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Embedded Simpleviewer into Latest Web Creation

December 31, 2008 By 1 Comment

Recently, my company RavenWood Creative launched a new site for a client, botanical-expressions.com that makes extensive use of Simpleviewer by Airtight Interactive. We embedded the viewer into a few pages so users can scroll through all the different arrangements and floral creations the shop can produce.

We had a few issues with the viewer, but worked them out. One of the them that had me pulling my hair out was that we got the Flash to play on the page, but you could not scroll down to see the thumbnails below the main image and the footer of the site, once it was previewed in different browsers. After some research I finally found the solution on the Simpleviewer FAQ, to add a vertical scroll bar, we had to remove a single line of code from the resulting index.html.

overflow-y: hidden

A single line of code.

Sometimes it’s just the small things in life, but what a relief, when I found it!

Let me know what you think of the new site? The clients are happy and we’ll be tweaking the site in the coming weeks, they are always a work in progress.

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Web Design Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Funny Video about Rod Blagojevich – say what?

December 23, 2008 By Leave a Comment

John Stewart has a way of wrapping up the insanity or chaos that is politics:

Check this out.

Until next time, Tim


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Filed Under: TV/Media

Does the Location of a Blogger Matter?

December 19, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Yesterday, I was asked to add my blog to LoadedWeb, a online directory of blogs. Nothing special there, but this one has a unique angle.  The directory is broken out by geographical area (in the U.S. and Canada) of the blogger.  It also has local business directories on its site.

My question is to you, does the location of the blogger matter? Are you more willing to read a blog in or near your hometown over on across the country? I tend to think I’d find more of interest in my own area, but I also like to see what’s happening in the world and in places I’ve visited or want to visit. That’s the beauty of the web, correct.

What do you think?

BTW, I listed my blog in US/Pennsylvania/Flourtown (nearest my office). Should I have listed it under Philadelphia, which is less than a half mile away? I thought Flourtown, PA would be more unique. No one, who isn’t from around here, knows where it is. Let me know your thoughts …

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Loving the new WordPress 2.7 Interface

December 18, 2008 By Leave a Comment

I recently upgraded my blog’s backend, yes, I know it sounds dirty, to the new WordPress 2.7. The new interface is very sleek and more intuitive than past dashboards. Like most new interfaces it will take some getting use to, but I’m liking it so far. The tools I use most in creating posts are still in the same area, but the other organizational tools are, well, more organized.

What do you think?

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Blogging, Web Design Tagged With: , , , ,

So Long MacWorld … The beginning of the end of Trade Shows?

December 17, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Say it ain’t so, Apple announced today that next month’s MacWorld in San Francisco will be Apple’s last. I always wanted to make it to the one in SF, but never had the chance. I love everything Apple, but like most people, find what I need online or at the local retail store.

It makes you think, Apple is always on the forefront of trends and this could mean that trade shows are in trouble. According to Apple, “Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.”

I attended a trade show for trade show managers over the summer here in Philly. It was interesting how the keynote speaker, David Meerman Scott, spoke to the audience about how social media and the Internet is changing the game for marketers. You know it’s bad when the keynote at your trade show trade group is advocating other resources other than a booth at a trade show to market your wares. Has the Web and social media marketing changed the game?

What do you think, are trade shows a thing of the past and fading into obsurity?

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Customer Service, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Learn the Basics of Search Engine Optimization SEO

December 2, 2008 By Leave a Comment

As a web designer, I often get asked by clients and other I speak with at events, “How do I get my site to be higher in the search results?” I often tell them that it usually only requires a few simple steps to help move the ranking in the right direction. But as with most things, if you start with garbage in you’ll get garbage out. It often comes down to redesigning the site to clean out years of either neglect or too much attention (i.e. too much content that is dis-organized and lacks focus).

It’s what the industry has come to know as Search Engine Optimization or SEO. The Internet is filled with companies promising you results by using their SEO plans. But with a little education on such matters most problems can be addressed before calling on professionals to help. Google recently published a 20 some page starter guide to SEO. Its a starter guide to SEO, that covers such topics as:

  • page titles and the importance of accurately titling your pages
  • descriptive meta tags
  • friendly URL structures
  • using sitemaps to construct easy-to-navigate sites
  • custom 404 error pages
  • quality content
  • using anchor text effectively
  • using “alt” text for images
  • and using robots.txt files

While most of the information in the guide should be old hat for your web designer, I’ve found that I educate the site owner a bit, they can focus on the areas of their site that need help.

Google has put together a good guide to help those outside the web development world to understand “this SEO thing” a bit better. Even though some of the guide could be deemed contrary to what Google has promoted in the past, such as the statement, “Search engine optimization affects only organic search results, not paid or “sponsored” results such as Google AdWords”, most of the information is right on target. Hopefully, Google will address the contrasts of in future version of the SEO guide.

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Design, SEO, Web Design Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

11 Things I’m Thankful For…

November 27, 2008 By Leave a Comment
Hey You Lookin' at Me?

Hey You Lookin' at Me?

As I’ve been known to do I usually post something on Thanksgiving. Today, as the owner of RavenWood Creative, a designer, a blogger and social media evangelist, I’d like to give thanks for what has helped me build my business, explore social media and have some fun along the way.

11 items I’m thankful for …

1. A supportive wife, my wife Eileen, while not as into social media as me, she does understand it helps me learn about the industry, make connections and lets me experiment with it as much as I like. For that I’m grateful.

