There is a new Native American-owned website design company! It’s Choctaw Websites. Launched in 2021 by Sash Johnson, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Choctaw Websites takes a keen interest in serving other native-owned small businesses. But the company is not exclusive to indigenous people. It serves all business owners.
A New Native American-Owned Website Design Company
After building a career in the magazine publishing business, Sash Johnson wanted to shift her career focus and start helping native-owned businesses. In 2012, she launched a marketing consulting business and was immediately hired by Society of American Indian Dentists to broaden their influence. In 2020 she relocated to her tribal lands in Oklahoma and launched Choctaw Websites.
“Native-owned business owners prefer to hire other native-owned businesses.” explains Sash. “And there were almost no options for website design and digital marketing here in the Choctaw Nation.”
Choctaw Websites also wanted to lower the cost of getting a professionally-built website…
“Tribal members were forced to hire website design companies in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas,” Sash goes on to say. “And the prices they charge are far too expensive for most small businesses. That’s why we offer a much lower price point but still offer the same level of expertise offered by big city design companies.”
As a Native American-owned website design company, Sash opted to coin the name, “Choctaw Websites” so that other business owners can easily identify her connection to the Choctaw Nation and to the State of Oklahoma.
“We want to make sure everyone knows that we are based right here in the Choctaw Nation, and that we have a strong interest in working with all business owners throughout Oklahoma, native or not.” Sash explains.
No Overseas Outsourcing Website Design
These days, most US-based website design companies outsource their labor overseas. The majority of websites being built these days take place in China, Russia, and India, at dirt cheap prices. They use cookie-cutter designs, and often include “kill switches” and “back doors” that allow foreign actors to hold websites for ransom or steal customer credit cards and e-mail addresses.
“We do not outsource any of our labor.” Sash Johnson was adamant about saying. “All of our websites are built here in the USA, and are built by hand, by real human beings.”
Sash makes reference to the fact that so many website design companies now use “robots” to build websites.
Keeping Client Websites Secure
At a time when so many small businesses in the United States are getting hacked into and being held for ransom, there is now a greater need for network security.
“We also protect our clients by hosting their websites on servers located in the United States and keep them locked down and secured from foreign hijackers.” Sash adds. “We also keep their data backed up regularly, something we do at no extra cost.”
A Member of Choctaw Nation Small Business Development
Choctaw Websites is also a member of Choctaw Nation Small Business Development. Also referred to as a “chahtapreneur“, members of this organization are committed to helping other Choctaw tribal entrepreneurs.
An Exciting New Social Media Service
In addition to being a Native American-owned website design company, Choctaw Websites also developed an innovative type of social media service that focuses on customer engagement. Instead of just posting content to a company’s Facebook Page or Instagram, Choctaw Websites uses a proprietary new method of finding a company’s core audience, then engaging with them personally. It’s all done by real humans, not robots.
“Our social media approach starts with interaction.” Sash Johnson explains. “It does little to no good to just post stuff on a Facebook page. You have to engage individually with people. You have to find people most likely to interact with you, and most likely to buy from you. That’s the secret. It’s knowing how to find those people.”
