In the final era of our first 25 years, Bear Web Design completed one of the most important evolutions in our company’s history — growing from a web design, development and management company into a full-service digital agency.
Building on more than two decades of website expertise, we expanded into Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing, SEO, Google & Meta Advertising and a growing range of digital services. The result was something we had been working toward for years: one experienced team capable of designing, managing, marketing and growing a client’s entire digital presence.
Peter Beare at WordCamp Euro 2025 in Basel Switzerland.
One Team. One Brand. One Digital Strategy.
Today, Bear Web Design brings Website Design & Development, Website Management, Social Media, Content Marketing, SEO, Digital Advertising and emerging technologies together under one roof. Instead of clients coordinating multiple vendors and disconnected marketing efforts, our team can manage the entire digital ecosystem — keeping their website, content, search, social media, advertising and brand working together with one consistent strategy and message.
After 25 years, we still build great websites. We just do a whole lot more with them now.
Trusted WordPress & WooCommerce Expertise
In June 2024, while attending WordCamp Europe in Torino, Italy, Peter Beare met with Automattic to discuss Bear Web Design becoming an Automattic/WordPress Agency. Since that initial meeting, Bear Web Design has worked closely with Automattic to establish Pressable as an important part of our hosting platform while gaining greater visibility as an agency across the WordPress, WooCommerce and Pressable communities.
We quickly embraced this partnership, attending national and international WordCamp events and working with our regional Automattic representatives to expand our involvement with Automattic products and the broader WordPress ecosystem.
Just as importantly, the partnership has strengthened our engagement with the open-source community—one of the qualities that has always made WordPress special. Being part of a worldwide community of developers, designers, agencies and users allows us to continue learning, contributing and bringing new ideas and technologies back to our clients.
Peter Beare meet with Automattic at WordCamp Europe 2024 in Torino, Italy
Yootheme Pro Agency
From 2022 through 2025, YOOtheme Builder became an integral part of how Bear Web Design designed and developed WordPress websites. In 2024, we became an official YOOtheme Agency, and after designing and developing more than 200 YOOtheme websites, Bear Web Design was ultimately listed as the Premier Agency in the United States on the YOOtheme Expert Directory.
As Bear Web Design evolved into a full-service digital marketing agency, YOOtheme continued to play an important role in our website development process. Its powerful yet lightweight framework allows us to build highly customized WordPress websites that are fast, flexible and easy for both our team and our clients to manage.
What began as our preferred WordPress builder evolved into an important area of expertise for Bear Web Design — and one that continues to distinguish our agency today.
In 2022, while working on a new client website, Senior Developer Brad Dawson faced a familiar challenge: creating content for an industry our team had limited experience with, while the client was also struggling to provide or direct us to the content we needed.
Brad decided to try something new—using ChatGPT to help develop the initial website content. The results were impressive.
Our team then reviewed and refined the content, optimizing it for accuracy, readability, SEO, and the client’s voice before launching the new website. Both the client and our team were extremely pleased with the results.
And just like that, Bear Web Design had discovered AI—not as a replacement for our team, but as a powerful new tool to help us do our work better.
In early 2024, while working from Melbourne, Australia for the winter, I joined a Zoom meeting with our team in Nashville and a prominent client who was specifically interested in adding a chatbot to their website. As with many emerging technologies requested by our clients, we believe the best way to understand a new tool is to use it ourselves first.
That led us to create our first chatbot for BearWebDesign.com — Addie Bot, affectionately named after my granddaughter, Addison. We chose ChatBot.com as our platform, allowing us to gain firsthand experience before recommending and implementing chatbots for our clients.
Since launching Addie Bot, we have added chatbots to multiple client websites and have seen their usage continue to grow. We believe chatbots will increasingly become part of the core structure of modern websites — serving as valuable digital team members that help businesses better support their clients and prospects 24/7.
In early 2024, while working from Melbourne, Australia for the winter, I joined a Zoom meeting with our team in Nashville and a prominent client who was specifically interested in adding a chatbot to their website. As with many emerging technologies requested by our clients, we believe the best way to understand a new tool is to use it ourselves first.
