Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The InterWeb Is In An Organic Flux Experiment Captain!!
www.ConcepxStudios.com An Organic Flux Experiment.When I first thought of revamping the Concepx site, a few things echoed with me that made clear sense, namely the fact that a website though it may be static in the nature of design and template (and even these things are updated and redesigned periodically), it is in fact an ever-changing organism that is always in a constant state of flux.
Whether it be the addition of features such as blogs (posts, links, RSS feeds, google ads, etc), calendars (event dates and details, etc), constantly changing banner ads or callouts (calls to action), shopping carts (products, databases, images, etc) updated content and news plus so much more. All of these features plus the plethora of others not mentioned add to a websites marketability, search-ability and value to name a few cons.
What's In A Site?
Admittedly we all want new and repeat visitors to our online presence, making updates and changes a necessity in keeping our websites and thus our business' relevant in the dotcom realm and beyond. These are also points we repeatedly attempt to convey to our clientele when they approach us for a project. It's hard for them to fathom at times, creative development methodology and process is not part of their everyday, so they see where they want a simple change that might be a massive undertaking for the designer and can be the main obstacle between client vision and designer/ developer execution.
The Vision, The Idea
So it occurred to me that the best way to walk my talk so to speak would be to show just how organic a website really is. How it can change or have glitches and bugs that require small fixes, dead links that suddenly come alive, images that don't show. basically I am taking you through the journey of creating a website and building on the skeleton template to transition the site from one phase to another.
You may see layout changes, colour changes, font and image changes, dead links and callouts will suddenly work taking you to their respective pages and all these pages in turn will go through their own transition of change and flux. When things are changed or updated on the site you the viewer will see all of it live on-going as it happens.There will be no sandbox testing of anything you see or experience on the site.
Features will be added and taken away or replaced. Changes will occur in moments and sometimes days. Things will be fluid, organic, in constant flux. This is what a website goes through when we are constructing it. Everything is usually done on the backend or hidden away in a sandbox from public viewing and we then roll out the 'finished' polished product live after all this is completed.
Then we almost immediately start updating and tweaking and changing front and backend. If not us then the client will have someone in house that takes over the maintenance of the site, but upon it's inception from idea to live site and beyond everything changes in one way, shape or form.
In Conclusion
This is the essence of my Organic Flux experiment. So if you find things on our sites that are not finished or seem broken or has changed since the last time you opened the page minutes, days or weeks previous then don't think that my site is broken, rather maintain the idea that she is a living organism growing and changing, developing and casting off what is redundant or no longer needed, and then make sure you check back regularly to see what else may be new.
Transmission One Complete!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Understanding the Power of the Internet
It’s a real shame that so many businesses today still don’t understand the power of the Internet. As I wrote in “You won’t get found in the Yellow Pages”, everyone now searches for answers and items online.
Looking for a Restaurant; search online
Looking for a Spa; search online
Looking for a Car; search online
Looking for a Spouse; search online
(You get the picture)
The reason I bring this up is that there are still companies out there with websites that HURT THEIR BRAND. Their sites are unattractive and difficult to navigate.
As we tell our clients over and over, a visitor will know within the first 10-15 seconds of being on your site, if you have what they are looking for, or whether it’s worth staying to browse. That’s right, 10 SECONDS. Today’s internet user is used to skimming text rather than reading. Your site must not only capture the visitor by providing an appealing place to visit, but must also have clear navigation to allow the visitor to easily find what he/she are looking for.
If you don’t have a good looking site that’s easy to navigate, with relevant content, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THAT VISITOR AGAIN. That’s no exaggeration. NEVER!
Ensure that your site has the following;
You website is visible to MILLIONS of people all over the world. Make sure it shows you and your business in the best possible light.
Looking for a Restaurant; search online
Looking for a Spa; search online
Looking for a Car; search online
Looking for a Spouse; search online
(You get the picture)
The reason I bring this up is that there are still companies out there with websites that HURT THEIR BRAND. Their sites are unattractive and difficult to navigate.
