More on my @LondonIncMag Dec cover story about @tbkCreative #LdnOnt

Hey there, welcome to my website. I’m glad you found it. I should be glad right? Why bother creating a website if you’re not happy when people find it.

              Of course, I generally am thrilled when people land here. They might look at my novels. They might click onto something I’ve written for London Inc. They might contact me and offer great gobs of money for my high-quality writing services…humour me, it could happen.

The thing is, my happiness sometimes depends on who finds the site.

Imagine you put together a solid mid-week meal with a nifty salad, basic pasta dish and some crusty bread on the side. You’d be happy to share with a friend or neighbour who dropped in. But, what if Thomas Keller (the French Laundry guy) or Wolfgang Puck (the Wolfgang Puck guy) somehow swung by? How would your penne-a-la-Prego-pasta-sauce hold up?

I’m sure they’d be magnanimous and complimentary, but of course you’d be wondering what they were really thinking.

              That’s how it is whenever I write about digital media companies, of which there are many in London. They’re in the business of making websites sing, writing code and optimizing for search engines. My website, as you can plainly see, is a homemade affair with a large assist from Squarespace.

              I update things from time to time, most especially when I publish a book or hold an event to remind people I have published a book. I put the first few chapters up on separate page to hook unsuspecting readers.

              But I don’t spend hours on SEO, blogging daily to drum up traffic.

              So, when I interview the founders of a digital media firm – for example tbk for this month’s London Inc. cover story – I can’t help but consider the DIY-basement-reno flavour of my site. For a decade, Andrew Schiestel and Melissa McInerney have fed and nurtured their creation, attracting a roster of impressive clients from across Canada and beyond. Today, they employ 45 and are the regular choice among voters for London’s top web designer.

              No doubt they could whip this site into shape. Maybe next year