Search engines are getting smarter every day.   Keywords and meta tags are no longer enough to drive traffic to the website for your small business.  Search engines are looking for real, relevant and timely content.  The best way to do that? Blogging. That’s why we include blogs into every site we design.

You know  you should be blogging regularly but have no idea what to talk about every day. It’s okay, we’ve got you covered. We believe in continuous ongoing education for all of our website design clients, so we’re offering a crash course on blogging strategies for our second seminar in the Press Refresh series. We’ll talk about why you should blog, what you should blog about and how to get the most bang for your buck from the blogging process. Join us for this fun, interactive workshop February 21, 4:00 at the Roundpeg offices, 1003 E. 106th St, Indianapolis.

Press Refresh is a series of classes offered on the third Tuesday of every month. These courses are open to any past Roundpeg web design clients. It’s our way of helping you keep your website relevant and viable as a part of your marketing toolkit.

Effective blogging starts with a strategyand an action plan. If you don’t have a plan in place, you should, and we can help. Join the Roundpeg gang and let’s talk. This is a class web clients won’t want to miss!

For more information on the rest of the Press Refresh series or to register, click here. We hope to see you soon!

Over the years we have written quite a few blog post about blogging.  Here are just a few you might find helpful :

• Blogs build better web sites 
• The 70 / 30  Traffic Rule
• Blogging Made Simple

The Roundpeg crew enjoyed a team building trip to the Super Bowl festivities last Friday. Have you had a chance to check out the fun?

Although it’s easy to get distracted this week we continue to publish at least one blog post daily. If you’ve been visiting Super Bowl Village on a daily basis you may have missed out. Now’s your chance to catch up.

Saturday - Faces of Roundpeg: New Characters – Jenna and Peter
We are a bit more polished, more professional and more grown up thanks to our newest cast members.

Sunday – What’s In a Theme?
Peter explains (to Romeo?) the basics behind WordPress themes.

Monday - Knowing When to Walk Away: Dealing with Anger Online
Always good to think before you respond whether in person or online.

Tuesday – Sometimes What’s Old is New Again
Sharing the love for WordPress plug in Tweet Old Post.

MTFW: Unfunded with Nick Carter
Listen to our talk with Nick Carter about his experiences growing his firm, AddressTwo as an “unfunded” venture.

Wednesday – Your New Truck is a Website
The inspiration for a client’s rebranding came from their original truck sign.

Thursday – Use FAQs as Blog Post Starters
FAQs and answers to questions make great content for blog posts.

Friday – Why Playing Hooky Can Help Your Business

Reflecting on our Adventure in the SuperBowl Village, Allison talks about why these types of outing are good for your business

It used to be that you were known by your vehicle. Service contractors and industrial companies like Lauck Manufacturing use trucks and vans to transport materials and workmen. The truck holds your logo, your phone number and your reputation. However, today’s market demands something more.

Consumers use the Internet like a phonebook. A common search to find Indianapolis area mechanics might be “mechanic Indianapolis”. People are only looking at the first three or four results from that search to find the mechanic they’re going to call. Signage on fleet vehicles is still a valuable asset, but your business needs a website to keep the calls coming.

Roundpeg worked with Lauck Manufacturing to develop their American Eagle Goals brand and we knew they were ready to make the leap. There were two things we kept in mind during the development process. First, Lauck’s market is primarily business-to-business. Impressive animations and video clips would do nothing for this audience. Strong images would still be key, but the layout and copy are optimized for people looking to get down to business. Our other touchstone for the project was the heritage of the hand-lettered sign on their original truck. To digitize this logo for their new website, we made a point of carefully recreating the unique character of the old sign. A rich color pallette of brown, khaki and maroon gives it new life on the web.

You can’t interact with a truck in a parking lot. At www.lauckmfg.com clients take-in the company’s story, browse a portfolio of projects and can even upload their own documents to easily request quotes. And the phone number is still right there, ready to be dialed.

