An 80’s Looking Website Isn’t so Groovy!

An 80’s Looking Website Isn’t so Groovy!

By Yetta Blair

You may be asking yourself, can I run a business and not have an updated looking website?  The answer is yes.  It’s obvious that you can run a business without an updated website. Some companies run their business without having any website. But investing in a well designed, well thought out website can definitely help your business generate more leads, increase sales and be more successful.

An up to date, modern looking web presence is good for any business.  It reflects your brand. It shows your customers you care about details and you care about staying up to date in the market.  Updating your website creates a buzz and can bring fresh energy to your business. Just as you would make an investment in traditional advertising, the company phone and your printed brochure, the investment in a website will bring you tangible and intangible benefits.

Having a professional web presence on the Internet is good for your existing customers, potential customers, employees and partners. An attractive looking website will encourage visitors to stay longer on your website giving them an opportunity to know more about your products or services – potentially increasing sales.  Another reason a successful business needs to update their website is the growing number of mobile users. If your website is not set up to be mobile friendly, it needs to be. Being mobile friendly and up to date will give you a better chance of capturing the attention of mobile customers and improve your SEO and rankings on Google.

Whether a quality website helps you make a good first impression with a new visitor or makes it easier for existing visitors to do business with you, having an effective, up to date, web presence can make your business more successful.  More people than ever are online and the numbers continue to grow exponentially so make sure your business is out there and looking its best.

Mobile-Friendly: Data, Thoughts and Updates

Mobile-Friendly: Data, Thoughts and Updates
By Amber Hyde, Creative Coordinator

Being mobile these days is more than just a fad, it is a trend. It is part of everyday life. According to GlobalWebIndex, “80% of online adults now own a smartphone, while almost 50% have a tablet.” And out of that 80%, 75% use the device to search online. These are huge numbers. Mobile device users will continue and increasingly want access to the web anytime, anywhere. Businesses need to be prepared and adjust their online web presence to meet the changes that come with growing trends, including a big one- Google mobile rankings.

If you’re not one that needs to keep up with new technology trends or the ever-changing Google algorithms, that’s all right, I’m here to fill you in. Google has just recently updated their algorithms and have “made it easier for users to find mobile-friendly web pages” and will be using “mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.” Google says “ this change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimized for their devices.”

So what does this mean for your business and your web presence? This means that when a person is searching on Google for items or your company on their mobile device, if your website is not mobile-friendly, Google will begin to rank it lower in the search results. This will ultimately result in fewer views/clicks on your website. Why would you want that to happen, with 75% of smartphone users searching online on their mobile devices! I say that it is a necessity to go mobile with your website. This can involve simply adding a mobile friendly version to your current website, or going for a full update on your entire website to keep everything fresh, innovative, consistent and to increase your web presence to produce top ranking results in Google, to continually grow your business.

Check here if your site is mobile-friendly!

Social Media Explained...with bacon! Because it Just Makes Sense.

Mission First. Brand Second.

Mission first. Brand second. 

By Yetta Blair


Recently I was asked by a young organization to help them with their marketing materials and branding. After meeting with them and reviewing their current materials, they were surprised, when I told them the first step to building their organization’s brand was to fine-tune their mission statement. They had a good start on a mission statement but it still read more like goals to reach a mission, instead of a mission statement itself. It had no passion. It had no direction. It had no soul. It gave no real clue as to the organizations brand.

Your mission statement is the soul of your brand and it should drive everything else your business does. It is your “why”. It is the very reason your organization does what it does. It provides your company direction. It helps you stay focused and clear. It is a reminder to each member of your organization of where you are going, what you are doing and why you are doing it. It keeps you moving in the right direction and it can take your business to the next level.

Up until now, you may not have considered your mission statement to be all that important or relevant to your business brand. But, your mission is your core purpose and it defines your brand. Once your mission statement defines your brand, taking steps to build on that brand and establishing a significant and differentiated presence in the market, should fall easily into place. A highly skilled design company can then easily assist in creating marketing materials, logo designs, website updates and more that reflect your brand. But, first things first.

