Web

How BBN Approaches Websites

by

A website is a living, breathing digital home. These days business owners want to be able to maintain their websites on their own. And why shouldn’t they? At BBN, we believe that you should feel empowered to OWN your site if you invest in a website. So what do we do differently?

Editable Websites

We have seen it time and time again. Clients will come to us needing help with their websites created by someone else – sometimes even big names in our industry. The website design is beautiful, but the development makes it nearly impossible for clients to make any changes on their website without going back to the agency or developer to make the changes. Great for the person who gets to charge their client whenever they need edits or additions, but does that serve the client well?

At BBN, our clients can trust that their website will not only be beautiful but editable. One way we do this in WordPress is by using a page builder. A page builder features rows and columns that you can drag and drop elements into, such as a photo or text editor. Clients can click into existing blocks that we have created during the development and make edits. They can drag and drop custom layouts and modules from the library of elements that we create and save for them. Want to add a new page? Just click on a pre-saved page layout, swap out your copy and photos, and publish. No crazy coding is required! Now don’t get us wrong; we use code to customize aspects of our client’s sites. It allows us to do some fun and unexpected things, but we keep the coding simple and train our clients to make edits without ever touching it after their website launch. 

Transparent Practices

Clients often come to us with no clue where their hosting or domain accounts are because their previous agency holds both in their name. This practice often creates confusion and again makes separation from the agency difficult. Guess what? We will never ball and chain you to us. Instead, we help clients set up everything in their name, making it easier for you to manage your own billing and ultimately work with someone else down the road if we are no longer a fit for you.

Client-Focused Recommendations

Finally, here at BBN, we will tell it to you straight. We aren’t going to try to sell you something loftier than what you need. Whether you just need a “digital business card” to legitimize yourself or want a site with all the bells and whistles, our team will craft a website with your goals in mind. During our initial consultation, we will discuss your current and future needs, technical savvy, and a host of other things to determine how we can best set you up for website success.

If you are ready to work with an agency that takes a holistic approach to building your website, schedule a consultation with us!

Filed Under: Web

Your Guide to Brand Photography

by

What you need to know about brand photography and why it’s the best option for your website. Think of the greatest website you’ve ever seen. It’s functional, purposeful, and informative. It’s eye-catching, cohesive, and user-friendly. We’re also willing to bet that it has some branded photography on it. Great brand photography tells a story, illicits an emotional response, and entices your audience to keep scrolling. When paired with clear copy, you’re able to fully communicate what working with you looks like, how you solve people’s problems, and what the result will be. Stock vs. Brand Photography When it comes to photos for your website, you’ve got two options. The first, stock photography, consists of photos of common themes, places, landmarks, and people that are bought and sold by many different photographers to be used for commercial design purposes. Think about that classic image of some intense looking business people in a boardroom with a flip chart. Does that really reflect you and your business? Probably not. Who even uses a flip chart these days, right? Stock photography is a great option for new business owners or those on a tight budget because they are often free or low-cost to license. But keep in mind, you may see that same image on another website. That’s how Adobe Stock and Shutterstock keep their prices economical. Additionally, with stock photography it can be difficult to find photos with the same look and feel, which presents a challenge when you want to create consistency in your identity. The other option is brand photography. During a brand photography session, each image is carefully architected by you and your photographer to present you, your team, and your offerings, while reflecting your aesthetic and personality. The end result is a cohesive collection of images that tell your story in different ways. From team headshots to detail images that feature a unique aspect of your product or service, each image will invite your audience to get to know YOU and YOUR brand. Showing yourself to your audience is often the push they need to like and trust you, two very important things when selling yourself. Brand Photography: https://amberticephoto.com/ Brand Photography Tips 1. Know what you want to communicate. Before you schedule a brand photography session, work with your website designer and your photographer to figure out what shots would you need to get. Create a list of specific vignettes you can create to tell your story. Bring clients and customers to your shoot and show what working with you looks like. If you don’t interact with people in that capacity, show what your team working together. Take people through your process and show the different steps. What things do you keep around you? Look at your workspace and incorporate the things that help you do your job. This is where props come in! 2. Find the right location. If you have the ability to do your photo session in your workspace, great! But if you can’t, a photo studio can be transformed into one. Bring things like furniture and desk accessories to personalize it. 3. Dress the part. When selecting your attire for a shoot, dress to your personality, brand aesthetic, and the story. Select multiple outfits to help show different side of yourself and your business. Colors & Patterns – Incorporate the color palette from your brand identity. Avoid being matchy-matchy by incorporating patterns. Try having one person in a solid and the other in a pattern. Tone & Formality – Decide how formal you want to dress. If you work in a more casual setting, jeans may be totally appropriate. More the board room type? Stick to a dress or slacks. As you are planning out your website, social media, or marketing campaign, consider using brand photography to personalize it. Need help with your brand photography? Contact us! We work with a number of talented photographers who can help you.

Website Terms You Need To Know

by

Resolution, mockup, RGB…what does it all mean? 

Whether you are going the DIY route or are looking to hire someone to design and develop your website, there are a few terms that you should know.

