Tim Gavin | Code Monkey / Teen Idol

Hi!

I have over fifteen years experience in designing and building websites, the latter half focusing primarily on PHP/MySQL sites and web applications. I have roughly seven years experience administering cPanel servers. I have a strong design background which I can use to assist in all areas of development, from print materials to mobile sites. In addition to my technical abilities I am a strong salesman who is very comfortable in client and pitch meetings. I’m a detail oriented person who believes in simplicity, elegance and strong customer service. While I’ve been known to cut a rug, I can’t sing to save my life. Hopefully this won’t be a deal breaker.

I created and maintain tagChimp, a free movie meta tagging site which has been mentioned in Macworld and Mac|Life magazines, the latter featuring it as a staff pick. tagChimp currently has over 12,000 registered members and has received over 25M API hits. I have also created sites and services for Universal Music, SONY Music, Harley-Davidson, Jackson Memorial, Fleet Bank Boston and Bieler Bros. Records. I was also forced into creating a Facebook page for my mother, however, she handles the updates.

I have experience building custom RESTful XML APIs and working with the Facebook, PayPal, UPS, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube APIs, among others. I have OAuth experience and have created a well-received screencast and example code for implementing the Tumblr OAuth system.

About

In a nutshell: I build websites. Basically, taking new or existing designs and creating an compliant, accessible site with very clean code. I started back in the day — February, 1996 — when it was imperative to squeeze every last byte out of an image or webpage. To me, that’s still important. It’s part of my core belief in website development. I’m a firm believer in the KISS philosophy. No, not that Gene Simmons is a god, but that less is more. That holds true in design, as well as in code.

What I Do

Portfolio

Problem solver • excellent communication skills (geek to layman) • great with clients • strong customer service, support and sales • meets deadlines • team player • attention to detail • certified ShopSite E-commerce developer • PHP • MySQL • jQuery • OOP • XML • HTML5 • CSS3 • Agile development • Responsive design • application design • REST APIs • OAuth • user interface design • web/mobile applications • custom Content Management Systems (CMS) • Ecommerce • mobile web apps • Virtual Reality photographic panoramas • Dreamweaver • Photoshop • Coda • BBEdit • phpMyAdmin • Concrete 5 • WordPress • cPanel.

Skills/Apps

Your design to finished site

Give me your Photoshop documents, Quark layouts in PDF, pre-existing website template, or whatever you have and I’ll create a functional, standards-compliant, SEO optimized website. Honest and for true. I can even hook it up to a database and give you a kick-butt, dynamic site with a custom CMS. Impress your friends! Make your neighbors jealous! Show them you have the biggest brain on your block!

Options!

I study the options. Specifically, options that will save time and money. Let’s face it, content, not design, is king. Sure, a good design goes a long way, but content rules. I’ll advise you on what I think is the best approach to solving your particular problem. Is it content? is it design? Is it a low budget? Would you be better off spending thousands on a custom-designed site? Or, would a $60 template suffice? In fact, to prove a point that it doesn’t have to take a gazillion dollars (U.S.) to build a site, I built this very site in a few minutes using WordPress.

A Whole Different Paint Job

Look at building a website like building a house. You lay the foundation, build the house and then paint it. Once the foundation and structure are built, it costs little to paint. A website is similar. Plan the foundation and build it. If it’s done correctly, changing the template (paint job) can be easily and inexpensively accomplished as often as you like because you do not have to rebuild the entire site. This is one of the reasons why I have relationships with customers that have lasted over 10 years. I look out for your best interests.

In a nutshell

I work well with the technically-challenged. Meaning: I’ll register your domain name, set up the hosting account, build the site, optimize it for SEO, install your shopping cart, get the secure certificate, blah, blah, something, blah. In a nutshell; let me know your goals, give me a deposit and run outside to play. I’ll take care of the rest.

How I Can help

“Running a global record company means that communication is essential. Things like getting our message out to fans and having a web site that clearly displays information are crucial. We needed to have something that was easily up-dateable by our staff and wouldn’t slow the process or work flow down. These weren’t requests, these were, and are, essentials. Tim Gavin, and [his newsletter marketing program] Ballywho! have been strong partners for us, providing seemless integration and reliable support. Go elsewhere at your own peril.”
— Jason Bieler, CEO, Bieler Bros. Records

“Always cheerful, on time and on budget, Tim has surpassed expectations on each project by offering solutions that we didn’t even know were possible, streamlining and perfecting our client’s final product, and making professional and concise decisions that led to repeat business from those same satisfied clients. As a contracted web designer and developer, Tim is our go-to person and we recommend him to anyone needing these services, and will continue to call on him in the future.”
— Charlie Read, Firewater Creative

“I know that when I’m working with Tim, my clients won’t be let down. Tim’s expertise and amiable nature make him a perfect fit. We have collaborated with Tim on so many projects that we, and our clients, consider Tim to be a part of our team. Forget Allstate, you’re in good hands with Tim.”
— Randy Burman, Creative Director + President, IKON Communication+ Marketing Design

“We have been a client of Tim’s for over fourteen years. I have always been extremely happy with his customer service. We trust his reliability and he has always surpassed our needs and expectations.”
— David Watson, Vice President, DM Records

“That’s awesome. Your work clearly demonstrates that you have mastered SQL — the sequence of creates, deletes, selects, updates, alters… why, that script is a thing of beauty! Nice job.”
— Rudy Limeback, Sitepoint database guru and author of “Simply SQL“

“Tim has been there when we needed him! He designed our web site and makes sure we keep it current and in step with latest trends. When Tim helped us build a monthly, web-based newsletter he was right there to personally manage our technical challenges and he is regularly updating the product in anticipation of our growing needs. It’s been easy working with Tim and we are pleased with the outcome of our partnership.”
— Stefani Daniels, Managing Partner, Phoenix Medical Management, Inc.

“I’m writing to let you know how much I love using Ballywho!. I’m not exactly the most computer literate person and I have struggled with other newsletter software, but Ballywho! was so easy and intuitive, that I had a great looking newsletter in no time without getting frustrated even once! After I sent out my first edition, I actually got compliments on how nice my newsletter looked and worked. I’ll continue to use Ballywho! and recommend it to my friends.”
— Skot Olsen

“Tim’s work is always top-notch and he is very responsive. When I have questions, Tim spends as much time as needed to explain the technical issues to me. I always know I will get a good result!”
— Samantha Castronovo, Director of Operations at NTM Info & Research, Inc.

“Since October 2001 Tim Gavin has been a reseller of our products. His customers are happy and successful. I have never had a complaint from any of them regarding his duties as a Shopsite Partner. He maintains excellent credit with us and has always been good in paying our invoices. Tim is quite technical and capable in helping our customers build successful online businesses. I am happy to recommend him.”
— Guy Prybl, Director of Account Management, Shopsite

“It is with great pleasure that we at Cheryl Andrews Marketing/Good Times Productions recommend Tim Gavin. Tim, has always been very professional, responsive and very good about coming back quickly with answers and fixes to all kinds of issues. One of his best qualities is that us normal humans can actually understand what he is saying. Many times you start trying to understand what a web/computer person is saying and immediately your eyes glaze over. Not so with Tim.”

“One of his best services is the method that he uses to instruct folks like me (novices). He actually produced a short demonstration movie for us so we could learn the various steps it takes to make changes to our site. The film is still used five years later.

We recently purchased their new program Ballywho! and adapted it for several purposes, including email blasts and as a method for our client reps to send monthly reports to our clients. It has been a big hit. We highly recommend Tim Gavin.”
— Jim Stephens, Vice President Creative, Cheryl Andrews Marketing

Testimonials

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