As we tell our clients over and over, a visitor will know within the first 10-15 seconds of being on your site, if you have what they are looking for, or whether it’s worth staying to browse. That’s right, 10 SECONDS. Today’s internet user is used to skimming text rather than reading. Your site must not only capture the visitor by providing an appealing place to visit, but must also have clear navigation to allow the visitor to easily find what he/she are looking for.
If you don’t have a good looking site that’s easy to navigate, with relevant content, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THAT VISITOR AGAIN. That’s no exaggeration. NEVER!
Ensure that your site has the following;
- Clear Images that are relevant to your business
- User Friendly Navigation and clear Sub-Navigation
- NO DEAD LINKS
- No dead ends
- Great image/text balance
You website is visible to MILLIONS of people all over the world. Make sure it shows you and your business in the best possible light.
Setting your Design and Marketing Budget
Correctly Setting your Web Design and Internet Marketing Budget
I would like to thank Ian Lurie: http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2008/09/setting-your-internet-marketing-budget.htm for some of these. The remainder of them, I have developed over the years of dealing with people and clients that have seriously unrealistic expectations of what technology, and the time it takes to set it up and use it, really cost.
2. Just because you found someone that can use a template on Joomla, Drupal, or Xoops, don’t assume they know anything about web design.
3. If you want a site built by a 5-10 person, boutique-style agency, expect to spend, at an absolute minimum, $10,000. These are experts, and they deserve to be paid as experts.
4. If you find a 5-10 person, boutique-style agency that’ll build you a site for $2000 or less, expect something that looks like they had a sneezing fit during the design phase.
5. If you’re spending $250,000 to build your product and get it to market, don’t tell me you can’t spend $15,000 to give it a decent web site, unless you want to watch my eyes bug out like I’ve been suddenly depressurized.
6. E-Commerce is not just adding a “buy now” button to your site and sending people to PayPal.
7. Databases are not “Plug and Play”. A lot of thought, planning and work go into function, design, reporting, etc.
8. Reliable hosting costs more than $9.95 a month.
9. All dedicated servers ARE NOT equal.
2. Paying for a listing in the Online Yellow Pages IS NOT Internet Marketing. You might as well have a bonfire with your money.
3. If you expect to get a #1 ranking on Google for $99, you’re insane.
4. If you hire a smart individual with a proven track record to optimize your site for search engines, expect to pay at least $5000, one time. Unless they’re your friend, or they’re willing to work hourly.
5. If you hire a big agency with all sorts of fancy tools, an army of copywriters and other expertise for search engine optimization, expect to pay, at an absolute minimum, $50,000 for a one-year engagement.
6. If you want to double your sales this year, you are going to have to pay more than $1000 to do it.
We are sure you’ve heard the old addage – “You get what you pay for”. Well it also applies to all of the services we provide. Pay for quality, you won’t regret it.
I would like to thank Ian Lurie: http://www.conversationmarketing.com/2008/09/setting-your-internet-marketing-budget.htm for some of these. The remainder of them, I have developed over the years of dealing with people and clients that have seriously unrealistic expectations of what technology, and the time it takes to set it up and use it, really cost.
Designing your online presence
1. If you want a site built by a single untrained individual who ‘learned how to use Dreamweaver’, expect to spend less than $2000. Also, expect to build a new site within 3 months.2. Just because you found someone that can use a template on Joomla, Drupal, or Xoops, don’t assume they know anything about web design.
3. If you want a site built by a 5-10 person, boutique-style agency, expect to spend, at an absolute minimum, $10,000. These are experts, and they deserve to be paid as experts.
4. If you find a 5-10 person, boutique-style agency that’ll build you a site for $2000 or less, expect something that looks like they had a sneezing fit during the design phase.
5. If you’re spending $250,000 to build your product and get it to market, don’t tell me you can’t spend $15,000 to give it a decent web site, unless you want to watch my eyes bug out like I’ve been suddenly depressurized.
