A Journey From Tech Enthusiast to Web Development Expert
With experience dating back to 1996, Ed Booth brings nearly three decades of web development expertise to every project. Insight Dezign specializes in creating custom WordPress websites using our proprietary Genesis framework – helping businesses get found online through professional design, powerful functionality, and search engine optimization.
Early Technology Foundations
My name is Ed Booth, and my path to becoming a web development professional began long before most businesses had discovered the internet.
I grew up surrounded by technology—not just everyday electronics, but computers, electronic components, and soldering irons. With an electronics engineer father as my mentor, I learned to build crystal radios and create LED-enhanced pinewood derby cars and Halloween costumes that lit up and made noise.
This hands-on approach to technology stayed with me. In the early ’90s, a friend and I assembled a PC from parts around the house, connecting to the internet through Compuserve and TIAC. I endured the painfully slow 14.4kb and 28.8kb modem days before eagerly adopting cable internet, all while immersing myself in everything I could learn about the web’s potential.
The First Websites
In 1996, I purchased my first domain name—www.acton-ma.com—and created a community portal for our town and surrounding areas. This pioneering project led to developing websites for local businesses and a local Habitat for Humanity chapter, giving me my first taste of professional web development.
Small Business Experience That Shapes My Approach
While I loved creating websites, my career took me into small business ownership. What began as a part-time job at a gas station evolved into becoming the manager and eventually purchasing the business in 1999. Despite running the station full-time for nine years, I continued following web developments and created an online presence for my business—experimenting with early digital marketing strategies before most small businesses were online.
A business partner and I also launched a deli, which provided another opportunity to apply my web skills to create an online presence when only large food chains typically had websites.
These experiences as a small business owner gave me invaluable insights into:
- Managing day-to-day business operations
- The critical importance of exceptional customer service
- Effective business promotion strategies
- The challenges of limited marketing budgets
- The value of a strong online presence for local businesses
Founding Insight Dezign
In 2010, I decided to combine my technical expertise, internet knowledge, and small business experience by founding Insight Dezign. Since then, I’ve focused exclusively on helping small businesses and non-profits create effective websites that drive real results.