First Net Impressions

What First Net Impressions does

First Net Impressions is a privately held web design and digital services agency founded in 1997 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin (currently operating out of Altoona, WI) by Kyle and Maria Herbert. The firm provides custom website design, in-house web hosting, branding, and marketing services to small and mid-sized businesses, reporting 550+ clients and 500+ websites built over its operating history. Its service mix combines one-time project work with recurring hosting and maintenance contracts, supported by an in-house content management system and proprietary hosting infrastructure.

The business model is sales-led, regional SMB-focused, and primarily direct-to-client, with a national footprint that includes clients beyond Wisconsin and Minnesota. The technology stack is largely proprietary: an in-house CMS with customer-controlled editing, in-house hosting, and standard integrations with third-party tools including Campaign Monitor for email marketing and Google Analytics for site analytics. The company has no external funding, operates with a 1-10 employee team, and has remained under continuous founder ownership since inception.

Commercially, the firm supplements project revenue with recurring hosting and maintenance fees, an online payment portal for client billing, and a 5% referral program designed to convert existing clients into a sales channel. There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, no acquisitions, no funding events, and no leadership changes on record. The business profile is consistent with a mature, owner-operated regional agency rather than a venture-backed growth company.

Name

First Net Impressions

Legal name

First Net Impressions, LLC

Website

https://firstnetimpressions.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

First Net Impressions is a privately held, founder-owned web design and digital services agency in Altoona, WI, founded in 1997, providing custom website design, in-house hosting, branding, and marketing services to small and mid-sized businesses across the US.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Altoona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Web Design & Development: Custom website design and development services, including responsive web design, custom programming, and eCommerce solutions. No templates are used; each design is unique to the client organization.
2. Web Hosting & Email Services: Local web and email hosting services managed in-house. Recurring revenue from hosting fees with the promise of local support and no third-party outsourcing.
3. Marketing Services: Marketing strategy services including social media ads & posts, email campaigns, digital & print ads, direct mailers, and advertising strategy consultation.
4. Logo & Brand Identity Design: Custom logo design, slogan and tagline creation, and brand identity development including color palette, typeface, and tone of voice frameworks.
5. Graphic Design & Print Materials: Production of brochures, flyers, rack cards, banners, trade show booth designs, postcards, and other printed marketing materials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Net Impressions is a custom design, marketing, and website hosting company that creates unique (non-template) websites, logos, brand identities, and print materials for small and mid-sized businesses. It also provides in-house managed web hosting and email services, plus marketing strategy and execution across social media, email, and print channels.

Product overview

First Net Impressions is a custom design, marketing, and website hosting company offering an integrated suite of services centered around custom web design and development. The core offering is Custom Web Design & Development (award-winning websites with sales-driven copy and SEO), complemented by Local Email & Web Hosting (in-house managed in Eau Claire). Additional services include Graphic Design (print materials), Logo & Brand Identity (national award-winning design with brand style guides), Marketing Services (social media, email, direct mail, advertising), eCommerce Solutions, Custom Programming, Content Editing Tools, and Email Campaigns. The company has served 500+ companies since 1997, with hosting facilities managed entirely in-house rather than outsourced.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Web Design & Development

Quantifiable outcome

• 550+ websites hosted and managed locally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Blue Corona: Digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, PPC, and analytics primarily to home services and SMB verticals. Comparable as a digital marketing and web design firm serving small and mid-sized business customers.
• Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: Large U.S. digital marketing agency providing web design, SEO, PPC, and social media marketing to SMBs and mid-market clients. Comparable as a multi-service digital agency serving similar customer segments with overlapping offerings.
• WebFX: Large full-service digital marketing agency offering custom web design, SEO, and comprehensive digital marketing. Comparable as a digital marketing and web design provider serving SMBs, although operating at a significantly larger scale and broader footprint.
• Disruptive Advertising: Established PPC, SEO, and digital marketing agency with web design capabilities. Comparable as a digital marketing services provider with similar SMB focus, though larger and more media-buying oriented.

Direct peers

• Lifted Logic: Kansas City-based custom web design and development agency serving SMBs with branding, web design, and digital marketing services. Closely comparable as a similarly-sized full-service web design firm with a regional Midwest footprint.
• Lounge Lizard: Long-standing U.S. web design and digital marketing agency offering custom websites, branding, and digital strategy. Directly comparable as a full-service web design and marketing firm with overlapping service offerings, though larger and not regional to the Midwest.
• OuterBox: Mid-sized digital marketing and web design agency with strong e-commerce and SEO capabilities. Comparable as a web design and digital marketing firm emphasizing online business presence for SMB and mid-market clients.
• Top Notch Designz: Custom web design and development agency focused on SMB websites, branding, and digital presence. Comparable as a similarly-sized custom web design and development firm targeting small and mid-sized business clients.

Regional players

• Digital Third Coast: Chicago-based digital marketing and web design agency serving Midwest clients with web design, SEO, and digital strategy. Comparable as a Midwest-focused digital marketing services firm with a similar regional SMB target market.
• Volume Nine: Minneapolis-based digital marketing agency offering web design, SEO, and content marketing. Comparable as a regional Minnesota digital marketing firm with overlapping service lines to First Net Impressions' Minnesota-based client base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FirstNetImpressions

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Net Impressions