Web Design, Programming, and Business
Infographics have been around for quite some time but they’ve been gaining a lot of popularity lately because of the boost they give for search engine traffic. A good infographic will condense down steps or ideas into one graphic that allows people to more easily process the information presented. As an infographic, that information can be more easily shared across social media platforms...
Especially with the current pandemic shutdown, businesses are having trouble making ends meet and you may be among them! As a web design firm owner, I’ve been looking at ways to keep our work queue full, so that we can make it through this recession without too much trouble. The answer is simple: offer what our clients need. While we always try to do exactly that, it’s especially...
Recently due to the coronavirus pandemic, many workers are transitioning to working from home. Many web designers have already been working remotely for years, so it’s nothing new for them. Although I prefer to work out of my office, I’ve done my fair share of telecommuting. We also have several members of our team work remotely on a regular basis. I’d like to share a few of my tools and tricks...
Comparing 16 of the most popular registrars, the 5 best values for domain name registration are: Namecheap: $8.88/year (includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) Dreamhost: $9.99/year (includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) OVH: £9.99/year (UK only, includes domain name privacy and 1 email account) Ionos (1&1): $10.33/year (includes domain name privacy, email account is...
As a small business owner, there are many ways that you can help nonprofit organizations including offering your services, hosting a volunteer day, encouraging your employees to donate or attend events, donating equipment, increasing awareness, and direct donations. As a web designer, you have additional ways to give back that are unique to your industry. Some ideas include offering your design...
I recently got a request from one of our clients to send out press releases for their new website launch. Usually, I handle the business or programming side of things in our company but in the past, I’ve submitted quite a few releases on various projects. So I accepted this request and found the press release landscape rich with new techniques and opportunities. So I’d like to share my findings...
One of the most effective strategies to boost your sales is through Google Reviews. A free service from Google, it’s easy to set up but improves local search ranking, promotes trust, and ultimately increases sales. How Google Reviews Help Your Business Increase credibility and trust: With shopping on an online store, buyers gain trust through the ratings and reviews from other shoppers...
You’ve built the perfect WordPress site but you’re noticing that it takes a while to load. Even worse, Google has noticed and you’re losing search engine traffic because of it. Here’s a few tricks I’ve learned to get top scores on Google PageSpeed Insights, Google’s tool to measure site performance. With all the images and JavaScript required to make a website these days, it can cause your...
If designing a compelling user interface isn’t in your wheelhouse but actually building that UI is, this article is for you! I’ve listed some resources here that would be useful to graphic designers and web designers too. What image editor should I use? You’re not a designer so you don’t need Photoshop, Illustrator, or Sketch. These are all fine applications but are a bit overkill if all you...
This is a repost of the article I wrote on our Thrive Web Designs blog earlier this week. What is CRM software? CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and it’s software, usually an online service, that allows you to manage your customer contacts so you can easily categorize them, email them, and market to them. It’s a great way to mass-communicate with your customers, promote your...
Web Design, Programming, and Business
Professionally building websites since 2002, I've worked at Microsoft, multiple agencies, and a few web design businesses of my own, including White Whale Web, a Boise-based web development agency. Previously, I was an owner of Thrive Web Designs from 2015 to 2022. I've taught classes, run design groups and even ran a benefit auction for 4 years in my free time. I love sharing and giving back to the web/creative community.