Archive for Branding

5 Trending Logo Themes in 2017

Image is everything in today’s online business world. How do you keep yours up to date?

Start with your logo. Maybe it needs a make-over.

The following logo design ideas are all the rage today. If you need a logo, keep this in mind. If you already have one, you may want to spruce it up.

Minimalism – simple is in. As they say, less is more.
Hand-Drawn – very popular in today’s restaurants and eateries. Chic and unique.
Line Art – a modern look that stays in style
Negative Space – takes advantage of positive and negative space for an unusual and trendy look
Vintage – for a nostalgic look from the past

Your logo is a huge part of your company’s brand and it should be given quite a bit of thought.

Click here for more information on logo design.

05 May

6 Important Reasons to Update Your Website in 2017

Website design is constantly evolving. You want a design that will help your audience convert to paying customers.

You also want a website that is up today’s standards and not stuck in the past.

Here are some of the website design trends happening in 2017:

Full Width Images and/or Video Sliders. Studies show large images make people stop and notice. The image must be exceptional and unique (avoid stock photos). This contributes to a high conversion level.
Split-Screen Layouts. This allows your audience to go to where they will be most likely to convert.
Monochromatic Colors. Your CTA (Call To Action) button will stand out if you use a bright spot of color on an otherwise neutral or contrasting color palette.
Simple Navigation. Make it easy for people to find what their looking for. Avoid deep menus that require a lot of clicks.
Video. A level of trust is needed to convert your audience into clients. A video will allow you to personalize your brand. You will see more and more videos on the home page of websites today.
Responsive Design. A responsive web design is one that fills all screen sizes optimally. This is a must as an increasing number of people use their mobile devices to search up websites.

These are tips to keep in mind, whether you’re needing a new website or revising an existing one. Don’t let your business get left behind.

Contact us for a free quote today!

Branding Design Graphic Design Website Design WordPress

11 Mar

Print Marketing Still Has Value Today!

Don’t ignore print marketing.

It may be “old school” but many people still rely on printed materials to get their news and make their buying decisions.

One of the ways I get new business is to send out persuasive sales letters to new businesses that have a DBA (doing business as) in the local newspapers. I find it in the classifieds section. I’ve been doing this for many years and it still works.

Of course you have to start out with a professional sales letter. I keep things simple. All text, few graphics. You have to say what you do explicitly and show the reader the benefits of giving you a call.

Inside each sales letter I include my business card with my catchy twisted pencil logo. Hopefully the pencil will never go out of style. Did you know they still use pencils in elementary school?

Business Cards are still a powerful social media tool.

We may be in the midst of a digital revolution, but the mighty business card is still being used daily. Yes indeed, people hand out business cards all the time. It’s easy to do and stackable too. And if you’re completely digital you can always scan a business card into your smartphone for easy access.

So make sure your business cards shows the real you. Your brand image should be consistent across all media. Really.

And of course don’t forget all the important information for your business cards:

Name
Address
Telephone Number
Email Address
Website URL
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Names

Here’s a summary of why you should always use a business card as a marketing tool:

Easy to hand out at events and in person
Shows your brand and all the important info a client needs to find you
Can be wild or classy, being memorable is important
An inexpensive way to advertise your business
Can also be used to win free lunches at some (old school) restaurants

Brochures are hanging on

Don’t rule out full color brochures either. They work great as a “leave behind”. This is especially true at trade shows and business mixers.

Postcards, Catalogs and Door Hangers are still in the mix.

Check your daily mail and you’ll find them all. Let’s keep the post office in business.

So while you can see the digital age is taking over marketing, there will absolutely be a place for print for quite some time. Printed materials are tangible. There’s less competition in print than online so you’ll stand out.

By combining print marketing with online marketing you’ll have a stronger presence and perhaps drive more traffic to your website.

Branding Graphic Design Marketing 101

20 Aug

6 Reasons You Must Redesign Your Website

Is your website looking old and stale?

Is it responsive to the various tablet and smart phone sizes or does it look strange and unprofessional?

Technology is constantly changing and so must your website. You cannot just let it sway in the online breeze.

Here are some tips on what makes an attention grabbing, quality website:

Make it easy to read. Are the fonts large and clear? Is the content easy to skim? Use headlines and bulleted items.
Create a unique experience. What makes your site stand apart from the competition?
Include a search box visible on all pages.
Eliminate animated graphics. Flashing, garish graphics are quite annoying, slow down your site and should be avoided.
Simplify your navigation. Get to the point. Allow the user to find what they want immediately.
Choose your design layout and color scheme wisely. Consult with an expert for best results.

Remember that viewers decide in an instant whether to read your website or click away. Make sure your site really grabs and keeps their attention.

What are your pet peeves about websites?

Advertising Branding Design Graphic Design Helpful Hints Logo Design Marketing 101 Online Marketing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Website Design

12 May

5 Reasons Why the Cheapest Website is Not the Best Choice

You Don’t Want to Look Cheap

Times are difficult for a lot of people. Making ends meet is very important. But in business it’s all about image. When it comes to how people perceive you and your company, how you represent yourself is vitally important.

Make Your First Impression Count

To be a successful business you must have a web presence. Just having your name out there is not good enough. You need to showcase your products and services. You only get a few seconds to make an impression.