When we start a new website project at Roundpeg, we spend a lot of time talking about themes. So what’s a theme? Not so fast Romeo, let’s get a handle on WordPress first. Roundpeg’s websites depend on this software to run. Like the engine in a car, it’s the unseen power-house under the hood. When you’re writing a blog post, that’s the WordPress engine working and when you’re checking your website’s traffic statistics, that’s data recorded by WordPress. Website owners change and update their site with the power of this engine.

A theme is the top-level surface that your customers interact with. It manages the way all of your information is displayed and how it looks to visitors. At the very least, a theme is like a sparkling coat of paint that makes the website yours. Premium and professionally built themes like the ones we use often come with their own add-ons that make designing new looks a lot of fun.

After the project kick-off meeting, we select two or three themes from our favorite designers. We add sample images and the client’s logo and then we send them off for feedback. Simple, right? Just shop around until the right one appears. Yeah, simple like picking out new curtains or finding the car with the feature pack and paint job that feels just right.

Picking the right theme is a crucial step in the web development process. Switching themes half-way in can mean a significant delay and significant hair-pulling on both the client and developer’s end.

Here are a few of the things we think about before we show clients a mock-up:

1. Will the theme serve the client well? – A beautifully designed theme is worthless if it doesn’t have the layout and structure to suit the needs identified in our kick-off meeting. This is the heart-breaker. I don’t know how many times we’ve had to leave a good theme behind because its layout didn’t meet for the client’s needs.

2. Is it well-made? – The segments of code that define it must fit together cleanly like the gears of a watch. Ugly code is a deal breaker, no matter how nice it looks on the outside.

3. How can we refine it? – This is where things get interesting. As web developers, it’s our job to collect and piece together everything to make great websites. If a theme is walled up and resists modifications, it’s going to be nixed from our short list. I’m always looking for themes with lots of customization opportunities.

All of this thinking and planning sounds like a drag, but it’s not. We recognize and embrace the challenge of creating something new. Themes help us fulfill the vision our clients have for their website and business.

Here at Roundpeg, we have an interesting way of interviewing potential employees. Along with the usual “boring interview questions” we also ask a series of our own random “fun questions” which have no right or wrong answer. One of these questions requires the person to choose between words, pictures and numbers. We get very few people who choose numbers (Lorraine is still waiting to find a soul mate),  some who choose words, but the vast majority choose pictures. People like to visualize things because often words can’t do justice to the product, idea, scenario etc.

This is something I always consider as I start any new project, but I think it is especially important in web design. The majority of sites we design to sell a product or service include at least one photograph on the home page. Often I’m asked to find stock photos for a client because it is more affordable than hiring a professional photographer.

The idea of using stock photography used to make a lot of designers (including me) cringe. When I thought of stock photography, words which came came to mind were “cheesy” “cliche” and “unprofessional,” which are obviously not words anyone wants associated with their website. These days, however, there are actually some really great stock photography sites (like istock.com) , with thousands of photos to choose from. The quality on stock sites has significantly increased as well, which makes it much easier to find photos that are just as good as what the client would have gotten from hiring a photographer, at a fraction of the cost.

The negative side of stock photography is the fact that the pictures weren’t taken for a specific purpose or project.  As a result, they often need to be edited in some way, whether it be changing the orientation, cropping, color editing etc. As the designer it is my job to figure out the best way to make the photograph work with the design of the site, and most importantly, stay on brand.

While it may seem like a simple task, cropping is probably the most important and effective way to improve a photograph and allow it to fit in with the rest of the elements on the website. Sometimes a photo needs to be cropped simply to fit within the confinements of a layout, and other times cropping is a good way to shift focus from one area of a photo to another. Altering the brightness/contrast levels and the saturation are some other simple ways to greatly improve your photos.  These tactics also allow us to overlay calls to action and other messages on top of the photo.

While stock photography may not be for everyone, it is often the quickest and most cost effective option. My suggestion to anyone considering stock photos for their website is to choose your photo carefully, and consider the way it will fit in the space. Once you have a photo you like, spend a little extra time tweaking it in Photoshop and it will feel more personal and not so much like “cliche stock photography.”

