May 24, 2010

The Value Of Advertising Online
A lot of business owners feel like they should have a web site but not everyone truly understands the value of the internet. Traditional forms of advertising are very limited both in their scope and their geographic target. If you placed a billboard ad on the side of the freeway you would no doubt get a lot of people viewing your message. The inherent problems are that the viewer only sees your message for a few seconds, you only have room for one message or product, they probably won't remember your number and you are extremely geographically limited to viewers traveling along a very specific path. Of course the major drawback is that not only are billboards cost prohibitive but they also have an expiration date. As soon as you stop paying for them, you no longer receive the benefit of advertising.

The same is true for any form of print advertising. Your message is limited, you are geographically limited and the length of time the advertisement runs is limited. The beauty of the internet is that all those limitations go out the window. Although a quality web site can be a substantial investment, it can actually be one of the cheapest forms of advertisement out there. Once a web site has been created, the cost of keeping it live is negligible and there is no expiration date. You also have all the space you need to get your message across. Of course the major benefit to the internet as opposed to traditional advertising is that you can reach a global marketplace.

The web also has a lot of other benefits. When people are looking for a product or service they generally don't wait for the junk mail or drive around to find billboards advertising the products or services they are looking for. Nowadays they don't even crack open the phone book. They go to the internet and search for what they are looking for. With a well optimized web site those people searching will likely find you. With a well designed web site they will likely stick around long enough to decide if you have what they are looking for. However with a poorly designed web site they will likely dismiss you as an option and continue to look elsewhere.

May 7, 2010

Mastercat, Inc. Custom Illustration
Mastercat Inc. has been a loyal Cloud Nine Client for many years. Growth and development has warranted a new website and identify facelift so Donald Reich (Mastercat Founder and President) commissioned several new projects. The original logo experienced much success over the years so the decision had been made to not make any changes but supplement it with custom illustrations representing exactly what they do. A set of three incredible “Mastercat Mansions” modeling each area of their core expertise were born.

May 2, 2010

The Great Flash Debate
There is currently a lot of debate in regards to using Flash in web sites. We have all seen Flash in action and know that it can be simply amazing when used correctly. In fact you can see Flash in action on our very own web site. The downside to Flash is that it is not accessible to every user. The viewer must already have Flash installed on their system and they must also be viewing it on a Flash enabled device. Many mobile platforms such as the iPhone do not support Flash and likely never will. Excessive use of Flash content can also make for a very large site that requires a high-speed internet connection to view properly. In addition to all this, Flash content is generally not indexable by search engines which can ultimately hurt your search engine rankings.

The upside to using Flash is that most users that are using a Flash enabled device such as a laptop or desktop computer already have Flash installed. Content that is created in Flash is also almost guaranteed to work the same in any browser which is often not the case for non Flash content. By using a hybrid site combining traditional XHTML alongside Flash we can also allow the content to be indexable and thus alleviate the issue of poor search engine rankings.

The real deciding factor when debating to use Flash in a web site is to consider who the targeted audience is and what the purpose of the web site will be. For instance if you are designing an information web site for a city or government agency that needs to be accessible by everyone then Flash, along with a number of other more advanced web design tools should probably be avoided altogether. However if you are building a web site for a musician that is intended to entertain and deliver extensive multimedia then a Flash based web site might be the answer. Either way, an experienced design team such as Cloud Nine Labs can help you make the correct decision and mitigate the cons to using either platform.

April 29, 2010

Is It Time To Upgrade Your Browser?
If you can't remember the last time you upgraded your browser then it's definitely time to update. The biggest reason for this is that each new version of a browser is designed to take advantage of more and more advanced features, giving you a much richer internet experience. When we design a web site we often try to implement more advanced features that only users with modern browsers will see such as drop-shadows, rounded corners, gradient backgrounds, transparent images, etc. If you are using a legacy browser then you are simply missing out on some of these advanced features. Besides providing you with a better browser experience, modern browsers are also more secure and can actually render web pages faster than their legacy counterparts.

If you are using Internet Explorer, load up your browser and click on the "Help" menu and then click on "About Internet Explorer" to see what version you are running. If you are running version 6.0, you should upgrade immediately and make sure that everyone else you know does the same thing. IE6 is nearly ten years old and is famous for displaying web pages incorrectly or simply breaking the design altogether. It also presents a huge security risk and even Microsoft has issued warnings for people to upgrade their browsers. IE6 usage is down to about 8.9% which means that web sites that support it are dwindling daily. You can download Internet Explorer 8.0 for free and it will take just a few minutes to install. If you are using a browser other than Internet Explorer, congratulations you are probably already aware of how to upgrade to the most recent version.

