Food Vending Cart Manufacturer’s Website Redesign
Creative Mobile Systems website showcases the models of food carts, trailers and trucks they manufacture. We set up a YouTube Channel for their product videos, set up an automated portfolio section, and included a section where customers can upload their carts in action.
Avoid copyright infringement or it will cost you…
Just because you can search Google Images or other photography sites and find images online that might look good on your website, doesn’t mean you have the rights to use them on your website.
I’ve run into clients and prospects who are under the misguided assumption that images on the web are free for the taking. Not so. In fact, if the stock photography companies find that your site is using pirated images you could be fined hundreds or thousands of dollars. And they will find you. I’ve had clients who have loaded images onto their website (that were unknowingly pirated from an online source) and eventually they get a call from Comstock or some other Stock photo house demanding payment for the use of their image.
Always make sure that you have the right to use images that you place on your website (or any marketing materials). There are many royalty free stock photos you can purchase for use on your website for fairly low cost. IStockphoto.com is one that we use frequently to purchase stock photography.
Music is another component that people like to pirate. It is not legal to use a song you’ve purchased and downloaded onto your IPod as background music for a video you post to YouTube. Sorry. SoundDogs.com is a good source for music and sound effects.
I don’t have to tell anyone that it’s plagiarism to copy text from another site. Do I?
Happy Holidays – Rock On!
Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Happy and Successful 2012!
Holiday Shopping Suggestions – Supporting Small Business Cyber Shops
The holiday shopping season kicked off with some distasteful Black Friday incidents last week. Hearing about these unsavory incidents makes me glad I’ve never bothered with Black Friday, I’m more of a Cyber Monday kind of gal, and I support Small Business Saturday. I think it’s important to support your local small businesses including brick and mortar and online stores.
Although the big kick-off shopping weekend is over, I’m sure there’s more shopping to be done. If you prefer to avoid the mall hubbub and feel like staying home in your jammies and doing some on-line shopping this holiday season, here’s a list of clients who are small business owners that sell or show products online. They’re all reputable honest people with great products. The * indicates you may need to call to purchase.
Art
Astrology Calendar & Services
Books
- Not My Mother’s Wedding
- From May Sarton’s Well
- The Good Financial Advisor
- Montessori Madness and other Children’s Books
- Octavian Chronicles
- Beyond Location, Location, Location…A Systematic, Promotional Approach to Marketing Commercial Real Estate
Food & Beverage
Health & Fitness
- Pedometers from EveryBodyFit.com
- Massage – MyHandsYourHealth.com*
- Personal Training – JudithScottFitness *
- Chair Massage & Wellness Programs - http://totalbalancelifechoice.com *
Jewelry
- AlisonDesignsJewelry.com
- Lapistree.com (see the BellaSanté section for online sales)*
Motorcycle & Auto Accessories
- EzShadow – The easy way to cover your Toll Pass
- GoodGuysPowerSports - Motorcycle Gear & Accessories
- Uni-Go Motorcycle Trailers
Travel Services
Museum Store
- Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum Store & Holiday Events in Wethersfield (no on-line shopping but Black Friday hours at the Museum Store and many holiday events through December) *
And Finally, Santa Claus
- SantaVisitsCT.com to schedule a Santa visit to your holiday party. *
Happy Holidays!
My Secret Weapon – Google and an unknown 13-year old
Today I had a unusual call from a long-time client. (I promised not to reveal her name). She apologized for calling me because the problem had nothing to do with her website or her online marketing but she was extremely disoriented because her computer screen had flipped upside down.
I laughed.
“How did that happen?” I asked and then I chuckled some more.
Apparently my client had accidentally hit the combination of keys that’s the shortcut for flipping your display. Yeah, that’s a handy shortcut. Thank you Microsoft.
“It’s not funny,” she said. “Not only is the screen upside down, but the mouse is backwards”.
I laughed again. “Did you try turning the mouse upside down?” I asked.
Meanwhile, while poking fun at my client I did a quick Google search for “upside down display screen” and I quickly found a forum where others had run into the problem. Scanning the forum I saw one that began with “I’m 13 years old and I have the answer to the problem…”
The 13-year old recommended going to the display settings where you will find the option to flip your screen. Who knew? I’m 53 years old and I didn’t know that option existed, but Google and the 13-year old kid made me look like a hero. Thank you Google and unknown 13-year old (you little smartie-pants).
WordPress Tutorial #3 – How to insert a link
This morning I had two different clients ask how to insert a link in the text on the WordPress website. This short video demonstrates how to insert a link to other pages within your website and to a web address outside of your website.
Marine Services Website
Custom WordPress website with marine focused theme.
Jewelry Designer’s Website
The website has multiple portfolio sections to display jewelry collections. View the website at LapisTree.com
