie, owner, Wylie Creative Communications
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