Web Developer
Since 1996, I have created websites for a variety of businesses, organizations, and individuals. Some were fairly complex, others were very simple. My goal as a web developer has always been to create sites that are easy for visitors to use and that are optimized for indexing by search engines. I prefer creating starter sites then teaching the owners how to use online editing programs, usually WordPress, instead of keeping me on their payroll although I have no problem being the “Webmaster on call.”
My own sites focus primarily on relationship issues such as dating (Friends and Lovers the Relationships Guide), Divorce Support (also at Friends and Lovers) , and midlife crisis (The Midlife Club). These sites, combined, get more than one million page views each month.
Friends and Lovers was the first site I developed. In December 1996, it was named one of the Top 10 Relationships Websites by PC Computing Magazine. A couple years later, Sally Jesse Rafael began one of her TV shows with “According to friends and lovers dot com…” The original site grew into a massive web of thousands of pages residing on several different servers. Features of the site have included matchmaking, forums, chat rooms, custom postcards, a virtual wedding chapel, and an online store. Two years ago the site was given a complete makeover. The forums, which attracted more spammers than legitimate posters, were closed. The matchmaking program was removed from the site. The virtual wedding chapel, advice columns, chat, and relationship articles now have a cohesive look and affiliate programs have been pared down to a select few.