Back-End

The portion of the website that the public does not see. The back-end is only accessible by login, and is the place where you develop and make edits to your site.

Hosting

A temporary storage space for a website. When users visit your website, their browser will save a file of the web pages they visit, so that next time they are on your site, the browser doesn’t have to re-read the pages and the pages load faster.

Content

The copy and photography published on a website.

Copy

The words and messages on your website that direct people to take action

CMYK & RGB

The two systems used to mix colors. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black) is the color system for print files, and RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is the color system for digital files. Uploading photo or graphic files in the correct color mode will help avoid color distortion. Quick tip: You can check an image’s color mode on a Mac by selecting the file and hitting Apple + I.

Domain

The address of your website. It could be a .com, .net, .org, .co, etc.

Front End

The portion of the website that the user sees and interacts with.

Hex Code

A 6-digit color code assigned to every shade of color. Hex codes are used in website development to guarantee exact color matches across a website.

Hosting

The servers used to hold your website files. Your hosting company makes them available to computers connected to the Internet so people can navigate to your site.

Image Resolution

Images contain little tiny squares called pixels. An image’s resolution is the amount of detail in an image: the more pixels, the more detail. We measure image resolution by how many pixels fit into an image’s width and height per inch (PPI). There is a delicate balance between photo resolution and file size. You want to make sure your images are high enough resolution, so they don’t look blurry but aren’t too large in file size, or your site will load slowly.

Mock-Up

A scaled or full-size model of a website page. Web designers use this to show you the content’s design and layout before developing the site.

Responsive Design

A website that will resize a layout based on the screen size the user views the site on (i.e., iPhone, iPad, laptop, desktop.) If your website developer does not offer responsive layouts, this should be a red flag.

You’re in! Go check your mailbox for a free download! Subscribe to our newsletter! Sign Me Up! Branding + marketing tips straight to your inbox. Join my newsletter for branding + design tips.

Branding by Nicole will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at nicole@brandingbynicole.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please see the privacy policy page at the bottom of the page. By entering your information, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

How to Select a Website Platform

by

With all the website platforms out there, how do you choose? Well, we’ve  tested them all out, here’s our two cents.

Many clients come to us unsure which website platform they should build their site on. While we certainly have our favorites, today we want to share with you the pros and cons of some of the major platforms (or CMS, content management systems) so that you can choose what’s best for you and your business.

WordPress

With over 18 million installations (as of 8/2019), WordPress is the most popular and the most robust CMS platform out there. 

Pros

  • It has the most features of any platform
  • You can continually add new functionality to your site through the use of plugins, many of which are FREE
  • SEO-friendly
  • Free themes available and many low-cost options

Cons

  • Not the most user-friendly, however, page builders like Beaver Builder and Divi make it easier
  • Hosting is purchased separately (some what of a pro, because that means you can move to a different one )
  • You are responsible for website updates

Squarespace

A favorite with small business owners, Squarespace is an all-in-one CMS platform.

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Drag and drop interface
  • Beautiful, clean themes
  • All-in-one solution
  • Built-in integration with MailChimp, Acuity Scheduling, and Pinterest.

Cons

  • Few third party integrations limit the functionality you can add
  • Difficult to make advanced customizations without a developer
  • E-Commerce plans can get pricey

Shopify

One of the few e-Commerce specific platforms, Shopify is a great choice for product based businesses.

Pros

  • All-in-one e-Commerce solution
  • Great for large stores
  • Advanced shopper analytics
  • Great technical support

Cons

  • Very few free themes
  • Premium plans are expensive
  • Most apps charge monthly fees, which can either limit functionality or make it expensive
  • No longer offering integration with MailChimp

Showit

The newest of the CMS platforms, Showit is making a name for itself with photographers and other creatives.

Pros

  • Interface similar to Adobe Creative Suite, so anyone with experience with it will love this
  • Edit desktop and mobile side-by-side
  • Elements can be placed anywhere, no coding necessary

Cons

  • Blog  and E-commerce are only available through integration with other platforms
  • Interface can be intimidating to users

Wix

Around since 2006, Wix is often used by first time DIY website builders. It’s one of the better options when you need to get a site up quickly.

Pros

  • Large number of themes to choose from
  • Drag and drop interface
  • Great for novices because you just replace the sample content that comes with your theme

Cons

  • Frustrating for more savvy developers because of coding limitations
  • Has it’s own App Store to provide additional functionality, but many are hosted off-site through iFrames

Weebly 

Like Wix, Weebly is a platform designed with beginners in mind, as it requires no coding experience or knowledge.

Pros

  • Easy to set up
  • Drag and drop design
  • Low cost (if you keep their branding)

Cons

    • Virtually no app/plugin integration
    • Design options can be limiting 

Whether you DIY your website or hire a developer, start with making a list of all the things you want on your website, then compare that list to what we’ve shared above. Still not sure? Contact us today and schedule a consultation!

5 Ways To Optimize WordPress Now

by

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|25px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” custom_padding=”27px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.9″]

Web Design | Resources

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.9″]

5 Ways to Optimize WordPress Now

Are you maintaining your WordPress site?