That led us to create our first chatbot for BearWebDesign.com — Addie Bot, affectionately named after my granddaughter, Addison. We chose ChatBot.com as our platform, allowing us to gain firsthand experience before recommending and implementing chatbots for our clients.
Since launching Addie Bot, we have added chatbots to multiple client websites and have seen their usage continue to grow. We believe chatbots will increasingly become part of the core structure of modern websites — serving as valuable digital team members that help businesses better support their clients and prospects 24/7.
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) officially launched in October 2020. It was announced as the new default analytics property and the replacement for Universal Analytics (UA) at that time, introducing a new event-based data model.
On January 27, 2012, Bear Web Design purchased its first domain through GoDaddy—JMInsuranceAgency.com—for $10.17. Prior to this, we had been using Aplus.net as our primary domain registrar. While the exact reason for exploring GoDaddy at the time is unclear, it quickly became evident that GoDaddy’s user-friendly portal and management tools were a strong fit for our needs.
Over the following years, we purchased more than 100 domains for both our company and our clients, as GoDaddy became our primary platform for domain registration, management, and renewals. In 2016, we officially closed our Aplus.net account and fully transitioned to GoDaddy.
To this day, GoDaddy remains our primary domain registrar, continuing to support our operations and client services.
Rochen Cloud Hosting
For more than 15 years, Rochen Hosting has been an important technology partner for Bear Web Design, providing the reliable hosting infrastructure and exceptional support that have helped us serve and grow our client base.
Today, we continue to manage one of our dedicated cloud servers with Rochen, alongside our Pressable hosting platform as an Automattic Agency. Our longstanding partnership with Rochen allows us to continue providing clients with outstanding cloud-based hosting backed by a support team we know and trust.
Prior to 2018, Bear Web Design presented web design samples to clients as a series of individual HTML pages. While effective, this process was time-consuming to set up and made it easy for clients to miss links between design concepts and sample pages.
In March 2018, Bear Web Design subscribed to Moqups, providing our team with a collaborative platform for creating and sharing wireframes, website mockups, and logo concepts with clients. This significantly streamlined our design presentation process and improved communication throughout project development.
Moqups is a streamlined and intuitive web application that enables teams to create and collaborate on wireframes, mockups, diagrams, and interactive prototypes. Its cloud-based platform makes it easy to gather feedback, iterate on designs, and keep projects organized in a single location.
Prior to 2018, Bear Web Design presented web design samples to clients as a series of individual HTML pages. While effective, this process was time-consuming to set up and made it easy for clients to miss links between design concepts and sample pages.
In March 2018, Bear Web Design subscribed to Moqups, providing our team with a collaborative platform for creating and sharing wireframes, website mockups, and logo concepts with clients. This significantly streamlined our design presentation process and improved communication throughout project development.
Moqups is a streamlined and intuitive web application that enables teams to create and collaborate on wireframes, mockups, diagrams, and interactive prototypes. Its cloud-based platform makes it easy to gather feedback, iterate on designs, and keep projects organized in a single location.
Prior to 2018, Bear Web Design presented web design samples to clients as a series of individual HTML pages. While effective, this process was time-consuming to set up and made it easy for clients to miss links between design concepts and sample pages.
In March 2018, Bear Web Design subscribed to Moqups, providing our team with a collaborative platform for creating and sharing wireframes, website mockups, and logo concepts with clients. This significantly streamlined our design presentation process and improved communication throughout project development.
Moqups is a streamlined and intuitive web application that enables teams to create and collaborate on wireframes, mockups, diagrams, and interactive prototypes. Its cloud-based platform makes it easy to gather feedback, iterate on designs, and keep projects organized in a single location.
Prior to 2018, Bear Web Design presented web design samples to clients as a series of individual HTML pages. While effective, this process was time-consuming to set up and made it easy for clients to miss links between design concepts and sample pages.
In March 2018, Bear Web Design subscribed to Moqups, providing our team with a collaborative platform for creating and sharing wireframes, website mockups, and logo concepts with clients. This significantly streamlined our design presentation process and improved communication throughout project development.
