Building Community and Your Business Through Socially Responsible Web Design

WebTrax Studio is committed to bringing positive change to our communities and to our planet. We are generous with our support for social change and arts groups. We train young media workers who are eager to expand their portfolios by working on low-budget and pro-bono jobs.

That’s what you’ll find on our “About” page. Plain and simple.

What does this mean for you? And how does this make WebTrax the right choice to build your website, work with you on marketing or crafting your image?

The word “sustainability” is thrown around a lot, but it’s not just a buzzword or marketing gimmick. Sustainability, by definition, means being able to endure and thrive well into the future. We surely want it for the planet, our human and natural resources, but we also want it for your business.

We believe that sustainable, fair and just business practices aren’t just good public relations but a sound business strategy. By putting people and planet first, by applying a holistic outlook that gets the most out of every single resource, we are providing for our own future as well as yours. A philosophy that conserves, respects and gives back is a philosophy that makes a business smart, savvy and far-sighted.

Given the importance of a web presence and the increasing centrality of a strong website in today’s world, we are here to see that a real and substantive sustainability philosophy has a wider impact on business practices as a whole.

This approach also means that we look at all of the elements of your business as a totality, and how they interact. When you look at “the big picture,” you have the ability to see how your website impacts your marketing, how your marketing impacts your graphic and visual choices, how your “look” impacts your relationship with your community. And, it’s your community that ultimately sustains your business.

Our commitment to sustainable business practices also means that you are in control of how your website changes. Whenever possible, we try to empower our clients by teaching them the skills they need to update their website, add posts or change a picture. Fewer resources expended by you equals a more sustainable business and more money saved for you!

So, doesn’t Webtrax sound like the kind of company you want working with you?

New site, introducing SquareSpace

WebTrax is excited to announce the launch of our new website. The site designed by our own Estelle Carol and Isabel Lee was built in SquareSpace content management system (CMS). Some of you may be aware that we’ve recently incorporated SquareSpace into our repertoire of web-building platforms. The new WebTrax website illustrates the updated look and feel SquareSpace is capable of as well as its simple, polished, and straightforward design capabilities.

The SquareSpace web-building system is sleek, affordable and easy to use. It’s a great solution for budget-conscious small businesses and nonprofits. This CMS has received several awards for its innovation, modern style and ease of use. SquareSpace allows for countless layout options and features, all of which are beautifully designed and easy to navigate.

This is just the start. SquareSpace also offers free and easy-to-use tech support (which makes for lower maintenance costs), an intuitive back-end that allows for easy edits to content, and much more.

Of course, we still stand behind Joomla! and WordPress as excellent platforms with their own strengths, but for the group or small business just starting out or looking to try something new, SquareSpace is something to consider. We’re pleased to have another arrow in our quiver, and we hope you are too. If you’re interested in talking to a WebTrax team member about what SquareSpace has to offer, we hope you’ll reach out to us.

Estelle Carol for the WebTrax team
ecarol@webtraxstudio.com
708-386-7197

What Is a CMS?

CMS stands for "Content Management System." and is a framework for constructing a website that makes it possible for someone who does not know code to edit the site. There are many content management systems available, but Webtrax Studio focuses on three of the most popular: SquareSpace, Joomla! and WordPress. Find out more at our pages for all three platforms.

How to choose what’s best for your site? Call us for an in-depth consultation.

What Is SEO?

SEO stands for “search engine optimization.” It is the process of getting website traffic from the free listings on search engines. The most popular search engine is Google, with Yahoo and Bing in a distant second and third place. Your website text is the most important component of SEO.

How is a successful SEO campaign measured? 

The primary tool to track the statistics of your website is Google Analytics. Analytics can tell you a great deal of valuable information about how many people are visiting your site, how they found it, which pages they browsed, and how long they stayed on each page.

Does web marketing fit with your business strategy?

Although WebTrax can provide several levels of customized web marketing and social media marketing and training, you may prefer a low-cost, engaging, simple website that will enhance your traditional marketing, networking and customer relations. In a few cases, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and being found in Google may not be useful to your business or organization.

A carefully planned website and web marketing strategy will attract more customers over the long-term.

The foundation for success is website text based on well-researched key phrases and knowledge of your customers. Short, friendly text addressing customers’ problems and concerns gets best results. Since each website is unique, the time and cost of setup varies. We can provide a web marketing proposal after a free consultation by phone.

WebTrax's backup policy

Websites can be fragile things. Hackers, software glitches, server failure, and simple human error can all bring a site down. Frequent backups are the best insurance against extended site downtime. With an efficient backup system in place, a website can often be restored within hours.

WebTrax is NOT liable for data loss:

WebTrax Studio and our chosen hosting partners CloudAccess and Pair Networks make reasonable efforts to safeguard your data and will assist you in repairing a site if a problem occurs, but we cannot be held legally liable for any data lost due to malicious actions or hardware / software failure.

Logo Design Tips

Logo design tips:

• A brand is not a logo. It is an experience. The brand and logo remind people what the group is known for which is gained through interaction with the group or business in various ways over time.
• The best way to build a strong, long-lasting brand is building relationships with the audience.
• Logo should be memorable and unique.
• What is the visual message and tone? formal, informal, modern, traditional, upbeat, low key, subdued, bright, professional, passionate, energetic, emotional, calming, friendly?
• Often a unique type treatment of the name is a perfect logo.
• Pick favorite logos from logo websites (see online resources below).
• A logo needs to be flexible. Should work large and small spaces, vertically and horizontally.
• A logo can be modular — a combination of several elements (small icon, larger graphic that includes the icon, type treatment of the name).
• It saves time to design the logo along with one of the first uses like a brochure or a website banner.
• A logo can be a photo or a photo collage combined with the name.
• A very short tagline is a very useful companion to a logo. It is the essence of what the group wants to be known for.