Even if you are running the most current version of Internet Explorer, we urge you to try out another browser. While Internet Explorer 8.0 is certainly light years ahead of version 6.0, it still falls short of many of the other browsers. Internet Explorer does not take advantage of many of the more advanced features of the web. We highly recommend checking out Firefox or Safari which are both free web browsers that are designed to take full advantage of the many new features of CSS3 and HTML5 to give you a much richer internet experience. Although not as widely used as Safari and Firefox, you might also want to check out Google Chrome and Opera.

April 23, 2010

What Makes A Bad Logo
We spend a lot of time talking about the elements of a great logo design. We thought it was high time we showed you some examples of what DOES NOT make for a great logo. We scoured the internet to find the best of the worst. Didn't take us long at all!

Logo #1: It's not necessary for a logo to show the actual product. Especially the actual product being consumed. More importantly the logo needs to be appealing. We always say, "If the logo incites a gag reflex, it's time to go back to the drawing board!"

Logo #2: Technically speaking this logo follows the basic rules. It's clean, simple, unique and easy to reproduce across a variety of mediums. However, we strongly recommend against the use of stick figures poking each other with unnamed projections no matter how strong the urge.

Logo #3: Once again, this logo seems follows all the rules. Still, when creating a brand for your company it is important to make sure the message your are sharing with the world doesn't appear as morally questionable.

Logo #4: This logo actually had a pretty good start. The text was simple, easy to read and had a clever graphic element by using a microphone for the "I". Even the red ribbon made it very obvious that it had to do with HIV awareness. The splattered blood in the background however might have been just a tad over the top. Lesson learned: avoid splattered blood in your logo design.

Logo #5: Really? Those little stick figures are at it again. This might be an appropriate logo for certain x-rated web sites but probably not for a dentist.

The bottom line is that while a great logo can have a positive impact on your company's brand, a bad logo can have quite the opposite effect. If these logos look vaguely similar to YOUR company's logo then it definitely time to call an experience design group like Cloud Nine Labs to give your image a refresh.

April 15, 2010

The Importance Of Domain Names
William Shakespeare's famous quote "... a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" was meant to say that the name of things do not matter, only what they are. Those words did not prove true for dear Romeo & Juliet, and if you choose the wrong name for your web site's domain(s), your business could face a similar fate to those star-crossed lovers.

Choosing an appropriate domain name is a critical part of a successful web site. One thing to consider is the length of the name. In many cases short domain names are not only easier to type into your browser but they also reduce the risk of typos, are easier to remember, and easier to fit onto your marketing materials. You also want to consider using a descriptive name. For instance if you own a wine bar called Splash, you might consider using splashwinebar.com as opposed to simply splash.com. One of the reasons for this is that search engines not only look at the content of your web site but also the name of the URL. If someone is searching for a wine bar and the term "wine bar" is used in your domain name, then chances are that your site is relevant to what the user is searching for and as a result will give you a higher ranking in the search results page.

You should also try and avoid domains that contain numbers, hyphens or are difficult to spell. This can cause a lot of frustration for someone as they may have to type in multiple variations while trying to find your site. Sometimes using a number is unavoidable if it is part of your company name. One way of alleviating this is two register alternate domains that someone may use while typing your domain name. For instance if you own a restaurant called 3 Chickens, you might consider registering 3chickens.com and threechickens.com. This way no matter which way someone tries to spell it, they will still be directed to the correct site. On the flip side, you should avoid registering alternates of another site if the .com is taken. For instance if 3chickens.com is taken, don't register 3chickens.net as most people will assume it is .com by default and the traffic will go to the wrong site.

The last piece of advice is to CHECK THE SPELLING of the domain you register. I know it seems like common sense, but I can't tell you how many clients we have discovered with their domain name spelled wrong who can't figure out why they get so little web traffic. With all of this said, the best piece of advice is to work with web professionals like Cloud Nine Labs (shameless plug) who understand the importance of the domain name and the impact it can have on the success of your web site.

