Usually I consider myself pretty good at talking with clients and finding a happy medium between what they say they want, and what they actually need. But every now and then I find myself at a standstill on a project. This was one of those projects.

West Winds Nursery was ready for a much-needed redesign of their hand drawn logo. In general they liked the layout of their logo, the tree imagery and hand-drawn look.  They were hoping we could transform this into a more polished logo for their firm.

I sent the client  two rounds of logo designs I had created in Illustrator which included various styles of trees and hills similar to their old logo.  Some were literal and others were more stylized, but for the most part the images were done in my “style,” which is very clean and simple.

The feedback I received from the clients was a little discouraging. While they thought my concepts were attractive, they didn’t feel I had met all the criteria because the logos didn’t have the sketched or hand-drawn feel they were hoping for.

At that point, I decided to have another conversation with them about what they hoped to achieve with the logo. They expressed how much they liked the style in which their old logo was done, but wanted something that was more professional. We both agreed the new logo should be much cleaner, have a good ratio of text to graphic elements, and also be “unique.”

I opened Illustrator to start working on the next round, and then decided it was time to take a different approach. So I got out a scrap of paper and a Sharpie and started drawing trees. I almost always sketch out ideas before I start a new design, but drawing logos by hand and scanning them into the computer is something I haven’t done since college. After I settled on a tree I liked and cleaned it up in Illustrator I sent it off to West Winds and hoped for the best.

To my relief they really liked it and felt it was a good representation of their brand. We were both happy with the outcome and felt the unique hand drawn tree was a more polished and professional version of the original, without sacrificing the charm of the hand drawn logo.

What I learned from this experience  is that no matter how much technology evolves and changes, sometimes to achieve the best results you just have to get out a pen and some paper and do it the old-fashioned way!

Meet the other half our our Intern Team.  After you read his post, be sure to say hi when you see him on Twitter.

My name is Drew Willis and I will be Roundpeg’s marketing intern this summer. I’m from Muncie, Indiana and I will be a junior at Indiana University in Bloomington, where I am studying sociology and marketing. This past school year, I was a student consultant for the first American chapter of 180 Degrees Consulting, the world’s largest international student consulting group. There, I worked on a team of six to come up with innovative, practical solutions to business problems two Bloomington nonprofits faced. In 180, I was responsible for online marketing for my clients, including a website redesign and their social media strategy.

During my internship search, I was set on working at a place where I could immediately be part of the team and not just print copies or make coffee. When I came in for my interview and the first five minutes became a dissection of the new JCPenny logo, I knew I would fit right in here and be able to contribute right away. This summer, I’m excited to continue to learn and grow as a student and young professional, and also to apply my knowledge to help small businesses become big businesses the Roundpeg way.

When I’m not at school or working, I’m watching soccer or college basketball (Go Hoosiers!), catching up on Game of Thrones, or reading a book.

I’m excited to join the Roundpeg team.  Be on the lookout for more blog posts from me this summer, and make sure to follow me on Twitter! @Drew__Willis

Lately our web design clients are asking for search boxes. And our clients are smart. Lightning fast web search services on Google, Facebook and YouTube are a part of every-day life. A search-friendly web design with it’s own search box helps your business’ website please demanding visitors who are comfortable using the search function to find things on Google.

Visit Craigslist.com and take note of the multi-column layout on the homepage. Like old-fashioned classified ads, you’re supposed to scan down a dense list of information and select something. Like the gaping maw of a wampa, it’s a paralyzing and overwhelming sight. Except there’s no Han Solo coming to save you.

To be fair, I think Craigslist is going for that authentic 1996 low-budget look. It has an otherwise highly functional, bare bones design and boasts it’s own powerful search to help you find the $5 coffee table of your dreams. They’re doing the right thing by giving customers the option to search, even if they insist on keeping the abominable menu.

A better example of the search-focused web design trend is Indy.gov. There’s several mountains of information behind that homepage. The beautiful search bar up top helps visitors drill down to their specific topic of interest.

Think about the amount of information you need to provide online. If you serve consumers, a super simple menu and two or three clear choices on the homepage is enough. A search bar isn’t necessary if all you need to offer is a few bites of information, but it won’t hurt. However, information hungry visitors like association members and B2B merchants are served better with a well-organized menu option and a prominent search box.