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.9″ custom_css_main_element=”background-color: #000; ||width: 1px;||height: 100px;||margin-left: auto;||margin-right: auto;” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” use_custom_width=”on” custom_width_px=”800px” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.92″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” module_alignment=”center”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.9″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_css_main_element=”text-align: justify;”]

You have a shiny new WordPress website, so how do you maintain it? There are a handful of things you should be doing on a regular basis that will help keep your site running in tip top condition.

Note: Even though this is focusing on how to keep your WordPress site up-to-date, many of these tips are applicable to all platforms (Squarespace, Shopify, etc.)

1. Keep Your File Sizes Small

If you are blogging on the reg or you have a portfolio, you are probably uploading a ton of images to your site. Keep in mind, when you load a webpage, your browser will try to load all of these images at one time. The larger the image file size, the longer it will take to load the page in its entirety. The smaller the image file size, the quicker.

Take a look at two things as you prepare to upload images. If your image is more than 1080px wide, it’s probably too large. Most websites are not any wider than this, so your image doesn’t need to be. Try reducing the overall size of your image to help reduce file size. If you still find that your image file size is large, then take a look at the resolution of your image. If your image is larger than 72 DPI, then you can reduce it down. 72 DPI is the standard resolution for screens, so website images do not need to be any larger.

Also, be sure you have an image compression plugin installed. I personally use the Ewww Image Optimizer, it allows you to reduce your image size in bulk and will compress the image as you upload it.

2. Backup, Backup, Backup

If you are not routinely backing up your website, stop what you are doing and go do it! Frankly, there are a million different things that can go wrong with websites, most of which are out of our control. A client of mine who has hosting through a mom & pop hosting company almost lost her entire site because the host upgraded their servers improperly. This left the client’s website damaged. I was able to do a quick restore and had her site back to normal within a couple of hours.

For WordPress, I use the UpDraftPlus, you can set how often you want your site to backup and save backups directly Dropbox or Google Drive for safe keeping. Bonus points for the fact that they have a super easy restore function within WordPress!

3. Secure Your Site

Because of WordPress’ popularity, it is major target for hackers. To combat this, make sure you 1) use strong passwords (not your dog’s name or your first born…something with random numbers, letters and characters, uppercase, lowercase…etc.) and 2) have a security plugin in place. You don’t want to go to your site one day to find it replaced with some fun, NSFW pics…that always seems to be a hackers go-to. Smh…

I have used iThemes Security and WordFence for security. Both work great and even if you don’t really understand all of the security terms, they have basic settings that take care of most things you need to be concerned with.

4. Check for Updates

The WordPress updates page will show you if there is an update available for WordPress itself and for all of the plugins that your site uses. Going back to #3 for a second, keeping your site updated helps to eliminate vulnerabilities that hackers look for. CAUTION: Make sure you run a site backup before you run the updates, just in case of a glitch!

5. Check for Broken Links

Want a sure fire way to get people to leave your site? BROKEN LINKS! Who wants to stay on a site that doesn’t work properly? This is one that I often neglect on my own site and need to check on ASAP! This is especially pertinent if you have external links to other websites in your blog posts. Keep in mind that you can accidentally type or copy an address in wrong or the site you are linking to may move or delete a page/post, so it’s always good to double check each one.

The Broken Link Checker plugin quickly checks and helps you remove or edit any broken links it finds.

 

wrapup

Your website is like a living breathing thing, you have to maintain it to keep it running. I hope the tips above will help you to keep your site in tip top shape.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″ global_module=”6612″][et_pb_row global_parent=”6612″ custom_padding=”50px|0px|75px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_signup global_parent=”6612″ mailchimp_list=”brandingbynicole|1429aed593″ first_name_field=”off” last_name_field=”off” success_message=”You’re in! Go check your mailbox for a free download!” title=”Subscribe to our newsletter!” button_text=”Sign Me Up!” description=”Branding + marketing tips straight to your inbox.” _builder_version=”3.19.3″ header_text_align=”center” header_text_color=”#f2e9e6″ header_font_size=”40px” header_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” header_line_height=”1em” header_line_height_last_edited=”off|desktop” body_font=”Playfair Display||||||||” body_text_align=”center” body_text_color=”#f2e9e6″ result_message_font_size_tablet=”51″ result_message_line_height_tablet=”2″ border_radii_fields=”on||||” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”12px” button_text_color=”#ffffff” button_bg_color=”#b7615a” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_letter_spacing=”4px” button_font=”Montserrat|600||on|||||” button_use_icon=”off” custom_padding=”60px|||” custom_css_newsletter_button=”padding-top: 10px !important;||padding-bottom: 10px !important;” button_text_color_hover=”#ffffff” button_bg_color_hover=”#fbcec8″ button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_text_color__hover=”#ffffff” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on” button_bg_color__hover=”#cb884a” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null” header_font=”||||||||” form_field_font=”||||||||” result_message_font=”||||||||” result_message_text_color=”#f2e9e6″ custom_margin=”||”]Join my newsletter for branding + design tips.
Branding by Nicole will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at nicole@brandingbynicole.com. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please see the privacy policy page at the bottom of the page. By entering your information, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.[/et_pb_signup][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]