6. E-Commerce is not just adding a “buy now” button to your site and sending people to PayPal.
7. Databases are not “Plug and Play”. A lot of thought, planning and work go into function, design, reporting, etc.
8. Reliable hosting costs more than $9.95 a month.
9. All dedicated servers ARE NOT equal.
Internet Marketing
1. If you’re building a new site, expect to spend 2X that amount again in the year after the site launches. Unless you want it to sit there, all alone, with no traffic.2. Paying for a listing in the Online Yellow Pages IS NOT Internet Marketing. You might as well have a bonfire with your money.
3. If you expect to get a #1 ranking on Google for $99, you’re insane.
4. If you hire a smart individual with a proven track record to optimize your site for search engines, expect to pay at least $5000, one time. Unless they’re your friend, or they’re willing to work hourly.
5. If you hire a big agency with all sorts of fancy tools, an army of copywriters and other expertise for search engine optimization, expect to pay, at an absolute minimum, $50,000 for a one-year engagement.
6. If you want to double your sales this year, you are going to have to pay more than $1000 to do it.
We are sure you’ve heard the old addage – “You get what you pay for”. Well it also applies to all of the services we provide. Pay for quality, you won’t regret it.
Every Business MUST Have a Website
10 Reasons Why Every Business MUST Have a Website
How often do you catch yourself saying, “No, I don’t have a website: I’ve been meaning to”, or “I don’t need a website, my business is doing just fine without it”?
Did you know that 84% of all households that have a computer admit to doing research and comparisons of products and services online before making purchases? No?
Now you do!
If you’ve ever thought about how your business could benefit from a website but still haven’t made the leap online…here are 10 essential reasons why EVERY Business absolutely has to have a website!
1. Your business prospects assume you have one. These days consumers expect businesses that are serious about doing business are showcasing themselves on the web. A website is a convenient, often interactive source of product information, business hours, contact information and more. A website demonstrates credibility and builds trust between you and your prospects.
2. Your competition hopes you don’t have one. In a tight market a website really makes a difference. Think about it: When a prospect has the choice between your one-dimensional yellow page ad and a website that allows them to compare products, services, rates, customers, features, and everything else you have tyo offer, who are they more likely to choose? A website attracts online shoppers that are increasingly tuning out offline media- a market that you could be leaving entirely to your competitors if you don’t have one.
3. Improve your professional image. Even if you’re a one-man shop, a small office of three, or a company of 100+ employees, a website can make you look like a large, professional operation.
4. Generate Sales leads. A website can be an excellent source of your own exclusive leads. And we’re not just talking about people who check out your site and give you a call. When your website is enhanced with a great internet marketing solution, online shoppers will want to contact you and give you their information. Make sure that your products and services are front and center.
5. Expand your market. Don’t limit your market to your local region, your city/town, your state/province, or even your Country. A website is integral to reaching the widest possible audience. It doesn’t matter where your prospects live anymore. You can communicate with them instantly via the Internet, with your website serving as a virtual office complete with proposals, brochures, product spec sheets, applications, etc.
6. Less phone time educating prospects. A lot of a company’s time can be spent on the phone, going over product and service information with business prospects. A website that provides prospects with the proper information means the less time you have to spend educating, and the closer your prospects will be to buying when you talk to them.
7. 24/7 office. When you have a website, you never has to shut down for lunch breaks, evenings or weekends. Online shoppers do their searching at all hours of the day. If you’ve got a website, prospects can view important company information whenever they want.
8. Save paperwork. A website lets prospects browse company information immediately, when their interest is highest. Plus, downloadable brochures and collateral are the fastest way to get information in a prospect’s hands.
9. It sells for you. One of the most convenient features of a fully interactive website is that your prospects can find your information/services/products 24-7. They can do their market research, and make a decision to contact you immediately to make a purchase, if not purchase an item or service directly off your website. No human interaction needed.
