I am so very impressed with Author Media. They’re the folks who do the bells and whistles on this website. They make the car run, so to speak. While I have the amazing George tackle the design elements of my site, I’ve needed the WordPress expertise of Author Media.

I happen to believe every company should have a culture like Author Media. (Side Note: Thomas Umstattd and the talented folks at A.M. have no idea I’m writing this post.) Here’s what distinguishes them. How does your company/business compare?

• They weren’t afraid to start small. They understand that importance of being faithful in little things. And yet they aren’t afraid to grow.

• They teach well. Thomas has the distinct ability to be an Einstein for kids. What I mean by that is that he understands Search Engine Optimization, Web 2.0, WordPress, social media, and about anything all those entities encompass, yet he’s able (as are his associates) to articulate them in a way that the rest of us can understand. And the information Author Media gives is never given in an exasperated or condescending tone.

• They are goal oriented, not simply for themselves, but for you, the consumer.For instance, their website goals for you are:
  1. To help you develop the best possible presence on the web
  2. To give you confidence as you enter the world of online promotion.
• But, they also trust your intelligence. They want to help you become adept at updating your own site. They aren’t afraid to work themselves out of a job. This comes straight from their site: “We want you to own your website. This means you feel comfortable updating your website, yourself. Of course, you can pay us to update it for you, but we get excited when clients discover the joy of controlling their own website. Not only will your site will be easy to update, but your Website Package will come with free one-on-one training to teach you how to use and update your site.”

• They base their practices on research and what actually works. Since they try new things, they learn what works best for their clients. They also have a culture of something I like to call “everlearning.” They stay in touch with what’s new.
  

• They believe in the concept of team. I love interacting with the folks there, and I know each one will treat me with professionalism and respect. I can tell they have a strong culture of service and integrity.
  

• They are innovative and aren’t afraid to try something new. I think I might be their experimental client, as we’ve tried a lot of cool things. Not all have worked, but we’ve learned a lot. I’m so thankful I have never received a “Um, we can’t do that here.” They always make a way to try something new, even if it means further research and risking failure.
  

• They coach folks who are freaked out about social media. This means they understand the needs of their unique niche of clients. Thomas has spent time at conferences coaching those who didn’t know how to navigate social media. Seeing that need, he and his team chose to offer that service.

• They respond quickly to their clients. I am sometimes a needy client (I hope I’m getting better), but they’ve always responded in a timely way with an answer that made sense.
  

• Their packages are affordable, and they offer a free consultation. I recently had a friend go through the initial consultation and learned a lot. Just having a consultation may be what you need for the next step in your web presence.
  

• They work with people they’ve learned to understand: authors. We authors are a strange breed, so this is no small accomplishment. (This is very important to me. I actually met Thomas at a writing conference. He spends several trips a year in the writing conference circuit. He knows us. He gets us. He understands our needs.) Any company that truly understands its clients is a profound blessing.

• They have great clients who love to promote them. (Like me!) And Rachelle Gardner! I love to refer people to Author Media because I know they’ll be treated with respect and fairness.

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So how does your business stack up? Have I missed anything? I so enjoy interacting with great companies, and it’s been a pleasure to promote Author Media whenever I have the chance. If you happen to need a website or social media coaching, consider Author Media.