Moqups is a streamlined and intuitive web application that enables teams to create and collaborate on wireframes, mockups, diagrams, and interactive prototypes. Its cloud-based platform makes it easy to gather feedback, iterate on designs, and keep projects organized in a single location.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies around the world rapidly migrated to using Zoom as remote work became the new standard. With offices closed and employees working from home, businesses needed a reliable way to communicate, collaborate, and hold meetings virtually. Zoom quickly became one of the most popular platforms because of its ease of use, video conferencing capabilities, and ability to host large meetings and webinars. From small businesses to major corporations, organizations relied on Zoom to maintain productivity, conduct team meetings, train employees, and stay connected with clients during an unprecedented shift in workplace operations.
In 2014, Bear Web Design launched a Help Desk system using Zendesk to better support our growing client base. As we expanded to serve well over 100 clients, managing design and development projects—as well as ongoing client needs—through standard email alone became increasingly inefficient.
To address this, we introduced HelpDesk.BearWebDesign.com, a custom client portal that streamlined communication and centralized support requests.
Since implementing the Zendesk Help Desk in 2014, Bear Web Design has consistently handled an average of approximately 1,000 client project and support tickets per year, significantly improving our organization, response times, and overall client experience.
Bear Web Design started using Harvest in 2014 providing a time tracking system that allowed for full integration with Zendesk. Harvest quickly become the primary time tracking system for team members and the primary invoicing initiater for our billing.
Bear Web Design began using Harvest in 2014, implementing a streamlined time-tracking system that fully integrated with Zendesk. Harvest quickly became the company’s primary platform for employee time tracking and the foundation for client invoicing and billing operations.
At the time, Harvest was already emerging as one of the leading platforms for creative agencies, web studios, consultants, and other service-based businesses that billed by the hour. Its appeal centered on simplicity and efficiency — allowing teams to track time, generate invoices, and monitor project profitability without the complexity of enterprise-level software.
Over the years, Harvest helped Bear Web Design improve workflow organization, strengthen billing accuracy, and create a more seamless connection between project support and financial management.
Bear Web Design signed up for a Google Apps for Business account on January 1, 2012, and Google’s suite of products has been a foundational part of our operations ever since. During that time, we onboarded all team members to @bearwebdesign.com Google accounts, giving us access to essential collaboration tools such as Gmail, Calendar, Drive, and Docs—tools we continue to rely on every day.
In 2014, Google Business Profile was introduced, and we quickly adopted it as a key part of our client strategy. We ensured that every client we managed established a presence on the platform, which has since become a cornerstone of local marketing and visibility for the businesses we serve.
In 2017, my Joomla associate, Nicky Vetch from Melbourne, Australia, told me she was managing all of her client websites using a platform called Watchful. At the time, we were maintaining more than 125 Joomla websites—and a handful of WordPress sites—completely manually. Every core update, plugin update, and theme update had to be performed one website at a time. Looking back, I’m not entirely sure how we managed it all!
The updates themselves were time-consuming, but the biggest concern was the possibility of a website going down. While outages were rare, there was always the risk that a client would be the first to tell us their website was offline. That prospect never sat well with me.
Following Nicky’s recommendation, we subscribed to Watchful on June 1, 2017, and have managed all of our clients’ websites through the platform ever since. Nearly a decade later, Watchful remains an essential part of our website maintenance process.
Today, we receive continuous monitoring and status updates across all client websites, including alerts for website changes—a valuable security feature that helps us identify potential issues quickly. Automatic updates are scheduled to run overnight for most of our North American clients, ensuring websites remain secure and up to date with minimal disruption. We also provide uptime reports to clients, which we know they greatly appreciate.
Watchful is a powerful remote management platform that allows agencies and website professionals to administer portfolios of Joomla and WordPress websites from a single, customizable dashboard. Key features include automated maintenance, security monitoring, website performance tracking, analytics, SEO insights, and centralized management tools that save countless hours of administrative work.
Fun Fact: If you visit the Watchful website today, you’ll still find Nicky’s photo featured in their testimonials section. Watchful couldn’t ask for a better ambassador than that!
