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Services

Websites, search, and the software behind them.

Design, development, SEO, AI search, branding, automation, and hosting, for businesses that already have customers and need the digital side to catch up.

Websites

Web design and development

Fast on a phone, easy to update, and built so a customer can call or ask for a quote in one tap.

  • Website design

    Custom layouts built around your work and one clear way to get in touch.

    We learn the business first: what you sell, who buys it, and how they reach you. Each page carries clear service details, real photos, and one way to get in touch.

    • A collaborative sitemap and page structure agreed on before design begins
    • Desktop and mobile layouts for every key page
    • Reusable design components that keep your visuals cohesive
    • Copy guidance for every page
    • Review rounds on every layout
  • Website development

    • HTML

    Built on Next.js or WordPress, depending on who updates the site.

    If your staff posts updates every week, we set up WordPress without the plugin clutter. If the job needs custom features or more speed, we build on Next.js.

    • A responsive, fast-loading build of every designed page
    • Customer inquiry forms that reliably reach your inbox
    • Analytics and Search Console connected and verified before launch
    • Speed, mobile, and accessibility checks across real devices
    • All accounts, logins, and code repositories handed over in your name
  • Ecommerce

    • Square

    Online stores on Shopify or WooCommerce, with fitment and checkout tested before launch.

    We organize the catalog so options, variants, and fitment sit where a shopper looks for them.

    • Clear catalog organization with intuitive variant and fitment details
    • Payment gateways, shipping calculations, and taxes configured and tested
    • Order, refund, and notification flows verified end to end
    • Inventory syncing connected with your current shop systems
    • A walkthrough of daily order handling
  • Website redesign

    A new site that keeps the search rankings the old one earned.

    Before the redesign starts, we record every current URL, what it ranks for, and the traffic it gets.

    • An inventory of current pages and what they rank for
    • A 301 redirect for every old URL
    • New mobile-first layouts and copy
    • Search Console watched through launch for crawl errors
    • A rollback plan if launch goes wrong
  • Landing pages

    One page per campaign, matched to the ad that sent the visitor.

    When you run advertising campaigns, sending visitors to a general homepage forces them to search for what caught their eye. A dedicated landing page greets them with the exact offer they clicked, says what you do, and gives one clear next step.

    • Dedicated page layouts tailored to specific campaigns or promotions
    • Clear, inviting headlines and frictionless contact forms
    • Conversion tracking configured before campaigns go live
    • Mobile-optimized layouts that load instantly on cell connections
    • Copy crafted to match the exact wording of your ads
  • Customer portals

    A welcoming, branded portal where customers and dealers can easily check orders, review quotes, and access files.

    A secure place to check order status, see invoices, and approve quotes cuts the calls that ask for them.

    • Secure logins with custom permissions for retail customers or wholesale dealers
    • Clear order tracking, job history, and downloadable invoices or spec sheets
    • Tiered dealer pricing and flexible payment terms where applicable
    • Sync with your accounting and inventory systems
    • Branded to match your website
  • Content management (CMS)

    • Squarespace

    A website your team can update without calling a developer.

    WordPress when your staff edit pages and posts every week; Webflow, Ghost or Strapi when the site needs a different shape. Set up, organized, and handed over with a walkthrough.

    • Pages, posts, and products your team can edit
    • Roles for who can draft and who can publish
    • A walkthrough and a written guide at handoff
  • Payments & checkout

    • Square

    Card payments, deposits, and point of sale, connected to your site.

    Online checkout, deposits on quotes, and in-person payments that land in the same records, set up and tested before a customer ever pays.

    • Online checkout and deposits
    • In-person payments with Square
    • Every payment path tested before launch

Also: Web applications, Checkout & operations integrations.

The Ernie’s Custom Shop homepage: truck, SUV, Jeep and Bronco upgrades in Vernon Hills.In practiceErnie’s Custom ShopA shop site cut from 164 pages to 9, built around a call button and a quote request.Read the case study

Brand

Branding and identity

We make everything with your name on it look like one company, from the website to the invoice.

  • Naming & positioning

    Articulating what you do, who you serve, and why customers choose you in plain, memorable words.

    We sit down with you and work out what you sell, who buys it, and why they pick you.

    • A collaborative strategy session to explore your strengths and customer stories
    • A memorable positioning promise with clear supporting proof points
    • Words to use and words to avoid
    • Core message snippets crafted for your website, ads, and social channels
    • A concise, easy-to-read one-page playbook for your staff and vendors
  • Logo design

    Vector logos that hold up on a shirt, a truck door, and a browser tab.

    We design marks that work embroidered on a shirt, cut in vinyl on a truck, and in a browser tab.