Lately, I have been seeing a lot of bloggers adding images to their posts. And if you are paying attention, you have probably noticed many more pictures on our blog too. Why? There are several very good reasons to add pictures to your blog and web design strategy:

1. Google and other search engines are doing a much better job of indexing images. The picture gives you one more hook for search.
2. Pictures attract the eye. As people scan your blog archive, they are drawn to the posts with an image.
3. Images can reinforce or expand the ideas presented in the blog post.

The trick is to pick the right image, something that is attractive and relevant. If you can’t find something which fits, you might have to create it yourself. You can go out and take a photo, or create a chart or graphic image.

Mark Smiciklas  of Intersection Consulting does this better then any other blog I have found lately. Although he doesn’t post often, each post on his blog is accompanied by a relevant, original meaningful image. Maybe that is why he doesn’t post as often.

The graphics themselves are so content rich, you almost don’t need the supporting text. For example, this image from a post on content strategy clearly delivers the idea that at the core of your strategy is the audience.

The clever arrangement of the interesting icons held my attention much longer than words alone.

Is it worth the effort to spend the time creating something this intricate? If it is well done, it will be shared over and over again. Images have tremendous viral potential.

Mark has built his contact information into the graphic, so everyone knows the source. I am linking to him from the image, and I hope you will go and check out his blog, because there are many, many more cool graphics on his site.

I am sure that not every graphic he has created has gone viral, but if one does, it pays off over and over again with a steady flow of new traffic to your website.

The Greater Indianapolis Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (GIPHCC) wants YOU to hire a licensed plumber. They protect consumers from dubious “handyman trucks” through contractor education programs, television commercials and a brand new website that makes it easy to find licensed plumbing contractors.

Based in Indianapolis, the GIPHCC’s membership is a diverse gathering of individuals and representatives of commercial firms. For their new website, they wanted to make a space for their members to sound off on industry news and communicate directly with consumers. When we explained the rich blogging support offered by WordPress, they got very excited.

There are multiple types of user accounts possible, with varying levels of access allowed. We set-up their WordPress installation with an organized system of accounts. GIPHCC members can login to write posts, but publishing to the live website requires approval from an administrative account. A company blog can be chaos for complex organizations, but WordPress makes it simple.

The GIPHCC website features a powerful search tool to help consumers find licensed contractors and an easy to use blogging platform that helps contractors reach out to consumers. Here at Roundpeg, an Indy web design firm, we’re always looking for ways to help our clients upgrade to the latest marketing strategies and technology. Check out www.giphcc.com to see what we can do.

For Korea Taekwondo Academy, it was time to let go of an old design. Their passion is the practice and perfection of an ancient martial art, yet the school is on the competitive edge, always innovating and expanding. The outdated style of their website did not reflect this. With their move to a sparkling new facility, KTA was ready to invigorate their website with a crisp new look and a user-friendly engine.

Their previous website was built with technology and an art style long surpassed. KTA’s exciting pictures and demonstration videos were buried within difficult to navigate interior pages. Without the ability to easily update and refresh their website, KTA had little opportunity to show the world the power and fun of their sport.

Using the WordPress platform, we built KTA a website that changes all of that. Bright blue and red elements complement a clean, silvery style that shows off the prowess of the students and instructors. Under the hood, a powerful content management system lets the KTA leadership team update schedules and post test results and pictures even as the events unfold.

I attribute the success of this project to the KTA team’s organization, planning, and drive for excellence. They knew what they wanted and were willing to listen to us when we suggested new paths to achieve those goals. Even better, I know they’re committed to updating and maintaining their own website with the training we provided. KTA understands they can only extend their reach with fun and dynamic communication on their website and through their active social media accounts. We worked with KTA to shape up their website into a destination for total beginners, Taekwondo masters, and all the in-betweeners to start experiencing the same passion and excitement that powers this one-of-a-kind Academy.

This is just one of the many new sites we are launching this month at Roundpeg, an Indianapolis web design firm.  To keep KTA and many of our clients on track, we are now offering PressRefresh a monthly usergroup session for our WordPress clients.

In order to be a success in life, you must know thyself. In order to be a success in business, you must know thy company.

