As a kid I used to love to smash Silly Putty down on the color Sunday Comics and stretch and warp and redo Snoopy or Marmaduke. I like dogs, what can I say. So this great looking print piece … you see where I’m going with this? Print and the Web can complement each other. The Web is not print though. Things that work in print can look a little odd online. (more…)

When someone says “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” they’re talking about distractions. Maybe. Or trees. I’m going to pretend like they’re talking about distractions. It’s the same thing with designing a Web site. Before we fill in the fonts, colors, words, pictures and other elements, we have to know where to put them. We come up with an idea or three and we do wireframes. Pictures and words are big distractions, for both us and the client.

(more…)

I have done a lot of work for a very large medical products company. They have a very talented IT department that was established to provide and maintain hardware, software and network services, as well as mobile and cellular equipment for many thousands of people. They run the Web sites. And the intranet. And extranets. The thing is they are very good at hardware and software and network services, because that’s what they were hired for. The Web happens to be on computers so someone in marketing (or management) thought one geek, or 50, is as good as another.

That’s not fair to the IT professionals, the marketing department, the Web users or anyone else, including us Web geeks. I know computers really well, but I personally could not solve a legacy COBOL integration project. Just because someone knows computers doesn’t mean they know how to design for the Web, market on the Web, even program for the Web. Website design isn’t even the same as print design, though some people can cross over and do both well. (more…)

“I paid a lot of money to have that logo designed. I like it and want it big on every page.” I had a client say that once. Client’s frequently begin marketing discussions with their logo. Namely they want it big. Big on the Web site, big in ads, big in collateral.

Sometimes, with larger companies, they don’t want it big, but they have these print rules they have randomly adopted for the Web about usage, where, how, what size, what colors-a brand identity manual written for other media which their legal team demands we follow but none of the division marketing managers want to use. (more…)

STEP 1: Discovery Meeting

The project initiations starts with defining your organization’s needs and requirements. Collectively, the team establishes website goals and develop a preliminary scope of your organization’s project details.

STEP 2: Competitive Research and Analysis

This is an in-depth analysis of your competition and your target audience. We outline strengths and weaknesses in your competitor’s online marketing. We also examine your target audience behaviors and plan a marketing strategy.
(more…)

How to hire the right web design firm

With hundreds of firms offering web design, search engine marketing and custom programming services, how do you select the right company for your project? It all begins with research.

1 - Evaluate your needs

Decide what skills and services you will need from your firm. List these on paper and keep them accessible when you are researching and talking with prospective firms.

(more…)