Technology | Creative Juices Graphic Design Studio

Archive for Technology – Page 2

Why You Should Consider a .co Domain Name

Starting today you can register a .co domain name.

This is known as a Top Level Domain (TLD) which started in South America but is now available worldwide.

The abbreviation .co can be interpreted as any number of things, from company, community, commerce or any other word you like that begins with “co” such as con.

Is this just another way of wasting your money?

True, some people think this is just another way of getting you to pay a premium amount of money to reserve yet another version of your domain to prevent others from getting it. While .com is the most popular choice, you also have .net, .org, .info and much more. How many people reserved a .mobi domain for mobile phones and now wonder why they bothered?

On the other hand, if you have a company name and cannot get a .com domain for it, now’s your chance to reserve a .co version. I’ve already registered creativejuices.co and cjuices.co. See if your domain name is available at my Creative Juices Domains website. And if you do reserve it there you’ll be contributing to the survival of Creative Juices since I am a GoDaddy registered reseller. Yay me.

How this plays out remains to be seen. Will search engines like this new domain extension? Will people get confused between .co and .com thinking it’s a misspelling and end up going to your competition by mistake? Do you want to take a chance and ignore this opportunity and let somebody else get your desired domain name… again?

Read “New domain .co goes up for sale” by Jennifer Scott from ITPRO for more information.

02 Jul

Dropbox is a great way to sync a file

If you have an iPhone, iMac, iPad or any other iThingy, Dropbox is an incredibly easy way to sync a file from your computer to other computers or devices. It’s only a matter of opening an account with Dropbox online, adding an app to any of your iDevices and dropping a file or two or even more into the “box”. In an instant that file is available for viewing on all linked devices.

Dropbox allows you to view documents, spreadsheets, photos, videos and presentations. A neat feature is that you can snap a photo with your iPhone and save it to your Dropbox direct. You don’t even need a MobileMe account.

And the great thing is a Dropbox account is free and comes with 2 GB of storage space. For most people that’s quite a lot of space. If you have a lot of heavy duty files you can purchase a Pro plan up to 100GB. I am not an affiliate of Dropbox but I do find it worth looking into if you haven’t already installed it on your iStuff. Dropbox is also available for non-Apple-ites, who use Windows or Linux.

Business Practices Helpful Hints iPad iPhone Software Technology

05 May

Is IMAP Better Than POP?

Yes, yes it is. Especially if you have your own e-mail domain name.

IMAP vs. POP

With IMAP your e-mail is stored on your host’s server while with POP you download your e-mail to your own computer, which is then deleted from the main server (unless you tell it not to). Therefore IMAP is better if you are getting your e-mail from several computers or devices like an iPhone or iPad.

With IMAP your e-mail is in the same condition from wherever you get it. For instance, if you read your e-mail but didn’t delete it, it will still be on the server as already read, no matter where you are viewing it. But if you are using POP and you read your e-mail on your iPhone and then later checked your mail on your iMac, it will show up again as unread. How very annoying. UpperHost has a simple explanation of IMAP vs. POP.

It is best to start out with IMAP.

Switching from POP to IMAP can be quite a challenge. Here’s my tale.

I was using a local hosting company, then switched to GoDaddy. I always used POP because the local company didn’t want me storing e-mails on their server. One of the reasons I switched.

I read an article in MacWorld Magazine on The IMAP Advantage and decided to make the switch. At the time I had over 13,000 e-mails in my main e-mail account. It was suggested I save these in a folder on my computer. Sorting out 13,000 e-mails would take too much time so I tried dragging them to a generic folder and received an error message.

GoDaddy said they it would be okay to make the POP account inactive while activating the IMAP account. And this worked fine. But then something happened and a few days later all 13,000 plus e-mails became blank. They were missing. Yikes, I said to myself.

With frantic calls to Apple Support I managed to restore most of my old e-mail to my computer from my Time Machine backup. How ironic that the main reason I switched from POP to IMAP was to have a safe back up for my e-mails and in the process I lost (temporarily) all my old e-mail.

So always be sure to save your e-mail to your computer if you are switching from POP to IMAP. And have a backup plan. Hard drives do fail and e-mails do disappear.

Business Practices Computer Tech Support Helpful Hints iPad iPhone Technology

16 Apr

The Power of Social Media Marketing

You can find hundreds of books to talk about Social Media Marketing, formerly known as Web 2.0. And I’m going to give you crash course in just a few paragraphs.

Blogs

Your blog is an extremely powerful social media hub. If done correctly, it can boost the visibility of your business in ways never before possible. Think of it as an online magazine. You’re in charge of design and content. Your blog can help promote your company’s website or it can be a part of your website.

Setting up a blog is very easy. You can try using a free blogging system such as WordPress.com or Google’s Blogger. But if you want to appear really professional you need to go for a self-hosted blog. The most popular and easiest way to do this is through WordPress.org. You have lots of options for design themes and plugins. Of course a professionally designed unique theme that utilizes your company’s brand identity is best.

