In 2008, one of the many web design trends was the famous “Web 2.0“….you know shiny buttons, reflections, gradients and many more. In 2009, we saw many new trends as well. From using embossed fonts to ping transparency to LARGE HEADERS with BIG FONT, 2009 has brought new dimensions to web design.
My personal favorite is the embossing of large fonts. You can view an example below as well as watch a tutorial for creating embossed font.
Which 2009 trend do you like the most?
Ummm….I don’t even know what to say about this one or how to begin to describe how it came about. Just another one of the Anonymous (Ianderthal) works of art at work. Do what you want with it.
Geek, Nerd, or Dork…which one are you. My co-workers and I had a conversation the other day about this topic. We as computer, internet, & social media lovers can sometimes be looked down upon by the “COOL” people…as if we are not “COOL”. I beg to differ, but I will not argue that I am fitting into the category of Geek. Separating the three is where it gets a bit sticky.
About an hour after our conversation….I found this on my laptop:
Let’s check the definitions of the three.
GEEK – The word geek is a slang term, noting individuals as “a peculiar or otherwise odd person, especially one who is perceived to be overly obsessed with one or more things including those of intellectuality, electronics, etc.”
NERD – Nerd is a term often bearing a derogatory connotation or stereotype, that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities, esoteric knowledge, or other obscure interests that are age-inappropriate rather than engaging in more social or popular activities.
DORK – USA pejorative slang for a quirky, silly and/or stupid, socially inept person, or one who is out of touch with contemporary trends. Often confused with nerd and geek, but does not imply the same intelligence level.
Which one are you?
Time and time again I have clients ask, “How can I make my website stand out?” This is the number one question that everyone online business owner has…and rightfully so. When selling a service or product online now-a-days, there has to be something about your website that is different from the competition. There are over 186,727,854 websites on the Internet and a percentage of those 186,727,854 websites sell the exact same products or services that you do. Even if only .05% of those websites sold the same products or services….that would still be 9,336,392 web designers, photographers, cook book sellers, t-shirt makers, electronic sellers, etc trying to do the same thing you are…SELL YOUR PRODUCT, SERVICES OR YOURSELF. Scary huh?
So you might be saying to yourself…so how do I make my website stick out above a possible 9,336,392 other websites doing the same thing as me. Well…you can start with these basic principles:
DESIGN
Design of your website is very important. The first thing your potential customers or clients notice is the design of your website. It is like your face…the first thing people see. The design of your website tells the customer or clients what type of company you are. A sloppy design means a sloppy company and vice-versa.
(SEO) SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION
SEO is a huge factor in terms of standing out…especially within the search engines (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc). Without having SEO done to your website, you may as well forget it….unless you are Donald Trump. SEO gives your website the ability to be found…but not only found, but found before and above your competition.
MARKETING
How your website is marketed plays a very large factor in making it stand out as well. Every product and service needs marketing…but the most important thing is how it is marketed. Things such as press releases, blogs, and word of mouth are huge when trying to market something. Without letting the customer or client know that you are there and what you have to offer them is better than the next….you stand no chance.
So again…how do you make your website stand out above those possible 9,336,392 other websites….DESIGN, SEO, & MARKETING!
For more information, vistit www.jacobbrowndesigns.com .
Over the past year I have noticed many people and small startups with the aspirations of building an online presence, yet just don’t have the funds to do so. Many web designers, freelance and firms, have had to settle for much less than what they are used to in order to keep clients and even gain new ones. I’ve definitely had to dig deep to win clients over. Yes…the economy is not doing good right now and I am a firm believer in helping others.
Jacob Brown Designs is going to provide FREE web services to ONE LUCKY REGISTRANT. If you want a chance to receive a FREE website & or SEO services, please go to www.jacobbrowndesigns.com/free to register. In order to qualify, you must explain what your website is for and why you should be the lucky winner.
The winner of the FREE web services will receive the following:
1. Website design and development (up to 10 pages)
2. Free logo design
3. SEO implementation & 1 month FREE
All total value of $4500!
The winner of a FREE website & or SEO services will be announced next Friday November 20, 2009. Registration will end Wednesday November 18, 2009.
Go to www.jacobbrowndesigns.com/free to register to when Free website services today!
I don’t know what may go on in your office, but in mine…anything can happen. From rubber band shootouts to ransom letters…it’s all here. I never know what I’m gonna get when I come in, especially on a Monday. I’ve never liked Mondays, but who does. This morning was a bit different though.