As an Indianapolis web design company, we think WordPress is a great platform  to build search-friendly websites. Categories and tags with WordPress enable easy internal searches on your website and can boost your ranking on popular search engines too. Web design is about making your information easier to find. So put a search box on it!

This week, we’ll have a conversation with Jacob Schpok, the state director for the Indiana Small Business Development Center Network (ISBDC). As state director, Schpok leads Indiana’s efforts to provide management counseling and educational services to small business owners and entrepreneurs.

Do you have any comments or questions? Call in during the show at (805) 285 -9865 or drop us a comment on Twitter. Direct the comment to @roundpeg or use the hashtag #MTFW so we are sure to see your remarks.

The call will be live from 10:30 – 11:00 tomorrow, Wednesday, May 15. You will be able to listen to the program from our station on BlogTalkRadio.com

If you pull up next to me at a traffic light, you are going to see something a little unusual. It is going to appear as if I am talking to myself. I want you to know I am not really as crazy as I look. Please note,  I didn’t say I wasn’t crazy just not that crazy.

So why am I talking to myself? You see, my primary learning style is auditory. That means I process information better if I hear it. So years ago I learned to work on my presentations in my car. I never write my speeches down; I simply work through sections out loud, testing phrases and pacing until I find something that sounds exactly right.

I often use this same technique  as a foundation of my blogging strategy. Talking through my ideas  helps me write better blog posts. I often write a paragraph and read it aloud. I edit the text based on the way it sounds. This is probably why I use so many extra commas. I hear the pauses and think a comma needs to be there so everyone else will hear it as well.

About six months ago, I started recording random thoughts and ideas to use as blog post starters. It worked so well, I expanded the process and now you can often find me dictating entire posts into my iPhone as I am driving in my car, thus the crazy muttering at stoplights.

I often record the post two or three times. I listen to the recording and adjust the flow, just as  other people write, edit and rewrite a post. Some people think into a keyboard; I think into a voice recorder.

There is still some editing required once I type the post, but embracing my natural work style has made blogging much easier and better. I  really like many of the posts I have created in the last few months because they sound like me. They are more natural, more conversational and yet still informational.

This technique may not work for everyone, but if you are struggling with writing, get a voice recorder and try using it in car. Don’t worry that others think you are talking to yourself, because the process of recording then writing will help you talk to lots of people through your blog in the long run.

Roundpeg is proud to announce a fresh website for OoBATZ. It’s a great American style grille in the Zionsville area that offers good food and good entertainment.

The Problem: OoBatz Restaurant came to us with an interesting challenge, they had a terrific menu and a terrible website. Instead of featuring pictures of their wonderful salads, burgers and deserts, the menu was a series of JPEG images of each page of their menu. Their menu changes quarterly, and the static design did not allow for simple updates, new photos or events.

The Solution: We rebuilt the site using a simple WordPress theme which would not compete with the wonderful images taken by professional photographer Andy Roberts.  We focused on the most important things people want when they come to a resturant website:  The phone number, map and menu.

We included a  calendar plug in to showcase their events, and easy to read and print PDF versions of their full menu to expand their carry out business.

The result is a website which makes their food look almost as good as it tastes.

The Oobatz website is another successful project from Roundpeg, an Indianapolis Web Design firm.

You’re busy. You’ve got a thousand things going on each and every day. Why on earth should you stop what you’re doing and bang out a few hundred words on a blog post? After all, who’s going to read it anyway? Does it really matter? It all depends on why you blog for business. The reasons are as varied as the people and companies who fill the Internet with their passion, their expertise and their thoughts each and every day.

Many, many people blog for search engine optimization (SEO) benefits. These posts are often craftsman-like affairs, built like you’d build a sturdy table or chair. It’s almost blogging by numbers: find keyword. Build post around said keyword. Spin out into 300 words or more and call it a day. Submit and watch the organic traffic roll in. Repeat day after day until you have a blog that ranks well for the keyword in question.

Other people and companies blog for the sheer joy of educating. Whether or not readers become customers, these people feel driven to share and to tell people all about their industry and their expertise. The amazing thing about these bloggers is that often, without trying, they attract exactly the business they want. By writing with passion and verve and expecting nothing in return, they find that the business comes rolling in.

