Posts

Google Sites for Colleges

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Google Sites is a great collaborative web development tool for colleges and universities. Here's a project we worked on with Mount Marty College in South Dakota. Requirements: Rapid development Match existing branding Incorporate document library pages Set site-level permissions Take a look at the "policy portal" screen capture below: Integrated with Google Apps and mobile friendly. Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

New Google Sites for Local Home Builder

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I have done quite a few website redesigns over the past decade or so.  When taking on a new project, I suggest to customers that they utilize a content management system (CMS).  The ease of updating content (versus traditional code editing) is a huge winner for clients. My favorite web CMS platforms are WordPress, Google Sites and DNN.  See the benefits of each here . The Project: This project was for a local home builder looking to modernize and expand their online presence. Out With the Old: The old site was something I designed a while back using MS Expression Web (html 4, CSS and JavaScript).  It was functional, but not very easy to update. BEFORE REDESIGN - HTML4 Website before being redesigned. In With the New: For the new website I opted for Google Sites (, with embedded Google Drive documents, Picasa Web albums and YouTube videos. AFTER REDESIGN - GOOGLE SITES Google Sites for local home builder after redesign. Let me know what you think using

Happy New Year!

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 Wishing You a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year! Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

10 Questions Your Web Designer Should Ask You

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10 Questions Your Web Designer Should Ask You Here are ten questions I ask as part of the initial sales call and web design project kickoff meeting: Who is your target audience? (b2b, b2c, etc.) Where is your target audience located? (local, regional, national, global) Description of your 'typical' client? (general public, professional, hobbyist, etc.) What is the primary goal of your website? (sell, acquire, inform, etc.) Who are your main competitors? What marketing are you currently doing? (tv, radio, web, print ads, etc.) What are your branding guidelines? (logo, colors, typeface, etc.) What types of graphic files can you provide? (photos, graphics, icons, etc.) Do you have a content author available? (text, articles, social media, etc.) Do you have access to your current website analytics data? Each project is different, but this helps get us on the same page. For more etailed info, here is my " 6D Development Process " for Website Design Proj

Parallax Scrolling Website Using DNN 7

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Relax It's Parallax Here's an example of a parallax scrolling single page website built using DNN 7.4.  Parallax scrolling involves a background image moving at a slower rate than foreground content.  This creates a layered effect as you scroll down the page, providing a subtle element of depth. In the example below we focused on "call-to-action" from traffic arriving via a display ad banner campaign. http://replacementwindowmilwaukee.com Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

WordPress Website for Child Care Facility

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New WordPress website for Rich Beginnings child care in Brighton, NY http://richbeginningschildcare.com Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

WordPress Down Under

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Teamed up with YOW! Australia to develop a family of related conference and event websites. http://melbourne.yowconference.com.au Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

Convert Your Website to a Mobile Friendly Design

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Make Sure Your Website is Mobile Friendly. Earlier this year, Google Search expanded its use of mobile-friendliness as a "ranking signal". This change affected mobile searches worldwide and had a significant impact on Google Search results. Google's Mobile-Friendly Test Tool How to get the“mobile-friendly” label from Google. Avoid software that is not common on mobile devices, like Flash Use text that is readable without zooming Size content to the screen so users don't have to scroll horizontally or zoom Place links far enough apart so that the correct one can be easily tapped If you want to make sure that your page meets the mobile-friendly criteria: Check your pages with the Mobile-Friendly Test . Read Google's updated documentation, " Webmasters Mobile Guide " on how to create and improve your mobile site

Enable Customers to Manage Web Content via Google Sites

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Easy, stable and connected to the Google Apps for Work product suite. Baseball team website developed using Google Apps for Work - Google Sites Enabling customers to manage their own content is the right way to go.  I choose Google Sites as my go-to web CMS platform.  Here are a few reasons why... Integrate Google Calendars Embed Youtube videos Instant micro blogging platform SEO friendly Hosted in the cloud Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

Display Ads for Sticky Leads

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Display Ad Designs for PPC Designing these mini advertisements is fun because it forces you to quickly understand and conceptualize the customer's business within the boundaries of a 300x250 rectangle. Adobe Fireworks can help you quickly develop ad mock-ups for client review. Patrick LaJuett manages a website design agency : + LaJuett.com , where he supports clients as a Web technology consultant and search marketing strategy adviser.

How to Build a Basic WordPress Website

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12 steps to follow for a building a successful WordPress site. Set-up a basic Linux hosting plan on a secure server environment. Bluehost, 1&1, GoDaddy, etc. Install the WordPress application (should be a 1-click install via host control panel) Purchase and install a WordPress theme Themeforest is a good place to start TIP - Make sure it passes Google's mobile friendly-test Customize the WordPress configuration and settings Upload your logo Modify colors to match your brand Set fonts and sizes Create or import content Add pages Author blog posts Upload images Bigstock (fee),  Pixabay (free) Enhance user experience Add desired menus (top, side, footer) Add widgets Connect with social media profiles Install plugins to extend WordPress functionality Security - Wordfence Backups:  BackWPup Search engine optimization - Yoast SEO Test, tweak and test some more Launch Submit website URL to Google Search Console Submit XML Set preferred d