Online resources:

• PowerPoint: “Graphic Design & Branding for Print & Web,” by WebTrax Studio.
• Web archive: FreeLogoServices.com. It seems easy enough to play around with icons, fonts and colors yourself.
• Blog: Useful logo design reference materials at Just Creative Design justcreativedesign.com See the popular articles at left.
• Article: “Top Best 10 Logo Design Inspiration Galleries.”
• Logo Moose.
• Color scheme online tools at http://www.aviary.com.

How Can Design Work Become More Sustainable?

How can a designer join the movement for sustainability? How can designers guide clients toward sustainable communication solutions? These questions became a passion for graphic designer Yvette Perullo, an avid outdoorswoman who had an interest in the environment. When she returned to school to obtain a Masters, she decided to research these issues. She was surprised to find very little literature on the subject which led her to create ReThink Design,  sharing tools and ideas about design sustainability.

Later she teamed up with Eric Benson who shared her interests and together they relaunched his website on design sustainability, Re-nourish in 2009. Since then the site has drawn the attention of the design community, including Communication Arts and HOW. 

Pay Attention to Your Audience When Preparing a Presentation

Many of us are terrified of giving a presentation in front of a group. But fear can be a good thing if it causes us to step outside of our comfort zones and pay attention. That means paying attention to who your audience is when you prepare a presentation.

The mistake that many presenters make is that they do not consider their audience when assembling their ideas. Instead they remain in the comfort zone of their own experiences. This can cause a profound disconnect when you finally do make your presentation. The presentation  may be carefully crafted, but it was crafted for you, not your audience.

Of course there are times when you want your audience to step outside of their comfort zone. This can be very difficult as people tend to resist being uncomfortable. Knowing your audience well allows you to connect with them so they can gain new insights and become curious, rather than apprehensive about new experiences.

Christine Esposito of Terracom Public Relations has a good summary of how to pay attention to your audience so your audience pays attention to you. You may read it here.

Can An Employer Demand Your Facebook Password?

Employers can demand access to your Facebook account and they have. But according to the ACLU this is not only an egregious invasion of privacy, but is illegal under the Federal Stored Communications Act.

Take the case of Robert Collins who works for the Maryland Department of Corrections. He took some leave because of his mom’s death, but was ordered to turn over access to his Facebook account in order to return to work. To see his account on video, please go here.

The Facebook company has been accused of playing fast and loose with privacy in the past, but in this case they are considering legal action against any organization who demands Facebook passwords. The practice appears to be growing and includes companies, government agencies and even colleges. In this economic climate the pressure to surrender such very personal information can be overwhelming.

Erin Egan, Facebook’s Chief Privacy Officer has this to say:

Facebook takes your privacy seriously.  We’ll take action to protect the privacy and security of our users, whether by engaging policymakers or, where appropriate, by initiating legal action, including by shutting down applications that abuse their privilege.

To read more about this issue please go HERE

Always Leave 'Em Wanting More, Not Less

How many times have you sat in a movie and asked yourself, “When is this going to be over?” What about that last book you read when halfway through, you flipped to the end to see how many pages were left? Or how about that web article where you scrolled to the end to see how much more you can endure.

The issue isn’t size really. Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings stretches across 3 volumes including those voluminous footnotes. Michelangelo’s The Creation runs across an entire ceiling and you have to really bend your neck to see it. Dante’s Inferno is 14233 lines in its original. Their size is just fine. No, the problem is something else. How much is enough and where the heck is the editor?

I once sat in a comedy cafe with an open mic. On the back wall was a sign that the owner flashed that said “Wrap it up,” before the eager jokester died on stage. Vaudeville had a saying,”Always leave them wanting more, not less.” Even novelist Ernest Hemingway, the master of terseness, had a master editor named Max Perkins.

Web writers take note. The short attention span on the web means page views don’t necessarily translate into actual extended reading. If you don’t have an editor,  get someone to read it over before you post. You may end up with something a bit shorter, but minus the literary dust bunnies — and just think of all the embarrassing typos that will disappear.

Ralph Caplan has an excellent article on the decline of editing over at the American Institute of Graphic Arts(AIGA). Check it out.

Qualified 501c3’s can get inexpensive software & hardware through Tech Soup’s Special Donor Program

Everyone knows about offers that sound too good to be true.  But this offer from TechSoup that sounds “too good to be true” is the real deal.

Non-profit tech gurus TechSoup have partnered with software and hardware companies to provide deeply discounted software and hardware from companies like Adobe, Dell, Cisco, Microsoft, Intuit, eTapestry, Piney Bowes, Symantec and many more.

Basically, you pay an administrative fee to TechSoup and they ship the software. You must apply to determine eligibility and this can vary depending upon the company and their products. There are some hoops to jump through, but nothing outrageous. To get an overall view of this exciting program go here. 

Non-profits can have creative advertising too

Design Tutorials 4u has some nonprofit ad designs that are on the edge and perhaps even over the top. They are designed not just to catch attention but to provoke thought and action. See what you think. Read more