Still others don’t know why they blog, only that they should. They shuffle through desultory blog posts, sometimes flirting with keywords, other times firing off stream-of-consciousness screeds. But eventually the fires extinguish and that weekly blogging becomes monthly. Quarterly. Once in a Mayan baktun.

Bottom line: It doesn’t matter your reason for blogging–it just matters that there is a reason. There is no wrong reason for blogging for business. It’s okay to be mercenary. It’s okay to say you want to do it to bring in new clients. It’s equally okay to view it as a public service and to just put that good karma out into the universe and expect that it will come back to you.  What’s not okay is just throwing content up there and hoping for the best. All that will lead to is a firm belief that blogging is a waste of time. And you’ll be absolutely right–blogging in that way is an absolute waste of your time.

So why do you blog? If you aren’t blogging, what’s stopping you?

It’s been a bit of a tough week here at the ‘Peg. We said goodbye to Bonnie, our office dog. Luckily, we’ve had plenty of work to keep ourselves busy and preoccupied. Catch up on the past week with us:

Saturday –  If You Build it How Will They Know? 
Allison shares tips for letting your customers know that your company has a presence on Facebook.

Sunday - Who Can Make Changes to Your Website
One of the benefits of using WordPress is how easy it is to update.  But sometimes that means it is all too easy to mess up your website.  How do you decide who should be allowed to update your website?

Monday – Company Culture as a Marketing Strategy
One of the best marketing tools you have could be your company culture.

MTFW: Computer Security for Small Business
Alan Wlasuk, founder and a managing partner of  WDDinc, a software consulting company focused on custom software development across a wide rangeof industries and technologies, joins us to chat about computer security challenges for small businesses.

Tuesday – Six Ways to Keep Your Blog Fresh
Lorraine shares her strategies for keeping the Roundpeg blog fresh.

First Day on the Job
Jessica, one of our summer interns, survived her first day. Learn a little more about our newest social media intern.

Wednesday – Words Are  Key to Your Marketing Strategy
Although visual content is a current trend, don’t forget that prospects use keywords to find your web site.

US Small Business Conference
The U.S. Small Business Conference & EXPO is coming to Indianapolis later this month. Lorraine is one of the featured speakers and there are many valuable opportunities not to be missed.

Thursday - Name.com Speaks to Me
When was the last time a voice mail system made you smile? Lorraine shares her experience with name.com.

Friday - Between the Lines
A recent upgrade to a client’s website provides a fresh look at an everyday item.

I have driven into thousands of parking lots in my life. And I have to admit, I never gave much thought to the lines which kept me from parking to close to the car next to mine.

That is until we started working with Otto’s Parking Marking. From parking lots and  playgrounds to interior striping in manufacturing companies and warehouses, they transform spaces with their lines.

We had been writing and producing their eNewsletter for several months when we started working on the website. We already knew they had a surprisingly involved customer base by the response we saw each time we distributed the newsletters. We were looking forward to upgrading their web design to create a better home base to drive customers and prospects to from the news letter.

What we had not expected was how cool some of the photos would look in the design.  The sleek clean manufacturing floors and brightly-colored playgrounds were not at all what we expected. Together, they create a really interesting visual effect that engages visitors to their web site.

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When you are selling a high-end product, it is easy to carve out a lot of money for customer service and for customer experiences. But when you are selling a commodity product like web hosting for $8/month, it is hard to get really excited about investing in great customer experiences.

So I have come to expect  when I call a web hosting company I am going to run through a maze of commands, push one, push two, push buttons till your fingers fall off. I have to be sure to punch in the ridiculously long account number correctly, or I am faced with the penalty of starting over. Voice prompts are even worse, since for some reason, no matter how I say “YES” the computers seem confused by my slightly nasal, female NYC voice and I end up in an endless loop till I hand the phone to someone else.

When I finally get a live human being, it is obvious the person is half way around the world reading from a very structured script. I am already annoyed and the call hasn’t even started. It is no wonder I dread picking up the phone to call any of these companies.  That is why I was absolutely blown away by Name.com

It was a little thing, but the cheerful message on their voice mail system made me laugh and put me in a good mood.  I didn’t mind waiting the two minutes till I connected with an equally cheerful and helpful support person.

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