I'm Aaron, and I run Forged Digital out of Century, Florida. Before I built a single website, I spent 15 years as a welder. People are sometimes surprised by that jump, but the longer I do this work, the more sense it makes to me. Good welding and good websites have a lot in common. Both have to hold up when it counts, and both show every shortcut you took.
This is the short version of how I got here, and what it means for the businesses I build for.
Fifteen years behind the hood
Welding teaches you a few things fast. You measure twice, because a bad cut costs you material and time. You prep your work, because a weld is only as good as what's under it. And you take pride in a clean finish, because somebody is going to depend on what you built long after you've packed up and left.
That's the mindset I still work with. A website isn't a piece of art that hangs on a wall. It's a tool people use to find you, call you, and decide whether to trust you. If it breaks, loads slow, or looks rough on a phone, it's costing you work whether you see it or not.
How the firearms industry led me to the web
After welding, I moved into the firearms industry. That's where websites came into the picture. The business needed one, and I wasn't willing to settle for a bad one. So I dug in and learned how to build it right.
That turned into something bigger than I expected. For the last five years I've been building websites and online stores, mostly for construction companies, e-commerce brands, and firearms businesses. Those are three very different worlds, but the owners have something in common. They're busy, practical people who want something that works, not a sales pitch.
Where the name comes from
Every career change I've made has put my feet to the fire. Going from the shop to a new industry, and then from that industry to building websites, meant adapting, learning on the fly, and finding a better way to do things. That's a big part of where the name Forged Digital comes from.
The other part is the forge itself. When you forge metal, you heat it, work it, and shape it into something stronger than what you started with. That's what I want every site I build to be: built solid, built to last, and better than what was there before.
What that means for you
Here's how I think about the work, and what you can expect if we work together.
Built solid
I build sites that load fast, work on phones first, and keep working after launch day. Hosting, security updates, and backups are handled, so you're not stuck trying to figure out why your site went down on a Saturday.
Honest pricing
My prices are right there on the site. No mystery quotes for a basic website, and no surprise invoices down the road. You can see exactly what the Starter and Growth plans include. If you want to understand what drives website costs in general, I wrote a whole article on what a small business website costs in South Alabama.
Local, and I answer my phone
I'm based in Century and I work with businesses across South Alabama and Northwest Florida. When you call, you get me, not a call center or a ticket system. I'm the person you talk to from start to finish.
Your stuff stays yours
Your domain is registered in your name. I've seen enough local businesses lose their web address to know how much that matters, so I wrote about what happens when a business domain expires and how to protect yours.
Who I build for
A lot of the businesses I want to work with are the ones that keep our towns running: HVAC companies, plumbers, roofers, lawn crews, pressure washers, restaurants, and barbershops. Plenty of them get by on word of mouth and a Facebook page. That works, right up until somebody new to town searches Google and finds your competitor instead. If that sounds familiar, read do I need a website if I already have a Facebook page?
If you're in the trades, I put together a list of what every HVAC, plumbing, or roofing website needs to get more calls.
See it before you pay for it
I don't expect anybody to hand over money based on a promise. That's why I start with a free mockup. Tell me about your business, and I'll build a sample homepage so you can see what you'd get before you spend a dime. If you don't love it, you walk away.
If you want to get a feel for my style first, take a look at the sample home pages I've designed for local businesses, from HVAC to restaurants. You can also read a little more about me and how I work.
Thanks for reading. If you've got questions about your website, or you're not sure you even need one, give me a call. I'm happy to give you a straight answer.