10. It’s affordable. A great website doesn’t cost an arm and a leg anymore. You can get a website that integrates tons of features that your customers and prospects will love. If your website makes you just one extra sale a month it pays for itself.
The bottom line: If you want an easier, faster way for you and your customers to send and receive information, then you’ve got to get a website.
How often do you catch yourself saying, “No, I don’t have a website: I’ve been meaning to”, or “I don’t need a website, my business is doing just fine without it”?
Did you know that 84% of all households that have a computer admit to doing research and comparisons of products and services online before making purchases? No?
Now you do!
If you’ve ever thought about how your business could benefit from a website but still haven’t made the leap online…here are 10 essential reasons why EVERY Business absolutely has to have a website!
1. Your business prospects assume you have one. These days consumers expect businesses that are serious about doing business are showcasing themselves on the web. A website is a convenient, often interactive source of product information, business hours, contact information and more. A website demonstrates credibility and builds trust between you and your prospects.
2. Your competition hopes you don’t have one. In a tight market a website really makes a difference. Think about it: When a prospect has the choice between your one-dimensional yellow page ad and a website that allows them to compare products, services, rates, customers, features, and everything else you have tyo offer, who are they more likely to choose? A website attracts online shoppers that are increasingly tuning out offline media- a market that you could be leaving entirely to your competitors if you don’t have one.
3. Improve your professional image. Even if you’re a one-man shop, a small office of three, or a company of 100+ employees, a website can make you look like a large, professional operation.
4. Generate Sales leads. A website can be an excellent source of your own exclusive leads. And we’re not just talking about people who check out your site and give you a call. When your website is enhanced with a great internet marketing solution, online shoppers will want to contact you and give you their information. Make sure that your products and services are front and center.
5. Expand your market. Don’t limit your market to your local region, your city/town, your state/province, or even your Country. A website is integral to reaching the widest possible audience. It doesn’t matter where your prospects live anymore. You can communicate with them instantly via the Internet, with your website serving as a virtual office complete with proposals, brochures, product spec sheets, applications, etc.
6. Less phone time educating prospects. A lot of a company’s time can be spent on the phone, going over product and service information with business prospects. A website that provides prospects with the proper information means the less time you have to spend educating, and the closer your prospects will be to buying when you talk to them.
7. 24/7 office. When you have a website, you never has to shut down for lunch breaks, evenings or weekends. Online shoppers do their searching at all hours of the day. If you’ve got a website, prospects can view important company information whenever they want.
8. Save paperwork. A website lets prospects browse company information immediately, when their interest is highest. Plus, downloadable brochures and collateral are the fastest way to get information in a prospect’s hands.
9. It sells for you. One of the most convenient features of a fully interactive website is that your prospects can find your information/services/products 24-7. They can do their market research, and make a decision to contact you immediately to make a purchase, if not purchase an item or service directly off your website. No human interaction needed.
10. It’s affordable. A great website doesn’t cost an arm and a leg anymore. You can get a website that integrates tons of features that your customers and prospects will love. If your website makes you just one extra sale a month it pays for itself.
The bottom line: If you want an easier, faster way for you and your customers to send and receive information, then you’ve got to get a website.
Internet Networking: Part 1 – Making Networking Easier
Here at Concepx Studios we believe networking is one of the most effective ways to find clients for any business. But if you limit your networking to only what you can do in person, ignoring other longstanding and new innovative avenues, then you’ll be passing up on a huge number of possibilities.
Networking is more than just entering a room and exchanging business cards. It’s creating a pool of contacts with whom you can exchange clients, referrals, resources, ideas, and information. And when viable even partnerships. Networking can happen by phone, by mail, over coffee, and increasingly, over the Internet via various means (more detail on this later).
The growth of the Internet has created many new ways to network without ever leaving your home or office. Pick a topic, any topic, and there will be multiple web sites and online communities devoted to it. Almost any type of Internet presence offers opportunities for networking.
