Website Solutions for Williston Area Businesses

Williston went through significant changes with the oil boom, and that brought its own set of challenges for local businesses trying to maintain an online presence. I've worked with a few operations in the area over the years, mostly helping them either build something functional from scratch or fix problems with existing sites that weren't holding up.

The businesses I've helped tend to be smaller, practical operations. Service companies, contractors, local shops. They need websites that work without requiring constant attention, and they need hosting that doesn't go down at inconvenient times.

When Websites Become a Problem

A lot of small business websites start out fine but develop issues over time. Pages load slower as content and features get added. Forms break when software updates. The site stops displaying correctly on newer phones. These problems accumulate gradually until the website becomes more of a liability than an asset.

I've rebuilt several sites for businesses that were in this situation. The old site technically still worked, but it was driving potential customers away instead of bringing them in. In those cases, starting fresh with clean code makes more sense than trying to fix years of accumulated problems.

The Hosting Question

Hosting is one of those things most business owners don't want to think about, and shouldn't have to. It should just work. But I've dealt with plenty of situations where it didn't.

Sometimes it's a cheap shared hosting plan that can't handle traffic. Other times it's an expensive managed solution that doesn't actually include much management. Or it's a situation where the domain, hosting, and email are all with different providers, making it nearly impossible to troubleshoot when something breaks.

Good hosting for a small business website doesn't need to be complicated. VPS hosting with proper configuration, automated backups, and SSL certificates covers what most businesses need. When I set up hosting, that's what I provide, along with actual support when issues come up.

Semi-Static Sites for Most Businesses

Unless you need e-commerce, a frequently updated blog, or specific interactive features, a semi-static website is usually the better option. It loads faster, requires minimal maintenance, and doesn't break when software updates roll out.

That doesn't mean the site looks basic or outdated. Modern design, contact forms, and all the standard features are still there. The difference is in the underlying structure, which is simpler and more reliable than a database-driven site like WordPress.

For businesses that do need WordPress functionality, I build those as well. The key is matching the technology to what the business actually needs, not just defaulting to the most complex option.

Email Reliability

Email problems are surprisingly common. Messages end up in spam folders, get rejected by certain providers, or fail to send entirely. Usually the root cause is DNS configuration: missing or incorrect SPF records, no DKIM authentication, or improperly set up MX records.

These issues aren't difficult to fix if you know what you're looking at, but they can be mystifying otherwise. When I set up hosting and email for a client, making sure these records are configured correctly is part of the process. Email should be reliable, not something you have to worry about.

Experience Across North Dakota

I've been doing this work across North Dakota and northwest Minnesota for a long time, mostly with smaller businesses in trades, agriculture, and services. The common thread is they need websites and hosting that function reliably without creating ongoing headaches.

If you're in Williston or the surrounding area and that describes what you're looking for, I can help with that kind of work.