Digital Marketing Expert

When you choose to work with Sticky Brain for your online success, you get Don Bassler and THAT is a BIG deal.

Way back in 1995, Don decided he needed to learn everything he could about website design and search engine marketing. These aspects of digital marketing are constantly evolving, so he knew he had to stay ahead. Don realized that in order to out-rank Chinese product suppliers, he needed to invest heavily in himself. He refers to this investment as “the high five figures” and began joining marketing clubs, attending webinars, and participating in SEO membership sites. This education taught him how to keep ahead of the ever-changing algorithm and how to reverse-engineer top competitor websites.

Websites Design and Digital Marketing Are Don’s Forte’s

Don has always loved coding new websites, and as he became skilled at getting those sites to rank quickly, his new businesses began to take shape. Sticky Brain Website Design was born to help businesses establish a strong online presence. Although Don loves teaching others how to leverage his marketing platform to boost lead flow, he prefers to personally build systems for his valued clients.

Currently, Don is working on a new project that aims to demystify internet marketing and eCommerce. His goal is to teach people how to turn their own websites into “Personal ATMs,” making big money with their online platforms.

Don’s Speaking and Professional Engagements

Don is a distinguished speaker at the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the USC Marshall School of Business. He’s also available for public speaking engagements, where he shares his expertise in digital marketing and business growth. Don is directly responsible for all design and SEO efforts at Sticky Brain and personally codes every site and piece of content.

Specializing in Orange County and Beyond

While Don works with clients all across the country, his primary focus is helping local businesses in Orange County, CA. His areas of expertise include website design, SEO, and eCommerce. Don has been involved in pushing pixels and coding for the internet since 1996. One of his flagship websites is DavidSteele.com, which initially featured his highly popular iPod-enabled iBreath Alcohol Breathalyzer, a product created in partnership with Apple, Inc.

The Roots of Don’s Entrepreneurial Journey

Don’s business acumen began to sharpen during his time traveling the world on Semester at Sea in the spring of 1983. Halfway through the 100-day journey, the ship ran aground in Alexandria, Egypt. The students were then bussed to Jerusalem, Israel, where they completed the final six weeks of the program. During this adventure, Don and his roommate launched a pop-up travel business, planning weekend trips for fellow students. Don fondly remembers how they rented buses, booked hotels, and created travel packages that sold out within hours. They succeeded despite competition from a hotel that offered similar trips. They knew their customers better than the hotel did, and that insight remains crucial in today’s business world, especially in online commerce.

Don returned to the Semester at Sea program a year later. He visited U.S. Department of Commerce offices in the cities he stopped at to hand out business cards. His cards said, “Contact me if you want your product to sell like hotcakes in the U.S.A.” This led to a string of successful imports, from popular Rambo survival knives to Razor aluminum scooters.

From Mail Order to Online Commerce

Don has always been fascinated with the mail-order business. His early success came from offering products directly to consumers through magazine ads. He proudly remembers, “It’s great to be paid up-front.” With mail order, checks arrived before the products were shipped.

Don soon found success as a product broker for top mail-order catalog companies. His clients included The Sharper Image, Damark, Heartland of America, and Hammacher Schlemmer. He brokered 20′ and 40′ container loads of products to these companies without ever taking physical possession of the goods. “I was amazed when I realized I could write a back-to-back Letter of Credit and have no risk involved. I used my customer’s money to finance the deals.”

The Rise of Online Commerce

In 1996, Don recognized the internet’s potential. He dove into the world of online commerce, reading everything he could find about the language of the internet. He hand-coded his first website, DavidSteele.com, which is still live today. His early work involved figuring out how to get AOL and Netscape to place banner ads on their websites, a popular form of driving traffic at the time.

Then came Google. It revolutionized everything. Now, anyone could search online and easily find contact details for Chinese manufacturers. This was information that had once been restricted to expensive trade publications or foreign trade organizations. Suddenly, when someone searched for a product, Google displayed the manufacturer’s website instead of the homepage of an importer who sold thousands of those products. This shift made Don’s entire business model obsolete.

Pivoting to SEO and Digital Marketing

In response, Don decided to focus on learning everything he could about search engine marketing. He understood that in order to compete with the foreign suppliers, his online properties needed to rank higher. Don invested what he calls “the high six figures” to join clubs, webinars, teleseminars, and SEO membership sites. His education enabled him to stay ahead of the algorithm and taught him how to reverse-engineer competitor websites.

Don loved the challenge of coding new websites. As he became skilled at getting sites ranked quickly, his new businesses grew. Sticky Brain Website Design was founded to offer services to businesses in need of an online presence. Additionally, he created WordPress Dojo to teach others how to build simple websites on the WordPress platform.

Looking Toward the Future

Don’s current project is focused on demystifying internet marketing and teaching people how to create profitable online businesses through information products. He continues to use his vast knowledge and experience to empower individuals and companies to thrive in the digital world.

Anyone who knows Don can tell you that he’s the “go-to” guy when it comes to internet marketing, building websites, optimizing content for search engines and driving insane, ravenous traffic.
In addition to being an online marketing master, Don spends his time traveling and lecturing and is a Distinguished Speaker at USC’s Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies where he teaches Social Media Marketing, Website and Blog design, SEO and Traffic.