HOLMES BEACH — The Gulf Coast studio where Melissa Williams operates her Web and graphic design company is a factory of advertising and marketing solutions for businesses and non-profit organizations.
At Steam Designs, Williams helps businesses create and showcase their identity via logos and Web sites, advertisements, brochures, stationery and tradeshow displays.
“If you have a marketing-related need, she can help you with it,” said Joyce Karp, director of the Anna Maria Island Art League.
Williams describes her company as one that helps businesses gain more exposure through effective branding and marketing identity.
“We get the little fish noticed in a big way,” Williams says.
Steam Designs has gone from a subcontracted, freelance service company to one that serves about 90 clients, one of whom includes The Ritz Carlton.
The Holmes Beach resident landed her first freelance project about five years ago with Wagner Realty. To focus on designing promotional materials for Vistas on Beneva Condominium, Williams quit her job with an international tradeshow display company. Williams figured the contract was her chance to leave her managerial position and take a shot at her dream.
“Everybody’s ultimate goal to a certain degree is to be their own boss,” Williams said. “It was a big project. So it was a question of ‘Do I jump or do I wait for somebody to push?’ So I jumped.”
Wagner Realty’s contract opened the door to other freelance marketing projects. And the more people saw the name Steam Designs on promotional materials, the more businesses learned about Williams and her company.
Since starting Steam Designs in June 2004, Williams said her client base has increased by 75 percent. And over the past 18 months, Steam Designs saw sales increase by 18 percent.
“You don’t realize the power of just your name being out there,” Williams said
Steam Designs charges per project with average costs ranging from $150 to $875 depending on the design or marketing service.
Last year, Steam Designs provided marketing and design services for The Ritz Carlton that included designing an 11-page holiday brochure and a 75-page guest planner, which accompanies rooms in the luxury hotel in Sarasota.
But many of its regular clients are based on Anna Maria Island and include restaurants, hotels, real estate companies as well as non-profits such as the Anna Maria Historical Society, The Island Players and the Anna Maria Island Art League.
“She works to make sure she’s capturing the sentiment or the feeling behind what you’re trying to create or produce,” Karp said.
Sean Murphy, owner of Beach Bistro, selected Steam Designs about three years ago to design the island restaurant’s Web site, newsletter and advertisements.
“We’ve got a particular image we want to portray, that’s elegance, richness and exceptional product, so all of that has to shine through in the advertising and they manage to do that for us,” Murphy said.
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