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Apparently, the OSX wall has been breached

So, it appears that the once touted impenetrable wall of the MacOSX has been breached.  This is sad news for Indiana web design studios that work in the OSX environment and have been able to forgo the costly and obnoxious antivirus software.  But, all is not lost as there are fewer viruses and security patches are available.  Regardless, Goshen Indiana web design studios and IT companies offering creative web services utilizing the MacOSX will need to keep a closer eye on potential malicious software.  For more information see the BBC article containing the report and instructions on how to check if your machine is infected.

Why “not” to use template web programs

Many companies can be easily lead astray into believing that a template website is a better move over custom web services like Indiana web design, Indiana web development and Indiana SEO services.  This is false.  Template sites use generic code that will appear to duplicate across the web.  So your site will appear to be copying other sites online that have used the same template software.

Sadly, there are even design companies that “sell” their web abilities to unsuspecting clients and really only use template software.  The majority of these template software packages are not SEO compliant and the reality is, if the web design firm cannot build a custom website, they probably don’t know much about SEO either.

Recently one of our long-time clients changed to another website company that sold them such a product.  Trading in a custom website that had strong SEO and rank status, they were talked into switching their domain of 7 years (rule #1, NEVER move away from an established domain–its like dumping Google and starting all over under a new identity–not recommended) to a new domain and launching the new (template) website.  Not that we are sore about losing a client (as long as its a company with a good web strategy and clean programming), but to lose a client to a template website–this was a tough one to swallow.  Alas, some individuals make their own decisions without regard to the experience of others and I hope it works out for them.  But, if you are considering a template website, there are a few items you should be aware of.

CONS OF TEMPLATE WEBSITES:

  • No originality – your design is not custom made for your company, on the contrary, your information is “plugged in” to the template.  Also noteworthy, there is no stopping other websites from using the same template and looking exactly like yours.
  • One size does not fit all – in web design, the one-size-fits-all idea does not translate well.  Users are becoming more and more picky and if your site is something they have already seen, well, lets just say its not positive. This is also true with SEO info.  Some templates allow you to customize SEO information, but not all.  Most likely, if your web design company is using a template, it may be an indication that they don’t really know what they are doing (unless they built the template).  Therefore, one could deduct that if said web design company doesn’t really build websites, they probably don’t know much about SEO either.  There are always exceptions, I suppose.
  • coding generalities and errors - in order to make a template most effective, the development platform will need to be as large and open ended as possible – kind of like the Windows OS.  If you try to build something that works on outdated platforms you are going to have problems.  Custom websites built correctly implement current web and SEO standards and build for current browsers.
PROS OF TEMPLATE WEBSITES:
  • Typically cheap(er) – You can save some money and get a website.  If you are really on a tight budget, then this option is valid although not entirely effective.
  • Quick turn around time – you can typically pump out the site much quicker, just fill in the blanks and you’re good to go.
  • Future updates are simple – Most template sites come with a built in CMS (content management system) and allow you to update your site easily.
If these pros are all you are looking for in a website, then a template website will be just fine for you.  But, if you are interested in getting qualified traffic to your website, having an original website design with quality programming, then you may want to look into custom web services instead.

Creative web services vs. template web services

The internet is now the most used marketing tool available and everyone is spinning to keep up with what is happening.  So many options when you build a website.  Where should Indiana small businesses go to when looking for innovation and stability?  Indiana web design has become more saturated with options over the past few years and just like entering 31 Flavors Baskin Robbins; so many options, what should you choose?

Some web-template sites state that you can build your own website and have good SEO with their program.  That may sound like a good plan, but its kind of like those build-your-own plane kits.  Its a fine idea, but I sure am not climbing in a plane and souring thousands of feet above the ground in a plane built by a novice.  No disrespect intended, but for some things, I would prefer to let the professionals handle it.

Indiana web design is no different.  There are right ways to construct a website and there are wrong ways.  Unfortunately, a software program doesn’t instruct you on such matters.  If your company or idea is waiting to hit the world through web-media and you are interested in working with a Goshen Indiana website firm that can work with your ideas and translate them effectively to the wide world of the internet; consider McGlinchy Media & Design for your next creative web services project.

Indiana web design and Elkhart County Economy

During these tough economic times in Elkhart Indiana, Goshen Indiana web design can be the boost your company needs to push ahead of your competition and reach new customers.  A solid website with positive and consistent SEO will help put you at the top of the list when your customers search for services or products you offer.  Taking advantage of our creative web services can give your website an edge over the competition.  If you are interested in learning more about custom website services or SEO services, contact us today.

Apparently, the OSX wall has been breached

So, it appears that the once touted impenetrable wall of the MacOSX has been breached.  This is sad news for Indiana web design studios that work in the OSX environment and have been able to forgo the costly and obnoxious antivirus software.  But, all is not lost as there are fewer viruses and security patches are available.  Regardless, Goshen Indiana web design studios and IT companies offering creative web services utilizing the MacOSX will need to keep a closer eye on potential malicious software.  For more information see the BBC article containing the report and instructions on how to check if your machine is infected.

