fbpx

Type To Search

Call: (406) 322-3569

Type To Search

CONTACT US

Type To Search

Internet Marketing
Home Internet Marketing Page 2

Category: Internet Marketing

02 SepInternet MarketingNewsWeb Designer Billings MontanaWeb Development

What do you think about Google’s new logo?

What do you think about Google’s new logo?

First of all, why would a change to a logo be a big deal for a search engine giant as Google? Simply because they are trend setters. If you had the power to decide would you reject it or keep it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcQQyUlgtOo

“This new logo system is the climax of Google’s evolution into one of the most thoughtful and well-designed products today and represents a masterful 180-degree turn from the third-rate design it featured in its infancy and of which it was very proud. Now, Google is setting a standard…” – Armin Vit

This is what I think of it… anytime I think of google’s logo, the first thing that comes to mind is the old classic Times New Roman font. The new logo looks more simple, playful and less official, clearly shows the direction Google is going with the serif font.

Technology made to answers to toddlers and grandparents

Google has realized that if it can improve its user experience for the young and the old it will solve all the other problems in-between. The new face of customer acquisition strategy will heavily depend on how well you can communicate your business with the youth and old. This goes to affirm the introduction of Alphabet by Google.

User Experience Standards Raised Higher

The biggest opportunity for any business will depend on how fast you can simplify and improved your process to stay competitive. We all should expect higher standards from your clients. This will help improve products standards and improve communication. We have reached an era that user experience is going determine how well your business can perform. What do you think of it?

Read More
13 MarBillings BusinessInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWeb Development

Why does online user experience matter to your website?

First of all, I want to congratulate Elichai for his new website elichai.com. This project key focus looks at addressing user experience design and user interface design (UX/UI) and why it matters.

[av_video src=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWX6-8cZu-I’ format=’16-9′ width=’16’ height=’9′ av_uid=’av-34a8qm’]

After many years of working with business owners, the most difficult part as a business owner is understanding how to leverage your website full capabilities to help reduce your cost of acquisition and close more sales quickly. Most business owners that hire a  website designer/developer hope that the solution they recommend address their problems but fail to evaluate solutions that take into account the overall strategic plan of  their business immediate needs.

User-Experience-Infographics

Landing Pages

We all know landing pages (if not, read about it on Wikipedia) are created with a specific intent to make a user exchange his information for something that is of value to them. The biggest opportunity every website has is to turn every page to a landing page, and that is how we approached Elichai.com UX/UI design.

Website design took into account the 7 stages of the buying cycle.

7 stage of buying cycle

 

Website Flow chart

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

Is Apple losing its touch?

Is apple losing its touch? The new iPhone (iOS 7) 5s and 5c are in! One can’t seem to wonder if apple is being influenced by it’s rivals, Android and windows.  What is happening to the innovators of user experience, do I get the feeling intense competition is getting the best of Apple?

MG SIEGLER points out more insite on techcrunch.com

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

Why the new iPhone and iPad matter

Revolutionary?  Evolutionary?  Apple has become a machine at releasing new products within their iOS line ever since the original iPhone was introduced on June 29, 2007.   Producing products on a regular basis with a subset of upgraded features and software tweaks have been disregarded as evolutionary.  The retina screen was one feature I could personally argue had the biggest impact.  With the subsequent new release of the iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini let’s focus on the one thing that is future proof and makes a difference.   Apple has the first 64 bit processor in a smart phone.

64 bit processing and what it means

Apple’s new A7 chip was lauded as the first phone to have a 64-bit processor.   The redesigned iOS7 has been recoded to have its core suite of apps 64-bit compatible.  So?   You are used to smart phones and computers doubling their speed every 18 months and using terms such as dual-core and quad core in their processing endeavors.

64-bit means two important things

1.  An ability to add more than 4 GB of RAM to a mobile device

2.  An ability to calculate numbers much more efficiently, making tasks like encoding and decoding video, 3-dimensional modeling and switching between applications with ease.

How much of a jump-start did Apple get?

