About Stever

My name is Steve, Steve Hatcher. Most people, except my Mom, call me Stever.

I like the internet. I like design. I like marketing. I like small business. I always have.

After a few years of tinkering online and learning to build websites, learning how search engines work etc., all my interests started to click and now I focus mainly on building websites and creating internet marketing strategies for businesses that target local areas. Perfect timing really as the trend towards local search has just started to really kick in.

My background is not really related to the internet and marketing. I think that’s the same for most search marketing consultants. Most start as hobbyists and with hard work, creative thinking, testing, problem solving, and such, become experts in this ever changing field.

I have a bachelor of science degree in forestry (BScF). Yes forestry. Managing forests, landscapes, wildlife, ecosystems, forest fires, and all that good stuff. I suppose the spatial management aspect of that ties into my interest in local search. In a rather abstract way. Perhaps. It also ties into web usability and conversion optimization.

Forest management is about maximizing multiple conflicting values out of one regional resources base. Harvesting the maximum sustainable amount of wood and fiber while maintaining sustainable populations of wildlife and minimizing impacts on key ecosystem processes. Good web design maximizes conversions (sales or any site goal) while maintaining a very user friendly interface and sustaining user interest.

I’ve always been artistic and had an interest in design. When I was younger I wanted to be an architect, a graphic designer, a photographer, a few other things I cant quite remember. Web design now lets me pursue some of that.

My mind has always been filled with business ideas. Big and small. New ones come and go daily it seems. Many are just mental exercises. I see a potential opportunity, think about in my head, develop a mental picture of how to market it and once I have that all worked out, seems like it should work, I can drop and move on to the next idea. That may sound a little scatter brained I know but its worked well for me to get to where I am now. It now allows me to focus on a new clients needs, develop a strategy, get it up and running then move on to the next client and the next challenge. All of which build my knowledge base on whats effective for various types of business and build a bigger foundation to draw upon for the inspiration to develop new strategies.

Oh, I do of course pursue some of my own ideas. Some of the better ones. The internet now allows me to do more and more of that.

I no longer get dropped into remote mountain locations by helicopter, fight raging forest fires, get to chase bears, or be chased by moose. Yeah, I have some stories. But, I now get to apply my vast array of interests, technical and creative, and get to help business owners achieve some amazing results. With this blog I get to share some of those stories and what I’ve learned about search marketing and web design. Just to name a few that have supported me on my journies over the years: Rieker Summer Sandals, Frontier Decks and Charn Hansra, Chartered Accountant