Over the years, we have built our own PHP development environment, based on the open-source Zend framework. We have a strong belief in the Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, and strict version control with Subversion (SVN), because the results are cleaner, more efficient code. Utilizing the Zend framework also gives us access to the large and expanding library for Rapid Application Development (RAD), while still having the flexibility to customize the framework and make it our own.

Using the MVC design pattern allows us to have a clear separation of business logic and presentation logic.  This presents a distinct advantage when building web applications because it separates what the user sees from what goes on in the background.  This moves away from mixing data-layer code, such as database queries, in with your display code and allows us to create reusable modules, such as photo galleries and shopping carts, for significantly faster builds in large applications.

The MVC architecture also offers ease of maintenance, since each component (model, view and controller) is self contained, performing upgrades and changes, such as switching databases from Access to MySQL, become much less painful and cumbersome then in the past.

We make it a priority to stay on the frontline of the ever changing technology in the Web and Internet industry; currently, we are working on a 2.0 version of our framework that will use portions of Domain Driven Design (DDD) to create clean structure and more efficient code patterns.  One of the biggest changes on the way is a central code base with customizable modules.  With this 2.0 framework we will be able to increase our build time on large projects, and push upgrades to a central code base rather then individual applications.

But don’t think that since we developed our own PHP framework we are averse to working with other languages.  Just send your application our way and we are happy to roll up our sleeves, jump into your Ruby/Flash/ASP project and get our hands dirty.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

WebSight Design in Development is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

Rob, originally from Lake Park, FL and a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, has been with WSD for about four years. As the Lead Engineer of our web development team, he is responsible for overall code base architecture and also day-to-day coding on top-tier clients.

What is your educational background?

I attended Florida Institute of Technology a long time ago in a state far far away.

What are the three most exciting/memorable things that have happened to you since you have been working at WSD (inside or outside of work)?

- I worked on Santana’s official site, providing some flash components.

- I got a Mac, by choice even.

- My son started kindergarten, where does the time go?

What work at WSD are you most proud of?

Our current site framework (built upon Zend’s application framework) that is still going strong with no major changes for the past couple of years.

What is the best part about working at WSD?

The people here.  We really have an outstandingly talented team here.

What do you like doing outside of work?

I like going to the gym, reading articles about nutrition and fitness in general.  Family activities.  Cooking on the grill.

What website do you visit most often?

Google. The current project I’m working on. Facebook.

Mac or PC?

Both actually, I’m bicomputational

What type of mobile phone do you have? Why did you pick it?

iPhone, mainly for application development, but my wife got one first and I can’t let her have a better phone than I do.

Do you have a favorite quotation?

“Are we having fun yet?” or “I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it and you can’t prove anything” – Bart Simpson

If you weren’t working at WSD, what other kind of work would you be doing?

Some form of web development or maybe a personal trainer.

Meet the WebSight Design Team: Rob Mudgett is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

It’s direction. It’s credibility establishment. It’s communication. And it initializes all functionality on the site by getting users to take action. — to click, to scroll, to fill out a form, or purchase a product.

I like to think of design as “left-brained art.” It’s visual interest that serves a specific purpose, namely to get users to interact with the site. As opposed to “right-brained art,” design doesn’t just hang on your mantle, looking lovely and drumming up nostalgia. It’s dynamic. Without a well-thought-out design, it doesn’t matter how robust and bullet-proof the back-end functionality is; users will never make it far enough to experience any of the programming features. This, coupled with the fact that your site’s design is your business’ first impression, makes design one of the most important features of your online presence.

Here’s how good design initiates user action:

First, the design must communicate a message. But not just any message. It must communicate your business’ brand identity, product or service, corporate values, and what sets your offering apart from everyone else’s. When your site communicates this stuff instantly and clearly, you’ve captured the attention of your target customer.

Second, the design must establish trust. In other words, the site has to look legit. Users want to be assured that yours is the kind of web site where they can enter their email address and not immediately receive a truckload of unrelated spam. They want to know that their credit card number is safe. They want to see that you care enough about your customers, and have enough pride in your business, to make your visual presentation one that is current, is impressive, and is inviting. When your site looks legit, your target customer will stay for a longer visit, and be more likely to visit the site again.

Third, the design must tell the user what to do. Okay, the user has landed on this beautiful home page. Now what? Without a call to action, the user is likely to become confused or bored, and will leave. If your Google Analytics stats show a high bounce rate from your home page, you might want to take a look and see if there’s a clear call to action, telling the user where to go from here in a clear and compelling way. When the action steps are clear on your site, your target customer will take them.

To this end, it’s important that the design department and the development department work closely together, to establish from the beginning the site’s goals, the business’ niche, values, and strategy, and the number one action that users should take. A good design will communicate these things clearly; a great design will be reflected in your web site stats.

For a case study illustrating how design improves conversion, contact us, and ask us how we helped a Bay Area attorney’s office gain a 300% increase in online form submissions, just by improving page graphics.

Design Is Not A Pretty Picture. is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

It is the first of many Pacific Union realtor websites that we will be launching this year and includes an attractive Pacific Union branded design.

Through the site, prospective homebuyers can search MLS listings and view the realtor’s featured properties. Descriptions of the the cities in Marin county and a resources page allow site visitors to learn more about the areas in which they are looking to live.

The site administrator gives the client the ability to access contact submissions and manage properties. Through the manage properties module, the client can change the selling status of the property, upload images, and add property details such as price, selling date, and location.