In 2011, Bear Web Design transitioned from a manual billing and accounting system to QuickBooks Online. This initiative was led by my sister, Rosemary Goodman, based in Melbourne, Australia, who serves as our Accountant and Bookkeeper. The move to an online platform made remote collaboration seamless and reinforced the value and efficiency of cloud-based systems.
Since then, Rosemary has meticulously maintained Bear Web Design’s financial records. Her consistent attention to detail, timely invoicing, and monthly oversight have ensured that our books remain accurate and up to date at all times—providing a strong financial foundation that has supported our growth.
It is also worth noting that QuickBooks underwent a major rebuild in 2013, evolving into the modern, fully cloud-based platform that businesses rely on today.
Featured Team Member
Known for her exceptional work ethic, curiosity, and dedication to her clients, Sabrina is also a continuous learner who is always looking for new ways to improve results. Her commitment to both strategy and execution has made her an important part of Bear Web Design’s growth and helped shape the expanded digital marketing services we offer our clients today.
SEO Optimized!
Google Ads
Meta Ads
e-NEWS Marketing
Accessiblity
Platforms and WorkFlows
WordCamp Europe 2025
WordCamp Europe 2025 was held in the beautifcal city Basel, Switzerland – Switzerland’s Capital for Art and Culture. Nestled in the heart of Europe, on both banks of the Rhine, Basel is a pocket-sized metropolis that combines proverbial Swiss quality with a multicultural population.
This was our second WordCamp Europe and was a highlight for Bear Web Design celebrating its 25th Year. WordPress and Europe seem to be very excited with the future as WordPress continue to dominate CMS’s world wide. Here is my summaries of this wonderful event!
WordCamp Europe 2024
Matt Mullenweg – Automattic CEO – Keynote Speaker at WordCamp Europe 2024 in Torino, Italy
We attended our first WordCamp Europe Conference in Torino (Turin), Italy in early June 2024.
Turin is an elegant historic city in northwestern Italy, serving as the capital of the Piedmont region and famous as Italy’s first capital. Nestled at the foot of the Alps, the city is well known for its grand baroque architecture, rich industrial heritage (as the birthplace of Fiat – Bonjourno Baby!@#), and world-class museums.
Besides plenty of great sessions, a primary focus on this conference was meeting with Automattic (WordPress) to establsh whether Bear Web Design was a candicate to become an Automatic Agency. The meeting went very well with Ross Spadaro and post the meeting we applied to become an agency. To cap it off at the end of the meeting Ross told me he was a Packers Fan so that was simply icing on the cake!
Here is a snippet of our press release several months plater promoting our new status as an Automatic Agency after the Torino Conference.
Bear Web Design, a digital marketing agency based in Nashville, TN, recently achieved a significant milestone by becoming an official Automattic “WordPress” Agency. Founder Peter Beare attended WordCamp Europe in Turin, Italy, in June 2024. In Turin, he met with representatives from Automattic, resulting in Bear Web Design’s new status. This partnership is a natural fit, given the company’s specialization in custom WordPress design and development, including implementing WooCommerce online stores.
Check out conference pics!
Peter Beare
Sales & Support
Jennifer Folsom
Senior Designer/Developer
Brad Dawson
Senior Developer
Sabrina Jewell
Marketing/Performance Specialist
Dana Bryson
Senior Web Designer
(Sabattical 2023-2024)
Matt Hearn
Designer/Developer
Kidman Lessielle
Designer/Developer
Morgan Hoffman
Content Marketing –
Design/Developer
Rosemary Goodman
Accounts/Bookkeeping
2026: The Year Digital Marketing Becomes Your Most Valuable Business Strategy
Marketing is no longer a department you visit when something needs polishing. In 2026, marketing becomes the plush, well-crafted leather sofa in the center of your business—a place where your brand’s identity, customer trust, and long-term growth settle in and get comfortable. And today, that sofa is unmistakably digital. Small and mid-sized businesses win when they understand their customers, communicate with clarity, and build trust at every online touchpoint. Smart, strategic digital marketing is no longer optional; it’s the foundation that supports visibility, credibility, and conversions…
Client Spotlight: Rudy Studios Launches New, Modern Website With Virtual Tours.