    • Multiple distinct creative concepts refined based on your feedback
    • Full vector and raster master files for print, embroidery, and vinyl
    • One-color, dark-mode, and compact icon variants for every use
    • Clear guidelines for spacing, proportions, and minimum sizing
    • Copyright assigned to your business in writing
  • Brand identity

    Colors, type, and rules that keep every vendor consistent.

    We set the colors, type, and usage rules your staff and vendors work from, for screen, print, and paint.

    • Core positioning and messaging worked out before visual styling
    • Color values for screen, print, and paint
    • Complementary brand typefaces chosen and licensed for your use
    • A usage guide for staff and vendors
    • Ready-to-use templates for documents, social graphics, and forms
  • Signs & vehicle wraps

    Building signs, monument markers, and interior wayfinding drafted to exact fabricator specifications.

    We design signs to your building's real dimensions and to the specs your fabricator works from.

    • Custom signage designed to architectural building dimensions
    • Production-ready vector files drafted to fabricator specs
    • Material, finish, and illumination recommendations
    • Coordination with your local sign fabricator and installer
    • Proof reviews before cutting or fabrication begins
  • Print design

    Business cards, invoices, service tags, and packaging.

    The paperwork and packaging your customers hold in their hands is a tangible extension of your brand. We design estimate sheets, invoices, presentation folders, and product packaging with the same polish as your website.

    • Customer paperwork, estimate sheets, and branded stationery
    • Product packaging, custom boxes, and labels
    • Press-ready files with accurate bleeds and CMYK colors
    • Printer coordination and pre-flight proof reviews
    • Editable digital templates for items you reprint frequently
  • Photography

    Authentic photography highlighting your shop, your staff, and your best finished work.

    Rather than relying on generic stock photos that prospective customers overlook, we capture the genuine atmosphere of your business.

    • A detailed shot list planned against your website and marketing needs
    • On-site photography of your facility, vehicle builds, and craft
    • Professional color correction, retouching, and file preparation
    • Image libraries formatted for high-res print and fast web display
    • Commercial usage rights granted to your business in writing

Also: Design systems & interface design, Campaign assets & creative production.

Software

Custom software and apps

When the spreadsheet or the whiteboard stops working, we build the tool that replaces it.

  • Custom software

    Software built around how your business already runs.

    If off-the-shelf software fits, we'll tell you to buy it. Custom makes sense when generic tools force you to change how you serve customers.

    • Collaborative scoping sessions to map your exact workflows and priorities
    • Working web application, deployed with secure user roles and permissions
    • Full ownership of source code and infrastructure in accounts you control
    • Documentation and a walkthrough for everyone using it
    • Ongoing support and iterative improvements as your business evolves
  • Mobile apps

    Native mobile apps for iPhone and iPad, designed for quick tasks on the go.

    Most ideas work as a mobile-friendly website. An app earns its place when you need the camera, push notifications, offline use, or GPS.

    • Honest guidance on whether a mobile app or responsive web app fits best
    • Native iPhone and iPad apps
    • App Store submission and release
    • Push notifications and offline capabilities where they add genuine value
    • Continued updates and maintenance as mobile platforms release new versions
  • Internal tools

    Quoting, scheduling, and job tracking tools that match the way your business already operates.

    A well-built spreadsheet often carries a business for years, but as your staff expands, version conflicts, accidental deletions, and lost formulas can slow everyone down.

    • Collaborative workflow mapping of your existing formulas and steps
    • Multi-user access with a change log on every record
    • Clean interfaces that preserve the familiar terminology your staff uses daily
    • Real-time search, filtering, and one-click data export to Excel or CSV
    • Walkthroughs and documentation
  • Dashboards & reporting

    • Looker Studio

    The key numbers you run your business on, brought together in one clear, real-time view.

    When critical numbers are scattered across different platforms, pulling together monthly summaries can take hours of tedious copy-and-paste work.

    • Clear alignment on the metrics and KPIs that actually guide your decisions
    • Automated data feeds connecting your sales, accounting, and operations tools
    • Scheduled refreshes so you always have access to up-to-the-minute figures
    • Role-based access so everyone sees the metrics relevant to their responsibilities
    • Alerts when a number moves outside its usual range
  • Browser extensions

    • Chrome Web Store
    • Firefox

    Small tools that live in the browser your team already uses.

    Chrome and Firefox extensions that pull your data into the pages your team works in all day.

    • Built for Chrome and Firefox
    • Published to the extension stores
    • Updates when the browsers change
The Garage Bae shop dashboard: vehicles in the shop, intake, and what is owed.In practiceGarage BaeShop management software, built and tested inside a working shop.Read the case study

Automation

Automation and CRM

We connect your everyday tools and automate repetitive tasks, giving your staff more time to focus on customers.

  • AI automation

    Pragmatic AI tools for drafting, sorting, and extracting information, always paired with human oversight.