A real estate agent for over twenty years, Tamara Goldman sells residential, income, and small commercial properties throughout Marin and San Francisco. Among other achievements, as one of the firm’s top producers, she has received three Prestigious Achievement Awards from Pacific Union.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

WebSight Design Launches Site for Pacific Union Realtor is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

Looking to increase their online presence and become a premier web destination for adventurers trying to book fly fishing trips, the company came to WebSight Design for compelling design and robust, rock-solid programming.

The new site allows visitors to search for ranches by location or property name. They can also use the custom designed space availability finder to choose a ranch based on the desired dates of their trip.

Detailed ranch profiles include photos, room rates, lodging descriptions, contact information, and reservation requests, making it easy for users to conduct research on potential ranches and lodges without having to visit multiple websites.

In the backend, a robust content management system permits the client to manage site content and properties, as well as view reservation and listing requests.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

We Help Leading Dude Ranch Authority, Gene Kilgore, Expand His Reach is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

The site was designed to showcase Consuelo’s work through integrating various forms of media.

It features a Flash music player, a photo gallery, song lyrics, and YouTube videos.

Additionally, fans can stay connected to the artist by clicking on the social networking icons that are included on the site.

Currently living in Los Angeles, Consuelo is a singer and songwriter. She has performed at influential music venues in Hollywood, such as Key Club and The Roxy, and numerous special events, including the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Greater California Walk/Run for Ovarian Cancer and the seventh inning stretch of a Los Angeles Dodgers game.

In addition to her music career, Consuelo dedicates her time toward the fight against ovarian cancer. She is an active spokesperson for the Ovarian Cancer Coalition of Greater California.

Her song “Find a Way” can be purchased online through their website with all proceeds benefiting the organization.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

New Site Designed for Performer Consuelo Costin is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

The beautifully designed site has the look and feel of a full Flash site, but was developed using jQuery with Flash features, such as the video player.

Though Flash is a good choice when building a multimedia heavy site, it was not necessary for meatoes.  Using jQuery, we were able to provide the client with many of the benefits of Flash without the extra overhead.

Unlike Flash, because jQuery is Javascript based, it does not require a specialized programmer for the build.

Also, jQuery currently is compatible with more browsers, especially the mobile versions. This can provide a huge advantage, as Flash is not yet supported by most mobile browsers, including Safari on the iPhone.

And, when looking at search engine optimization results, jQuery is the optimal choice. Many of the basics to SEO are missing from Flash making it difficult for the search engines to index these sites.

We also provided the client with a site administrator that allows them to keep the website up to date and add new photos and content.

Now that the site has launched, the next step will be to initiate an SEO campaign.

meat and potatoes, inc. specializes in print, packaging, and advertising design. Its goal is to create visually stimulating work that is strong and to the point.

The site features a portfolio section showcasing the company’s work. Some of the company’s notable clients include Electronic Arts, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Capitol Records, and Lorenzo Cycles, with a site launched by WebSight Design as well.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

WebSight Design Develops Custom Site for meat and potatoes is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

Follow principal, Tom Meriam, on his Twitter account and blog to gain valuable insights on the media and marketing industries.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of web site design and development services, including web site programming, web site hosting, web site marketing, and colocation management.

WebSight Design Teams with Meriam Media is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

Through the website, visitors can purchase custom tailored pants and shorts. Each clothing item is customized by choosing from the numerous fabric and trim options available.

The fabric directory allows visitors to browse over sixty fabrics, read descriptions, and link to purchase pages for the Franklin + Gower shorts and pants made with the corresponding fabric. Shoppers even gain a little knowledge on life in Los Angeles as they learn how each fabric’s name was chosen.

Upgrades also include the launch of a new option to purchase gift certificates.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of web site design and development services, including web site programming, web site hosting, web site marketing, and colocation management.

Franklin + Gower Upgrades for the Holiday Season is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design

We provided the client with a great site administrator that, among other elements, allows Liberty Puzzles to add their own new pages pulled from a dynamic template.

For the most standout offering on the site, the custom puzzles, WebSight Design implemented an ecommerce solution that allows customers to upload their own pictures that can then be turned into jigsaw puzzles.

Due to the extreme success of these products and the current time constraints, they will not be available for order again until after the holiday season.

Additionally, the site now has a customized search solution. Using this tool, visitors can find puzzles by name, size, or category type.  This beneficial feature assists shoppers as they sift through the various puzzles available through Liberty Puzzles.

Puzzles can be purchased with images of vintage prints by Currier and Ives, vintage posters, classic fairytales, and fine art paintings by artists including Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. The company also sells Thingies, seven-inch diameter round puzzles made popular by Sandy Miller in the 1960s.

From a marketing perspective, we executed dynamic search engine optimization across the entire site, helping to boost Liberty’s position in the organic search engine results.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, Liberty Puzzles manufactures and sells classic wooden jigsaw puzzles that are made with maple plywood and archival paper. Each puzzle contains multiple whimsy pieces that have been finely crafted into recognizable shapes such as birds, flowers, and people.

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Founded in 1995, WebSight Design offers business clients a range of website design and development services, including website programming, website hosting, website marketing, and colocation management.

Customized eCommerce Site with Advanced Search is a post from: WebSight Design, Inc. company blog. With headquarters in the San Francisco bay area, WebSight Design, Inc. has been providing world class web engineering, creative design and hosting solutions since 1995. WebSight Design