Images are key to good design
Just because you are not an artist or your business does not include a portfolio of photographs or illustrations, doesn’t mean you can’t make good use of images in your web site. In fact, carefully selected images will make a website sing. The images you need can be found at any of the reputable stock companies on the internet, such as Big Stock, iStock or Shutterstock to name a few. Using stock images is affordable and easy. Take this site I recently put together for Ann McCarten.
Read MoreCompass: Before and After Website
If your website is three years old or even older, chances are you aren’t taking advantage of all the changes in the internet now available. Social networking buttons, forms, built in seo, clean formats, non-flash banner sliders and slide shows are just some of the new features you can get included in your revised website for much less investment than before.
My new client was ready to learn content management. He called me on a recommendation from a developer who was getting out of the web design business. His site needed substantial reorganization and redesign. Look at the old site and see if it looks like a site you’ve seen recently.
It is obvious to most people who know my client, that he does not look like the picture on this page. It was elongated to match the image on the right. Centered text, lines around boxes and a hidden menu are just a few of the glaring problems we identified and changed in the new site design.
Top Notch WordPress Security
WordPress is a wonderful content managed system that solves many requirements for web site owners all over the world. But it is not full-proof when it comes to viruses and malware. I found this out personally this week. Yes, perugi.com was hacked! Although my site wasn’t outwardly symptomatic, a possible client in Florida got an “Alert!” when she went to look at my portfolio. The last thing I need is to scare away potential customers. It’s also the last thing you need.
In my research on Mashable, I learned that you should NOT save your password on your browser, where the malware can get in the back door. Mashable also recommended I uninstall WordPress and reinstall it, then rebuild the site. That’s a drastic step, which is why I called Bluehost. My trusted buddies ran a test that didn’t turn up anything too malicious. But they couldn’t be sure it was clean either.
Read MoreLow Price, Three Options
Get extraordinary custom web design and consulting at competitive prices. We know that businesses and non-profits have to reckon with today’s economy and we are willing to work within your budget by offering WordPress CMS (content management) sites at 3 price points. We welcome small businesses, artisans and entrepreneurs to call us to see what we can do for them.
What do we do for you at the low end of the price range? We schedule an interview where I present an agreement that outlines what is expected by both parties to get the job done. Usually, the client provides the imagery, including logo, digital photographs and copy.
We decide together what pages you will need and how many. Any pages over 7 will require additional fee of $100 per page. Copy that you provide will be edited by us for search engine optimization and grammar. I can provide you with photographs and graphics including logo for an additional fee.
I provide you with two theme options after taking color, typography and style into consideration. We help you find a domain name or point the domain you have to our preferred host company. After carefully working out the IA (Information architecture) of your site, the text and pages are populated into the theme. Up to 5 Widgets are placed and configured. Up to 5 Plug-ins are installed. Up to 3 Slide shows are made. Up to 3 social network buttons are activated. Site owners are then able to make comments and changes to the layout.
Finally, we provide WP training and support for one month. Clients always feel comfortable calling with any questions. If you are not comfortable maintaining your own site, we charge $80 per hour, minimum one hour.
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Client offers volunteer opportunity
My friend and client Fredia Woolf of Woolf Consulting just sent me a letter inviting us all to participate in a innovative social venture. Read her proposal about generosity and how we can continue to give it all year long.
“Dear Friends,
We’re off to India in a couple of hours, but didn’t want to leave before sending you my best wishes. At this time of year, a spirit of generosity pervades. Malls and online shopping carts are filled with gift-buyers, cards and good wishes are sent, food is prepared and shared, and, both religious and secular people generally partake of the good cheer. And yet it is hard not to think of the gap betwen the haves and the have nots in our world today. Not only those who lack money and a job, or education and clean water, but even those among us who are “privileged” and materially comfortable, who are have nots when it comes to time, personal relationships, or peace of mind.
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