New websites
A clean, fast website built around your business, with contact or booking forms, search-friendly pages, and hosting included.
Building up the backbone.
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. We build their software and web
services, from a quick
one-time update to a long-term partnership.
Based in Tuolumne County, California. Working with small businesses everywhere.
Services
Web development, sized to your business.
Need one thing fixed this week, or a partner for the long haul? Either way, you work directly with the person building your site.
Yearly service plans
A set number of development hours each year for updates, improvements and fixes. One plan, one point of contact, no hunting for help when something breaks.
One-time updates
New hours, new photos, a new page, a broken form, a site that's slow on phones. Tell us what needs doing and we'll get it done.
Personal & resume sites
Not a business? A personal site, portfolio or online resume helps you stand out in a job search or show off your work.
Your own domain name
Get yourbusiness.com instead of a free web address. We'll help you pick a name and register it in your name, so you always own it, then connect it to your website, set up the secure padlock (HTTPS) and a matching email address.
The process
Simple from start to finish.
Talk
Tell us about your business and what you need. No jargon and no pressure.
Plan
You get a clear plan with the scope, the timeline and the price before any work starts.
Build
We build it and check in with you along the way, so there are no surprises at the end.
Look after
After launch we're still here: a one-time fix or a yearly plan, whatever fits.
Plans
Ongoing help you can count on.
Buy development hours for the year up front and use them whenever you need. Updates, new features, fixes: one partner who already knows your site.
Essentials
10 hours / year
For sites that just need a few updates a year.
- Content and photo updates
- Small fixes and tweaks
- A yearly site check-up
Growth
25 hours / year
For businesses that keep adding, changing and improving.
- Everything in Essentials
- New pages and features
- Speed and search improvements
- Priority scheduling
Partner
50 hours / year
For businesses that run on their website.
- Everything in Growth
- Larger projects and integrations
- Quarterly planning call
Need a different number of hours? We'll build a plan that fits.
Products
Built by Backbone.
Real sites for real small businesses: designed, built and looked after start to finish.
Atlantis
Our own product: your life as a living 3D city, where each captain looks after one part of it, from your routine, TODOs and calendar to music, documents and the books for your business. End-to-end encrypted, so only you can read it.
myatlantis.us →
Build-A-Board
A custom mechanical keyboard shop. Product gallery, custom order form with spam protection, and an animated circuit-board background.
buildaboard.us →
High Pine Hideout
A Sierra Nevada cabin rental in Cold Springs. Seasonal availability calendar, pricing, and a booking request form.
highpinehideout.us →
About me
Hi, I'm Dakota.
I started Backbone to give small businesses something that's hard to find: a web developer who answers the phone, speaks plainly, and treats their business like it matters. Because it does.
Why Backbone
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. They're the shops, trades, cafés and services that hold a community together. They deserve websites that work as hard as they do, and a developer who is easy to reach when something needs to change.
Too often a small business gets a website built once and then left behind, with no one to call when the hours change or a form stops working. Backbone exists to fix that, with one-time help when you need it and yearly service plans when you want a partner who already knows your site.
How I work
Customer first. I start by listening: what your business does, who your customers are, and what you need your website to do. Then I recommend only what will actually help.
Human experience second. Your website is for real people on real phones. I build sites that are clear, fast and easy to use, so your customers can find what they need and get in touch.
A Midwest mindset. Straight talk, honest work, and doing what I said I'd do. You'll always know what I'm working on, what it costs, and when it'll be done.
Education
I graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2021 with two bachelor's degrees, in Computer Science and Cognitive Science, and I have 6 years of industry experience.
Get in touch
Let's build up your backbone.
Tell us a little about your business and what you need. You'll hear back from a real person, usually within one business day.
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Emailhello@thebackbone.us
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LocationTuolumne County, California. Meeting in person locally, or remotely anywhere.
Thanks, message received!
We'll be in touch soon, usually within one business day.