August Ash

10/29/2026

We're honored to share that August Ash has earned a Silver Award in the General – Construction category at the 22nd Annual Davey Awards for our work on the Rock Hard Landscape Supply website!

Great websites are built on great partnerships, and this recognition reflects the collaboration, trust, and shared goals between our teams. Working alongside Rock Hard Landscape Supply, we had the opportunity to bring their vision to life through a website designed to strengthen their digital presence, better serve their customers, and create a foundation for continued growth.

And congratulations to the talented August Ash team members who helped make this project a success: Jeff Farr, Jack Lotter, Cyle Carlson and Jacob Weber. We're proud to see their hard work recognized on a national stage!

Thank you to the Davey Awards for this honor, and congratulations to all the 2026 winners!

https://daveyawards.com/winners-area/gallery/?event=1105&award=99&id=728009

August Ash — Silver winner, 2026 Davey Awards.

10/27/2026

What does it look like when AI meets real-world business opportunities? 🤖

We recently had the pleasure of hosting CEO Nexus at August Ash for their Build Your AI Assistant workshop!

Led by Loren Horsager of Model Mind AI, the event brought together local business leaders to explore practical ways AI can support their teams, improve efficiency, and create new opportunities for growth.

It was a great evening of learning, sharing ideas, and connecting with others who are excited about the future of AI. 💡

A big thank you to CEO Nexus, Loren Horsager, the panelists, and everyone who joined us!

10/26/2026

Inspiring the next generation of designers and marketers! 🎓

Our Director of Business Development, Shawn Haukaas, recently had the opportunity to speak with students at Lakeville South High School about the world of web design, digital marketing, and the opportunities available in an ever-evolving digital industry.

At August Ash, we believe in the importance of sharing knowledge, building connections, and supporting the next generation of creative thinkers and problem-solvers. 💡

A big thank you to Lakeville Area Chamber of Commerce and Lakeville South High School for the invitation and for creating opportunities that connect local businesses with future professionals!

10/22/2026

New PHP Security Vulnerabilities: What Website Owners Should Know

Recently disclosed PHP security vulnerabilities could impact websites running on platforms like WordPress, Drupal and Magento.

When news of these vulnerabilities surfaced, our development team was already researching the potential risks, evaluating mitigation options, and coordinating with hosting partners like Pantheon and WP Engine to help ensure the appropriate security measures are being implemented.

While hosting providers continue rolling out updates, our team remains actively engaged in coordinating the response and monitoring developments.

What does this mean for your website?

If your website runs on WordPress, Drupal or Magento, now is a good time to confirm that your hosting provider or website maintenance partner is addressing the necessary security updates.

Situations like this are an important reminder of why proactive website maintenance matters. Having a team that stays informed, understands potential risks, and takes action when issues arise can make all the difference.

Not sure where your website stands? We're here to help.

Whether you're an existing August Ash client or simply have questions about your website's security, our team is happy to help you understand your options and determine the best next steps.

Reach out to our team: https://augustash.com/contact-us

10/07/2026

Our teams have been doing a lot of learning lately, and not all in the same places. ✈️

Over the past few weeks, members of the August Ash team have traveled across the country, from San Diego and Texas to Boston and Miami, to attend Brighton SEO, HubSpot's UNBOUND, Circles 2026 and GoLive Pantheon.

The topics and takeaways have varied across each event, but they all connect back to something that’s important to us at August Ash: continuing to Grow.

Grow is one of our core values, and in an industry that changes as quickly as ours, there’s always more to learn. Getting our teams outside of their day-to-day work gives them the opportunity to hear new perspectives, learn what’s changing in their areas of expertise, and bring those ideas back to the rest of our team and our clients.

Just as importantly, those conversations continue once everyone is back at August Ash. Our team shares what they learned with one another and talks through where new ideas, tools, or approaches could be useful in the work we’re doing.

Continuing to invest in our team’s knowledge helps us stay thoughtful about the recommendations we make and better prepared to help our clients navigate what’s next.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to keep learning and to grow. 🌱

10/02/2026

Celebrating National Manufacturing Day 🏭

Today, we’re proud to celebrate National Manufacturing Day and recognize the people and companies building, innovating and keeping our communities moving forward.

