There were a few build-it-yourself platforms available at the time, which I promptly tried.  These platforms were very clunky to use and very slow.  They had limited tools, and some did not work. They were free, ad-driven platforms that got bogged down very quickly. The Internet was also much slower than it is today. I found the whole experience very frustrating and not usable. When I finally came up with something that I semi liked, I found it only worked in 1 browser and had many display issues once viewed live. I spent weeks of time and effort trying to get a simple 1-page website live. It made me roar!

I finally hired someone who knew HTML to create the website.

I know I am an intelligent person. If I could not get this to work – I knew there were many equally brilliant people out there that were having the same frustrations. After that horrible experience, I purchased books and taught myself how to code HTML and CSS.

I opened Premium Websites in May of 2006.

I took the time to learn HTML and CSS, and I now knew how to create websites for other people. I also knew a whole market of people needed websites, and we’re not going to take the time and effort to learn what I now know. I wanted to help all the business owners who get frustrated with the technology available for creating websites. The technology today is so much better than it was back then. Although it is now easier to use a build-it-yourself platform, some people do not want to go that way. Some of the reasons are:

• They do not want to take the time; their time is better spent with what they do well
• They feel they are not creative
• When something does not work the way it should, they do not want to figure out how to fix it
• They have no interest

Premium Websites is here when you are ready to create a professional website.

We have seen many website design companies come and go over the years. We have learned from many of them what works and what does not.

We are here to stay!

Premium Websites has evolved as a company. When we started, we only offered to create functional websites by hard coding in HTML.

Both technology and our vision have changed over time. As publishing platforms became more user-friendly and mainstream, we realized that business owners should have a way to make edits and updates to their websites without hiring a coding expert to get it done. Putting myself in your shoes – why should I hire someone to add team members, switch images, or edit text. These simple things should be easy enough for anyone to do – if they choose to.

About five years later, platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal became helpful in creating websites to give a business owner login for making minor edits themselves. We went through a transformational phase where we gave the client a choice – and quickly realized that the client does not always know what they will want six months down the road. After having a few clients say, “I will never want to blog – you can just use the HTML version.” Then six months after their new website went live, they said, “I changed my mind, and I would like to blog, go ahead and add that to my website.” That would have been easy to do if we had created the website in WordPress, but now that it was an HTML website, it means converting the whole site to WordPress then adding in the blog function. We transformed the company to just using a publishing platform no matter what the client initially said – that way, the website can quickly grow with the business.

The vision of Premium Websites is to provide the most forward-thinking website for every customer.

We create websites that can grow with your business and evolve as your business evolves.

After hearing many clients say things like:

“I did not know that” 

“I wish I had called you first.”

“I can’t believe you answered the phone.” 

or any other phrase that seemed like an easy thing or obvious – we realized we are different in the field.

We take the time to explain all the options to a client. We explain everything in terms that everyone can understand. We are thinking of your business’s success Online before and during all website projects. We will tell you if there is a better way or if something won’t work and why.  We listen to your needs and wants and design a website that will work for your business.

I can’t tell you how many times I have spoken with a business owner that tells me:

“I was working with another website designer, and now I can’t find them – they do not answer phone calls, return messages, or reply to emails.” Or – “I let my website designer purchase my hosting and domain for me, and I paid them. Now we have disagreed, and they are holding my website hostage.” Or – “My website designer will not give me full access to my website, so I cannot add pages, add a gallery, or add a form – I have to go back to them for every little thing – and they take weeks to get the changes done. I want to start a promotion tomorrow and asked them weeks ago to get it added to my website, and it has not happened.” Because I hear this kind of stuff all the time – I know we are a very different company.

• You must purchase your hosting and domain. That way, the account is in your name, and you have full access.
• We try to answer the phone every time – if we can’t, we will return your call.
• If you are unhappy with us, we will fix the problem. If you want to use another website designer, you have 100% control over everything and can change at any time.
• You can add, delete, or change your website at any time. We will never hold your Online assets (website, hosting, domains, social media) hostage. They are in your name at all times. You can grant or deny access to anyone at any given time.

These are our values and how I would expect to be treated when hiring a professional.

We treat our clients like we expect to be treated!

Dotty is a sought-after speaker regionally. Small business owners significantly benefit from her Social Media and Blogging presentations. They gain valuable knowledge of otherwise complex or confusing technical strategies in just a short time because she makes the information easy to understand.  Dotty is well educated but does not speak in “Techie” terms… she makes complicated topics understandable for everyone.

As a past Membership Coordinator for the I Take The Lead organization, she has helped local business owners promote their products and services through networking opportunities and education.

Dotty is also a member of the Fort Vancouver Lions and contributes over 75 hours of volunteer time each year to benefit her community.

New, improved website

“I have enjoyed referring my book of business to Dotty so that she can improve my client’s websites. As an independent consultant for Google & YP, I contact many nasty-looking websites. She has successfully helped clean them up and helped get them more business due to her online work with their new, improved website with higher search results. Thank you again for all that you do for my clients. I am more than happy to be available to act as a reference on your behalf.”

~Mike Jefferis

Informed with website design and technical issues

“I sought out Dotty when I felt I was struggling and needed direction, and miraculously she was there eager to assist!  After several months of studying, I had built my website.  I had some issues that were not clear to me, and I contacted Dotty. Our conversation was warm and friendly as if I knew her.  Dotty is not just informed with website design and technical issues but is also a well-rounded coach for marketing strategies and creating traffic to your site. Dotty’s honesty and professionalism encourage me to recommend her to others with confidence.”

~Randa Kassisieh

Recommending her to all my associates for their website needs

“I am thrilled with my new website, and Dotty did an outstanding job. It’s refreshing to deal with a person individually instead of a big company. She was so patient with me through the process, and I’m recommending her to all my associates for their website needs.”

~Steven Duquette, Octomaids