Maintaining it regularly can be a challenge. You have to constantly come up with copy that is interesting, relevant and remarkable. This could be once a week. Daily would be great. A few times a week is good too. The trick is to write posts that people want to read. Show your personality and have fun.

Facebook

Facebook is the most popular online social network today, with over 400 million active users of all ages creating a home page and making “friends”. Facebook is a place where “friends” gather. Let everyone know what you’re doing. It’s easy to set up and is free. Show photos, play games, network, add applications. What’s your status? Your Facebook profile can be made public or private. You control the settings of who gets to see your page.

If you have a business you need a “Fan” page. A fan page is part of your original Facebook account. It is visible to everyone, registered or not, including all your customers. While a Facebook Group is better for hosting discussions, for long-term relationships, a “fan” page is best. Personalize your fan page with your company brand or image.

In order to get people to become a “fan” of your company, you need to drive them to your Facebook fan page. Therefore it is important to link your social media together. Create a button on your blog and company website, inviting visitors to become a Facebook fan. You want your fan page to be a fun place to visit. Create content and invite discussion and participation. Make your fan page a resource of information about your company and related products.

Another way you can entice users to join your fan page is by creating contests or coupons specifically for your Facebook fans. This could include discounts on products, free shipping, or other special deals. The goal is to get people to join your fan page and come back often. You need to give them a reason to participate. Encourage comments and input.

Creating a successful fan page takes planning, time and dedication. It’s not something you can set and forget.

Twitter

Twitter can be a very powerful business tool with over 17 million users, a large number of which are older professionals with high incomes. It is called micro-blogging because your “posts” are limited to 140 characters. But you can create an unlimited number of posts.

With Twitter you have access to immediate feedback from people all over the world, 24/7. When you need help, just ask for it. You’ll be surprised at the number of people who will answer your questions and offer assistance. This is also a great way to do market research.

Use Twitter to let people know who you are. Your tweets can include links to photos and video. Send links to helpful or interesting websites. Promote contests, specials, sales, new products, whatever. Inform people when you make a blog post. Direct people to visit your website. And don’t forget to create a unique Twitter backdrop with your company brand and information.

Coming soon to Twitter will be “Promoted Tweets”, a way of advertising on Twitter. And you will be able to pay for a Commercial Twitter account which gives a business detailed analytics tools and the ability for several people to post to the same Twitter account.

LinkedIn is a business social network with over 65 million professional business users with an average income of over $100,000 a year. If you’re selling to other businesses you’ll want to have a LinkedIn presence. It’s a great way to drive targeted traffic to your website and further build your social network by exchanging “information, ideas and opportunities”.

Building Buzz and Getting Noticed

The best way to get noticed is to remain consistent. That means you must post to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and write your blog posts on a regular basis. If you don’t, people will stop following you. That’s not good. Sign up with HootSuite and you can write one post and send it to any or all of your social media at one time.

The more followers, friends and fans you have, the more you’ll get. It’s kinda viral. People want to follow popular people. And when you give people what they want in terms of information, tips, discounts, promotions, contests, customer service, etc., they’ll keep coming back for more.

When you’re involved with social media marketing, you’re also a part of the exciting new world of mobile marketing. Facebook, Twitter and Blog news-feeds are a huge part of mobile phone apps. Even Apple has entered the arena with it’s new iAd concept coming to an iPhone or iPad near you. Imagine interactive mobile ads and videos that are graphic and enticing. Google already has a big presence in mobile text advertising. You don’t want to be left out of this new marketing frontier.

So that’s the essence of Social Media Marketing. It’s all part of Search Engine Optimization. The goal is to get people to your website or social media hub. This can also include being part of social bookmarking sites like StumbleUpon, Delicious, Reddit, Digg; photo sites like Flickr; rich media sites like YouTube and Spoink and don’t forget MySpace.

For more information on how you can become a part of this exciting and powerful world of social media marketing contact Chuck at Creative Juices.

Advertising Blogging to promote business. Business Practices Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Technology Website Design

05 Apr

10 Reasons Why I’m Waiting to Buy a New iPad

As everyone around the world knows, the iPad is here and its received mostly positive reviews. I love all things Apple and I’m sure I would use the iPad all the time. I wanted to rush out and buy one immediately. Actually I wanted to order it the moment that it became available to order. But I didn’t. And here’s why.