Manufacturing has long been an important part of the work we do at August Ash, and this year we’re especially excited to celebrate as a member of the Manufacturers Alliance. It’s another opportunity for our team to connect with, learn from and support an industry we’re proud to serve.

We’re honored to partner with so many incredible manufacturers who make an impact every day. To our manufacturing clients, partners and friends: Happy National Manufacturing Day! Your work powers progress, and we’re grateful to work alongside you as you continue to build what’s next.

09/21/2026

A new website for a national leader. 👏

We’re excited to share the newly launched website for our client, Blew & Associates, P.A.!

From 📐 surveying and precision planning to 🗺️ nationwide land surveying and 🏗️ civil engineering, Blew has an impressive range of expertise. Their new Drupal website was designed and built to better reflect the scale of their business, making their full range of services easier to discover, their work easier to explore, and the path to requesting similar work much clearer.

The result is a site that doesn’t just tell visitors what Blew does, it shows it and proves it.

Check out the new site and see the full case study:

Blew already used topographic map artwork but used it sparingly. We made it a more integrated part of the system, running it through section backgrounds and car...

09/14/2026

We’re honored to share that the website we created with Peterson Companies, Inc. has received a 2026 Outstanding Website WebAward!

The annual WebAward Competition recognizes excellence in website development, with sites evaluated by independent expert judges across seven areas including design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, copywriting, and ease of use.

This recognition reflects what we set out to accomplish together: create a digital experience that clearly communicates Peterson Companies’ capabilities and expertise while giving users an intuitive, engaging way to explore their work.

A special congratulations to Jeff Farr, Senior Designer, and Jacob Weber, Senior Developer. Both Jeff and Jacob have been part of August Ash for more than a decade, and their talent, experience, and commitment to great work have shaped countless projects and made a lasting impact on our team. We’re grateful to have them and proud to see their work on this project recognized.

This project was truly a collaborative effort between the August Ash and Peterson Companies teams. We’re grateful to everyone who brought their expertise, ideas, and care to the process, and especially thankful to Peterson Companies for their partnership and trust along the way.

Peterson Companies has won the Outstanding Website for August Ash in the 2026 WebAward Competition.

09/03/2026

AI Is Changing Search. The Fundamentals Matter More Than Ever.

Google's latest AI announcements are another signal that the way people search for and discover businesses is evolving.

But that doesn't mean your organization needs to chase every new AI development or completely rethink its digital strategy.

It does mean the fundamentals of your digital presence matter more than ever.

As search becomes increasingly influenced by AI, organizations need to make it easy for both people and technology to understand who they are, what they do, and why they should be trusted.

That starts with:
• Clearly communicating what makes your organization different
• Creating useful, authoritative content rooted in real expertise
• Maintaining accurate, structured information about your business
• Building a website that makes information easy to find and understand
• Creating clear paths for customers to take the next step
• Demonstrating trust through expertise, credibility, and authentic human experiences

These aren't new ideas. What's changing is how important they are, and how many different ways customers may encounter your business before ever reaching your website.

At August Ash, we're actively evaluating how AI is changing search and discovery, separating meaningful shifts from short-term noise, and helping our clients understand where those changes create real opportunities.

The goal isn't to react to every AI headline. It's to make sure your digital strategy is built to perform as the way people search continues to evolve.

Wondering how prepared your organization is for AI-driven search and discovery? Let's talk about what these changes mean for your digital presence and where it makes sense to focus next.

08/25/2026

Research gives you information. Planning determines what you do with it.

In Part 2 of our 7-Step Process Series, we're taking a closer look at Plan—the phase where research starts becoming a blueprint for the website ahead.

Using analytics, customer journeys, content insights, and what we've learned about the business, we begin making intentional decisions about how the new experience should work. That can include:

• Creating information architecture and sitemaps around how users actually look for information
• Mapping customer journeys and identifying points of friction
• Determining what existing content should stay, change, or go
• Developing wireframes and conversion paths for key pages
• Validating important decisions through prototypes and user testing

The goal isn't to recreate an existing website with a new look. It's to use what we've learned to build a smarter experience around the people who will actually use it.

Read the article:

Part 2 of the August Ash 7-Step Process SeriesA great website isn't built from a checklist, it's built from a thoughtful plan.In Part 1 of our 7-Step Process Se...