Everyone remembers the excitement of landing their first “real” job. Over the years, Packerland Websites has helped several college students break into the labor market. We hired them as interns, setting them up for rewarding careers. In 2024, UW-Milwaukee student Alexis Lonzo interned with our team. She returned to a full-time summer internship in 2025. We are grateful for her willingness to learn new things and her conscientiousness in completing website design projects. We wish Alexis the best as she returns to college and eventually, finds a “real” job.

Now, let’s hear from Alexis, as she describes her internship with Packerland Websites.

Website Design, Coding, Content writing

In the time I’ve worked for Packerland Websites, I have learned a lot of valuable information both through my coworkers and experience working on projects. It was wonderful working with a team of people who truly wanted me to succeed. I appreciate the time they took to train me on design, coding, content writing, and many other aspects of the website development process.

Gaining Experience Building Websites

Coming into this internship, I had little experience building websites. I only knew what I had been taught in class. When I started, I always had someone on the team working alongside me. As I got more comfortable, they let me take the lead on projects, but they were always there to help me if I ran into any issues. 

College Studies Apply to Internship

My internship at Packerland Websites gave me great insight into what the website development and design careers would look like. Not only that, but they took into account both my journalism and advertising majors and gave me the opportunity to do content writing and graphic design. I was able to dive further into search engine optimization (SEO) and how to write blog posts tailored to that style of writing. I appreciate that they took the time to give me projects that were applicable to each of my areas of study in college. 

A Caring Team that Valued My Work

I truly value the knowledge and experience I have gained through my internship at Packerland Websites. It was great to work with a team that cared about me and valued my work. I appreciate that they took a chance on me, and I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work with them for over a year.

A common misconception we run into is this: A great product will sell itself. If you have an exceptional product or service, people are bound to discover it. Right? In a crowded, competitive marketplace, that’s wishful thinking. Today’s sellers are competing against thousands of brick-and-mortar shops and online retailers. What buyers need is confidence in your product – and confidence in you. You gain customer confidence with the KLT factor: Know, Like, Trust. Customers want to be confident in your brand and your team before they’re confident in your product or service. That’s why your website content marketing is so important.

What Do Customers Want to Know?

When potential customers visit your website, you have minutes – sometime seconds – to connect with them and answer their questions. They want to know:

• Can I use this product or service?
• What makes this brand different than others?
• Am I excited about the possibilities this brand represents?
• Do I believe in the brand enough to make a purchase?

Your audience is looking for content marketing with a clear message, professionalism, and a story that resonates with them. This means that your website needs to go beyond the basics of what you do. In addition, you need to tell why it matters so buyers want to be a part of the story, too.

Brand Storytelling Ideas

Here are a few brand storytelling ideas for content marketing on your website.

1. Focus on the Home Page

Provide a quick, compelling overview of your brand on the Home page. Your Home page is like a business card on steroids. Keep it visual, and let the photos do most of the talking. Publish photos of people enjoying your products and services, not just products on a shelf.

2. Emphasize Your Key Selling Points

Tell a story about what differentiates you from the competition. Instead of just describing your brand in generic terms like everyone else in your industry, lead with what makes you distinct. Maybe it’s your techniques, awards, customer service, or experience in the industry.

3. Tell Your Story in Sales Language

Instead of saying, “Our beef jerky is high in protein and B vitamins” say, “The protein-rich jerky is packed with B vitamins for an energy pick-me-up.” Of course, you don’t want your marketing content to be over-the-top salesy or robotic-sounding. You want content to be conversational and easy to understand.

4. Consider Publishing a Video

A short video introduces your brand to the audience and allows viewers to connect with your team and your story in just a few seconds. Even if the video isn’t super-polished, it can be effective. Videos catch the eye and attention of your audience.

5. Offer Solutions to Customers’ Pain Points

Highlight the ways that you make your customer’s life easier. Do you offer small production runs? Quick turn-around times? Flexible ordering? Tell a story of how your brand connects with your customers’ goals.

Believable Content Marketing

Your customers are out there, waiting to know, like, and trust your brand. Make your content intentional, and give them a reason to believe in you and feel confident buying from you. Lastly, don’t just educate your audience. Empower them to feel good about their purchasing decision.

Contact us today. We have so many other marketing tips to share! We love helping businesses and nonprofits achieve their marketing goals.

Shift the vacuum into overdrive! Spring is the time to wash the windows, scrub the rugs, mop the floors, and straighten up the clutter. Spring is a time of new beginnings, and there’s something extremely satisfying about deep cleaning your house to welcome the warm days of April and May. A thorough spring cleaning removes the dust and cobwebs in your home. Your website has cobwebs that need attention as well. The team at Packerland Websites offers these spring cleaning tips to keep your website sparkling.

Dust Off the Welcome Mat

Your website is a virtual welcome mat to visitors, and you want to make a good first impression. So, website content should show visitors who you are, what you do, and why. Websites aren’t just selling tools, they’re recruiting tools, also. A website that shows a welcoming corporate culture will be more appealing to potential employees. Unlock the Power of Google Jobs.

Clear the Clutter

A well-organized website is inviting and easy to navigate. Visitors won’t be overwhelmed by clutter, and they won’t be frustrated when they can’t find what they’re looking for. Take a fresh look at your website, and make sure it’s organized to your target audience. Website Navigation: A Maze or a Seamless Experience?

