Hello Everyone! Happy Fall! I hope your all had a successful Summer! For many of you things are slowing down a little so it's a good time to reflect on where you are going and where you want to go in the future. In doing so, you may want to consider updating your website to display the things you are focusing on this season and moving forward.  In this newsletter, I will be featuring website add-ons to give you ideas on keeping your content fresh and new. Think outside-the-box on how these features can be applied to your business. Marjorie with Your Designs Online What kind of business do you want to portray? Whether your proud of your heritage, religion or special causes you can display them on your website with suitable badges and seals. Here are some samples and examples of available ideas. • Your status with the BBB, chamber of commerce, awards, memberships, licenses or certificates. • Your individuality including faith-based, family owned and operated, women owned, veteran own

You don't want to be "That Business" with the outdated flashy obnoxious website that sends potential customers running, do you? If you currently have a website and you're wondering if it's time for an update you probably are due for one soon. Here are some signs to help you recognize outdated features on your website.  ·         Lack of a Responsive Design [Mobile ready] ·         3D buttons ·         Generic and outdated clipart and stock images. And animated Gifs. ·         If your website is older than five years, your website may not be built for the current SEO requirements.  ·         Visible hit Counters ·         Under construction ·         Pop-up boxes ·         Scrolling or Marquee text ·         Fonts - times new roman, comic sans ·         Incompatibility with Web Browsers ·         Outdated or Incorrect Content [this includes old blog posts.] ·         Poor User Experience ·         No SSL certificate to show your website is safe and isn’t HTTPS enab

  ATTENTION! Important information : It has become clear that a reminder is needed regarding hosting and domain renewals. Please do not under any circumstances pay anyone for service renewals except me. Anything coming from anyone else is NOT me and is a SCAM! Domain expiration dates are public information and anyone can send you a letter to mislead you into paying them instead of me. Save yourself a big headache and contact me if you are unsure of anything your receive via calls, mail, or email.  I send the following email reminder after the development of every website and also by mail for every service renewal.   It is common to be the target of a scam when you own a website, so if you get a renewal letter, call, text, or email from anyone else other than myself or GoDaddy ignore it or contact me before agreeing to anything. Especially if your services are not expiring soon. There are scammers out there who will attempt to use this tactic to trick you into losing your domain name to

  I just want to tell you about one of my website clients whose hard work has paid off Big Time! The Remillard’s were one of my first clients, and I have enjoyed watching them grow and expand over the years. Recently their website was discovered online through a Google search and they were offered a nice deal! Lowe’s [yes the hardware store] now features their Barn Quilts for sale online! Isn’t that amazing! It just shows that you never know who you will attract online and that worldwide exposure can take you to places you never even dreamed. Congrats Loren and Rhonda! Your beautiful barn quilts will be displayed for many years to come! Check out their quilts at Lowe’s here… https://www.lowes.com/pl/Remillard-signs-and-barn-quilts--Wall-art-Wall-art-decor-Home-decor/4294715775?refinement=2020926281576 Note: If anyone else has your own success story please share it with us! We would love to hear from you!

  What is online reputation management? Reputation management comprises all business activities undertaken to shape customers' opinions of a company based on its online presence. Your company's online reputation is largely the result of how today's most-used websites – Google, Facebook and more – present your company. As such, SEO and properly handling negative reviews are part and parcel of reputation management. While similar in some ways to public relations (PR), reputation management is less focused on journalistic coverage and more focused on your overall online presence. For example, your PR firm will pitch stories about your company to leading publications, while your reputation management firm will focus on your online reviews, paid content, and SEO. Both your PR firm and reputation management firm may assist you with social media management. Why is managing your online reputation important? Warren Buffet once said, "It takes 20 years to build a reputation and

  A client asked me the other day... How do I like or comment on a post as my business page and not as my personal profile? Good question! In this case, the post was positive feedback about his business and it just makes sense to respond as your page. This is something that we should think about not only for your likes but your comments and shares as well. The solution is easy, but not clear to see. All you need to do is click on this tiny profile picture in the lower right-hand corner and change it from your profile to your page, then proceed with the action you would like to make. Easy peasy!

