based in Houston, TX. We strive to go beyond the initial design and emphasize the establishment of your Web Presence. We specialize in Web design, new media, Web optimization, and application development.
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I am not a tech, so don't read this looking for programming advice. This is purely for all of the amateur web designers out there, in Houston, Texas and everyone all over the world.
First off, if you are a true designer, you should be using Photoshop to begin building your site ideas for the web. You need to know what your site will look like, how it will be laid out first and foremost. A sketchbook and pencil works wonders for that. And don't be afraid to go all out.
So let's talk about textures. Adding a texture to your site, most commonly used in the background, will really make your design pop. It's the next level above using a background gradient.
A texture is able to unify your design, create interest and add contrast simultaneously. But don't over-do it. Keep in mind, a background texture is a nice effect but it's still a detail, albeit a very large one. People do not like spending time on busy, cramped websites with ultra-contrasty colors. Use your background to accent your design with texture subtleties. Something like a thin, 20% transparent pinstripe or anything that can be repeated without getting busy. Here's a low key site with a subtle stripe.
The problem is that this badge uses embedded flash which WordPress does not like. There are two ways to get around this. One is cheating and the other is manipulation of code.
I recently got an Email about how to use HTML for blogs. It read:
"I'd thought I'd take you up on your offer about HTML. I'm new to blogging and getting super frustrated when it says my blog can't post due to HTML. I never know what the problem is. Any idea what that means? Do you have any key pointers to a new blogger about HTML?? Thanks so much! Any help is much appreciated!"
This person blogs on Blogger.com so I will use that site as an example.
Remember on your Blog that the title of your blog will become your H1 tag as well as your page title tag. So make sure the title of your blog is something very relevant and important to your topic. This is very important on searches for your blog. If you blog is about pug dogs then you might name it "Jane Doe's Cute Pug Dogs". This will help you get searched better for your name as well as the main subject of the blog "Cute Pug Dogs". You are blogging to share your ideas with others so imagine what others will be searching for to find your valuable information.
The relationship between a business and its web designer is not one to be overlooked. A happy, professional interaction can lead to a fruitful transaction, while a distant or uninvolved relationship will most certainly hinder the potential of your website or web application.
Obviously, we can say be nice. Still, there is so much more. If you would like to get the absolute most out of your website - and there's no reason you shouldn't - you should absolutely heed these notes.
You are the "Patient"
If an oncologist diagnosed you with cancer and prescribed you a treatment, would you question them? Maybe - but you would at least have to acknowledge his extensive background in experience with and treatment of cancer. He probably studied it extensively in school. Perhaps he happens to have a number of successful cancer survivors as patients.
The doctor-patient relationship is a great parallel and reference to the client-web designer relationship. You, of course, have the final say on what happens to your body and with your treatment, and if you have a good doctor, he will listen to what you have to say. However, how often do you take the stethoscope out of his hands?
That would be Carson interviewing Houston business professionals on behalf of Poetic Systems at El Tiempo Mexican Restaurant. Matt is the man behind the scenes working the camera. This was over a year ago!
Facebook is well known to many, but its usefulness may not be as familiar. What may be a waste of time for most can bring a great return on investment of time to others. Below is an overview of steps that should be taken to promote your business using Facebook.
What Can Facebook do for My Business?
Facebook has a LOT of users. Those users may be your business’ potential clients. If you are trying to promote a website, spread product awareness, or target consumers, then you should be on Facebook.
Facebook is one more place to put a link to your website.
A Facebook Page can be a relevant, positive search result that comes up in Google when someone researches your company.
Facebook can target consumers based on their interests.
Facebook can spread awareness of your company/product.
Getting Started
Create an account at Facebook.com. The person who will control all Facebook affairs for your company should be the person to create or use their current account on behalf of the business.
That person’s profile should be filled with information about himself or herself. They should be active participants in the Facebook community, and should not be on Facebook for the sole purpose of promoting the company.
For SEO-friendliness, the user should probably put a link to the company website on their personal profile.
Do NOT create an account for your business. That is what Facebook Pages are for.
Pages
Facebook found that users wanted a place to promote their products and businesses, but it made no sense to use the same fields (like About Me, Interests, etc.) for a business. This is why Pages was created. Users can create a Page about a business, store, or product, and fill in relevant information (like parking information and hours of operation). How to get established with Pages:
While logged in, create a Page for you business/product.