2. Great clients, who let me be creative in their design and marketing approaches. They listen to me on how social media can help them and for that I’m grateful.

3. Friends, either former colleagues, schoolmates, friends have helped me land clients, helped me find opportunities. My relationships with them helped me find the courage to go out on my own and start my business.

4. IABC – The International Association of Business Communicators is a great organization, that I’ve found educational opportunities, networking connections and most importantly, more friends.

5. FBA – Flourtown Businesspersons Association a local business group that I’ve become increasingly involved with, as I believe all business is local and the more we can do to help the small, local business the better it is for everyone. I try to bring the lessons I’ve learns at multi-national business to their level and help everyone.

6. Flourtown Fire Company – as it’s president and volunteer firefighter I’ve learned more about leadership and the power of teamwork with this organization than any corporate initiative or training ever will.

7. Social Media – the most important innovation in the World Wide Web since it’s inception. By connecting community of like-minded and sometimes those with differing opinions we all learn.

8. LinkedIn – I’ve gained clients from my profile connect with me here at this most important of social networks.

9. Twitter – Ask Motrin about the power of this up and coming micro-blogging platform. I’m so interested in how people are using it, it’s fascinating to watch. Follow me here.

10. Facebook – just a lot of fun and allowed me to reconnected with some old friends, it’s what the web is all about.

11. my iPhone – I’d be lost without it. Very cool indeed, and with all the new applications for it, the future is bright!

So what are you thankful for? Let me know and we’ll add to the list.

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Blogging, Work/Life Balance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ah Design! What do you look for in good design?

November 20, 2008 By 2 Comments

Graphic design. It’s a small world inside a small world. I’ve found there are a few active bloggers out there that are also designers. I’ve mentioned some in past design posts. What I always find interesting is what people consider good design. There are volumes written on the topic. One of my favorites that sits on my shelf but is more often open and being reviewed is Looking Good in Print. But with the advent of the Internet and eventually social media, those same principles for print are alive and well on the web. But I’m interested in what you find to be good design?

Is it the clever use of a font or illustration?

Is it the spacial relationship between the white space and the composition?

What role does the application of color or lack of play in the design?

What are your favorite corporate logos, which do you think need to be updated? What role does the product the corporations sells play in the logo?

What do you think of RavenWood Creative’s logo?

Some thought provoking questions. I’m interested in hearing what you think, please let me know.

You may be wondering why I’m asking. I have two reasons. One it will help me get a sense of how others see design and may help others learn. Two, I want to help my friend Jacob Cass celebrate.

One of those who has engaged a growing audience through his blog and through Twitter is one of my online friends Jacob Cass’ who’s distinctive logo for Just Creative Design is eye-catching, clever and strong. And it looks good in print. Jacob is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of his blog.  Congratulations. His support of my blog and other designers who blog has been genuine and appreciated. Jacob recently had a very clever idea to have others blog about design and donate to a world charity to enter a contest to celebrate his anniversary. He lined up prizes and so far it’s been a success.

So please let me know your thoughts on design and help me spread the world about design through my blog.

Until next time, Tim

Just Creative Design

Just Creative Design

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Filed Under: Blogging, Design Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Motrin Feeling a Twittering Pain

November 20, 2008 By Leave a Comment

Motrin is feeling the pain. The ad attached here was attacked online over the weekend, mainly from those of us on Twitter. Mothers complained it was offensive. What do you think?

Motrin Mom Babywearing Ad

The coverage from the mainline media, and the thousands of Tweets on Twitter made the company pull the ad from its website and issue an apology for upcoming print ads. The woman who sparked this controversy is L.A.-based blogger, freelance writer and mother, Jessica Gottlieb. On Saturday, she received a Twitter message asking her to check out the online Motrin video. Which she promptly did and started the firestorm, and then let the world know how much it offended her.

I don’t think the ad was that offensive, maybe the “trendy” part about wearing your baby and the obvious exaggeration about wearing “it on your side, your back” etc. was too much. But, people are entitled to their opinion, and they now have an instant venting mechanism. I guess this Motrin ad and McNeil Consumer Healthcare, will go down as a case history of companies trying to deal with a newly-empowered audience that can talk back to ads, almost instantly, even on a weekend. Search MotrinMoms on Twitter and see what I mean. One mom stayed up until 4AM to respond to the ad with a Youtube video.

On a somewhat related note, my friends Dan and Eileen just had their fifth child – a baby boy. Congratulations! I’ll have to ask them how they plan on carrying him?

Until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: Blogging, corporate blogging, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Web sites I’ve designed, how best to feature them on my own site?

November 13, 2008 By 1 Comment

Recently, I’ve been wanting to redesign my own web site www.ravenwoodcreative.com. I’ve been so busy building other people’s sites lately that my own site has been neglected.

So I ask you what’s the best way to feature various sites on my own web site? Do I use Flash, or thumbnails with links, or some combination I haven’t thought of yet? I want something that looks cool but remains easy to update and change.

What do you recommend?

They cover a variety of businesses, from non-profit to a conceirge or architecture business.

TabithaHarrierConcierge.com

Flourtown Fire Company

Schaefer Design, LLC

Flourtown Businesspersons Association

and others.

Let me know, until next time, Tim

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Filed Under: advertising, Design, Web Design Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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