I don’t have the available cash and don’t want to go into debt for a fun new gadget. At least not yet.
I love my iPhone and use it constantly. The iPad would duplicate most of the things I use the iPhone for. But is it really worth $500 plus to be able to read my news feeds on a larger screen while watching TV? Possibly.
WiFi only would be great at home, but what if I venture elsewhere?
3G would come in handy and will soon be available. But do I want to spend another $129 plus $15 – $30 a month in order to have that capability which is already built into my iPhone?
Apple is known to change things 3 to 6 months after the release of a new product. Depending on demand, I suspect prices will either go down by Xmas or else you will be able to get the WiFi 3G models for the same price as the WiFi models today. And possibly the WiFi only models will drop in price.
The apps are in flux. For now the pricing seems pricy. By the end of the year they may be cheaper, again depending upon demand. And I hate the thought of buying apps for the iPad which I already own on the iPhone.
I’m planning to buy the next generation iPhone. Did I mention I love my iPhone? The iPhone has built in GPS and I already pay for a 3G plan. And so far I can still read the little type on the screen.
I can take my iPhone to the gym and read books or RSS feeds or whatever while on the StairMaster. I’d hate to take an iPad to the gym and possibly damage it. Plus without 3G the iPad at the gym would be just an expensive ebook reader.
I don’t play games and I don’t subscribe to NetFlix.
The next generation iPad will be better, faster, cheaper and really, really cool. By then this original iPad will seem like old news and I’ll be able to get a shiny new toy without regretting already buying one a year earlier.

So unless I come into a lot of extra cash or win an iPad, I’ll probably be waiting for the next generation. It won’t be easy, but I’ll try to be strong.

iPad iPhone Technology

01 Apr

How to Take Control of Your Website

If you’ve always wanted a well designed website platform that you can easily update yourself, WordPress.org is the answer.

“WordPress is a state-of-the-art publishing platform with a focus on aesthetics, web standards, and usability. WordPress is both free and priceless at the same time.” So says the WordPress website.

A self-hosted WordPress blog/website is the perfect format. It’s a content management system that’s easy to use and update. You have complete control of your site and can modify it whenever you want. Add pages, add posts, modify text. Create a photo gallery. And unlike WordPress.com, you can sell products and sign up for affiliate programs. And the best part is, it’s easy to understand. And don’t forget free.

“WordPress is infinitely extensible. One of the core philosophies of WordPress is to keep the core code as light and fast as possible but to provide a rich framework for the huge community to expand what WordPress can do, limited only by their imagination,” says the folks at WordPress.org.

A large variety of plugins add infinite versatility to your site. Just about anything you can think of can be added. It’s as simple as finding the plugin, installing it with a click of a button and dragging a widget to your sidebar.

Free Templates are Great. Your Own Unique Template is Better.

Here’s where Creative Juices comes in. While you can get quite a variety of free templates online, having your own unique header and theme, utilizing your logo, photos and artwork, adds a special touch.

A Creative Juices designed template adds class to your site. You’ll stand out because your site will be unlike any other.

Here’s a great opportunity to start your own self-hosted WordPress blog/website. Let the world know about your business or service. It’s fun to express yourself, share your expertise and maybe even make some money.

Special Offer from Creative Juices

For a limited time Creative Juices Design Studio is offering one year Free Hosting, set up and Domain Name Registration with your custom designed WordPress themed blog/website order*. This is an incredible opportunity to start your own blog/website with a creative look uniquely your own.

And remember, your self-hosted WordPress blog/website has a completely accessible back end that is easy to learn. You will be able to make changes, add an unlimited number of pages and install plugins with unbelievable functionality, all on your own. This includes photo galleries, PayPal shopping carts, Twitter and Facebook links, calendars, search engine optimization and tons more.

Search Engine Optimization and Site Registration are also available. Call for estimate.

Includes Title Tags, Meta Description, Keywords and Registration with major search engines like Google and Bing.

Call 310-791-5803 today and you can have a fully functional, completely customized website within a week.

Starting your own blog and/or website is a great hobby as well as a business tool. We make it creatively easy for you.

When you’re ready for something more, we can also design template-free websites from scratch.

Call for a quote. Because everyone’s needs are different we can’t list prices. Tell us your budget and we’ll tailor a program to fit your needs.

And of course, if you’re not interested in a hands on approach, we can do it all for you.

Hurry. You can’t afford to be without a visually appealing, highly functional website.

Business Practices Creative Juices News Helpful Hints Marketing 101 Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Technology Website Design

25 Jan

QR-Codes May Change Your Life.

Download a QR-Code reader app on your mobile phone and read the secret message.

Bar codes are so yesterday. Now we have these new, two dimensional QR-codes. QR means Quick Response, termed by Denso Wave, because these codes are designed to be scanned electronically at a high speed. They originated in Japan and are spreading throughout Europe and now the US.

This is perfect for mobile phone applications. Just place the code on a printed ad, business card, your website, a T-shirt, sign, bus stop, or just about anyplace. Then point your phone, scan instantly and get the message. If you have an iPhone I recommend inigma for reading QR-codes. It’s free and works rather well for me.

The idea is to get people to visit your website. You can promote a sale or special event. Highlight a new service. Start a contest. Create buzz.

What can you place in a QR code? Your website’s URL, a special landing page to promote a new service, telephone numbers, text messages, Vcard, or e-mail.

Create your own QR-code by following the link below. Or read more about this new phenomenon at Mobile-Barcodes.

QR-Code Generator by Mobile-Barcodes.com

Business Practices iPhone Technology