Why “not” to use template web programs

Many companies can be easily lead astray into believing that a template website is a better move over custom web services like Indiana web design, Indiana web development and Indiana SEO services.  This is false.  Template sites use generic code that will appear to duplicate across the web.  So your site will appear to be copying other sites online that have used the same template software.

Sadly, there are even design companies that “sell” their web abilities to unsuspecting clients and really only use template software.  The majority of these template software packages are not SEO compliant and the reality is, if the web design firm cannot build a custom website, they probably don’t know much about SEO either.

Recently one of our long-time clients changed to another website company that sold them such a product.  Trading in a custom website that had strong SEO and rank status, they were talked into switching their domain of 7 years (rule #1, NEVER move away from an established domain–its like dumping Google and starting all over under a new identity–not recommended) to a new domain and launching the new (template) website.  Not that we are sore about losing a client (as long as its a company with a good web strategy and clean programming), but to lose a client to a template website–this was a tough one to swallow.  Alas, some individuals make their own decisions without regard to the experience of others and I hope it works out for them.  But, if you are considering a template website, there are a few items you should be aware of.

CONS OF TEMPLATE WEBSITES:

  • No originality – your design is not custom made for your company, on the contrary, your information is “plugged in” to the template.  Also noteworthy, there is no stopping other websites from using the same template and looking exactly like yours.
  • One size does not fit all – in web design, the one-size-fits-all idea does not translate well.  Users are becoming more and more picky and if your site is something they have already seen, well, lets just say its not positive. This is also true with SEO info.  Some templates allow you to customize SEO information, but not all.  Most likely, if your web design company is using a template, it may be an indication that they don’t really know what they are doing (unless they built the template).  Therefore, one could deduct that if said web design company doesn’t really build websites, they probably don’t know much about SEO either.  There are always exceptions, I suppose.
  • coding generalities and errors - in order to make a template most effective, the development platform will need to be as large and open ended as possible – kind of like the Windows OS.  If you try to build something that works on outdated platforms you are going to have problems.  Custom websites built correctly implement current web and SEO standards and build for current browsers.
PROS OF TEMPLATE WEBSITES:
  • Typically cheap(er) – You can save some money and get a website.  If you are really on a tight budget, then this option is valid although not entirely effective.
  • Quick turn around time – you can typically pump out the site much quicker, just fill in the blanks and you’re good to go.
  • Future updates are simple – Most template sites come with a built in CMS (content management system) and allow you to update your site easily.
If these pros are all you are looking for in a website, then a template website will be just fine for you.  But, if you are interested in getting qualified traffic to your website, having an original website design with quality programming, then you may want to look into custom web services instead.

Creative web services vs. template web services

The internet is now the most used marketing tool available and everyone is spinning to keep up with what is happening.  So many options when you build a website.  Where should Indiana small businesses go to when looking for innovation and stability?  Indiana web design has become more saturated with options over the past few years and just like entering 31 Flavors Baskin Robbins; so many options, what should you choose?

Some web-template sites state that you can build your own website and have good SEO with their program.  That may sound like a good plan, but its kind of like those build-your-own plane kits.  Its a fine idea, but I sure am not climbing in a plane and souring thousands of feet above the ground in a plane built by a novice.  No disrespect intended, but for some things, I would prefer to let the professionals handle it.

Indiana web design is no different.  There are right ways to construct a website and there are wrong ways.  Unfortunately, a software program doesn’t instruct you on such matters.  If your company or idea is waiting to hit the world through web-media and you are interested in working with a Goshen Indiana website firm that can work with your ideas and translate them effectively to the wide world of the internet; consider McGlinchy Media & Design for your next creative web services project.

Indiana web design and Elkhart County Economy

During these tough economic times in Elkhart Indiana, Goshen Indiana web design can be the boost your company needs to push ahead of your competition and reach new customers.  A solid website with positive and consistent SEO will help put you at the top of the list when your customers search for services or products you offer.  Taking advantage of our creative web services can give your website an edge over the competition.  If you are interested in learning more about custom website services or SEO services, contact us today.

Effective Indiana Web Design

Creative web services may be easily found these days.  There are so many creative web design companies, its hard to know who knows what they are doing and who can really get your Indiana web design project done right.  When interviewing creative web services providers, take in account a few things:

  1. Does the Indiana web design company offer a wide variety of solutions?  Have they worked with a wide variety of clients, showing their ability to work within any industry and with differing requirements.  Start with their portfolio, does it have the creativity, ingenuity and effective web design your website project needs?
  2. Do they listen to your needs?  When you discuss your project, does the project manager listen to your needs and offer solutions based upon your projects requirements?  Or are they quick to tell you what you need and how they can give it to you without listening to your specific projects needs?  If they respond in such manor before the project begins, they will most likely continue through the project with the same response.
  3. Are they familiar with SEO and do their SEO projects rank well and are effectively built?  Does their own website rank well against their competitors?  SEO is highly important in these times.  It doesn’t really matter if you have a brilliantly developed Indiana website if you have no online marketing strategy and the website is not built effectively.  View more information on Indiana SEO services.

