Episode 08: The Tech Wizard
In this episode of the Small Business Voice, Jeanette Forni is joined by returning Guest co-host Mari Fernandez of Rooted Movement, who reminds listeners about her free Saturday morning community fitness class at 518 12th Street in downtown Modesto — no experience needed, just good walking shoes and 35 minutes.
The featured guest is Alec Sherman, owner of Tech Wizard, who was originally invited down to the iHeart Studios to take a quick look at the show's new website — and got pulled in front of a microphone instead. Based in Turlock, Alec specializes in website design, Google Business Profile setup, SEO, and a newer service most small business owners have never heard of: a custom AI phone assistant.
The AI assistant gets its own dedicated phone number, answers calls after hours or when forwarded, knows everything about the business it represents, and can actually check the owner's Google Calendar to schedule appointments in real time. Alec recently set one up for an HVAC company and was surprised by how many calls came in between 6 and 8 a.m. before staff arrived. For a one-person operation or any business that can't always pick up the phone, it's a game changer — and unlike a human receptionist, there's no hourly cost.
The conversation also gets into website essentials most business owners overlook: responsive design that adjusts automatically for phones and tablets, ADA accessibility compliance (including color contrast for colorblind users and image alt tags for screen readers), making sure licensed businesses display their license numbers correctly and prominently, and keeping websites updated so they don't signal to customers that the business is inactive. Alec also breaks down SEO and introduces the newest frontier — AEO, or AI Engine Optimization — which focuses on getting your content cited in the AI-generated summaries now appearing above Google search results.
On pricing, Alec cuts through the sticker shock: a single-page marketing website starts at $250, additional pages are $120 each, and add-ons like an image carousel run around $60. For most small businesses, a single well-built page covering services, FAQs, testimonials, and a gallery is all they need to start.
Reach Alec at 650-2-WIZARD (650-294-9273) or visit techwizard.win
