Capture Websites as PDF's

I took an Adobe InDesign class a couple of years ago and the instructor was a hoot! She made the all day class fun, interactive and she calls herself "Her Geekness" – Anne-Marie Concepción, mistress of digital design. Well any way, she has a great ezine that I stumble upon every so often for techie how-to's and today I was awed and amazed! How to capture websites, one page or the entire site as a PDF. How did I not know how to do this? She does indicate that not many web designers she has worked with have heard of it...but still! Sometimes I feel like I live under a rock!

Here is the link to that fabulous article. I hope you can use it!

http://designgeek.com/capture-web-sites-pdfs

Websites Solutions for Small Businesses

There are so many content management systems out there for the small business owner to try to DIY (do it yourself) on the website thing. Joomla, Go Daddy and Word Press just to name a few. As a small business owner, I know that the marketing budget is thin. I appreciate why small business owners want to save money and try to DIY, they learn how to repair their kitchen sink and faux paint their walls, why not build a website? After hours and hours taken away from their business and families (burning the midnight oil) they concede and call a professional.

I would say 1/3 of my clients come to me with a DIY website that they are unhappy with. They had to pick their overall look and feel from a template that doesn't represent the awesomeness of their business. They are frustrated with writing copy that relays their message and yet may actually be picked up by search engines. The software is just not intuitive so that they can self manage.

This is why several years ago I decided to work with Catdoor Websites. Catdoor Websites are designed specifically for small to mid-size organizations needing a website that is maintainable by the organization without the need for webmaster skills. I provide custom designs for each client based on their existing brand and marketing collateral that showcases their business. Hosting and support are also provided to the organization. An affordable website solution for small businesses!

Here's a link to a good article. Although the author titled his article "Build a Website in 60 Minutes", I would have to respectfully disagree. However he does add "assuming you are prepared". I guess his marketing worked...he hooked me with the title!

http://bit.ly/lldTCk

SEO and Design: Two Very Different Things

This is an area that is misunderstood by my clients. Most of my clients come to me for an affordable website that they can manage but that also has a custom design. But they also want me to write their copy and optimize their web site so that search engines find and rank them. Everyone wants to be on page one, right?

Well, I am a designer not a copy writer or an expert in SEO. I know some of both, but really, I am an expert at making your marketing material look pretty so hire me for your design and hire an expert to write your copy and and do your SEO. I try to educate my clients as best I can and I have an arsenal of experts in marketing, SEO and copy writing that I am able to refer them to.

Here is a good article on what to look for when hiring a company to do your SEO.
http://bit.ly/mIfzpf

The Little Things

Every day I power up my Mac and get to the business of checking emails, Facebook, my calendar, and the most important thing, my clients design work. You don't give it much thought until your computer doesn't do what you need it to do...the screen is frozen and the hard drive is chugging away...panic sets in. Panic sets in because your computer never acts up when you are in between projects or have a loose time line. Noooo, it happens when you are in the middle of a big project the last week before it needs to go to print!

Now, I view my computer like I do my car – I know how to drive my car and follow the rules of the road, but I don't know, nor do I have a desire to know, the mechanics of how it operates. Same with computers. I know my design software, the ins and outs of my email program and social media sites, but I have no desire to know the technical logistics behind how they work. That's why I take my car to a mechanic and my computer to the Apple experts. Enter the best Apple repair shop in town, Team Technology. No long lines at the mall and very helpful, knowledgeable staff. They are a hidden gem in the southeast metro located in Woodbury. http://www.teamteks.com/Site/home.html

All is well in my world for now. I can pick up my computer just 24 hours later with a new drive installed and ready to tackle that catalog deadline. It's pretty likely after six years with my Mac, that I will be budgeting for a new computer in the next year!

Does your business card pass the trash can test?

I’ll tell how to make your business card stand out and not in a good way…print them yourself at home on Avery perforated paper or worse yet, use a site that offers the first 500 free with one of their templates. It’s happened to me before, someone who is a massage therapist hands me a business card using the same design as the wedding planner handed me last week. No brand recognition there.

A good business card design is an essential tool in your box. When you’re at a networking function meeting prospective clients or your work comes up in a conversation; your card is the anchor that leaves that lasting impression. It’s important to think about what your business card says about you. Does it pass the trash can test?

Nothing says I don’t take my business seriously like a poorly executed business card. When I get handed a template card, I don’t give it a second thought. But second thoughts and third thoughts are what you want from your business card. Don’t cut corners on good design and a professional printer. The average cost of a business card printed professionally is 10 cents. One of your least expensive marketing tools – make sure it passes the trash can test!

Check out Printz at www.printz.com.

A Crazy Concept for Sales: Be Authentic!

This authentic sales approach topic hit me twice in 24 hours so I feel compelled to blog about it. I have always shown up for prospective client meetings as "me". I don't use a script or try to incorporate sales techniques, I just let them know that I am passionate about helping other small businesses succeed, I listen first and design second and that as my customer their opinion matters. My designs will make them look good! Nothing magic about it, but I seem to attract the best clients and we work well together. It sounds like I am using authenticity to sell!

So back to the two hits in 24 hours. First hit. Yesterday I was at my eWomen Networking event and the speaker was Carolyn Herfurth with The Biztruth (www.thebiztruth.com/10things) and she covered the 10 Things Not to Say on a Sales Call and stressed being authentic in your sales approach. Second hit. I opened my email this morning and there was my Biznik article ezine. The very first article was titled "Get Real or Go Home: The New Trend in Business" by Dike Drummond, MD (http://bit.ly/dKQAXs) check it out...good stuff!

Nothing is more annoying than a bad sales tactic. Be your authentic self!

Typeface 101

With thousands maybe millions of typefaces available to us, how do you pick? The sheer volume can be overwhelming. Here are some ideas to help streamline the process:

• Choose serif typefaces for classic-feel pieces (law, health care, corporate). In general, the more serif the more elegant or classical the look. In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols.

• Choose sans-serif typefaces for more modern or edgy pieces (high-tech, financial, young markets). In typography, a sans-serif typeface is one that does not have the small features called "serifs" at the end of strokes. The term comes from the French word sans, meaning "without".

• Use script typefaces sparingly, for elegant pieces (invitations, announcements, etc.)

• Choose typefaces to communicate specific qualities or to evoke emotion. For example, a classic serif typeface such as Garamond communicates a feeling of dependability and quality, while the sans-serif face Bank Gothic is clean and understated, with a contemporary look that communicates confidence.

• Choose typeface combinations carefully, selecting no more than two for each piece–one each for headings and body copy. For accent type use the bold or italics from within the font family of your body copy typeface. Example:

Heading
This is an example of using one typeface for your heading and another for your body copy. To accent type within your body copy, use your bold or italics within that font family.
 
Next week – What’s the Difference Between a Typeface and Font?