Here are some tips on how to develop your mission statement

• Start by asking yourself questions such as:

What do we do? 

Who are our customers or the people we aim to help?

What’s our role?

Why did we organize this business? What is our long term and short term plans?

What image do we want to convey? What is our style, culture?

• When writing your mission statement make sure to:

Write it with a goal that’s an action, not a sentiment.

Make it quantifiable.

Use vibrant exciting words but match your company’s personality.

Create dynamic visual images and inspire action.

Keep it short. Leave out the fluff.

Write it in a way that signals what your business is about.

Be clear about your passion and values for operating your organization.

Revise it when necessary.

Believe in your own statement. If you do not, your customers will pick up on that.

Examples of Mission Statements

Facebooks mission 

“Facebook's mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected.”

Coca‑Cola Company Mission
 

Our mission is:

· To refresh the world - in mind, body and spirit 

· To inspire moments of optimism - through our brands and actions 

· To create value and make a difference everywhere we engage

McDonald’s mission 

“McDonald's brand mission is to be our customers' favorite place and way to eat and drink. Our worldwide operations are aligned around a global strategy called the Plan to Win, which center on an exceptional customer experience – People, Products, Place, Price and Promotion. We are committed to continuously improving our operations and enhancing our customers' experience.”

General Motor’s mission

"G.M. is a multinational corporation engaged in socially responsible operations, worldwide. It is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superior value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment."

American Red Cross mission

The American Red Cross, a humanitarian organization led by volunteers and guided by its Congressional Charter and the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross Movement, will provide relief to victims of disaster and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Google’s Mission

Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

Color Personality Chart

Color Personality Chart|By Amber Hyde 

When working on a design project, whether it be graphic design, website design, or even interior spaces, color is the unifying feature. Color creates an instant subconscious judgment. Every color and every shade creates associations and has a unique personality surrounding it. Created below is a color chart to help you better understand colors and the personalities they associate with. 

For example, take a look at the medical field, they tend to stick with shades of blue, and this is because of its personality of evoking cleanliness and a sense of protection and intelligence! So keep this in mind the next time you are working on a project, and even trying different colors just to see how that affects the overall feel of the work.

What The New Twitter Profile Has to Offer

Visuals have become increasingly important in social media and now Twitter, an information and text-heavy platform, has updated its look to one that focuses on a more visual user experience.  Here are some of the top features of the new Twitter profile update, including the proper dimensions to use. 

This update is now available to all users on Twitter. Updating your profile will give you a more professional look and show that you are active and up to date on social media. Click HERE to get it.

Updating Logo is a Good Way to Create Company Buzz

Updating Logo is a Good Way to Create Company Buzz 

By Yetta Blair 

Think about the last time you updated a room in your house.  Maybe you replaced the carpeting with hardwood floors or you replaced the outdated pink ceramic tile in your bathroom.  Remember the feeling of excitement and joy it brought when you invited friends over to show off the new changes.  You created a buzz and a feeling that is lasting.  You can do the same for your company by updating an out of date logo.  

Taking your logo out of the vault, and dusting it off every five years is a good way to keep things fresh and create a buzz about your company.  And, updating your logo doesn’t have to be a daunting task.  Here are a few tips to simplify the process.

1. Keep your company’s message and personality in mind when updating your logo.  Changes should always strengthen and reflect core values.
 
2. You do not have to throw out the old to bring in the new.  Sometimes, you just want to tweak what you already have. Maybe updating some elements and colors is all you need to do to give it a fresh updated look.  This will insure you do not lose the brand awareness that you have built over the years with the current version of your logo.
 
3. Keep social media in mind. Does the old size work well with social media?   If not, be sure to include a version of your updated logo that works with Facebook, Twitter, linked-in, etc. 
 
4. People remember shape first, color second and content third.  We have a built-in memory connection to the meaning of shapes and color. Skilled designers can update your logo in a way that reflects your company’s message and personality while keeping these elements in mind.

Your company logo is a symbol that represents the company, and its service or products.  And remember, you do not have to throw it out completely and start over to give it a fresh, up to date look.