Web Site Home to Helper of Other Web Sites
By Billy Liggett
bliggett@dailyworld.com
Since the Daily World began profiling local Web sites at the turn of the new year, Karen Lagrange has been somewhat of a regular feature - albeit, behind the scenes.
In this week's feature, Lagrange is front and center with her business Web site, www.kalidust.com, which promotes her business of making others' Web sites not only more attractive, but user-friendly and easily accessible.
Of the more than 60 Web sites she has designed and maintained, about 95 percent of them have been business sites, she said.
"Businesses and organizations have to present the right image to their customers," said Lagrange, an Opelousas resident who's currently working on sites for the Arnaudville Chamber of Commerce and a man who's ready to start selling videos of Katrina as it hit the Louisiana shore.
She said while just about anybody can create a simple Web page, people come to her because they want a page that's easy to use and more importantly, easy to maintain.
"Building a Web site is much like building a house," she said. "If you don't wire the house correctly, you'll have electrical problems down the road. My job is to ensure the 'wiring' in those walls is done correctly. And if it all works well, when it's time for a change or upgrade in the future, it's much easier."
Another draw to her customers is the fact that their Web sites become easier to find on search engines (such as Google or Yahoo) when Lagrange does it. She said she uses CSS tableless designs, which helps separate content from visual layout.
"As a result," she said, "search engines don't run into as many stumbling blocks or dead ends. They go to a site easier and pick it up easier."
The importance of search engines is obvious for businesses which a lot of people may not know about, but offer a service that can be searched online.
Lagrange said she got into Web design about seven years ago and has been fascinated with it ever since.
"I have sort of a love affair with computers and the Internet. When I started doing Web sites in '99, I was fascinated, so I continued to learn."
One thing she's championed for is making Web pages more accessible to everybody, especially those with disabilities.
"I completed one last month for someone in Massachusetts who deals with physical accessibility issues,' she said. "My daughter is handicapped, so accessibility for everybody online is something that's very important to me."
Anyone who visits kalidust.com (the name "Kalidust" comes from a combination of her name and her children's), can learn a little more about when Lagrange has to offer, plus see a portfolio of her Web sites, articles written about her and her products.
Originally published in Daily World, Opelousas, LA - February, 2006
With Kalidust - Online success is easy to achieve.
Contact us or give us a call at 337-988-2377. We'll be happy to schedule a telephone consultation with our website development expert, Karen Lagrange Coleman.