The Fourth Media was founded by Herman Steuernagel IV (The Fourth) in 2014. Since then our focus has been to develop fast, efficient premium quality websites.
We’ve been designing websites for over 15 years, and are committed to constantly learning the newest techniques, design and development trends, to ensure that you’re getting the highest quality product possible.
We specialize in true custom design. We do not use pre-made templates or themes which can bog your site down. Your site will be built from the ground up! Our designs will give you greater flexibility, and save you time and money down the road when you want to make simple changes. Custom design also allows your site to be lightweight, as it will not need to load unnecessary code and files that you are not utilizing. This improves both user experience and search engine ranking!
Over 50% of all web browsing today occurs on a mobile device (phone or tablet). Our websites are built to work on a variety of devices using a technique called responsive design. This allows the website to change its layout depending on the screen size in order to enhance user experience. There are thousands of different screen sizes that use the web, and the number is ever increasing.
An important part of website optimization is speed. The site needs to be considerate of user bandwidth, data fees, and network restrictions. We code our sites in a clean, minimalistic fashion to ensure that your site is as fast and lightweight as possible. All images, documents and media files will be fully optimized to minimize on excess bulk. In addition to aiding in an optimal user experience, loading speed is now a factor in Search Engine ranking and also affects bounce rate on your site. We strive to ensure the best user experience possible.
As part of the process of building the website, we will be making sure recommended practices are taken into account to optimize the website for common search engines. Although long-term Search Engine Optimization (SEO) takes time, there are initial steps we can take to build a firm foundation to your site being found. Please be advised that despite numerous claims, being highly ranked on Google is a combination of a large number of factors, and is not a quick process, nor that is it something that can be guaranteed in the long run without sustained brand development. We can also provide a monthly Search Engine Optimization program designed specifically for you on a monthly basis.
Our goal will be to support as many devices and browsers as possible. Although screens may look different on older browsers, we strive to make the site functional on as many browsers as possible. This is important for those who may not have updated systems.
Other content management systems can slow down your site and consequently affect your search engine ranking. On smaller sites, we often use a system called Perch. Perch allows us as designers and developers to integrate your content into our design, in a smooth, lightweight way. Perch allows you to make content changes easily to the website through a web browser. Not only will a CMS save in excess revision costs for simple edits, but it will also ensure that the website stays fresh and up to date. Within the CMS, general formatting, images and links to documents can also be added.
We will provide training, and customized instructional videos on how to use Perch and update your content.
If a larger, more complex site is more your style, we can work with you with a custom built CMS and Admin panel, tailored specifically to your large development project.
Our servers are secure, fast and reliable. We have your site backed up in multiple locations throughout Canada to minimize physical destruction of the data. Data will be regularly backed up to ensure integrity at all times. Not using open source systems such as WordPress means that our websites are built in such a way as to minimize threats, hacking and malicious use of your site and it’s data.
