Hire Me
Contact Info
On this page I could go on and on about how I love web design, how I pay attention to every single detail, how I am a stickler for best SEO practices or how I have a sharp eye for design. I could also tell you all about how I was trained by one of the most prolific names in the web design world, or about how I’m an honest designer interested in solutions that work above all other concerns. I could go on about that stuff. But instead, I just want to have a short Q & A session.
Q: Are you really “kick ass” or are you more like “just an ass?”
A: Hmm. I suppose if you think that great websites that have slick designs are kick ass, then yes, I suppose I am kick ass…at least a little. I think what really sets me apart from other designers is that I want to be honest with my clients. My job isn’t just to build clients a site, but to educate them [to an extent] as to what makes a great website and what makes a stinky one.
There has been a recent trend in web design to ignore the fundamentals of site building and slap a few Photoshop generated images on a page and say “Voila! A website!” I can assure you that a few pretty pictures does not constitute a good website.
There is also a movement of people who claim to be SEOs, but know as much about organic search results as I do about neurosurgery. Chances are, if someone calls themselves a guru, they’re full of poo-poo [ahem]. What do I know about SEO? Well, I do know quite a bit. I also rely on Thesis for help. In fact, Thesis provides a perfect SEO environment, from which I can design gorgeous sites.
Oh, and am I “just an ass?” Everyone has their moments 
Q: So you use Thesis? Isn’t that like cheating?
A: Thesis is a framework; a blank canvass, if you will. To make a real comparison, Thesis is like the foundation and frame of a house. It allows me to choose siding, brick, stucco or cement; wood floors, tile floors or laminate floors; you get the picture. Thesis provides a rock solid, search optimized basis upon which any conceivable design can be achieved. Of course, Thesis alone is a bit plain, but the brilliance of Thesis isn’t in it’s default design. Not at all, in fact. The brilliance is threefold, in my opinion:
- Perfect SEO. Yes, I said perfect.
- Typography that was constructed using an elegant mathematical relationship between spacing, sizes, etc.
- For good designers, Thesis is incredibly easy to build into. If you have a working knowledge of CSS, HTML and if you know a lil’ PHP Thesis will be your best friend on earth. For bad designers……well, who cares about bad designers?
Q: Technical details bore me to tears. What’s the main point, dude?
A: The main point is this: Thesis allows for an infinite number of design changes without altering underlying structure. Why is that crucial? With traditional themes, when the design changed, everything [including HTML] was totally different. It turns out that search engines, such as Google, are not fans of those types of changes and consider your site to be unreliable or non-authoritative. Guess what happens then? Yaps…you lose that first page ranking. And, it may take a while to get that sucker back.
Q: Bring it home, boss.
A: My name is Matt Gross and I want to design you a website that you, your readers/customers and search engines will love. I want to do it for a fair price and I don’t want you to wait for months. I hate waiting just as much as you.
When you hire me, you get more than just “some design”; you get a total kick ass experience.