Freshen Up

Give your computer a fresh start this spring with these three steps. First, clear your cache, where your browser stores data. Clearing your cache regularly helps websites load correctly and display their most recent version. Second, reboot your computer on a regular basis to keep it running smoothly. Third, check for updates. The software updates will implement new features and security patches for your computer, keeping it up-to-date and protecting against cyberattacks. Did you know that Microsoft will end support of Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025? Now’s a good time to check if your current Windows 10 PC is eligible to upgrade to Windows 11. How to Prepare for Windows 10 End of Support by Moving to Windows 11 Today.

Clean the Windows

You can see everything more clearly by cleaning the windows in your home. Likewise, you put your brand into better focus by creating brand guidelines. Brand guidelines help establish a company’s identity by ensuring that colors, logos, fonts, and images are consistent. The guidelines also showcase your company’s mission and vision. They put your brand into focus.

Out With the Old

While you are spring cleaning, take a close look at your furniture, fixtures, and household goods. Maybe it’s time to update. Over time, a website collects outdated graphics and written content. So, show your brand in its best light by editing and updating the written content, images, and other content. Up-to-date content helps websites remain competitive as customer preferences change. Make sure your content is readable and written specifically for your target audience. Additionally, your Calls to Action need to be clear and convincing. Grammar Queen’s Guide to Website Editing.

In With the New

Brighten up the house with spring art and decorations, and brighten your company outlook with lively, dynamic marketing strategies. Spring gives you a fresh start, so now’s the time to freshen up your social media platforms, blog, email campaigns, and Search Engine Optimization. Effective marketing strategies will keep your company top-of-mind when your target audience needs your products and services. What is SEO?

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning comes around just once a year, and that’s a relief! A deep clean definitely takes time and effort, but the results are worth it because your home looks its best. You don’t want your houseguests to see a messy house. Likewise, you don’t want your website visitors to see a messy, out-of-date website. Beyond the practical benefits, spring cleaning also gives you a sense of accomplishment, organization, and control. So, give your website a fresh start this spring and enjoy the results. Need a hand? We are spring cleaning experts, ready to make your website sparkle again. Contact us today.

By Jeff Kurowski | On Mission

Originally published in On Mission magazine. Reprinted with permission.

Bill Koehne, owner of Packerland Websites, offers a twist on the proverb about teaching a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

“How do I help the organization that’s helping someone else? Instead of being the one who teaches someone how to fish, I want to supply the bait to the teacher,” he said about building websites for nonprofits at reduced rates.

“We have like 70 or 80 nonprofits. I bleed a little bit when we bill them,” he said. “My account manager tells me, ‘You’re giving it away.’ One of the highlights of my business is not only how do you help your businesses, but how do you help your community through the nonprofits. If your business is based upon helping people, I believe that naturally leads to a lot of success.”

Packerland Websites donates more than $70,000 of in-kind services to nonprofits each year, he said.

Koehne credits his upbringing for his foundation of faith and passion to help others. He grew up as a member of St. Pius Parish in Little Suamico.

“I moved all the way to Abrams, like two miles away from where I grew up,” he said about his current home. “It’s nice because I get over to see Mom (Pat) and Dad (Bill) at least three days a week.”

Koehne’s paternal grandparents lived in the same household during his childhood.

“The faith sharing was from the grandparents down,” he said.

Koehne left home for high school to attend St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary, Wis., a ministry of the Capuchin Franciscan Province of St. Joseph. 

He fondly recalled a powerful outreach opportunity as a student.

“One of the expectations was to visit a nursing home at least on a monthly basis,” he said. “You are visiting those who don’t have family or friends. You’re visiting the loneliest people. When you’re 15 years old, it makes a bit of an impression on you. It makes you think about how you want to live your life.”

Koehne’s high school experience didn’t lead to a religious vocation, but he learned the value of formation during those years. 

He recalled the words that then Green Bay Bishop Aloysius Wycislo shared with him.

“(Bishop Wycislo) said, ‘You know you can be a witness about Christ to people without having to wear a collar.’ I waited four years. ‘Here I am God. What do you want me to do?’ It made sense years later,” said Koehne. “I was getting molded those four years of my life.”

Koehne studied business administration at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is where he met his wife, Joan, who is from Luxemburg.

His first business venture was with his father for 25 years at Ark Homes.

‘When the housing market went south, I transitioned to building websites (2009),” he said. “The construction business has given me perspective on the business world. When I build a website, it’s not, ‘How do I build a brochure?’ It’s, ‘Where do we take you on the Internet highway?’ because I can speak business owner to business owner.”

Koehne is active at St. Pius Parish as a lector and extraordinary minister of holy Communion. He was also the parish treasurer for 20 years. In that role, he secured funding for the construction of six classrooms in the basement of the parish hall. He also helped design and manage the construction of a bell tower.

He and Joan, who have two grown children and a grandson, are involved in music ministry at St. Pius and St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Sobieski.

“Joan is a fantastic keyboardist. I play the guitar and sing in the choir,” he said. “I can just fall in with the guitar and follow her lead.”

Koehne’s involvement outside the parish includes serving at Anchor of Hope TEC (Together Encountering Christ) retreats and serving as president of the board of directors for Abrams Spotlight Productions.

Sailing and mountain climbing are among his other interests. This year he traveled to Peru and conquered the Inca Trail  to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Machu Picchu.

Koehne said he’s grateful for the influences of his father; his late paternal grandfather, Henry; and his late uncle and godfather, Fred Koehne.

The late Fr. Gordon Gilsdorf, who served at St. Pius Parish, was an important faith model, he said. “He was my inspiration to go to St. Lawrence Seminary,” he said. “One of Fr. Gilsdorf’s sayings was, ‘Ask yourself, where does God want me right now? If you can say right here, you’re not doing too bad.’ That has stuck with me.”