July 17th 2009

Modern-day prince rescues the technologically challenged

By Dickie Anderson, For the News-Leader

What's a website? A place for a spider to build a home? Yes, but in this day and age it is one of the most important business tools one can have. To us older types it can be a bit overwhelming. Most of us have learned to Google and find information or things we want to purchase. When it comes to reversing the process and creating one's own website, it gets a bit more intimidating.

In today's world a website is as important as a business card. In fact, it is your business card to a global marketplace. Developing an individual website can be daunting, and even more daunting is building an effective organizational website.

When faced with the challenge of revitalizing and updating the Amelia Island Book Festival website, I was fortunate enough to find a prince charming complete with British accent to help create a new dynamic website for the festival.

Like going to the doctor or the dentist, a website redesign is hardly high on most people's list of priorities. But it has to be done. It is easy to become overwhelmed with lingo and worry about how the total cost.

My prince? Local website designer and consultant Paul Wetherhill, president of Myweb Refresh (www.mywebrefresh.com). As a dedicated ambassador for the Chamber of Commerce, he understands what makes Amelia Island tick and the importance of a successful website.

Wetherhill has built highly personalized websites for popular local businesses. Each of Myweb Refresh websites reflects the business it promotes and encourages interaction. Wetherhill stresses the constant updating of websites. Most people try to provide too much information and fail to dedicate themselves to keeping the site fresh. Hits on Google depend on the freshness of the site.

A quick visit to Julie Crump's Kofe Haus site and you are greeted by a cup of java and lots of information about the busy local coffee house (www.kofehous.net). Another local business, The Computer Guy, is benefiting from a newly developed website. John Dyal, Computer Guys of Amelia, is known for his flamboyant Hawaiian shirts and incredible ability to fix recalcitrant computers. Open Dyal's website and there he is - Hawaiian shirt and all (www.ohcomputerguy.com).

Wetherhill especially enjoys working with community groups and has developed sites for the Amelia Island Book Festival, Keep Nassau Beautiful, the ALS Golf Classic and the Association of Realtors, among others. The word is spreading (via Internet?) and one of his latest clients is out of Atlanta and is promoting online products around the world. The site information balances the emotional true-life story of a young man surviving cancer and the products he endorses.

So how did a young man from England end up on Amelia Island? Wetherhill flashes his big signature smile and it becomes clear it has to do with his wife, Decie, a Jacksonville native, and their two children. Wetherhill has been designing websites for 10 years. Before moving permanently to Amelia Island two years ago with his family, he founded Creditscorer, a web-based U.K. financial services company, which was sold in 2007. He believes this past experience has been fundamental in launching his successful website venture here on Amelia Island.

We all find ourselves peddling faster and faster to keep up with all the opportunities that technology offers. I found a prince charming doing business in my hometown with some of our wonderful local businesses. He rescued me from the overwhelming challenge of creating a website that could communicate the important elements of Amelia Island's annual book festival. Thanks to Prince Paul, the festival has a great website - www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com.

Dickie Anderson welcomes your comments. Books are available at local book and gift stores or on line at www.dickieanderson.com.

dickie.anderson@gmail.com