Clients often feel like they don't know the "right language" to talk with their website developer.  I try my best to make you feel understood and to portray information to you in a way anyone can understand.  When completing projects such as a website update it is important for the website developer to execute their ideas in a way your website visitors will benefit from. This can usually be done in writing by email, but there are times when a photo is better. Screenshots of the area you are referring to can be very helpful to show the place on your website where you want to make an update. Being able to add notes to a screenshot can be even better to be able to add your comments and arrows to the exact place you are referring too, to make things crystal clear.  There's a little free program that I have been using for years for when I need to share ideas or information with a client. It's called Tiny Take and it's basically a glorified screen capturing program

  Invoicing customers for your products and services is part of doing business. Here's how to create an invoice to give to your clients. An invoice is an itemized document that lists all work completed for a client during a period along with each service’s price. An invoice also contains contact information, payment terms and sometimes other notes. To create an invoice, make space for a header, provide a detailed itemized table and include footnotes at the bottom if needed. This article is for business owners who want to know how to create an invoice for completed work . If you’re familiar with the basics of small business accounting, then you know that signing a new client doesn’t mean you’ll get their cash right away. If anything, you might have to wait several weeks or months before the money in your company’s accounts receivable hits your business’s cash account. And if you don’t send invoices for your work, you might never get that money. Neglecting to send invoices can delay

  How to make a website pay for its self? The question you should really be asking yourself is... Can you afford NOT to have a website? There are SO many ways to answer this question. A website these days is an essential tool to increase business. Even if you are a small business, wouldn't you like a bigger piece of the market that your major competitors are getting?  Why limit yourself, when you can achieve respect by placing your business on the same level as those who have already established recognition in your field. I'm all about creating new jobs locally, but let's face it... small businesses often cannot afford to employ a whole team of staff. A website can assist like an "employee" for your business that can replace many of your other expenses, which will surely increase your profits! I compiled this list of ways to make your website pay for itself in a very short amount of time. This ensures that your website will become worth your investment every day.

  If you take on the struggle to learn how to develop your website yourself, your visitors will experience your experiment of your first website build. Like a crayon drawing hanging up on the side of a fridge. Is this the first impression you want to present to your customers or the most prominent competitors in your industry? First impressions matter! Since most people use the Internet to find a product or service these days, your professional website will be the first impression many people get of your business. A flashy, disorganized, or difficult to navigate website may turn away potential clients. What first impression is your website giving? Let us give your business an edge with an impressive professional website!

  When your website developer freshens up their own website, it's probably time for you to do the same. As a rule of thumb, we recommend a website redesign or revamp every 2-3 years. The Internet is always changing and so are its search engines. I recommend updated content often to maintain a modern online presence and keep up with industry best practices, which are always changing. Content needs to be accurate and up-to-date. Every time you make an update to your website, the search engine takes notice and re-arranges your site's ranking. Thus, if you want to increase the chances of your website getting a higher ranking, update the content frequently so that a search engine will reassess your position on its index.

  Stake your claim in your industry with a shiny new website! In order to make it in business, you need something exceptional to stand out. At the same time, one needs to not compare themselves with others and focus on what sets you apart. These are the qualifications that I provide with each and every website. Clear price quotes upfront, so there are no surprises. All my rates are shown on my quotes page online. A beautiful and highly creative website that is both functional and easy to navigate. I have developed various methods to provide my clients the option to update their website on their own, to save time and money on updates. I strive to listen to my client’s needs and wants to produce the results they are looking for.

  Are you making your best first impression? I believe that behind each successful website there needs to be a strong collaboration between designer and client. The designer and client must work as a team. As such, I guarantee your ideas will be heard, respected and discussed, and, if necessary, improved, by taking the time to listen to your needs and understand your goals. Working together can be a stress-free experience that who knows, might even turn out to be fun!

  Invest in your business… It pays off. I have been creating websites, implementing business marketing concepts and learning about what works and doesn’t work since I started my own small business over 15 years ago. During this time, I've learned a lot about what is worthwhile for your bottom line. I aim to develop beautiful websites that are easy to navigate and comprehend by your online customers. I have created websites for many local businesses, which are displayed on my online portfolio website. Do what you love and never work a day in your life!

  Be the master in your industry with a stunning new website. If you do not have a website you are losing money. Owning your own website will make you credible with your customers and put you on an even playing field with your competitors. Both will improve your bottom-line for profitable results. I do not consider your website an advantage for me, I consider it a service that will help you grow for many years to come. I offer clear price rates upfront, so there's no surprises. All my rates are shown on my quotes page online.