April 14, 2010

What's Under The Hood?
All web sites ARE NOT created equal. While it is important to have a web site that looks beautiful, is easy to use and gets the user to take action, it is equally important for users to be able to find your web site in the first place. The most amazing web site design won't do you any good if no one can find it. What lies just beneath the surface of all those shiny little pixels placed with great care is the code to make it all happen. This is where the real magic happens.

If a web site is constructed with clean, simple, semantically correct markup then it will be easy for search engines to index your site and figure out exactly what kind of information is there. This makes it much easier for the search engines to decipher if the information in your web site is relevant to what a particular user is searching for. The other benefit of using semantically correct, standards compliant markup is it makes it easier for people with disabilities to view the content on your web page by allowing assistive technologies such as screen readers to function at their best. What all this really means is that a properly coded web site can bring more traffic to your site, resulting in more business for your company.

The team at Cloud Nine Labs are web standards evangelists. We pride ourselves in making web sites that not only look good on the outside, but have it going on under the hood as well. After all, what good is a web site if no one can find it?

April 5, 2010

Looking to land that new client?
If you are like most people out there you want more business. Before you go after that new client or spend money on marketing to get people to look at you, you should ask yourself what they will see when they first look for you. The first thing that your potential client or lead will do is Google you. The question is do you show up when people search for you? And then when they find you, does your site clearly, and effectively convey who, and what you are?

In a recent article Paula Marshall, CEO of The Bama Companies gave this advice of what not to do when marketing your business. "Don't underestimate the power of your company's website. Having a great site doesn't cost a lot and it helps give us [your potential client] a good first impression of someone we might not have worked with before. The internet is an awesome tool, and we [your potential clients] use it quite extensively."

While most things are not certain in marketing, with the right team behind you, hint hint Cloud Nine Labs, you can effectively be found online, and ensure that when people see your website, you hit home with the most powerful and targeted message possibe. Ensuring that you get the best return on your marketing dollar is where we excell. Give us a call at 877-211-4733 or submit a request for an estimate and we would be happy to see what we can do for you.

March 31, 2010

Mastering Your Domain: Not For The Faint of Heart
Too often people think that creating a web site is a simple matter of uploading some text and a few pictures, pressing a few buttons and then "voila" instant web site. We are led to believe this by the many products on the market with name like "Web Site Tonight" or "Web Site Express". They convey the idea that creating your own domain on the web is a simple process. Grab an iced tea and you'll be done before the ice even starts to melt. Unfortunately that is simply not the case.

Creating an effective web site is a long process that involves extensive research and planning before you even begin to put a site together. You need to decide what you hope to accomplish with the web site, who your target audience is and the message you wish to convey. Another important aspect of design is usability. Is your web site structured in a way that makes it simple to navigate? Will search engines be able to properly index your site so you appear in relevant search results?

In addition to actually designing the web site there a number other considerations. Things like choosing an appropriate domain name, registering that domain, hosting the web site, setting up the email accounts associated with the site, optimizing the site so you can be found by the search engines, submitting your site and more.

The only way to truly navigate the pitfalls associated with creating an engaging and effective user centric web site that will clearly communicate your vision and strengthen your brand is to enlist the help of a professional web design team. We specialize in helping you find the answers to all the questions above. So contact us at (877) 211-4733, and THEN you can grab that iced tea while we do the work!

January 20, 2010

Illustration Launch: Joey
Meet Joey. This friendly little guy will be the face of JoeyPost.com which is currently in development and will launch q3, 2010. Joey is an original concept that has been hand-drawn by a Cloud Nine Illustrator - paying especially close attention to even the smallest details, textures, perspective and lighting.

January 04, 2010

Industry Disappointment: Montreals New Logo
Wow! 2 Years development time and 487,000.00 Canadian dollars ($468,850.00 US) went into the creation of the new Montreal Logo (not the thumbs down but the “M” thing between them). Everyone at Cloud Nine is scratching their heads and perhaps even their eyes but that reaction doesn't seem all that different from citizens of Montreal. Boasting a 5% approval rating makes it clear that not just anyone can create beautiful and effective web and graphic art. Their website isn't horrible but surely it is not worth the 4 million or so they dropped on it! We'd sure love to see the user research and case studies done on all of this!

By the way Montreal, you commission a logo where you have 2 years to make integration plans and it even doesn't show on your current website? Oh Canada...OY!

To visit Montréal's website click here
http://ville.montreal.qc.ca