website | Creative Juices Graphic Design Studio

Archive for website

What is a Favicon and Why Do I Need It?

“Favicon” is short for favorites icon. It is the tiny little image you see right next to your domain name in the browser’s title bar and bookmark.

Creating a Favicon is easy, sort of

All you need to do is create a 16 x 16 pixel .ico file. Start off in Photoshop or any image editing program. Use your logo or brand image and create a mini jpg file.

Then can go to a site like favicon and upload your jpg image.

Convert your jpg into an ico

Once you upload your new jpg icon into a favicon generator site, you just have to name it favicon.ico and export that ico image to your hard drive. Then, using FTP or Dreamweaver just place that image into your site’s root folder.

Even easier if you use WordPress

If you’re using WordPress, the “Shockingly Simple Favicon Options” plugin is an easy way to set up your favicon.

If you don’t use WordPress, check out Dynamic Drive’s Favicon Generator or Free Favicon Generator from Website Planet.

Adding a favicon to your website is a great way to help build your image or brand. It also makes your site look a little more professional.

19 Oct

Why Your Website Should Be a Hub of Information

Websites Are No Longer Just a Showcase

The days of showing pretty pictures and awesome special effects are over. People want information and they want it now. A good way to lose your audience is to have them wait for a Flash splash page to download.

Make your website a hub of useful content

Today it is important to fill your website with “useful” information. Write about what you know. Show your voice and passion. Explore how to do something in your field. Comment on related news events. Review products. Create a links page that points to related sites your audience might be interested in.

Include a blog on your website. This will allow you to regularly post information related to your business, product or service. Writing a series of articles greatly enhances your search engine optimization. People, and Google, like to know the site you have is current and relevant. Plus this is a great way to get people coming back to your site.

Easy to Navigate

Your website should have an easy to understand navigation system. The look of your site should be clean and simple. The text should be large enough to read clearly and should be on a white or light background. Did you know white type on a black background is difficult to read? It strains your eyes. A lot of people click “next”.

Link to your social marketing efforts

Twitter is a great way to send out mini blasts of information. Facebook is great for social networking and letting people know about you and your business. LinkedIn is also a good place to have a business presence. YouTube is great for video tutorials and product reviews.

But all social networking should lead to your main website. This is where you have room to show what your business is all about and teach new things about your business.

Branding Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Website Design

18 May

7 Helpful Tips on Choosing a Domain Name

Your website is probably going to be your most important marketing tool. It should be the hub of all information related to your business. That’s why it is very important to have a domain name (url) that is descriptive of your business, easy to memorize, hard to misspell and of course available. Here are some easy tips to help you decide on the best domain name for you.

Try to use your company name / brand in your domain name.
Keep your domain name simple, short and easy to remember.
Avoid using hyphens and underscores. They can cause confusion.
Use key words related to your business. It’s best when your url describes what it is you do and what people would be searching for.
Use dot com whenever possible. It’s the most recognized url extension.
Avoid using numbers. Again, it’s confusing not knowing whether to use the number or to spell it out.
Don’t add an “s” to an existing popular domain name. The “s” is easily forgotten and your potential client will end up at your competitor’s site.

For more helpful information on domain name selection and search engine optimization check out SEOmoz.org.

Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

23 Aug

5 Ways to Make Money Now!

Are you in business for yourself and need more income? Who doesn’t… There are many ways to increase your income. Here are a few.

Increase your prices. Sounds scary but it’s a good way to get more money. The trick is to add more value to your product or service at the same time. People are willing to pay more if they feel they are getting more value for their money.
Cut expenses. Find creative ways to cut your bills down to size. Do you really need 5 business lines? Try using call waiting. Recycle paper. Take that printing job your customer never picked up or paid for and use the blank side in your printer. But only print things that are necessary. Save paper, save a tree.
Advertising on your website. Try using AdSense from Google or sign up with affiliate programs. Then whenever someone clicks an ad on your site and makes a purchase, you make money. You can’t lose. Just make sure you’re not advertising for your competition.
Pay off your credit cards. Of course you have to have money to do this. But by not paying high interest each month you save lots of money. At least it’s a good goal to have.
Sell more. Easier said than done, these days. But if you’re creative and good at what you do and/or sell, then why not try to sell more. Send out e-mails (do not spam). Update your website. Advertise a special. Sign up with online directories. When all else fails, call Creative Juices.