In your favorite search engine, type the name of your profession or specialty, such as “web design” or “marketing communications.” Or, if you have a clearly defined target market, you can use that, such as “baby boomers” or “biotechnology.” Skip the sponsored links or banner ads and focus on the detailed results. What you will find is Internet networking opportunities such as the following:
Professional Associations & Schools - Many association or school sites provide member rosters, resource pages, back issues of newsletters, event calendars, and bulletin boards or discussion lists. Not all of these features will be restricted to members or students.
Resource Sites & Online Communities - These include directories of people and companies in a specific field such as www.kidsedmonton.com, vendors, articles, event calendars, bulletin boards, discussion lists, live chats, and links to even more resource sites.
Publications – Magazines sites, eZines, and newsletters maintain sites that offer everything from back issues to complete online communities.
Job Postings – These may appear on any of the above sites, and often include opportunities for independent professionals, not just those looking for full-time employment.
Colleagues & Competitors – They may be exactly the same people, depending on your relationship with them. Their sites will tell you more about them and their work, and may offer many of the same features as resource sites.
Potential Clients – Their sites will tell you about the work they do, current and upcoming projects, and even the names of executives and managers.
Also, if you subscribe to an online service offering interactive “channels,” like Yahoo, Google or MSN, there may be an entire area dedicated to your profession or target market. Some of these resources are available to non-members as well.
Now, how can you use all this information for Internet networking? Here are some of the most common ways:
Bulletin Boards – These are web pages where you can view and post questions and comments on a specific subject. Answering a posted question is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise, become known to the people who frequent the board, and get to know others in your field.
Don’t be overly self-promotional when posting, just include a signature line at the end of your post, such as “Joe Blow, Concepx Studios.” If you see someone else on the board who you would like to get to know in a collegial way, e-mail them. But never directly approach for business the people you find there. You might find yourself banned from membership.
Concepx Studios offers more suggestions for effective Internet networking in the next installment…TBC!
Networking is more than just entering a room and exchanging business cards. It’s creating a pool of contacts with whom you can exchange clients, referrals, resources, ideas, and information. And when viable even partnerships. Networking can happen by phone, by mail, over coffee, and increasingly, over the Internet via various means (more detail on this later).
The growth of the Internet has created many new ways to network without ever leaving your home or office. Pick a topic, any topic, and there will be multiple web sites and online communities devoted to it. Almost any type of Internet presence offers opportunities for networking.
In your favorite search engine, type the name of your profession or specialty, such as “web design” or “marketing communications.” Or, if you have a clearly defined target market, you can use that, such as “baby boomers” or “biotechnology.” Skip the sponsored links or banner ads and focus on the detailed results. What you will find is Internet networking opportunities such as the following:
Professional Associations & Schools - Many association or school sites provide member rosters, resource pages, back issues of newsletters, event calendars, and bulletin boards or discussion lists. Not all of these features will be restricted to members or students.
Resource Sites & Online Communities - These include directories of people and companies in a specific field such as www.kidsedmonton.com, vendors, articles, event calendars, bulletin boards, discussion lists, live chats, and links to even more resource sites.
Publications – Magazines sites, eZines, and newsletters maintain sites that offer everything from back issues to complete online communities.
Job Postings – These may appear on any of the above sites, and often include opportunities for independent professionals, not just those looking for full-time employment.
Colleagues & Competitors – They may be exactly the same people, depending on your relationship with them. Their sites will tell you more about them and their work, and may offer many of the same features as resource sites.
Potential Clients – Their sites will tell you about the work they do, current and upcoming projects, and even the names of executives and managers.
Also, if you subscribe to an online service offering interactive “channels,” like Yahoo, Google or MSN, there may be an entire area dedicated to your profession or target market. Some of these resources are available to non-members as well.