    AI is good at reading long PDFs, pulling structured data out of receipts and invoices, and writing first drafts of routine replies.

    • One repetitive document task, scoped before anything is built
    • Custom prompts and structured schemas that extract accurate, organized data
    • Intuitive review interfaces that let staff review and approve suggestions quickly
    • Predictable, transparent usage costs with built-in guardrails against unexpected spikes
    • Honest guidance whenever standard deterministic code is the better, safer choice
  • Workflow automation

    The repetitive steps between your software, automated, with a person kept on the judgment calls.

    Every growing business has routine tasks that consume valuable hours, like copying order details, sending status updates, or updating inventory records across multiple platforms.

    • Collaborative process mapping to understand your real day-to-day workflow
    • Reliable automated triggers connecting web forms, billing, and communication tools
    • A log of every run, and an alert when a step fails
    • A way to pause any automation and do the step by hand
    • Written steps for running the process manually
  • CRM

    Set up a clean, approachable CRM that matches your sales flow and simplifies daily updates.

    A CRM only works if people update it. When every quick question needs a dozen required fields, the sales history goes back to sticky notes and personal inboxes.

    • Visual sales pipeline stages tailored directly to your customer journey
    • Only the fields you need to qualify and close
    • Import, deduplication, and cleanup of your existing customer records
    • Smart lead routing so new inquiries land with the right person immediately
    • A walkthrough for your staff and a written guide for daily use
  • Lead follow-up

    Prompt, welcoming replies for every customer inquiry, even during your busiest rush hours.

    A quote request that sits unanswered over a busy weekend often goes to whoever replied first. The reply has to go out while the customer is still looking.

    • Instant email and text replies to every new inquiry
    • Instant notification alerts sent directly to staff via email, SMS, or Slack
    • Automated check-ins on open estimates
    • Centralized logging of every inquiry so your history is always complete
    • Clear reporting on inquiry response times and overall quote conversion rates

Also: Knowledge search & private AI, Evaluations, guardrails & human review.

Hosting

Website hosting and care

We keep your website and software updated, backed up, and watched after launch.

  • Website maintenance

    Routine updates, backups, and small content edits, tested safely before going live.

    Keeping a website fresh and secure takes steady care. As plugins and software frameworks update, making changes directly on your live site can lead to unexpected formatting glitches or broken forms.

    • Scheduled core, theme, and plugin updates tested safely on staging first
    • A snapshot before every update, so it can be rolled back
    • Monthly time for quick content edits, text adjustments, and photo swaps
    • Routine contact form testing and broken link detection
    • Clear monthly summaries showing exactly what maintenance was completed
  • Security & SSL

    Security patching, modern SSL encryption, and sensible access controls to keep your site safe.

    Most online vulnerabilities come from automated crawlers searching for outdated plugins or unencrypted forms rather than targeted attacks.

    • Regular security updates and vulnerability patching on core dependencies
    • Automated SSL certificate provisioning and modern HTTPS enforcement
    • Sensible administrative access reviews to prevent unauthorized logins
    • Restores from backup when something goes wrong
  • Support plans

    A direct line for technical help, with response targets by priority and a record of the work.

    Most support queues route you to someone who has never seen your site. You explain the setup from scratch every time.

    • Direct email and phone access to the person who runs your site
    • Response targets by priority, P1 same day including weekends
    • Monthly time allocated for content tweaks, formatting adjustments, and bug fixes
    • Clear shared changelog documenting every update and task completed

More we do

Product, data, and the systems underneath.

  • Product strategy & MVPs

    From an idea to something people can use and pay for.

    Market research · Product strategy · Prototypes & MVPs · Launch planning

  • APIs & integrations

    Connect the tools your business already runs on.

    Custom APIs & webhooks · AI tool connectors (MCP) · Logins & access control · CRM & accounting integrations

    • Xero
  • Hosting & cloud

    A dependable place to run your site or app, at a cost you can see.

    Hosting & deployments · Infrastructure as code · Monitoring & backups · Cloud cost control

  • Data & reporting

    Your numbers in one place, clean enough to decide with.

    Data migrations · Data cleanup & dashboards · Product analytics · Market research

    • Looker Studio
  • Domains & business email

    Domains, DNS, and email set up properly and kept in your name.

    Buying & transferring domains · DNS & email setup · Email migrations · Domain portfolio management

    • Gmail
  • Fixes & modernization

    Make an existing site or app faster, safer, and easier to maintain.

    Code review & modernization · Performance & accessibility · Security hardening · Backups & recovery planning

Contact

Get in touch.

Phone
(847) 496-0013
Text usCall us
Social
@thickrim
InstagramXLinkedIn
Hours
Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm CT
Office
250 Parkway Dr, Ste 150, Lincolnshire, IL 60069