From 1996 to 2007 Digital Mouse Designs was known as PuterBug.com and more recently as PBC Web Design. From what I’ve been able to find out, I was Watertown, Wisconsin’s first official web design company.

Because a web designer can develop web sites for clients all over the world without leaving their desk, it’s truly not necessary to hire your web designer locally. If you absolutely insist on hiring local talent, Watertown is located in Southeastern Wisconsin between Madison and Milwaukee. If you are not local to Watertown, I urge you to investigate well beyond what’s available locally. For the good of your web site, it’s the web designer’s talent and experience that’s important … where the designer is located should be somewhere near the bottom of your list of priorities.

Now that you know where I’m located, some of you may wish to have some background on how I came to be in the web design business.

Mom Really Does Know Best!

My “web designer madness” began with my effort to help my parents and my brother get their business on the Internet. They had a bad experience with a web designer who’d taken their money and run, never producing a site for them. At the age of about 40 and very unhappy with my job situation, words my Mother had spoken way back when I was nearing High School graduation began to haunt me. Mom’s words of wisdom were; “You should go into computers. It’s the way the world is going.” Be honest now, how many of you really listen to your parents when you’re in High School? Like any typical teenager, her words were quickly banished from my mind. I wanted to get married and have babies!

During the marriage and baby chapter of my life, Mom’s words floated in and out of my mind off and on. The time came when Mom’s voice just wouldn’t quit haunting me. I got my first computer and quickly became a real computer bug (thus the name PuterBug). To family, friends and co-workers I was their personal Computer Guru. I quickly realized just how sorry I was that I hadn’t listened to Mom 20 years ago! To think I could have been doing what I love doing during all the missed years is just mind-boggling to me.

Because of my insatiable desire and eagerness to learn all that I could about computers, people got the idea that I knew anything and everything there was to know about computers in general! Unfortuntely, the knowledge I’d gained had absolutely nothing to do with designing web sites. My web design adventure began when almost in the same breath, my parents and my boss asked if I would develop web sites for them.

My Mentor Enters the Picture

In my initial efforts to learn computers I met and befriended a special and very smart lady by the name of Linda Cole. Through an accidental online meeting totally unrelated to web design, we clicked immediately and our friendship has continued ever since. Linda moved on from freelance web design to become the Managing Editor at Database Journal.

Linda had already been developing web sites for about five years at that point and had been urging me for some time to join her. I had absolutely no interest in this particular aspect of computer use. For one thing, I didn’t think I had a lick of design talent in my bones and so her coaxing fell on deaf ears. When my parents told me what had happened, I was angered that someone would take advantage of them and decided it was time to listen to Linda.

Having absolutely no experience, being recently divorced and forced to file bankruptcy, losing my house, working two jobs because I was now raising three daughters with minimal financial support from their Father, I had even less money to purchase good software like Linda had. I got myself the trial version of a really bad web design program (oh, so much to learn!) and Linda and I spent one entire night eMailing back and forth on how to make a web site. I didn’t know I could be so lost … but Linda held my hand all the way. The woman has the patience of a Saint!

A few days later I’d built my first web site and was so proud of me! Looking back, I remember just how awful it really was! I’m embarrassed to say that a six year old child could have done a better job in kindergarten art class, but at the time I was literally in awe that little ol’ me had actually had created a web site! But there it was on the Internet for the world to see and I became obsessed with designing web sites. Poor Linda had no idea what she’d just unleashed!

Of course, there was nowhere else to go from there but to move forward and really get into the web design world. As money permitted, I bought just about every book on the topic there was and began taking classes at various online sources to learn the trade. The entire process absolutely fascinated me and I spent every moment I could on anything and everything related to web design.

PuterBug.com is Born

I designed my own web site, uploaded it to the Internet in June of 1996 and PuterBug.com was born. I was officially open for business and Watertown now had a web design company! Unfortunately, I also mistakenly believed in the old “if you build it they will come” concept. I spent a few years developing web sites for friends and relatives for no money just to get my name out there, gain experience and just do what I loved doing. I worked hard to make each web site better than the one before it.

I continued my research and studies and spent money that I really didn’t have to spend on various ways to get The PuterBug known. The one thing I didn’t have was clients. There were many depressing days when I felt like giving up but my new husband kept telling me “you never give up your dream.” His support of me and my dream is amazing and he managed to keep me going even when I didn’t think I could take one more step into making my dream come true. He even took over the household duties so that I could be on the computer doing what I loved and trying to make a go of my business.

What finally started bringing in clients was when I learned about . All this time I had a web site on the Internet but unknown to me, my site was not optimized for the Internet. No wonder I had no clients, no one could find me! Once I got started in SEO the doors to my dream began to open and I found that indeed, I had truly arrived on the web design scene! I began to gain a client base and to realize that all my hard hard work had been worth it.

The Evolution Era

As my business grew, I felt the need to change my business name to something more professional. I was irritated with myself for having chosen an original name that more than not, people mis-pronounced. The visual they got with the name “puterbug” was definitely not one of a company that could develop professional quality web sites. I came to the conclusion that “cute” doesn’t cut it in this business when it comes to your company name. After a few years of thought, a definite need for a new look for my own web site and a giant leap over my fears, I selected the name Digital Mouse Designs.

During the PuterBug.com years, I developed web sites on hosting servers that about drove me insane with their poor quality, lack of features and slow customer service. In 2001 I reached the “enough is enough” stage and decided it was essential to provide good hosting service not only for my clients, but myself as well. After considerable research, I located a company that I could resell hosting services for which gave me the opportunity to provide superior low-cost hosting solutions for my clients and a greatly improved working environment for myself.

In addition to web design, I offer maintenance and updates for existing web sites, shopping carts, search engine optimization, web site and web design consultations, evaluations and sub-contracting services to name just a few. If you don’t see what you’re looking for that doesn’t mean I don’t provide it. to inquire.

I’m also happy to announce the addition of a few key that I’ve joined forces with over the years. Together we are able to offer just about anything you may need in a web site.

A Few Final Words

Web site design and development is definitely a challenge. It’s continuously changing, constantly evolving, and it’s always a never ending learning experience. I work with my clients on a one on one basis and take their needs and design ideas into serious consideration. When you contact Digital Mouse Designs, you are dealing directly with the owner. Each and every web site DMD develops is individually and carefully designed to be unique to the individual client’s needs. My team members help out, but I oversee absolutely everything personally. Together with my team, we’re big enough to provide you with a professional quality website, but small enough to put heart and soul into each and every project. You can be assured that I’ll give you individualized attention to your website development needs at affordable prices. I’ll help you plan and anticipate all of your personal or business site requirements every step of the way.

If you’re interested in speaking further with me on a website development project please submit your Web Site Planner. I will contact you by eMail to discuss your needs, generally within 24 hours.