Now, how can you use all this information for Internet networking? Here are some of the most common ways:
Bulletin Boards – These are web pages where you can view and post questions and comments on a specific subject. Answering a posted question is an excellent way to demonstrate your expertise, become known to the people who frequent the board, and get to know others in your field.
Don’t be overly self-promotional when posting, just include a signature line at the end of your post, such as “Joe Blow, Concepx Studios.” If you see someone else on the board who you would like to get to know in a collegial way, e-mail them. But never directly approach for business the people you find there. You might find yourself banned from membership.
Concepx Studios offers more suggestions for effective Internet networking in the next installment…TBC!
10 Reasons You Need a Web Design Company For Your Business Today
You likely already appreciate how difficult it is to build a great website and the enormous amounts of skill sets that it requires to perform all the separate tasks a web designer & developer needs to complete a project on time , on budget and in scope. If you want a website because you want to express your creativity, spending weeks on your site may be fine. However, if you want your website to go live because you have a message to share or a business to promote, you need to hire a web design company today for the following reasons:
1. A web design company can lend you credibility. Having a professionally designed website shows that you are a professional, and not just some fly by night entity. Customers who see a professionally built website are more likely to believe that you will deliver on your promises.
2. A web design company can provide you with professionalism. No one wants to do business with a company that is slack, unprofessional, and has poor customer service. However, a badly designed website shows a lack of professionalism and may convince potential customers that you care as little about them as you care about your company. With a great website, customers may be more confident that you have an image to uphold and will act accordingly.
3. A web design company can mean added security for your visitors. If you have a poorly designed website, why should customers believe that you have taken any pains with security or their online safety?
4. A web design company can mean a better looking website. Professionals know what looks fabulous. Designing your website yourself or taking it to the professionals is a little like the difference between letting your Aunt Mildred decorate your home with crochet kitties or letting a professional interior designer redo your living space – which result do you think will make a better impression?
5. A web design company can mean better content. Web professionals hire professional copywriters, artists, and even photographers so that every aspect of your website is superlative.
6. A web design company can lead to more traffic. Many firms today offer marketing services that ensure that your shiny new website gets plenty of traffic.
7. A web design company can mean better search engine rankings. Design firms can optimize your website so that your website appears near the top of search engine listings.
8. A web design company can save you money. Every minute that you are putting into your website is time you are not spending on making a profit. When you hire a design firm, you go on making money while the website is built.
9. A web design company can mean less downtime. If you try to design your site yourself, broken links, mysteriously disappearing navigation bars and blank pages may plague your site, making it unusable. A professional company tests and retests your site and even finds you a reliable host to ensure that you don’t lose any time due to a non-functioning site.
If you are looking for a quality web design company that will mean more return visitors and more profits, turn to Ciplex today. California-based Ciplex places equal weight on beauty and functionality, so you get a great looking website that really gets you results.
Article source:
http://www.mywebcafe.net/blog/top-10-reasons-you-need-a-web-design-company-today/
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Welcome to the new Concepx Studios V.3.0.X website
www.ConcepxStudios.com An Organic Flux Experiment.
When I first thought of revamping the Concepx site, a few things echoed with me that made clear sense, namely the fact that a website though it may be static in the nature of design and template (and even these things are updated and redesigned periodically), it is in fact an ever-changing organism that is always in a constant state of flux.
Whether it be the addition of features such as blogs (posts, links, RSS feeds, google ads, etc), calendars (event dates and details, etc), constantly changing banner ads or callouts (calls to action), shopping carts (products, databases, images, etc) updated content and news plus so much more. All of these features plus the plethora of others not mentioned add to a websites marketability, search-ability and value to name a few cons.
What's In A Site?
Admittedly we all want new and repeat visitors to our online presence, making updates and changes a necessity in keeping our websites and thus our business' relevant in the dotcom realm and beyond. These are also points we repeatedly attempt to convey to our clientele when they approach us for a project. It's hard for them to fathom at times, creative development methodology and process is not part of their everyday, so they see where they want a simple change that might be a massive undertaking for the designer and can be the main obstacle between client vision and designer/ developer execution.