Samsung, Qualcomm, Intel and all of the rest of the big players in the mobile industry have stated that their new architecture will be 64-bit.   Analysts give Apple about 9 to twelve months before Android devices catch up.  Samsung has explicitly stated that their next version of devices will have 64 bit processors.

Read between the lines – Always –

Desktop OS’s have been steadily moving toward 64 bit processing.  Even Windows XP, the stalwart component of most business enterprise environments had a 64 bit version.  Released in 2005 (8 years ago), it satiated the need for more RAM and speed.  The computer you are using today that has been produced in the last 5 years probably has a 64 bit OS and processor.  If it has more than 4GB of RAM, I can guarantee that.  As for the Apple faithful, if your OS version is running OS X Snow Leopard (2009) or later you are running on 64 bit architecture.

Apple is staying ahead of the curve to make one thing clear:  iOS devices are going to be competitive as productivity devices, blurring the line between entertainment tablets and business tools.  If there is an app that runs on your desktop, be prepared to have a port that runs on your iPad.    Will they replace high-end desktops used for video / graphic editing, accounting programs, etc.?  No.   Will they be a sufficient replacement for laptops and out of town meetings?  Absolutely.  To see this market strategy already in place look no further than what Microsoft is doing with their Surface Pro product line.

Developers Wanted!

Hi Apple.  We have worked within your iOS ecosystem for years.  Your policies and market structure are far from perfect.  On the other hand your brand and quality in hardware and software is unmatched. Xcode, the development software we use will become 64 bit as the default even though 32 bit will be supported for years to come.  We see your vision and are committed to this opportunity.   Authentic Imaging will begin coding 64 bit applications for iOS devices in the upcoming months.  Stay tuned.

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

How Do you keep up with technology?

So you go to buy a new phone, two days later there is a new phone release with additional features that makes the one you just bought outdated. Good luck exchanging it for a new one, it simply won’t happen. Addiction to new technology is the new norm for manufacturers and developers that feed on competition. Every new thing brought to the market has a new feature already in the production line. Consumers are very receptive to change and are always on the lookout for new technology.

What type of consumer are you?

Are you the one that holds off buying the next big thing? Or are you the one that can’t wait to sink your teeth in the next big thing? If you look on what is on the menu, technology only offers you two choices, slower adapters and fast adapters. Which one of them saves more money in the long run? This is out for debate.

When is it the right time to upgrade technology?

If you can prove an upgrade will save you time or money then you are due for an upgrade.

  • Examples of a phone:

i.      Sharing files
ii.      Taking photos
iii.      Navigation
iv.      Battery life
v.      Phone process speed

How to keep up with technology

You stand a better chance of keep up with technology by subscribing to news feeds that allow you to get information that matter to you the most. Use twitter, Google Plus, Linkin and Facebook to follow groups that interest you the most.

Technology website

https://news.cnet.com

https://www.technewsworld.com/

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tech/

Search engines websites

https://www.searchenginepeople.com

https://searchengineland.com/

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

How To Add A Favicon To A Website

Favicon, or Favorite’s Icon are little images that sit to the left of a web page title and allows the user to easily recognize the site in a bookmark list. Adding a favicon to your website may be an easy process depending on the type of website you have.

If your site is running WordPress, then there are plenty of plugins that can easily add a favicon, All In One Favicon is a good plugin for most applications. If your site is not running WordPress, or if you would like to avoid using plugins (usually a good idea), then you can use the code below to add a favicon to your site:

Just make sure to change the link to where the image is hosted, you can use an image hosting site like Photobucket to get the link.

<link rel=”icon”

      type="image/jpg" 
      href="link to where the image is located" />
[separator type='transparent' color='' thickness='' up='5' down='5']
Put the code in the top of your header file above the closing </head> tag.

Favicons are especially small images, about 35px X 35px, and you will need to edit the image to this size before trying to upload it. [separator type='transparent' color='' thickness='' up='5' down='5']

If you need help with this process, or any other web development services,
 contact Authentic Imaging, LLC at 406.322.3569
Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

Pros and Cons of Website Templates

When it comes to web development, there are many ways to “skin a cat.” One of the most popular solutions for web development these days is web templates. Web templates come in many different flavors, but two of the most popular are WordPress and Joomla.