Choose your business type. Be logical. (Example: For Poetic Systems, we chose “Local: Other Business”, because we didn’t quite fit in the other categories).
Edit your Page. Fill in as much information as possible through the backend of your page. Be sure to add a link to sites where you would like to drive traffic (like your company website).
Upload a main picture. If you have a central location, maybe use a picture of the storefront/signage. Otherwise, a logo is a good idea.
If your company website has a blog or news section that has RSS, do the following: From your Page, go to Edit Page >Notes > Edit > Import a blog. From there, import your blog using the RSS address you have. From now on, when your company website has a new post, so will your Facebook Page.
PUBLISH YOUR PAGE. At the top of your Page, there should be a red link that reads, “publish this Page.” Now others can find the Page.
To invite your friends on Facebook to check out the Page and become “Fans”, use the “Share +” button located in the upper right section of the Page. This tool will give them a link to immediately become a Fan.
When a person becomes a Fan of your Page, all of their friends will see what they are up to, and may go to see what your Page is all about. So, the more people who are Fans of your Page, the more likely more people will become Fans.
Link stuffing is shoving tons of links into a page that have no real use other than to take advantage of search algorithms. This is unethical and deteriorates the quality of the Internet. Users need to feel confident that links point to relevant information.
Before 2003 black-hat developers would create several websites, also known as link farms, and fill them with tons of links to their sites. This triggered Google to implement the "Florida Update", a change in the Google search algorithm. The Florida Update changed how a site was ranked, spotting nepotistic links and devaluing them.
People started abusing links inside legitimate sites which caused Google to develop the "nofollow" attribute. The "nofollow" attribute was developed by Google in 2005 to prevent search engines from recognizing links. It is commonly used on forums, wikis, and other user generated content sites to prevent people from link stuffing.
The issue of copy and content often gets pushed to the side in the realm of web design. In today's age, some weight is put on blogging (for the sake of search engine optimization), but still, copy writing and even the actual content going onto your future website is a mere afterthought. Poetic Systems does not find it uncommon to struggle with clients, dragging out completion of websites and launch dates because of a lack of content.
Considering copy last could be viewed as natural, but we would like to stretch your perspective a bit. Think about order of necessity. What really matters most when someone visits your website? As the experts, we'd like to give you this brief outline:
Functionality
Content
Design
We find ourselves nitpicking back and forth with out clients about the design of a website, but when it comes time to fill 'er up, it's oftentimes hard to get people excited.
Website Functionality
Functionality gets the number one spot because: if your website doesn't work, visitors won't stay. We can honestly say that if it doesn't serve a purpose, it shouldn't be on the web. There is nothing more unappealing to us than clicking on a button and getting an error message or a blank page. Lucky for you, creating a functional, efficient, useful interface is our specialty and responsibility. While your input and ideas are essential, we hope to alleviate some stress in this arena.
Website Content
Content is number two on our list, but should be number one on yours. Whether we produce it or you do, content via copy and blogs is what gets search engines going and what informs your clients. An empty website is just as useless as no website at all. At the same time, a website full of useless content is much more unpleasant than no website at all. This is why we ask you to reflect on the issue of content. Whether your professional copy writer is in-house or through us, make sure your content is useful AND optimized.
While the journey has been arduous, we have made it through!
For those of you who didn't know, just two weeks after we moved into a brand new office and launched a virtually "new" Poetic Systems, Hurricane Ike hit Houston and our building. Wind tore off the building's roof and the next day rain did the rest. The entire building, including our office space and furniture, were ruined. We had no option but to go back to designing websites at home. For about a month, employees worked right off my kitchen table.
We were eventually blessed with an opportunity, and our good friends at Creative Switching Designs took us in. Meanwhile, we wondered for months when on earth we would ever be back in our office. Well, we finally have a date!
We have been given February 1st, 2009 as the day our building should be like new. The wait has been irritating and frustrating, but it has also been healthy. We now view the hurricane as a mixed blessing, because we have proven just that much further that we can make it through quite a hit. From mail-forwarding issues to clients thinking we were out of business to some random missing office chairs, these past few months have definitely been a test of patience.
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