The Vision, The Idea
So it occurred to me that the best way to walk my talk so to speak would be to show just how organic a website really is. How it can change or have glitches and bugs that require small fixes, dead links that suddenly come alive, images that don't show. basically I am taking you through the journey of creating a website and building on the skeleton template to transition the site from one phase to another.
You may see layout changes, colour changes, font and image changes, dead links and callouts will suddenly work taking you to their respective pages and all these pages in turn will go through their own transition of change and flux. When things are changed or updated on the site you the viewer will see all of it live on-going as it happens.There will be no sandbox testing of anything you see or experience on the site.
Features will be added and taken away or replaced. Changes will occur in moments and sometimes days. Things will be fluid, organic, in constant flux. This is what a website goes through when we are constructing it. Everything is usually done on the backend or hidden away in a sandbox from public viewing and we then roll out the 'finished' polished product live after all this is completed.
Then we almost immediately start updating and tweaking and changing front and backend. If not us then the client will have someone in house that takes over the maintenance of the site, but upon it's inception from idea to live site and beyond everything changes in one way, shape or form.
In Conclusion
This is the essence of my Organic Flux experiment. So if you find things on our sites that are not finished or seem broken or has changed since the last time you opened the page minutes, days or weeks previous then don't think that my site is broken, rather maintain the idea that she is a living organism growing and changing, developing and casting off what is redundant or no longer needed, and then make sure you check back regularly to see what else may be new.
Transmission One Complete!
When I first thought of revamping the Concepx site, a few things echoed with me that made clear sense, namely the fact that a website though it may be static in the nature of design and template (and even these things are updated and redesigned periodically), it is in fact an ever-changing organism that is always in a constant state of flux.
Whether it be the addition of features such as blogs (posts, links, RSS feeds, google ads, etc), calendars (event dates and details, etc), constantly changing banner ads or callouts (calls to action), shopping carts (products, databases, images, etc) updated content and news plus so much more. All of these features plus the plethora of others not mentioned add to a websites marketability, search-ability and value to name a few cons.
What's In A Site?
Admittedly we all want new and repeat visitors to our online presence, making updates and changes a necessity in keeping our websites and thus our business' relevant in the dotcom realm and beyond. These are also points we repeatedly attempt to convey to our clientele when they approach us for a project. It's hard for them to fathom at times, creative development methodology and process is not part of their everyday, so they see where they want a simple change that might be a massive undertaking for the designer and can be the main obstacle between client vision and designer/ developer execution.
The Vision, The Idea
So it occurred to me that the best way to walk my talk so to speak would be to show just how organic a website really is. How it can change or have glitches and bugs that require small fixes, dead links that suddenly come alive, images that don't show. basically I am taking you through the journey of creating a website and building on the skeleton template to transition the site from one phase to another.
You may see layout changes, colour changes, font and image changes, dead links and callouts will suddenly work taking you to their respective pages and all these pages in turn will go through their own transition of change and flux. When things are changed or updated on the site you the viewer will see all of it live on-going as it happens.There will be no sandbox testing of anything you see or experience on the site.
Features will be added and taken away or replaced. Changes will occur in moments and sometimes days. Things will be fluid, organic, in constant flux. This is what a website goes through when we are constructing it. Everything is usually done on the backend or hidden away in a sandbox from public viewing and we then roll out the 'finished' polished product live after all this is completed.
Then we almost immediately start updating and tweaking and changing front and backend. If not us then the client will have someone in house that takes over the maintenance of the site, but upon it's inception from idea to live site and beyond everything changes in one way, shape or form.
In Conclusion
This is the essence of my Organic Flux experiment. So if you find things on our sites that are not finished or seem broken or has changed since the last time you opened the page minutes, days or weeks previous then don't think that my site is broken, rather maintain the idea that she is a living organism growing and changing, developing and casting off what is redundant or no longer needed, and then make sure you check back regularly to see what else may be new.