The benefits of WordPress and Joomla are many, including ease of use and powerful free tools. The drawbacks are considerable, however, as security flaws are a major concern for commercial and personal use of these software products. The issue of security is based around the fact that these software solutions are open source code and everyone can know what source code your website is built upon.

This allows people with malicious intentions to “break into” websites and add spam links or cause other problems like stealing data or destroying work. There are ways to secure the site more, one is to build a brand new software version of WordPress or Joomla specifically crafted for your project. This is not a complete solution to the problem, but it does limit security holes compared to a largely distributed free template. Additionally, there are security plugins such as Bullet Proof Security and Limit Login Attempts. These help with buttoning up some of the inherent security holes in WordPress.

Joomla is much more secure than WordPress, but does still have some security flaws. Mainly it involves people’s websites being hacked and taken over, but there are some things that can be done. One option is to install Joomla Security Scanner. Another option is to have a custom Joomla site built for you. When a new custom site is built on the Joomla platform with security in mind, most issues can be avoided.

Web development companies like Authentic Imaging, LLC can build you a custom Joomla or WordPress site that is very secure. Your site will be unique, and also incorporate many security features. The benefit of going this route is that the management of the content on your new website will be very easy and intuitive. These site updates can be made in a program feature called WYSIWYG  pronounced “Wiz-E-Wig,” which stands for “What-You-See-is-What-You-Get.” These editors are very familiar to many people as they are very similar to Microsoft’s word processor Word. This can make your web experience much less frustrating and much more productive.

For people looking for the most professional solution to web development, a custom scripted site is the best solution. Although the cost will be more, the security will be much higher on a custom built site. The ability to update information can be a little bit more of a learning curve, although WYSIWIG editors can also be added to custom coded sites. Custom sites are much more valuable from an enterprise angle as they allow the highest level of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Graphical User Interface or GUI. These features become more and more important when building a corporate business. If you would like help with any of these web solutions, please do not hesitate to contact Authentic Imaging, LLC with any questions at 406.322.3569.

 

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

How To Begin A Web Development Project

So you have a great idea for a website? Or it’s finally time to move your business into the 21st century and get a business website. Well, here are some pointers to getting off to the right start.

First of all, have a plan. Not having a plan is planning to fail. One of the best ways to plan your new website is with a white paper. A white paper is basically a website business plan displayed in an info-graphic. This can be very helpful for getting a overview of what each part of the website will do and how each page will interact with other pages.

White papers start by addressing the basic structure of your website. This is usually 4 to 8 pages that will make up the “back-bones” of the site. Some examples of these pages are “Products”, “Services”, “Contact”, “Home”, etc.

Once you have established the core modules for the site, it is time to fill in any extraneous pages that will be apart of the main core pages. Examples of these pages are “Pricing”, “Sizes”, “Colors”, “Sales”, etc.

Now create a diagram with the main pages as boxes with the links that will be connecting the pages drawn in as lines. After the main pages are created, add the secondary pages inside the main pages. It should give you an organized diagram of the site when finished.

With this simple diagram, you can now delve deeper into site style, content and functionality. Make several copies of the diagram you created above and label each one as “Style”, “Content”, and “Functionality.” Now fill in the details on each one of these pages with the appropriate details of how you want to stylize the page, what content will be on the page, and how the user will interact with that content, described on the functionality chart.

After you have finished with this process, it is time to put sales funnels into your design process. This is a key step that many site creators miss. Sales funnels are ways that your customer will be guided from a need or want to a satisfactory result on your website.

Start by thinking about the ways a prospect might find their way to your website. Now take that information and meld it with how that same prospect would be guided to a purchase on your website. The two of these concepts combined becomes a sales funnel to that particular product or service.

Try to create as many different sales funnels to your products or services as you can without diluting the process too much.

Once there is a plan like a white paper in place, it is easier to begin the development process. Using the created white papers, a developer should have a relatively easy time transferring your ideas from paper to the web.

