Websites (and a web dev) you can rely on.

If your online presence doesn’t add up to who you are and where you’re going, we can help with that.

Your website can:

Reflect where you’re going, not where you started
Turn browsers into customers and clients
Handle mindless, repetitive administrative tasks

Highlight Creative is a small studio with an organized approach towards taking your website from a mannequin to a workhorse, and giving you the tools to quickly and easily maintain it. (And you won’t lose your sanity in the process.)

“Working with Peninah at Highlight Creative gave me the tools I needed to plan, build, and run my new website. From the start, I knew what I was getting into from the clear proposal, emails, and tutorials. Peninah provided plans and timetables that broke down every step, and made it seem less like climbing a huge mountain, and her encouragement and support at every step was helpful, too!”

Melanie Wolfson | ThinkGrants

Designer: Rivkah Wolfson

Here’s what you get:

Step-by-step plans:

No surprises here! You’ll get a timetable with the website build process is broken down into steps (in regular-people terms, not code geekery), with your approval at every stage.

Custom design:

We don’t use templates. Ever. Great design is always built around content, and that’s where we start. Your site’s layout is designed for your content, industry, and clientele. And also, it’s gorgeous. (Obviously.)

Lots of communication:

You’ll always know what I’m working on, what’s been accomplished, and what’s coming up next.

Plans for your content:

Writing copy, organizing your product inventory, keeping track of all those policy pages — these are huge jobs, even if we’ve got a copywriter on board. But we’ll map it out, and I’ll make sure you never have to produce content without guidance.

Rock solid development:

You’ve heard that websites break often and need a lot of maintenance? Not when you’re working with professionals. All our sites are easily editable and most maintenance is under the hood.

There are no stupid questions.

I get lots of emails that start, “I have a stupid question.” My response? That’s not a stupid question at all! Here’s how it works. If you prefer, we can hop on a call and I’ll walk you through it.

Website training:

Before launch, I’ll walk you through the backend of your site. I’ll also prepare detailed video tutorials so you don’t have to remember all those directions ;)

Peninah has a sixth sense for understanding what it is you want to say. She took our huge warehouse and had it all organized in one site with all appropriate features in the most magnificent way. We challenged her in so many ways and wow, did she deliver.

Peninah and patience are synonymous. She is so devoted to her clients and gives them the time and patience we all need, and is always there when trouble arises. I can truly say this because I pushed all the buttons! She taught me to be the professional and understand the ins and outs of running the site in simple language I understand.

Thank you, Peninah! You took our business to a higher level.

Chaya Perlow | Bloom’s Kosher

Let’s get this rolling.

Tell me about your project

You might be thinking...

Who is Highlight Creative?

Mostly, Peninah Adler. I’m the “I” you’re reading about in the rest of this website, in case you wanted to know what I do. My soul is in Israel, but the rest of me is in Cleveland, Ohio.

I work with the fabulously talented designer Rachel Gabay, and often partner with Daniel Keebler for conversion-focused copy. (I also work with other designers and copywriters, which you can see credited in my testimonials.)

How much will my website cost?

Each project is scoped and priced accordingly, with most falling in the $5k – $10k range. Projects have fixed fees. I spend a lot of time pre-proposal nailing down what you need from your website, so everything is detailed and included. The scope is generally pretty spot on, which means there aren’t any unpleasant surprises mid-development.

How long will it take for my site to launch?

That depends on:

The complexity of your website
Your responsiveness and commitment to the project
If you’ve got your content prepared or if we’re working with a copywriter

A simpler site with pre-written content can take 5 – 7 weeks. A more featured site, or an e-commerce site, will generally take 14 – 18 weeks.

These timelines are what I have found in my experience. However, I’ve also had people who needed their sites quickly and were prepared to do the work to make that happen. If that’s you, I’m on board! I’ll talk it through with you to make sure we have realistic goals.

At the start of your project, I’ll send you an overview of the steps of your project that includes development time, so you can pace the project.

Do you offer support post-launch?

Only if you need it. Because my clients’ businesses vary so greatly, I don’t offer packaged maintenance.

My goal is to automate, streamline, and simplify.
I automate as much of the maintenance as possible. Updates, backups, security — those are always running automatically.

I streamline day-to-day updates, so they’re quick and easy to handle for anyone on your team. Comprehensive, crystal-clear video/written tutorials are created for any part of your site you will be handling.

Some clients do still need support, usually for added features, or marketing revisions — things they don’t do day-to-day, and need a dev to handle. These are billed hourly unless a fixed rate is needed.

Do you do e-commerce?

Yes.

Do your websites come with a logo?

They don’t, but they can :)

Branding (it’s more than a logo) means getting to the heart of who you are, what you do, and why. Designing branding along with your site creates a cohesive, authentic online presence. Many of my clients already have branding, so I leave it as an optional addition for projects that require it.

For businesses who don’t need a complete rebrand, but could use some sprucing up, we often do a refresh. That usually includes adjusting the color palette, changing the company typefaces, sometimes rotating some of the logo elements to perform better through varied media. (You can see an example here. )

Can you write the content for my site?

No. I partner with copywriters if we include content in your proposal (you’ll have the chance to meet with the copywriter pre-proposal, or bring your own). Professional copywriting is a hugely worthwhile investment, in many ways.

If you don’t have a copywriter on board, I guide you through the process of creating content yourself. We sort through your existing content and work out what to keep, revise, or discard. I’ll give you descriptions of the type of content that should go on different pages. I provide an outline for the homepage content (“fill in the blanks” style). Every step is broken down into manageable pieces.

I don’t need a new website, I just need to fix XYZ. Can you do that for me?

I only take on new clients for full website builds, but I’d be happy to recommend someone. Shoot me an email with a link to your site and what you need done.

Will my site be mobile-friendly?

It’s 2021. Yes, of course.

I’m a graphic designer looking for a developer. Do you do collaborations?

Yes! I love working with designers, and they love that I care as much about the tiny details as they do. (“Can you make that line 2px larger?”) I’d be happy to talk with you about my process and yours, any time. You don’t have to have a project at hand; if you’d just like to explore the possibility, please be in touch. I’m quite friendly :)

Our company has a graphic designer/design agency we love. Can you work with them?

Probably! For in-house projects, I work with Rachel Gabay, but I have happily worked with outside designers. I’ll just need to have a quick chat with them to ensure we’ll work well together.