Advertising Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

16 Mar

Is your website color friendly?

Web 2.0, Web 3.0, iPhone 3.0, Social Media, Java, Drupal, Ajax, Joomla, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

So much is constantly changing online. It’s tough to keep up. But one thing remains the same: color choices on your website are important.

We all know that color affects people in different ways. Studies have proven that certain colors create certain feelings. So it is vital that your website use the right colors to invoke the feelings you want your viewers to have.

While feelings about individual colors and color combinations vary from culture to culture, as well as individuals, certain colors generally create similar feelings in most people. Good and evil, black and white, red for urgency, blue for calm. You can easily find tons of information online. More than you care to know, perhaps.

But my point is when you or your favorite web designer are creating or updating your website, the color palate you choose is almost as important as the content you place on your website.

Just saying.

Business Practices Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

02 Mar

10 reasons to start your own online business.

Out of work? Now’s the perfect time to become an entrepreneur. Just find the right niche, something you feel passionate about, and get started.

Starting your own business is fun.
You can make money.
Express your ideas.
No boss to fire you.
Make your own hours.
Did I mention it can be fun?
You can make lots of money.
Relatively small start up costs.
Little to lose and a lot to gain.
Contact Creative Juices to find out all you need to know on getting your website up and running.

Business Practices

24 Feb

The Power of Positive Thinking in this Recession

There’s no escape from the bad economic news, so try to ignore it for a few minutes. Here are some ways to clear your head and end the recession:

1. Spend money. If you’re employed and have some money to spend, why not treat yourself to something small. Then you’ll be helping the economy and keeping someone employed. And they will have money to spend, etc.

2. If you don’t have money, spend some time not worrying about it. Take a walk and exercise. Stop and smell the roses. Okay, so they’re not in bloom yet. But there are pretty flowers around. Smell them.

3. Take a few deep breaths and think how lucky you are to live in a relatively peaceful country.

4. Go to the library and read about something new. Get a few ideas on how you can improve your future. Explore the internet. People watch.

5. Start a new online business and become an entrepreneur. Call Creative Juices and get a logo design and website. By spending money at Creative Juices you will help Chuck earn a living and then he will spend money and the economy will recover. Amazing but true.

Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Marketing 101

11 Jan

Don't Panic… Market. Now.

Unemployment may be at 7%, but that just means a greater majority of people who want to work, are working.

Anyway, the point is that there are still employed people spending money. Sure a lot of people have cut back. But the best way for you to increase your sales is to let more people know what you do. What is your service? Where are you located? What do you do that’s better than anyone else? How can you help them?

If you don’t advertise or market your business in some way, no one will know you exist. Or worse, they’ll think you’ve gone out of business. And these days there’s a lot of that happening.

Update your website and let people know what is going on with you and how you can help them. Promote your brand. Keep your image at the top of people’s minds.

If you don’t already have a website, you’re missing out on one of the most cost effective ways to showcase your business or service.

If you do have a website and it’s out of date, you need to update. And fast. A tired, out of date website show’s you are not on top of your game. You may be perceived as irrelevant.

Remember, when you cut your marketing and advertising, you are essentially giving your competition a clear advantage. Is that really what you want to do?

Don’t forget to call Creative Juices if you need marketing and advertising advice. 310-791-5803. Did you know weekend appointments are now available?

Advertising Business Practices Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

19 Nov

Using a free website template is a BIG mistake.

Keep in mind that your website is often the first impression people will have of you and your business or service. This is what potential clients will look at to get a sense of what they can expect when doing business with you.

While it’s true you can set up your own website using one of these free templates, keep in mind that everyone has access to those templates. Hundreds of other people could be using that same template. Your brand is what sets you apart from all the other businesses. By using a template you are erasing your brand recognition. This is not a good thing to do. Especially when today’s businesses need all the help they can get to stand out and survive.

It is far more important to have a unique brand image (including your logo on your website) than to save a few dollars. And unless you are a competent graphic designer, go to an expert. This is the only way to get a strong brand image that you can be proud of.

Business Practices Marketing 101