The Collaboration of Rudy Studios and Bear Web Design
When Rudy Studios needed a new website and logo, they chose Nashville’s Bear Web Design. Rudy Studios offers diverse studio apartments, fully furnished spaces, or an unfurnished, blank canvas. Bear Web Design took the studio’s apartment offerings and created a modern, clean website with virtual tours. The site also showcases the property’s amenities and features. Additionally, Bear Web designed a new logo, created core marketing content, and added strategic placement of the studio’s contact and inquiry forms, making it easier for prospects to schedule tours and contact the property manager. We are proud to feature this, Client Spotlight: Rudy Studios for their new, modern website with virtual tours.
How AI Is Changing Search and Why Your Website Needs to Keep Up
People still use Google, but AI-powered search tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and other large language models (LLMs) now play a significant role in how users discover information online. More people are turning to conversational AI for quick, direct answers rather than browsing traditional search results. Because of this shift, your website must be optimized for both Google SEO and AI search visibility.
When AI can read your content clearly, your business becomes easier to discover.
How to Grow Your Business With Social Media Marketing: Planning for 2024.
With nearly 59% of the world interfacing on social media for 2.5 hours daily, it is no wonder it has become a marketing phenomenon. And the key to maximizing this phenomenon is understanding it is a player’s game. What does this mean? First, you must constantly be in the game to grow your business with social media marketing. As well as keep the correct elements in motion consistently. Where should you start? You can have a thriving social media presence by focusing on the right platforms, managing the administrative components, launching target ads, and creating trustworthy, consistent content. All of these are essential elements in growing your business. Here are things to consider when building your social media marketing strategy and creating your 2024 marketing plan…
Tidy Up Your Website with Smart Content
eNEWS Article from our e-NEWS May 6, 2025 –
Morgan Hoffman started with Bear Web Design as a Social Media Marketing Intern and then focused on Website Content Management with SEO Optimzation and by the completion of 2025 Morgan was designing & developing websites.
Once your website is launched, the work doesn’t stop there. Your site is a hardworking, evolving part of your brand—and like anything valuable, it needs ongoing care. That’s where I come in.
From updating outdated copy and refreshing images to adding new pages and improving SEO, I handle the behind-the-scenes tasks that keep your website sharp, accurate, and user-friendly.
A well-managed site doesn’t just look good—it performs better.
Search engines reward fresh, engaging content. Visitors trust clear, current information. And your brand? It leaves a lasting impression.
It’s easy to overlook small website updates—but those little details make a big impact.
After all, when a potential customer lands on your site, the last thing you want them to see is outdated content. It not only looks unprofessional, but it can also lead to missed opportunities.
Still showing last year’s updates on your site?
Better get Morgan…
In 2023 Brad Dawson, our senior developer, recognized the potential capablities of AI when a project required specialized concrete construction content.
Our First Website Content Created with ChatGPT
During Oakley Construction’s website redesign in 2023, we reached a familiar sticking point: describing the company’s specialized concrete construction services clearly and accurately. The project’s content phase had stalled while we waited for the client to provide detailed service descriptions.
Our senior developer, Brad Dawson, turned to ChatGPT to help develop a first draft. He then refined the content and used Yoast SEO to improve how it was presented for search. It was the first time Bear Web Design used ChatGPT to help create content for a client website—and the moment we recognized its potential as a practical tool for our team.
ChatGPT soon became part of our regular content workflow, helping us draft and clarify ideas. Paired with our team’s review and SEO work, it has helped us create stronger website content while keeping the process efficient and affordable for clients.
One of the greatest gifts of a career in design and digital work has been the freedom to travel, meet colleagues from around the world, and stay connected to Bear Web Design wherever we go. The internet has allowed us to work with people across borders—and to explore the world along the way.
These photos capture two memorable stops: WordCamp Europe 2024 in Torino, Italy, and WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel, Switzerland.
WordCamp Euro 2025 – Basel, Switzerland
WordCamp Europe 2025 in Basel, Switzerland
WordCamp Euro 2024 – Torino, Italy
