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Showing posts from 2013

Navigating Social Media in 2014

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10 Social Media Practices to Focus On in 2014 My top ten list of social media practices to utilize in the upcoming year. Publish often - Daily or weekly if possible Listen and respond - Let your customers know that you care Don't talk down to your audience - Be clear and succinct Integrate with your core website - Hook into existing streams and feeds Experiment -  Try social networks you have not yet used (Tumblr, Instagram, etc.) Hash it out - Use hash tags to help people find your content #ilovehashtags #organizeandtag Comment and reply -  Converse about things you are passionate about Be generous - Share your knowledge Establish authority - Own your niche Be thoughtful  - Humility and kindness go a long way Happy and prosperous 2014 to all! Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

Google Maps Engine Pro - Test Drive

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Google Maps Engine Lite/Pro Demo Google Maps Engine allows you to layer your data on top of Google’s base map and create your own maps. Google Maps Engine Lite and Pro help you create interactive custom maps to share and publish to the web. You can map data such as store locations, to showcase and advertise your business. Import location data from a spreadsheet, add layers to visualize different types of content, or add places, lines, and shapes. Key Features Draw - Add lines, shapes, or place marks on the map. Import - Add a CSV file, XLSX file or spreadsheet from Google Drive with geographically-specific data including addresses, place names, or lat/longs. Layer - Hide or show different content to better understand your map. Style - Make your point visually with different colors, place-mark icons, and line widths. Going Pro For commercial purposes, I upgraded to Maps Engine Pro.  This allows me to embed the interactive maps on my client websites. Demonstration

New WordPress 3.8 UI Design

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Customize Your WordPress 3.8 Admin Screens WordPress has gotten an overhaul. WP 3.8 brings a modern new look to the admin dashboard. New WordPress 3.8 features: Updated UI design Open Sans font for better readability Responsive for viewing on mobile devices Faster load times Customizable admin themes Learn more about WordPress 3.8: http://wordpress.org/news/2013/12/parker/ Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Season's Greetings!

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 1959 Jeep FC-150 rendering done in Google Drawing. GooglePlus auto-awesome snow effect applied. One of the real joys of the Holiday Season is the opportunity to say Thank You for our acquaintance and to wish you the very best for the New Year! Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Google Snippets in Search Results

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Google Snippets in Search Results Snippet Discovery I recently discovered a unique occurrence of Google snippets that appeared in a Google search engine results page (SERP).  It happens to be one of my portfolio pages, so naturally, it peaked my interest. A Google snippet is a description of or an excerpt from the webpage.  A snippet refers to the description portion of a Google search listing. Take a look at the SERP snippet below: Note, the snippet is made up of an element count (40+ items), the meta description, and four excerpts from the page. Page Rendering in Browser Here's what the portfolio page looks like when rendered in the browser: Underlying Page Code In this case, it appears as though the Google bot has gone into the page code, and parsed out the top four image descriptions.  What's interesting is that the page contains an html table with alternating rows.  Images, followed by the company name and location. Consistency and Stabilit

Social Media for Small Business

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Social Media for Small Business - Don't Over Complicate Things! I get a lot of questions from customers regarding social networking. The majority of them feel it is something they should be doing.  But many have a fear of taking the plunge... due in part to concerns with not having enough time. Being active on social media doesn't have to be overly complex.  A few minutes a day can get the job done for 99% of the small businesses out there.  Here are some thoughts on how a small business can benefit from being "social". What Is Social Media? According to Wikipedia, "social media refers to interaction among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. It introduces substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities, and individuals." Why Small Business Should Incorporate Social Into their Marketing Efforts Audience Reach + Relationship

Google Sites Not Indexing? Try This SEO Fix

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I recently received this question from a client needing SEO help: "I have a website for my company XYZ...the site is a Google Site. For some reason, my site is not indexed at all. Can you help?" Diagnosing the Problem Using Google Webmaster Tools, it became quickly apparent that Google was aware of the website (site was verified and an XML sitemap was uploaded).  But for some reason the search engine was not indexing it. The first thing I looked at was the robots.txt file to make sure no-follow wasn't blocking the Google bot.  Seemed OK.  Next I took a look at the page's source code...here's what I found: Page Source (Before):   HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 X-Robots-Tag: noindex, nofollow, nosnippet Last-Modified: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 19:27:23 GMT ... This is a problem!  Digging deeper...when I looked at the Google Sites Sharing and Permissions settings, it was set to " Anyone who has link can view ". This was

Google Web Designer Review

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Quick Review of Google's New Web Designer Google Web Designer user interface Yesterday, Google announced the launch of Web Designer, a new tool for building interactive HTML5 sites and ads.  The beta version is available for download here . I have kicked the tires a bit.  Overall, I am excited with Google's foray into the world of HTML5 editors. Here are my initial thoughts: The Good: Cost:  It's free to download, at least the Beta version is. Animation Timeline : Keyframes are used to "tween" animation points on the timeline. (Size, rotation, XYZ coordinates, etc.). It reminds me of an old Flash animation app called  Swish .  Hooks:  Using the Components menu, you can link to external iframes, galleries, maps, tap areas, and videos. Preview : Ability to preview the ads directly within the UI.  You can also preview in local browsers. Publishing : Quick process with "zip" option (contains all related files for easy upload). The Bad:

CMS Site Launch: Advanced Technical Solutions - DNN 7

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NEW WEBSITE POWERED BY DNN 7 ATS The Brief (i.e., Requirements): Internet showcase for local IT services Reach new customers via Web search Define Online brand identity Establish credibility and authority and in IT space The Method: Design: Modified skin with custom graphics and CSS tweaks Platform: DNN 7 with add-on extensions (Blog, JotForm, Nivo Slider, JQuery) SEO: Author unique page titles/descriptions, XML sitemap, Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics Social: Integrate blog, add hooks to Twitter, add links to Google+, Facebook and RSS The Result: Marketing vehicle will reach potential clients in local area Clean UX parallels the feel of client's print collateral Content is managed via DNN 7 cloud hosted CMS Visit the ATS Website Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Summary of Webmaster Tools Search Appearance Overview pop-up

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A look at the new "Search Appearance Overview" pop-up window that appears in the updated Webmaster Tools UI. I didn't catch this until recently, but Google has added a nifty little tool to help explain search results elements, and how we can influence the data they contain. Next time you login to Webmaster Tools , look for the Search Appearance interactive pop-up tool. It's accessed via the information (i) icon located in the left-hand menu: Webmaster Tools Search Appearance Overview When you hover over and click specific elements, a bubble will reveal helper text along with clickable links over to Google's Webmaster Tools help screens. Source: Google Webmaster Tools Title Element Write informative, relevant descriptions in the HTML title tag for each webpage. In Webmaster Tools use the HTML Improvements feature to help optimize the title tags on your site. Snippet  Element Provide an accurate, succinct summary of the page’s content in its m

New websites developed using DNN portal solutions

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New family of websites powered by DNN 6 AutoCrafting Solutions in Rochester, New York The website redesign for AutoCrafting.com was recently completed. We took three existing html based websites and migrated them into a single installation of DNN 6 as "child portals". DNN (formerly DotNetNuke) is evolving rapidly.  DNN  has been my "go to" web CMS platform for a few years, and it's getting better with every update. Here are a few takeaways. DNN Strengths: Portals allow you to host and manage multiple websites under one CMS installation MS Office style editor seems to be more intuitive for corporate clients Vast library of add-on modules (plugins) Scalability for enterprise level websites DNN Weaknesses: Native blogging engine is not as feature rich as Wordpress No single-click updates Hosting is a bit more pricey ($20/mo versus $8/mo) Skins a.k.a. themes tend to be more "corporate" versus "creative"...but

New Google Sites for Stowe Law

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Stowe Law Firm website overhauled using Google Sites CMS New Google Sites website designed and deployed for local law firm The Brief: Internet showcase for local legal services Reach new customers via Web search Solidify Online brand ID The Method: Design:  Custom graphics designed in Adobe Fireworks CS3 Google Apps:  Google Sites framework with Google Docs and Google Maps Search Engine Optimization:  Author unique page titles/descriptions, XML sitemap, Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics Social Media : Integrate Google+, Facebook, and micro-blogging gadget The Result: Marketing tool will reach local audience and attract new business Site style is clean and professional which parallels the client's existing brand Content maintenance is accomplished via Google Sites browser-based Web CMS Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advis

ICON Creations Custom Google Sites Deployed

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The Brief: Online showcase for new bridal line of wedding rings and custom jewelry services Site needs to attract new wholesale customers as well as a motivated sales team The Method: UI Design:  Custom graphics developed in Adobe Fireworks CS3 Google Apps: Google Sites framework with Google Docs and Google Drive Photo Gallery : Implement SimpleViewer Flash/mobile HTML5 gallery linked to multiple Flickr sets SEO : Author unique page titles/descriptions, XML sitemap, Webmaster Tools, Google Analytics. The Result: Website features custom UI which ties into the client's cutting edge jewelry theme Site updates are facilitated via linked Google Docs, Google Drive and Flickr XML feed Marketing tool will reach national audience and help recruit top level sales force Visit the ICON Creations Custom website: http://www.iconcreationscustom.com Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web techno

Making the Cut - Karl Driesel's New Google Sites Website

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The Brief: Create a website that is easy to find via keyword search Site will attract new customers and sell products The Method: Design wood grain theme using Adobe Fireworks CS3 Utilize Google Apps platform: Google Sites, Gmail, Google Docs Implement E-Commerce: JotForm with secure PayPal backend Search optimization: Keyword rich page titles and descriptions, micro-blogging gadget, XML sitemap, Webmaster Tools, Analytics. The Result: Website features custom UI which ties into the client's wood crafting theme E-Commerce enables client an inexpensive method of reaching and selling to national client base Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Summertime Logos