Does it all sound just a little too metaphysical and self help-y for you? Stick with me.

In order to have a successful business, you must understand your own strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your staff. Even the best built team will have flaws: too many introverts, too little attention to detail, too big and unwieldy. By understanding these deficits, you can position your company in a way that can minimize their impact.

You must also know your audience. Remember, everyone is not your customer. Broadcasting your message too loudly or to the wrong prospects is a sure path to failure. Make sure you genuinely understand who you can best help with your services and your price point, and who it’s probably better to send elsewhere.

Know your limits. For instance, we’re a web design firm. Where does our service level stop–at launch? A month after? Does it extend indefinitely to every problem the client has with the site, whether or not it has anything to do with our design? For you, it might be establishing a returns policy or a lemon policy. But if you don’t know where you have to draw the line, you’ll find yourself running into significant problems.

Know who you are. So many times we sit down with a client and ask them who they really are, what’s most important to them, what they want their clients to know about them, and they’re dumbfounded. Without this information, we can’t help position you properly in the marketplace. We can’t craft the right messages and put them in the right places. We can, however, help you think deeply and come up with some pretty good answers about who you are what’s important.

As we start the new year, devote some time to understanding yourself and your business. You’ll come out ahead.

The first week of 2012 was exactly what I expected.  It started a bit slow, with the Monday holiday, but definitely picked up steam as the week progressed.  We launched our 1st quarter seminars and we are almost sold out for our first class.  (If you are interested in attending, don’t wait, reserve your seat now.   We have already started two new web design projects, and we are excited about what else is in the works.

With everything going on, we still had time to write some interesting blog posts. If you didn’t have a chance to stop by this week, here is a summary of what you missed.

Saturday – Faces of Roundpeg: The Interns

Interns are a part of the fabric of Roundpeg. I am a teacher at heart, and I love sharing what I know about marketing with people who are interested in learning. Every semester we have one, two or three individuals who are testing their careers with us.

Sunday - Start the Year Right

I love New Year’s Day. On this day almost anything seems possible. Closing the books on 2011, it is time to plan for the year ahead.  And just like every year for the last ten years, I am putting the finishing touches on my business plan.

The Web Strategy Organization Chart

Oli Gardner wrote a blog post, which is actually a small novel, outlining a six month plan to improving your search position. In it he, outlined the elements which come together to create an effective web strategy. His infograhpic gave me the inspiration for this post.

Monday – Plunger Bouquets and Other Bad Design Ideas

Jenna shares some of the things that make her want to set her graphic design degree on fire.

January Press Refresh

It is a new year, and time for new resolutions. How about making yours to whip your website into shape? We can help. At Roundpeg, we believe in empowering our website design clients to maintain and tweak their websites, continually improving their content and SEO.

Tuesday - Just One Story

Allison explains why business owners who can’t focus one message remind us of the person who trap us in a conversation who can’t just tell you a straightforward story? You want them to tell you one simple thing, but they have to expound on every detail…

More than a Few Words:  The Client Experience

Branding does not stop at the edge of the paper or the bottom of a website. True branding extends into all facets of your customer experience. How you answer your phone, greet guests as they visit and even furnish your office all combine to create a brand impression. This week, we spoke  to interior designer James Kuster, specifically about how he works with clients to extend their brand into all facets of the customer experience.

Wednesday - Roundpeg in Three Words

One of the most interesting and sometimes difficult question a business owners should answer as they write their first business plan is this:What are your company values? This is different then your mission, which is why the business exists or your vision, which is a snapshot of where you will be in five years.Values are about the core or soul of your business.

Thursday New Website is Work of Art

One of Roundpeg’s first WordPress web design projects was the site we built for my husband’s metal sculpting business. In the four years since the site was built, WordPress has grown tremendously as a platform, and so have our skills as a web design team. It was time for a major overhaul of AballStudio.com

Friday -Taking Online Relationships Offline: Richmond Social Media Club, 1/13

Allison talks about her friendship with Randy Clark.  She describes how it started online, but has grown into so much more, they will be taking it on the road for a presentation in Richmond later this month.