Digital Marketing by Patrick LaJuett

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

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

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.

  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.

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 Design with Google Sites New responsive design website deployed using Google Sites.  The new  Wild Cane Tours  site features an integrated Google Map, micro blog and e-commerce gadget. Utilizing Google Sites' responsive design framework, the site will also detect mobile / handheld devices and render the screens appropriately. What Is Responsive Web Design? Responsive web design (RWD) is a web design method which provides optimal viewing experiences across a wide range of devices (desktop computer monitors, smart phones and tablets). Custom Google Sites website design with responsive template. More Information Check out Google's recommendations for building smartphone-optimized websites: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2012/06/recommendations-for-building-smartphone.html Patrick LaJuett operates a website design and marketing agency where he supports his clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strate

New Google Site features embedded Google Calendar, Picasa Web photo gallery, and more. Need an inexpensive website up and running quickly? Try Google Sites. The rapid development cycle, along with simple to use interface, is very hard to beat. There are limitations on the level of customization. (No JavaScript or inline CSS).  And quality third party gadgets are still rare.  However, the ability to integrate Google apps is a winner.  The built-in micro blogging widget is probably my favorite feature...they just need to open up the public comments. Springer's Keuka Haven - cottage rental website built with Google Sites Google Sites is a structured wiki and webpage creation tool offered by Google as part of the Google Apps Productivity suite.   Patrick LaJuett operates a website design and marketing agency where he supports his clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy advisor.

Client communication is critical to my business success. I'm constantly juggling and multitasking. Social media is both a blessing and a bother. Simpler Times My Web design business launched in the fall of 2001. Back then, face to face meetings, emails and phone calls were the ways I communicated with customers (sorry, couldn't do the pager on belt thing). How things have changed With the explosion of mobile phones and social media, I now have customers contacting me via LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  Trying to keep up with the various incoming messages from all these sources has become a challenge. Time to talk Communication is critical to business success, but it can be a real time vacuum.  As a small business owner, I constantly struggle to juggle the various aspects of running the business. Things like work flow, cash flow, and trying to grow.  I need to be able to respond quickly and concisely to the multitudinous customer inquiries I receive. Email t

Google Sites website designed for South Lake Union Endodontics in Seattle WA. Link to new website:  South Lake Union Endodontics Website created using free CMS solution from Google (Google Sites). Getting sweet on Google Sites.  Pardon the Valentine's Day reference...'tis the season The more we use GSites the more we like it.  Google Sites is a great alternative to the more prolific CMS platforms out there.  Definitely some design constraints, but for an affordable quick to market website, it's a worthy solution. Free SEO friendly Custom URLs Browser based editing Granular permissions Integration with Google Apps

Some fun, some not...but all 1.1K are done! My project numbering system is fairly straight forward.  For every new job that comes through the door, increment by one and add a customer code (i.e., 1100_WEB).  This morning we reached a milestone.  Well its not a big deal, but I liked the number.  It gave me an excuse to paint graffiti on the side of the building.  Just kidding. Milestone reached: 1,100 projects completed. It took us 11 years, and we've been consistent.  Completing roughly 100 projects per year.  All varieties, shapes and sizes.  From signage design to complete e-commerce websites, it's been a wild ride. Meetings, phone calls, emails and texts.  1,100 projects down, and here's to the next!   Thanks to all of our customers who have trusted us with their web and marketing needs.

My top Web design tools and innovations from year 2012. 2012 has certainly been an eventful year. Some good, some bad, and some outright ugly. Web design technology, internet marketing and social media have continued to evolve at a rapid pace. Staying current with the changing tide of SEO has been challenging. Reflecting back, I definitely saw my daily SEO routine change. I spent much more time doing "research". Keeping up on keeping up...my kids always tease me about that one. I am thankful for the generosity of the web development community, especially the "knowledge sharers". Reading their tech blogs and forums sure made my life easier when racing to meet another crazy deadline. For those of you out there...thanks for caring and sharing! My 2012 list of most useful web technologies & innovations OK, yes...a lot of Google mentions. And I know some of these technologies were around in 2011. But I have leaned on them a bit more than in previous yea

If you need to author, develop, and launch a website quickly, consider using Google Sites. I'm all about efficiency...like most small business owners I am always on the lookout for new tools to help improve productivity. My preferred method of Website development is either hand-coding HTML, or using a Web content management system such as DotNetNuke or Wordpress.  Customer requirements such as budget, time frame and functionality is the major "driver" on which path I choose to take. The Google Sites platform has become be a good option because it allows me to deploy rapid website development solutions for my cost conscious customers. Below, I will summarize the pro's and con's of using Google Sites.   What is Google Sites: Similar to other website builders such as Wix, Yola or Weebly...Google Sites is a free Website CMS hosted in the Google Apps cloud. Benefits of Google Sites: Cost - Google Sites (as of now) is a free service*. Speed - Rapid development

Took us over 10 years, but we have finally hit the 1,000 project mark.  Many thanks to all who have helped us along the way — family, friends, past and present customers and the generous Web community. Now it's back to work!