I come into work about 7:30 AM every morning, and usually my web assistant, Anonymous, beats me here. Today was no different. As I come in to my office and get things set up, I see a fresh pot of coffee already made…nothing better right? I go to the coffee pot and make a cup. As I’m coming back to my desk, I see a note on the keyboard of my laptop.
And it reads:
This instantly made my day. I guess Mondays aren’t so bad.
So this past weekend I walked into the Mac store in the mall. I’ve heard a lot about this new iMac and Magic Mouse; either on Mashable, TV, or radio. Well…if you haven’t seen it yet, you need to go….NOW! If you are a designer: web, graphic, interior….whatever, go to either www.apple.com or just go to the closest Apple store near you. You will not be disappointed.
The wireless keyboard and mouse are amazing. The Magic Mouse uses Multi-Touch technology to let you control everything with simple gestures. The low-profile keyboard takes up less desk space — 24 percent less — than larger keyboards.
No…I don’t work for Apple and I’m not getting any compensation for this post, but I do have to say that this new iMac is everything and more that a designer could ask for.
Ever had a coworker that just seems to have it out for you? They do not talk to you as much as they may have in the past, yet other coworkers let you know that your name was in their conversation. Somethings up right? Well…with all that said, I will tell you about an email I received at 6:56 AM from the President of the company I work for.
In this email, a coworker of mine was basically describing to my boss, the President, how they searched for a specific keyword phrase on Google and our main website didn’t show up in the search results…at all…not even in the first 10 pages, yet our competitor was on the first page.
WOW!
Well not only do I own a Web Design & SEO firm, but I’m also the Director of Business Development for a company in Michigan as well. This entails me being in charge of all marketing campaigns, web projects, and developing new business for the company. So basically…if our websites aren’t doing good, then it falls on me. This coworker knows that, so I can only believe that they were attempting to make me look bad to my boss….El Presidente!
WHY? I’ve done nothing but my job, and honestly…I’ve done it well! I researched this information and couldn’t believe my eyes. Not only was the keyword phrase, this coworker supposedly searched for, have our website on the 1st page of the Google results, but we don’t even use the those keywords combinations for our company.
This coworker has nothing to do with my department…so how could they possibly even know what to search for?
Well I handled the situation with the boss and gave him assurance that my marketing team was still dominating our online competition with facts and examples. Not sure what will happen next, but I know one thing…THIS MEANS WAR!
Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Flickr, Youtube, Mashable, TechCrunch, blogs, micro-blogging, tweet, re-tweet, tweet-tweet <-- ok I made that one up...updates, RSS feeds, apps, video sharing, photo tagging, streaming, chatting, bookmarking, networking, iPhone, Google, Bing, Web 2.0, embedding, widgets.....JUST STOP ! I’m sick of it. I don’t wanna hear it anymore…at least for a while.
Ever get sick of social media? Do you ever get tired of tweeting into the outer nowhere? Updating your Facebook status to see if anyone responds, yet nobody does…maybe a “Like“…maybe? Reading blogs and going through the senseless comments people make like they are some kind of “social media guru”?
Why do we do it…WHY? Does it make us feel better to be able to talk and interact with people without having to actually see them. Don’t you hate when people text you, but when you call them..they don’t answer, but text back…(that was a little off subject, but you get it)
I’ve had it! Social media can kick rocks for all I care. I don’t like how addictive it is, and how easy they have made it with mobile apps and such. STOP!
Aaaahhhh….that’s better. Now let me tweet this!
So…yesterday I began hearing and reading about Twitter debuting it’s new homepage design on Mashable. I immediately thought to myself…thank God. I’ve never been a fan that old homepage. There hasn’t been a single person that disagrees with Twitter’s decision to do this. I also agree with the changes that Twitter has made. It seems to want to cater toward the users and even the non registered Twitter prospects.
I was on Twitter last night around 8:30 and I wasn’t quite sure when the new homepage was going to make it’s appearance. I logged off and BOOM…there it was, beautiful shades of blue and features that were new to my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the new search bar right in the middle of the screen. This allows those who aren’t registered users on Twitter to search what is being tweeted. I, in particular, like this new feature. There are times that I don’t feel like logging in, but just want to see if anyone is tweeting about a certain topic. This gives me that option.
Also if you look at the bottom half of the new…I guess you can say, “Twitter Login-Search Engine Homepage”, you will see that they’ve added another neat feature for “POPULAR TOPICS BY THE MINUTE, DAY, AND WEEK“. This allows you to view what the hottest topics are in the Twitter world….THUMBS UP to Twitter on this one.