Make sure to have all of the images and content that will go on each page segmented into their own folders. When transferring files to the developer, make sure to label each delivery as the page it goes with and only include information that goes on that page. This will simplify and organize the process for your developer, and limit your frustration with editing the site down the road.

 

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

How To Make Images Fit Your Website

Images are a key component of any successful website. With proper imagery, a website helps to convey a message to the user, whether that is how great a product is, or what the organization’s building looks like, these images are crucial.

Many web admins realize the importance of good imagery to their website, but maybe do not realize how to go about making an image fit properly to their site.

Many sites offer a easy up-load option for images that allows drag-and-drop interface between where the image is located and hosting the image on the site.
These image up-loaders often fail to re-size the image to a proper size for the particular situation.

It is helpful to understand the basic concepts of web dimensions.

Basically, all web pages are approximately 1000-1200 pixels wide and 1000’s of pixels tall. With most images that are meant to actually show detail, coming in around 200-400 pixels wide by 200-400 pixels high. Each image will have it’s own specific image dimensions that it will look the best set at.

To find these dimensions, open the photo in a photo editor. If you have Photoshop installed, open the image in the program and check out the size specs. If you don’t have Photoshop, a good alternative is Photopea and it is free.

Changing Image Size

With the photo open in the photo editor, click on Image on the top menu, then choose Change Size from the drop down list. On this pop-up screen, are the current pixel dimensions of the image. This can be helpful for deciding if an image will fit in a particular location properly.

Additionally from this pop-up screen, you can adjust the size of the image by specific pixels, or by using the percentage change meter. Using the percentage change meter will yield a more accurate image then trying to change the image by pixel size alone.

Finding Image Space Allocation

In order to have the image fit the website, the space allocated for the image must be discovered. To do this, there are a couple of options. First, look to see if there is an image currently occupying the space. If so, copy this image to your computer and open it in your photo editor. Discover the size of the image and make the replacement image the exact same size.

If there is not an image in the current space, another option may work. Open the snipping tool on your machine by going to the Start Menu and clicking in the search box at the bottom of the menu.

In the search box type “snipping tool” (only works in Windows) a red pair of scissors with Snipping Tool will appear as an option, click on that. It is important to note that before launching Snipping Tool, to be on the page that you wish to capture the image size of.

So now with the tool open, stretch and drag the cursor to encompass the entire area of where you want to place the new image. Let go of the mouse clicker and a context menu will appear. Choose save from the menu, and save it to your desktop.

Drag the image from the desktop into your photo editor and change the size of the image in order to discover it’s exact dimensions. Now take those dimensions and make the new image that exact size. After that, the image is ready to be uploaded to the spot indicated by the sizing.

If you are having a hard time updating your website, please do not hesitate to contact Authentic Imaging, at 406-322-3569.

Read More
04 MarInternet MarketingWeb Designer Billings MontanaWorkplace

Xfasteners.com

Xfasteners.com is the new generation of online construction and specialty screw retail store, built to offer a better user experience when purchasing fasteners and screws online.  

Project Request

Xfasteners.com wanted a website that can offer an exceptional user experience on buying construction screw online. Their key targeted consumer ranges from the individual self-fixer to construction companies looking for high quality fasteners and screw online.
Our Solutions

Authenticimaging.com developed the site with an enterprise ecommerce CRM platform (Magento) to give them all the tools needed to manage, tack and offer an exceptional customer service.

  • The sales module allows them to manage the entire ordering process, from invoices, taxes and shipping look-up.
  • The catalog allows full customization of each, product description, product quantity, product images and product review.
  • Secured Payment Gateway setup for online payment
  • Search allows keywords tag for custom search word for individual users.

Results

Xfasterners.com was lunched less than two month ago and it’s already pulling a higher conversion rate than their old counter-parts online, simply due to the how easily accessible products are setup on the site.

  • Xfasteners.com is very happy with what we did with the site and the experience their new clients express has help customer retention.
  • Xfasteners.com is using authenticimaging.com to strategize all its marketing objectives

Technologies

The site was built with Magento Enterprise CRM

Read More