Web Site Design and Maintenance

I've created many Web sites over the years, starting with this one (www.bergan.com), which went live in 1996. I've created sites both as a consultant and as a volunteer for nonprofit organizations. Two that are no longer active include a site for a geological consultant, and a Houston-based rock and blues band. In 2010, I designed and now actively maintain the site for the Gulf Coast Section SEPM, a profile of which you can see by clicking the tab above.

Once a site is designed and goes live, the real work begins. Maintaining a site and keeping it up to date are as important (or moreso) as the initial design. Busy clients often find that their sites are kept more up to date by hiring someone to do the updates, rather than relying on volunteers or employees to find time in their schedules. Keeping a site maintained is a critical component of the budgeting process and should not be overlooked or underestimated.

Click on the tabs above to view two active sites that I have worked on.

Gulf Coast Section SEPM

The GCSSEPM organization, which had for years used volunteers to design and maintain their Web site, decided that professional redesign and maintenance were needed in 2010, and I was awarded the project. The site has hundreds of pages and thousands of images.

In addition to redesigning the overall look and feel of the site, the GCSSEPM asked me to build database-driven features into it. Using PHP scripting language, the site now has a member login where members can update their personal and contact information, as well as participate in online voting for officers.

The administrators of the organization can use the member database to compile member statistics and send mass emails to the active members. A shopping cart feature allows members and nonmembers to order publications from the organization. Our current project is to implement the ordering of individual articles from technical conferences, which is targeted to go live in the fall of 2011.

Aransas/San Patricio County Master Gardeners

In 2008 I underwent training to become certified as a Texas Master Gardener (MG) with the Aransas County Extension office. At this time the local MG organization did not have a Web site of their own. As part of my volunteer service to the organization, I joined a small team of MGs who designed and implemented their first Web site. We handled all tasks involved in setting up a Web site, from the initial domain name registration to the launch a few months later.

Our original design won First Place from the Texas Master Gardener Association in 2009. Some time later the Texas AgriLife Extension Service imposed a uniform site design on all local MG organizations, which is what you see on the site today. The site is a vital resource for local plant information, working with native plants, landscaping tips, conserving water in the garden, pest and critter control, and using Earth-Kind® gardening practices to reduce yard waste, fertilizers, and pesticides.