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Here are a few summertime logos designed for clients. Folk Foto - Sports Photographer Usage: Facebook page, photo proof watermark Software: CorelDraw X6 Fonts: Highway Gothic American Legion Baseball Team - Hiscock Fishbaugh Usage: Uniform logo Software: CorelDraw X6 Fonts: Marketing Script ProMuscle Nutrition - Supplements, diet books and custom nutrition plans Usage: Brand marketing Software: CorelDraw X6 Fonts: Masque Team Valle - 14U Travel Baseball Usage: Baseball uniform, signage Software: Adobe Fireworks CS3 Fonts: MLB Tuscan Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Valle Gets a Responsive WordPress E-Commerce Site

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  Responsive website design with WordPress and WooCommerce The Brief: Create an ecommerce site that is visually appealing, stable and easy to use Integrate with social media   The Method: Strategy : Main function of site is to showcase and sell the Valle Training Glove line. Web Design and Development : Valle wanted to be portrayed as an innovative industry leader. The overall style for the website is "sporty" and fresh.  High-end photography is key. Technology : Built using WordPress CMS platform. Plugins: WooCommerce, WordPress SEO, WP Smush.it Theme: pk2012 Sold! Widgets: MailChimp, Twitter The Result: The Valle Training Glove website is responsive, easy to navigate, and matches the existing brand. Visit the website Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Local Business "Pitchin" Clients with Google Sites

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New Website: Fastball-U.com – Classes now in-session Local business gets new Google Sites powered website The Brief: Use the website as a means of attracting new pitching students Create a website that is easy to find via search   The Method: Focus on optimization for search and responsive mobile device rendering Light-weight and modern styling Utilize  Google Sites platform  to enable content maintenance via a web browser   The Result: Website features custom logo design, which ties into the business's educational theme Visit the FASTBALL-U website     Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Lessons Learned from a WordPress E-Commerce Project

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Responsive WP e-commerce Project Responsive WordPress ecommerce website design for Valle Training Gloves Launched a WordPress e-commerce website yesterday.  The project was a conversion of an existing DotNetNuke website.  Here are my takeaways from the development process: The Good: Themes are inexpensive, plentiful, and super easy to install Plugins are copious, one-click activation makes life easy WooCommerce set-up is intuitive Dashboard navigation is straightforward Quality hosting providers are abundant The Bad: Theme documentation is sparse WP forums can be slow or unresponsive, so you will be on your own when troubleshooting Small changes to CSS can cause issues in responsiveness "mobile" view Media (images) can be a pain to upload and replace Performance can be sluggish In Summary: The development process was fairly straight forward.  But like every other WP site I have developed, it seems like there are always issues with managing media files.

Google Sites Gets Much Needed Update

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More Customization of Google Sites Themes Now Possible! Earlier this week, Google Sites added improved functionality to enable more theme customization.  The update removes previous limitations set on the sizing of text, specifically in the horizontal navigation interface. To access the new Google Sites features: Manage Site - From the "More" menu, select "Manage site". Themes, Colors, and Fonts - From the "Manage Site" screen, select "Themes, Colors, and Fonts". Customization - Select "Horizontal navigation" to set font size, colors and backgrounds. When finished, Click the "Save" button. Result - Horizontal navigation font size is now customizable.  Previously the nav text size was locked at 10pt. These new Google Sites features enable customization of elements which were previously unchangeable. This flexibility is a welcome UI improvement for Google Sites web designers, site owners, and visitors alike. N

Responsive website developed for "Navigate the Exchange"

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Responsive website design with Google Sites cloud based CMS The Brief: Use the website as a means of educating consumers about the new healthcare exchanges Create a website that is informative and easy to use Integrate with Google Apps   The Method: Strategy: The main function of this site is to educate and guide consumers through the new healthcare exchanges. Web Design and Development: Navigate the Exchange wanted to be portrayed as professional and authoritative. The overall style for the website is contemporary and clean. Technology: Built using Google Sites CMS platform .  The CMS allows for easy management and updates – from anywhere in the world.   The Result: The Navigate the Exchange website has a custom look and feel which matches the existing customer brand. Visit the Navigate the Exchange website Patrick LaJuett operates a website design and marketing agency where he supports his clients as a Web technology consultant and search market

Business Card Design Techniques

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How to design your company's business cards Digital marketing is replacing traditional print advertising for many companies.  However, a professionally designed and printed business card is still a great way to show off your biz.  To "plant seeds" with potential customers and guide them to your website for more information. Here are some tips to help you on your way: It's important to use elements consistent with company branding.  Logos are a great starting point.  I like to use shapes or angles from the logo and incorporate into the card's background.  Be sure to include all relevant contact info including your website address.  Readability is important, so don't go too small with lettering. Dawn of the Digital Press A digital press enables printers to offer "small run" print jobs.  Because of this, set-up time and costs are less. This allows for experimentation, more color and diversity in your card layouts. Business Card Option