You Won’t Find Your Web Designer at The 99 Cent Store

Here’s five things to look for when you shop around for a web designer and why cheap is not always a bargain.

You get what you pay for. This is not just a cliché. The cheapest web design is not necessarily the best representation of your business. Do you really want your business to look cheap?
Keep your navigation simple and easy to follow. People notice when a website is poorly designed.
Most cheap websites are either copied from a template or from someone else’s site.
Will that web designer be there if my site has errors or ceases to function properly? Do you really want to pay someone new to fix your broken site?
Do they have a knowledge of SEO and how it works? Even a little search engine optimizing helps get your site noticed.

A modern, clean, fully functioning and easy to navigate website says a lot about your business. Update your content and website regularly and you’ll increase your chances of getting noticed.

To that end, why not call (310-791-5803) or e-mail Chuck at Creative Juices house of design. We create websites that fit your personality, business and budget. And we’re friendly too. (Chihuahua kisses are optional).

Blogging to promote business. Branding Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Website Design

29 Mar

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.

Branding Design Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Technology

16 Nov

How to Switch from WordPress.com to WordPress.org and Save Your SEO Ranking

Why Should I Switch to WordPress.org?

WordPress.com is a great way to begin blogging. It’s a free service, easy to set up and use, plenty of free themes and plugins, and, well, free.

But WordPress.com does have it’s limits. For one thing, your blog’s domain name is branded for WordPress (yourblogname.wordpress.com). If you’re serious about your blog and/or website, it is vital to promote your own brand name in your url. Yourblogname.com, for example, is more professional and promotes name recognition. Being your own entity is much better than being part of someone else’s.

Also, you cannot easily monetize your WordPress.com blog. For now they do not allow Google AdSense, for example. That is why a self-hosted, WordPress.org site is a much better choice. WordPress.org is also free but there are more options and functionality. You just have to find a host and pay yearly hosting fees and domain name registration. Getting a unique, professionally designed creative WordPress theme to fit your brand image couldn’t hurt either.

I’ve been using WordPress.com for a while now. Can’t I just start a new blog using my own domain name?

Of course you can. But if you’ve been blogging for a while you will have probably built up a following. Search engines will have already found and ranked you. People may have already bookmarked your site or linked to you.

You don’t want to lose that ranking or those links. And while you can and should migrate all your blog posts to a WordPress.org system using your new url, it is also a good idea to redirect your old url to the new name. That way, anyone who has bookmarked your old site will be instantly redirected to the new site. And you will maintain your search engine ranking and permalinks.

WordPress.com now offers Offsite Redirect Support for $12 per year. I am not an affiliate of WordPress and am not getting paid to promote this service. I just think it’s a good idea. But don’t forget to renew the redirect yearly. You will not get a reminder.

Blogging to promote business. Branding Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

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

13 Sep

Blog your way to Business Success

Blogging is a great way to promote your business

One of the most popular parts of the new Web 2.0 or Social Media is blogging. Using the format of blogging to help promote your business is a powerful way to reach new clients. The whole purpose of writing a blog is to constantly create new content. All search engines, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, love blogs because they pick up on the new content, especially if it is optimized correctly. This is a great way for your blog to be listed high up in search results.

Blogging Tips

How does this relate to your business and it’s success? Just follow these simple steps:

Create content that people want to read. You want to be a useful resource, so make sure whatever you’re writing about is something people will learn from.
Include keywords, but make sure the copy is easy to read, short, to the point and useful.
Bulleted items and lists are very helpful for those who skim.
Make sure to include a link to your website (unless your blog is your website). Don’t include too may links to your website as search engines may interpret that as spam and reject your site.
If you do link to your website, it’s best to link to a specific “landing page” that covers the topic of your blog.

Why not write a new blog post every day?! It’s a great new habit that will pay you back with more people interested in your business. It doesn’t have to be very long. Just interesting.

Want more information? Call Chuck at 310-791-5803.

Blogging to promote business. Branding Business Practices Helpful Hints Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

08 Sep

Take Control of Your Website

Are you a New or Small Business Owner?

Smart Preservation

Then you really need to get a website. Let the world know you exist.

The question is, where do you start?

Start your own blog/website.

WordPress is a Content Management System (CMS). It has a completely accessible back end that is easy to learn. You will be able to add an unlimited number of pages, posts and plugins with unbelievable functionality. This includes photo galleries, PayPal shopping carts, Twitter and Facebook links, calendars, search engine optimization and tons more.

Market your business by adding content

Search engines love it when you add new content to your website. So do readers. Adding useful content to your site on a regular basis is a great way to increase your Google page rank.

Starting your company blog also helps to connect you with potential and current clients. It’s a way for you to be creative too.

Custom Designed Templates

Stand out from the crowd. There are plenty of free WordPress templates available. But you want your website to be unique.

It’s easy to get your own company website.

I can design your custom template and set up your entire site.

Many options are available:

Domain name and hosting. I am an authorized GoDaddy affiliate.
Quick lessons on how to access your Admin page and make changes yourself.
Search Engine Optimization. Includes Title Tags, Meta Description, Keywords and Registration with major search engines like Google and Bing.
Widget setup. I’ll install the most popular and useful plugins to meet your individual needs.
Backup and maintenance available. Keep all your plugins and WP operating system up to date and your files backed up online. You can also get a regular backup of your files emailed or sent to you on disk.