Who Am I?
My name is Patrick Sasser and I create websites. It's a little bit more complicated than that, but I work with companies and individuals to give them a unique and effective online presence. I’m a family man, a teacher, a student, a coder, and a coach. I’m an avid lover of movies (not so much books). At the moment I watch Frozen on a daily basis with my son (who is three) and my daughter (who is one). I love all things sports—I’ve even traveled six hours to play in a ping pong tournament. The Cardinals and the Mizzou Tigers are my teams.
Services

Website Design
Do you need a custom online presence for your business? Do you have an outdated website that needs to be freshened up? I can create a creative and custom website that suits your needs. Let me design something that features your business effectively and efficiently.

Wordpress Theming
Are you interested in using WordPress for your content management system? Do you already have a site built using WordPress? I can create a custom theme that utilizes the WordPress framework and satisfies WordPress standards. I can create a new theme for your WordPress site.

CMS Development
Do you have a unique and complicated content management system? Do you need to store and use data in a meaningful way? Let me create a custom CMS that helps make your business more efficient. I will use PHP and MySQL to build a unique CMS from scratch that meets your needs.

XHTML / CSS / JavaScript
Do you need some custom coding done on your website? Is there something wrong with the way your website is working? I can code a design that you came up with for your own website. I can also troubleshoot the code of your website and figure out how to code it more efficiently or if there are any problems.

Search Engine Optimization
Do you need help improving your search engine rankings? Do you want to have analytics installed on your website? I can help you analyze your content and improve your websites search engine visibility. I can help you gather data about your website’s usage and work to improve the way people find you on search engines.

Training and Instruction
Do you need to know how to use a specific piece of software? Do you need training in a programming language? As a veteran teacher, I have years of experience preparing lessons on various pieces of technology. Let me train you and your staff on how to use different tools that can make your business more efficient.
My Background
It all started when I was sixteen years old with a plan to become a doctor or a lawyer or who knows what. I took a class at the Columbia Area Career Center called Multimedia Design when I was a junior in high school and I fell in love with Digital Media. All of a sudden I could sit in front of a computer for hours creating anything and everything with a computer. My first website came when my mom volunteered me (thanks mom) to make a website for the Bruin Booster Club. I delivered a terribly designed and minimally functional website and from that first attempt, I was hooked. I loved the challenge of thinking outside the box and coding in HTML.
Since creating that first website in 2001 I have freelanced extensively in the web design industry. I have worked with a variety of clients, ranging from individuals to small business to large corporations. All along the way my knowledge of all things code has grown exponentially. I’ve coded in a variety of languages, including HTML, CSS, PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, and MySQL. I have an extensive background in the three main facets of website development: design, coding, and databases. A great website depends on deep knowledge of these three areas, and my experience in all three sets me apart from other developers and designers.

Education and Work Experience
My early love for web design took me to Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, where I ran track and studied Interactive Digital Media, an interdisciplinary degree with an integrated curriculum from the departments of Computer Science, Mass Communication, and Art. I loved my time at NWMSU and learned a variety of skills and improved my design aesthetic.
After Northwest I took a job as a Java Programmer at Shelter Insurance in Columbia, MO, where I learned all about Java and working in a huge team environment with some of the most creative and genius programmers out there. Alas, Shelter wasn’t for me, so I got a job as high school teacher at the very place my passion for Digital Media started, the Columbia Area Career Center, and I haven’t looked back since. I teach Computer Science, Graphic Design, Web Design, and Filmmaking to students ages 14-18.
I have continued my education in the Digital Media and the Education field. I received a Master’s degree in Educational Technology with an emphasis in Technology in Schools from the University of Missouri in Fall 2010. I’m also currently pursuing a doctorate in Information Sciences and Learning Technologies. Both of these degree programs focus on how to better incorporate technology into the classroom to help the 21st century student learn.
Teaching and Coaching
I have been teaching at the Columbia Area Career Center for eight years. My teaching style is a little bit different than most teachers as I try to infuse excitement into the class through my crazy antics and real world projects. Someone walking by my classroom might hear yelling and chair throwing, anything to get my students pumped up about the curriculum. More than anything, I view a teacher’s main obstacle to overcome in the classroom is lack of student motivation. I want my students to walk away with tools, products, and skills they can use to serve future clients of theirs.
Coaching high school sports is one of the most fulfilling things in my life. I’ve been an assistant cross country coach for 7 seasons and an assistant track coach for 9 seasons. I coach the pole vault, long jump, and triple jump in track. Coaching has a special place in my heart. I find that the athletic fields is where I can connect in the most real way to my student athletes.
Teaching and coaching gives me skills that not every web developer has. Teaching gives me the innate ability to motivate people that I work with and it forces me to keep up on current industry trends and software. Coaching forces me how to communicate a message effectively and clearly. I break down complex tasks into simple commands that all of my athletes can follow. Coaching forces me to work with a plethora of different types of kids. Like clients these kids all have different needs and I’m forced to read body language and to get them to achieve certain goals.

Midwest Roots
My friends might think that I’m a little bit crazy, but I think that there is something unique and intangible about having Midwest roots. Farm Bureau Insurance has an interesting ad campaign that taps into what it means to be from Missouri. I’ll never deny the special place Galveston, Texas holds in my heart, but I’ve been raised in Columbia, Missouri since I was in 4th grade. Columbia is where I competed in my first track meet, graduated high school, got my first real job, bought a house, started a wonderful family, and continued my education.
Having Midwestern roots means that I hold to certain ideals and attitudes. It means I’ll do whatever it takes to satisfy a customer. It means I’ll work hard until every last bit of daylight is gone. It means I’m committed to where I’m at and what I’m doing. This is where I was raised and where I’ve set up shop for the long haul. I’ve invested in Columbia, MO and improving this community. It means I’ll do the right thing. It means that I value my trade and my skill set and I seek to improve it on a daily basis. It means that I enjoy the challenge of identifying a problem, analyzing it, and solving it.
Client List
Applebus
Catherine Noren
City of Refuge
Clover's Natural Market
Coil Construction
Content All Stars
Crimestoppers
Designer Kitchens & Baths
Dory Colbert
Dr. Martha Nessler
Elizabeth MacDonald
Ellis Rourk Productions
Gary Pinkel
Granny's House
Great Rivers Council
HG + CO
Innate Expressions
Johnson County Library Foundation
Johnny Lightning Strikes Again
Keep Columbia Safe
Kevin Shults
Kilgores Medical Pharmacy
Kit Bond Strategies
The Kroenke Group
The Lawn Company
Little Dixie Construction
Maly Commercial Realty
Mary Close
Matt Dingler
The Missouri Bar
Missouri Realtors
MU Academic Retention Services
Newsy
Poehlmann Lawn and Landscape
Project Launch
Questec Construction
Rachael Kennedy
RMI Inc
Show Me Courts
Show Me State Games
Sponsor Management
Team Cocktail
Traxia
Vangel Marketing
Walther, Antel & Stamper
Winning with CPAs

Web Design in Columbia MO
Thanks for browsing my website. Let's find out what we can create together.