Has a lot changed since you started in 2001? “Without question. I started in 2001 as a one-man band with FrontPage (software) and a computer and a card table, and an idea. Like most Web developers, it’s a seat-of-the-pants, on-the-job training type thing. And you grow and learn. We were very blessed with good business early in the game, and I knew … I had to bring in new talent. We grew in number of employees and capabilities as clients needed more sophisticated Web sites and technology changed.”

How many sites do you host? “We just crossed the 500 threshold, hosting 502 Web sites at last count.”

Are they mainly sites in N.C.? “Mostly in North Carolina, but like every other sales environment, word of mouth is the strongest sales tool. Through friends who know friends, we have sites in New York, Idaho, Florida. We’re in about 15 states.”

What are clients most interested in today? “They are most interested in really two things. They want a professional Web site that’s easy to navigate, and they want it to be No. 1 in the search engines.”

Do you have a typical client base? “Really, we don’t. We have several sectors that we’ve done quite well in. We’ve done a number of dental and medical sites, and that’s where we’ve gotten a lot of regional and national clients. We’ve done a number of churches … a number of nonprofits. Municipal governments, quasi-government sites. We build and host the cities of Shelby, New Bern, Spring Lake. And of course a lot of private-sector businesses.”

Has the economy affected business? “We were up last year about 8 percent over the previous year, and that is attributable to the fact that folks have abandoned or scaled back from traditional advertising. But they realized they need to do something to stay current, so they’re coming to us to update their Web site or get a site for the first time.”

What do you look for most when hiring? “Positive customer service attitude.”

Owning a small business, what most likely keeps you up at night? “Where the next dollar is coming from. You never know, until the phone rings, whether or not those new customers are going to come walking in the door.”

Any advice for someone starting out? “Most importantly, it’s critical they understand what their customer wants and what they’re willing to pay for it. If you want to sell a $100 widget but the customer wants a $10 widget, you better figure out how to sell a $10 widget or pack your bags pretty quickly. (Late developer) J.P. Riddle used to say this is a hot dog and hamburger town, not a steak town, but you can make a lot of money selling hot dogs and hamburgers. And he was right.”