Webway Graphics
Ghosted by Your Web Guy!
Who You Gonna Call?
The Vanishing Web Designer — A Cautionary Tale
An acquaintance from years ago — we'll call him Mr. Crane — an independent Apiarist (a fancy word for beekeeper), had his business here in western North Carolina selling honey and other bee-related products. He was not tech-savvy, but he understood the value a good website brings to a small business. So, after years with his trusty AOL Hometown site, he decided it was time for an upgrade — and began searching online for what would come next.
That’s where he found what looked like a great deal — a web designer claiming to be local but actually working out of Seattle, Washington, more than 2,700 miles from Union Mills, NC. The portfolio looked sharp, the price was great, and the proposal checked all the right boxes.
The location shouldn’t matter, Mr. Crane thought. After all, it’s called the World Wide Web for a reason, right? So, he hired him.
They shared a couple trust-building conversations at first. Exchanged some emails and then… silence. Mr. Crane sent follow-ups. Nothing. The deadline they had agreed upon came and went. Still no website. No explanation. No answers. No refund. Just bewilderment. And the slow burn of frustration.
Mr. Crane had mailed a deposit check after their first talk, along with some irreplaceable photos. And now? The designer’s phone just rang endlessly — not even voicemail to leave a message. Emails bounced back. No contract to enforce. No office to visit. No mutual contacts to lean on.
Content, money, and time — not just lost... stolen.
Mr. Crane isn’t alone. We’ve heard this story more than once — from small businesses that thought they were getting a deal, only to be ghosted, abandoned, or left with an unfinished website, if any website at all and of course... zero support.
At Webway Graphics, we live here. We serve Forest City, Spindale, Rutherfordton, Marion, Shelby, and Morganton. We’re part of this community — and our reputation depends on the satisfaction of our customers.
- We don't advertise outside of our community.
- We meet face-to-face, so you know who you're working with.
- You can reach us whenever you need us.
- You’re not a cash grab to us — you’re our neighbor.
- You won’t get ghosted, because we don’t vanish.
Yes, Mr. Crane eventually had his website rebuilt — this time with a local web developer who answered their phone, met their deadlines, and explained every step of the process clearly. The difference was night and day — and Mr. Crane was happy. But when asked about the ordeal, he’d simply say, 'If he can live with what he's done, I can live without what it cost me.
You don’t have to learn this lesson the hard way.
If you’re looking for a dependable, local web developer
right here in western North Carolina, we’re ready to help.