BarefootChris.net

I've been designing websites for over 20 years. My first designs were personal sites for my hobbies, like the Barefoot Hikers of PA, and business sites for my own businesses and those of my wife. I've designed business websites for a bed & breakfast, bellydancers, sideshow performers, a yoga studio, a quilting charity and a home improvement business. I've managed and maintained websites for those businesses and more. I've also worked on e-commerce websites for a number of businesses using the Shopsite e-commerce platform, focusing on template design and custom coding of special features to meet unique needs that the software didn't support out of the box. I celebrate diversity and uniqueness and am happy to collaborate on a site for any business, pastime, or project.

The bulk of my experience, though, comes from my "day job" of over 20 years. When I started in 1999, they were a small mail order catalog company just getting online with the help of the graphic designer who does the print catalogs.   With more computer experience, I took over many of the back-end functions of the Shopsite e-commerce software and aiding our designer with "code" issues. Over time, I've also designed landing pages for weekly e-mail offers and our annual holiday gift guide, a templated subsection of our general site, as the site has grown to  multi-million dollar annual sales.  In addition to designing and constructing webpages and Shopsite templates at the mail order company, I've been responsible for most of the day-to-day back-end operations of their busy e-commerce website and Amazon Seller account. This has provided me with countless hours of hands-on experience with the Shopsite e-commerce platform. I also have been responsible for the administration of the company's search engine marketing with Microsoft/Bing, Google Ads and Analytics, and Facebook advertising, as well as e-mail marketing on a number of platforms, including Constant Contact, aWeber and Mailchimp. I also have worked with the CV3 e-commerce software, including a major site overhaul and template customization for a secondary company that was taken over by the primary business. I can run your e-commerce operation from top to bottom.  I have experience across the boards, particularly, but not limited to, Shopsite and CV3. 

Though profitable, the company I worked for is small. With under 20 employees, everyone wears many hats. Over 22 years, it's safe to say, I wore the most. I started out doing customer service, from processing orders to handling customer service issues by phone and e-mail. This occupied part of my every day. I've worked in the retail store and the shipping department. I can keep daily operations running smoothly, as a hands-on utility person or a supervisor overseeing a larger operation.

Still, my computer skills have been put to best use. As the in-house IT person, I have managed the Windows computer network from top to bottom, handling new computer installation and setup, domain and network management, security and software, and day-to-day network and PC troubleshooting. I excel at finding free or low-cost solutions to technical needs. I oversaw the integration of a second office and computer network into our own upon purchase of a secondary business. More recently, I managed the merger of 2 separate order and inventory management systems into one. The company I work for isn't big on titles, but I think Director of Information Technology well suits my actual job duties.

My wife and I also owned Shakti Yoga and Healing Arts in Jenkintown, PA,  for 2 years. Though not yoga teachers ourselves, we thought it was a unique opportunity to serve the community. This truly was a hands-on experience in managing all aspects of a business, from staff management and scheduling to payroll and bookkeeping to marketing and promotion. As a result, I wilI help your business thrive and grow, even in changing times.

I majored in Elementary and Special Education, first at Eckerd College, then at LaSalle University. Over the past 20 years, I've tutored numerous students from elementary age through college, working as The Barefoot Tutor.  With training as a teacher, I can be an invaluable guide if you need computer help, staff training, or want to learn how to handle all the web and e-commerce duties yourself.

My primary focus for the past 2 decades has been in the realm of technology and the Internet. I spend a great deal of time online and focus on what makes a website appealing to me. When I see a unique or innovative feature, I'll take a look at the page's source code to see how it was done. I make every effort to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and techniques in the world of websites and e-commerce. Technology changes quickly--it's not what you know that counts anymore, but how well you adapt and assimilate new information and skills.