These days there are a lot of ways you can get a website up and running and lots of graphic designers. There are plenty of options: DIY tools, large agencies, overseas contractors, and local web design firms. Having options is great because everyone has different needs, budgets, and capabilities, but working with a local branding and web design company also comes with advantages you may not have considered.
Keep Your Money Here
For the most part, Third Sun focuses on serving clients who live and work where we do — Utah. While there are firms all over the country with similar expertise, working with a local business always comes with advantages. Local businesses keep more money in the local economy. In fact, according to Local First Utah, for every dollar you spend with a locally-owned Utah business, four times more stays in the local economy (yes, 4x!) than with non-local businesses. Plus, local companies are more likely to donate to community causes — a core part of Third Sun’s values from the beginning.
Know Your Audience
The first rule of marketing is “Know Your Audience” and no matter who you are, your website is always a marketing tool. A local company is more likely to be knowledgeable about your audience just by sheer proximity. Since we understand the nuances, customs, geography, and culture, we can design and create content to help you speak to your audience in a way that matters to them — that’s relevant and relatable.
We get around.
Our team has traveled throughout Utah. We know the trails, the random “mom and pop” places, and the variety of people that make up the Beehive State. This is particularly helpful when hunting for photos or a historical fact to add vividness to content.
We’re tired of the same old punchlines.
Utah is our home. We’re tied to the state and love living here (except when the legislature is in session or on red-burn days). We get tired of played-out stereotypes about polygamy and lack of good beer. We know references about green Jell-O, fry sauce, and funeral potatoes stopped being funny two decades ago. But we still chuckle about the length of Stockton’s shorts. We know it’s always Utahns, never Utahans. If your core audience is based in Utah, they expect a high level of nuanced understanding about the uniqueness of living here. When you work with us, you get a knowledge-base about Utah that a national firm can never offer.
We appreciate this vibrant community.
While many outsiders think Utah is boring and predictable, we know differently. Thanks to Utah’s beauty and quality of life, locals and transplants alike have contributed to Utah’s culture and subculture — as community radio and live music fans, outdoor junkies and ski bums, allies for social justice and equality, beer nerds, and foodies. Third Sun is a proud to cheer on and be part of our dynamic “Small Lake City.”
Collaborate & Succeed
Being able to share ideas and provide feedback face to face is invaluable. The technologies we have for communication are amazing but still, nothing beats talking to someone in person. Given that we are visually-oriented, social creatures, much of our communication is non-verbal. Plus, many of our clients don’t have a web design vocabulary, so conveying something via drawings or hand gestures just works sometimes.
Get Accountability
We’ve worked hard to create a reputation over the past 12 years, and our clients’ referrals mean a lot. By hiring a local professional company to design your branding and build your website, you are making a big investment, so the company’s reputation should matter. We’re here and we aren’t going anywhere, which means you’re bound to run into one of us at some point (Small Lake City again), and when you do, we hope you have good things to say.
Bonus: It Comes Back to You
When you hire a local branding and web design company, you’re not just getting a better product and investing in the local economy, you are strengthening your community. You’re building relationships with your neighbors, creating more possibilities in terms of jobs and opportunities, and discovering new collaborations and ideas.