Building An Online Presence the Same Way We Build Pallets

We started with nothing more than a Facebook page that had a single photo, our address, and a phone number.

• No website.

• No blog.

• Not even a pin on Google Maps.

Our Original Facebook Cover Photo

At some point, we realized we were underutilizing what a basic online presence could do for a business like ours. We’re a small team, and we’re efficient. It didn’t make sense to hire a full-time web or social media professional — and we weren’t interested in dropping a pile of money on a website someone else would build and walk away from.

So, like we do with everything else, we just figured it out one step at a time.

• We read tutorials.

• We poked around in free tools.

• We cleaned up our listings.

• We made the website ourselves.

• We write the blogs.

• We take the pictures and film the videos on our smartphone.

• We used free tools, and free resources.

• We checked fair use requirements.

• And we did it all ourselves.

Here’s a look behind the scenes of how we went from a single Facebook cover photo… to what we have today.

Building the Website

We built our website entirely using Wix. The SEO Wizard, Accessibility Wizard, and builder tools were all helpful along the way. Sometimes we had to dig around or Google how to do something specific in Wix, but we usually found answers through AI tools, videos or FAQ threads.

We taught ourselves about SEO optimization — how to write meta tags and alt descriptions, how to choose good keywords, and how backlinks and referrals help strengthen a site’s reach. We studied privacy and cookie requirements to make sure all data use was ethical and responsible, and we researched accessibility standards to ensure that all users could access our site easily.

Beyond just building the site, we developed a strategy to maximize our website, blog, business listings, and Facebook Page to strengthen our local presence. We also started using free tools like Google Search Console, PageSpeed Insights, Ahrefs (free features), and AI tools to help research SEO optimization opportunities and monitor site performance.

Listing the Business

When it came to business listings, we didn't even know Google or Bing Business Profiles existed. A search on how to get listed on Google Maps introduced us to them. We verified the business by phone with Google, and once that was complete, Bing accepted the Google verification.

Creating Content

For photos and videos, we kept things simple: we use Photomind, CapCut, and even MS Paint. That's it. Free and straightforward. Online tutorials taught us how to edit, transition, match action with the music.

We mainly rely on Pixabay for stock photos, and we use them sparingly. Everything from Pixabay is CC0 or under their Content License, but we still double-checked. We reviewed the license terms directly, then ran our interpretation through AI to make sure we understood them correctly.

Using AI Resources

We also used AI tools — like the one helping shape this post — to bounce around ideas, clean up drafts, and double-check clarity. But we’re clear about what we want to say, and how we want to say it. AI is just one more tool in the belt. It doesn't do the work for us; it just helps to make sure we make it the best we can.

And here’s what we got out of it:

We’re now pinned on Google Maps. We show up in search results for manufacturers, logistics companies, and food distributors searching for a pallet manufacturer or supplier within our service area. We’ve gotten calls and emails asking for quotes. People can now actually find us and contact us. People actually know we exist. One business in Radford searching online for a pallet manufacturer didn’t even realize there was one just six miles away. Now they do.

It’s all been built piece by piece — just like the pallets we make. And like everything else we do, it’s designed to be straightforward, solid, and suited to our actual needs.

And if we're being honest — we're proud of how it turned out. The website. The blog. The Facebook page. The photos. The videos. It all reflects who we are and how we work. It’s clean, it’s useful, easy to maintain and cost-effective. And in our opinion? It looks damn good.