Using Twitter to solve problems

Twitter is a great platform for getting problems solved. A quick tweet about an issue and more likely than not you will get an answer, saving you time and aggravation.

Here are a couple of examples of how my Twitter friends have helped me out.

1. GoDaddy coupon fail
   I was having real trouble applying a coupon to items in my GoDaddy cart. Any coupon I tried was immediately rejected.



2. Firefox 4.0
   I upgraded my browser to Firefox 4.0 but the default position of the Home button was causing me aggravation!
   

Look at the time frame of response from both of these, within minutes I had answers to the issues I was facing.  For both of these tweets I used hash tags at the end of the tweet. This can help get your problems noticed faster as many hash tags are monitored. In the case of@goodguydan he was not a follower of my tweets but was monitoring the hash tag #Firefox.

© Chicago web designer

Sneak peak at Restore North Shore web site

Here is a sneak peak at the new web site I am creating for Restore North Shore, a Chicago home remodeling company.

The site is designed around a palette of cool muted colors. This allows the photographs to pop through and take center stage as they really do most of the talking about the capabilities and quality of workmanship the company offers. The site features a simple slide show on the home page and more detailed portfolio sections within.

The framework of the site is completely built and I am just awaiting copy…

© Chicago web designer

New Blog: Creative in Chicago

Since moving to Chicago a little over six months ago much of my free time has been spent decorating a 1970’s house. It is a fun journey and has allowed another outlet for my creative juices.

I have launched a blog Creative in Chicago to share my endeavors!

Visit the site at www.CreativeinChicago.com

You can also connect via RSS, Facebook or Twitter

© Chicago Web Designer

Internet deals, what’s not to love

Yesterday I launched some updates for hardscapestl.com and they included a great spring contest where visitors can register to win a $250 gift card to spend on hardscape products.  There are six up for grabs. New patio anyone?

The internet has revolutionized the way we shop and for the savvy shopper there are coupons and opportunity for deals for just about anything. Adding a coupon or “opportunity to win” to a web site is marketing smart and combined with a social media push can drive considerable traffic to a site.

© 2011 Chicago web designer

Is your brand image consistent?

I am working on a couple of branding projects at the moment, one is creating everything from scratch ( see the start here)  and the other is a brand consistency project.

Is your brand image consistent? Do your customers have the same experience however they interact with you. From visiting your web site, to paging through a brochure or even receiving and invoice, all these interactions offer an opportunity to convey your unique message. Lack of consistency creates confusion and sends conflicting messages to your clients.

For example your web site projects an air of professionalism and trust through design, a well thought out color palette, fonts, imagery and excellent copy. Does that image carry through to your brochures, folders,  flyers or whatever other marketing pieces you use, or have they been hastily put together with no thought as to what they communicate?

Here is brand consistency in action, from web site through to presentation folder and DVD labeling the client is getting the same message.

©: 2011 Chicago web designer

Where are you reading this blog post?

Are you making the most of your blog posts?

Did you know that it is really easy to extend the reach of each post you write, by importing your blog feed into your social network profiles like Facebook or LinkedIn. By doing so your new  posts get automatically published.

So today we have a little poll.

This dandy  poll was whipped up in 30 seconds at polldaddy.com. If you are not reading this via our site and can’t see it click here.

© 2011 Chicago web designer

What ever happened to Second Life?

I was revisiting some old blog posts this morning, interested to see what I was up to on March 7th in previous years and came across this post written on March 7th 2007.
Second Life investigation continues

In early 2007, Second Life was the “latest thing” and everyone was clamoring to be part of this virtual land. It was in every newspaper and magazine and  big retail stores like Circuit City and Sears  had set up Second Life store fronts.  Clearly something  “this big” warranted an investigation so I created an avatar, Indigo Oh, and dropped in to see the action.  I did a lot of wandering around and it appeared that some big bucks were being dropped in this pixel dimension.

But now it has disappeared from media view and I have considered revisiting to see just what is happening there but after reading this article it seems Second life is driven by adult orientated pastimes, so I think I will pass!

©: 2011 Chicago Web Designer

Building a Brand Image

Full image branding  is one of my favorite type of projects and I am delighted to be creating brand and marketing materials  for a Chicago home remodeling company, Restore North Shore. The project is moving at quite a pace and there is nothing like a deadline to get things moving along.   It is energizing.

The project started on Monday this week and by Tuesday at noon the client needed business cards to hand out at an open house. In that short space of time I designed the logo,  established the color palette,  selected a corporate typeface, designed a business card and got full client approval along the way via our online project progress  system.  Phew!

There was no time to get the business cards professionally printed so I took a pdf of the file to a Fedex Office (the one here in Lincolnshire IL is great) where they printed it on card stock using a laser printer and I cut the cards down in their store. While they are only temporary the quality was pretty good and plenty got passed out at a very successful open house in Wilmette.

I will be starting work on the web site tomorrow. It will feature lots of before and after photos showcasing the fabulous work of Restore North Shore. Prepare to be blown away.

©: 2011 Chicago Web Designer

Social Media in your Marketing Mix

After my last post Is your small business on board the social media wagon? I’d thought I’d share with you today some of my clients who are well on board the social media wagon.

Here is a shout out to my clients embracing social media.

• Schilli Plastering
  Follow them on Facebook and Twitter
• Loomis Brothers
  Become a fan of their Facebook page
• Peter Meder and Company
  Connect via  LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter or enjoy the company blog “a Conversation with Peter“
• Big River Associates
  Connect with them on Facebook and LinkedIn
• Roberg Tax Solutions
  Read their Blog or become a Facebook fan
• Hardscape STL.com
  Subscribe to their blog or follow them Facebook, Twitter or Youtube
• Sarah Grus Weddings
  Become a Facebook fan
  
• Ruth Hasser Wedding Officiant
  Visit their Facebook page or read their blog
• Spring Willows  Farm
• Become a Facebook fan or enjoy their tweets on Twitter
• St Louis Woman’s Exchange
  Connect via Facebook
  
• Cynthia Reeg
  Read her blog and connect via Facebook
• Zagros Robotics
  Become a Facebook fan

We definitely practice what we preach when it come to social media. You can connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube or subscribe to our blog

©: 2011 Chicago Web Designer

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