Transmission One Complete!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Business - Why Not Non-Profit Pricing? [Additional]
Here is a post that was sent to me by a friend and colleague that touched a note with us due to past issues of the same nature. Take a read and I hope you adopt this same thinking and free yourself from discount duldrums so to speak, lol!
I have spoken these same words to colleagues and business partners in the past, present and will continue to do so in the future. I agree whole heartedly in what this post states in its specific reasoning and expand my thinking to encompass all other scopes.
I also add that the same perspective be taken by others more, regarding pricing of products and services to peers.
Everyone should pay the same fair price or fee for the same fair service or product. We are all in our respective business’ to turn profit (no matter how that profit is used) and we are all facing the same struggles daily, whether we run a multi-national company or operate a one man operation from our basement.
The size of the business or how much profit they can turn for themselves, does not matter in this respect and therefore cannot be a devining or defining factor that sets pricing.
Discounts, price cutting and matching, etc, are at the discretion of the service/ product provider and determined by their reasoning. It should not be the responsibility of a service provider to offset by slashing their pricing to suit each individual pocket or situation (unless that situation is of some unique nature and this should be very rare) .
Here is the blog post of which I am speaking, entitled Why non-profit pricing? Jason F.
Enjoy!
I have spoken these same words to colleagues and business partners in the past, present and will continue to do so in the future. I agree whole heartedly in what this post states in its specific reasoning and expand my thinking to encompass all other scopes.
I also add that the same perspective be taken by others more, regarding pricing of products and services to peers.
Everyone should pay the same fair price or fee for the same fair service or product. We are all in our respective business’ to turn profit (no matter how that profit is used) and we are all facing the same struggles daily, whether we run a multi-national company or operate a one man operation from our basement.
The size of the business or how much profit they can turn for themselves, does not matter in this respect and therefore cannot be a devining or defining factor that sets pricing.
Discounts, price cutting and matching, etc, are at the discretion of the service/ product provider and determined by their reasoning. It should not be the responsibility of a service provider to offset by slashing their pricing to suit each individual pocket or situation (unless that situation is of some unique nature and this should be very rare) .
Here is the blog post of which I am speaking, entitled Why non-profit pricing? Jason F.
Enjoy!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Silli Philli Productions Tees - This is for the Geek in you!
Okay, so amongst many things in my life including being a member of 'Pentalk' I am also working on my own clothing line from my design house, and the first to emerge is my tee-shirt brand Silli Philli Productions.
As most designers I am restless in my endeavors which seem to be ever increasing, my brain floods daily with the ideas for music, lyrics, website, illustrations, clothing and much more and now back full circle to tee-shirt design.
My Best friend and fellow group mate 'Short Change' used to print and sell our own brand of independent niceness brought to you by our 'Silli Philli Productions' line back in 1993 in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. At only 15 - 20 pound sterling you could own a limited edition piece from runs as low as five prints and they didn't get much higher than say 25-30 prints off one design. Putting our best kept slogans and artistry, all hand printed and drawn mind.
Well My brother is currently a guest of her majesty and we stopped the shirt biz more than thirteen years ago. I have never stopped wanting to set up again even before I moved to Canada in '96. And now I am finally acting on that wish.
Silli Philli Productions is on its way back and I promise it will be worth your while to check these shirts and designs out. A flux of graphic artistry on one end of the spectrum flashing like a katana blade across to the opposite side showing word play and font mastery. We will have shirts that appeal to all moods, groups and cliques, not to mention the individual. All limited runs and all goodness. The website is to eb announced, but we will keep you updated on details so you can follow the journey and see if you buy into our shtick and part with your hard earned federal currency to
own one of these splendid masterpieces. Here is one of the premiere pieces... ' I heart 8-bit' get at me for more info.Silli Philli Production official site: www.silliphilli.concepxstudios.com [TBA]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)