It is important to find an Indiana Wed Design Studio that suites your company vision and needs.  Dont be afraid to ask them questions about their projects and existing clients.  Do some research and determine whether you have found a quality Indian web design studio or not.

Concord Mall: Indiana web re-design

We are excited about the launch of Phase 1 of the Concord Mall an Elkhart Indiana web design project.  We have offered fully dynamic creative web services for the concord mall and a creative web design, fully managed by the staff at the concord mall.  This project showcases Indiana web design features like:

  • Dynamic Indiana web design content managed through their administration section
  • Creative web design layout
  • Custom web development fit to the specific needs of the concord mall
  • Dynamic Newsletter sign up and HTML email generation
  • Ajax driven visual store map
  • Custom overlay for more dynamic user experience
  • And many more creative web services.

This project has been a fun and engaging project and we are glad to offer Elkhart Indiana Concord Mall with a website they can proudly promote and users can enjoy and locate usable information.  So, if you are in the holiday shopping mood, check out the concord mall’s new website and plan out your next trip.

Creative Web Services, what a poor economy needs

Concerned about how the future will effect your business? Well, creative web services from McGlinchy Design in Goshen, Indiana can be one of the solutions to help your business make it through economic challenges. More and more consumers are looking the the internet over any other form of marketing. With gas prices uncertain, shopping online is a trend that is continuing to gain exposure and consistency. If your company does not have a presence on the internet, you will lose out! If your exposure to the world is outdated or unprofessional, you will also lose potential customers.

So what is Creative Web Services and how can they help me?

Creative web services include:

  • Indiana Web Design – Custom web design that targets your intended audience, creating an attractive atmosphere in which users can learn more about your company’s services and products.
  • Indiana Web Development – Creative solutions for web development.  Innovative technical solutions that give our clients the highest web performance and usability – the ultimate goal is not to just have a cool website, but to convert users into customers.  Having an intelligent website, utilizing the most recent programming methods and logically putting a process together will enhance the users experience and create an enjoyable website to visit.
  • Indiana SEO – Search Engine Optimization is another form of online marketing.  We specialize in creating websites that work efficiently.  Tracking user process and enhancing the website is a powerful way to stay ahead of your competition.  Knowing the right steps to take in order to get your website qualified traffic is essential.  One difference with our Indiana web services is that we aim to attract potential customers, not just cram in traffic.  Besides, what good is a ton of traffic if no one is purchasing your products or soliciting your services.  We work with you to identify your customers and work at attracting them!

Interested in discussing your project with a project manager, contact us today to begin your Indiana web services project today!

Creative web services for Concord Mall

Late summer, Elkhart Indiana shopping center – the Concord Mall – solicited our creative web services for their indiana web design project.  We have been working with the General Manager and Marketing Director in re-creating their online presence to better reflect their future goals.  Through our Indiana web services, we offer companies the ability to customize their website to promote their company’s unique business strategy, customer service and products.  We don’t simply offer web design to our clients, but a complete online marketing strategy.  We go after their potential customers and help them convert those ‘potentials’ into loyal customers.

Is your website in need of creative web services?

Here are a few questions that can better identify your needs:

  1. does my website reach potential customers or is it simply ‘out there?’
  2. is my website intentional with users?  Does it identify their needs (information, products, services, etc) and direct them to the proper page?
  3. Is my website’s design attractive and capturing?  Does it send the message that our company cares about our web users enough to make their online experience enjoyable?
  4. Do I know what my website is even doing?  No company would ever hire a sales representative and never check up on them.  It is the same with a website, without monitoring, there really is no way of gauging its success or helping become more successful.
  5. Is my website built for SEO success?  Are you listed within Search Engine queries?  In other words, when users search for terms or words that are relative to your website, are you in the top 10?  Statistics show that only 38% of users will venture past the first page in search results.  That makes it very important that your website returns in the top 10 (the first page) for terms potential customers may search.

These are a few questions to consider when evaluating your current website or considering a website build.  Please contact us to schedule a time to speak with a project manager about your online needs and how our creative web services may help you reach some great goals.

Creative Web Services

Indiana web design and creative web solutions

It is common to have a website by these days.  Companies that do not own a website are beginning to see the negative effects it has on their business as more and more consumers look to the web over any other marketing medium.  With so many web design options out there, how does a company that offers quality services and products determine what the best option is for their internet needs?

In this post we will take a moment to create a checklist for companies looking to re-design, improve position or create a new website to follow.  We will separate the checklist into four web design areas including; web design (your online image and experience), web development (website process, flow and intelligence), post web production (tracking, utilizing goals, improving search engine results) and web company compatibility (some points on choosing the right company for your project).

Web Design

The design and layout of a website is highly important.  Studies show that users make a positive or negative opinion on a company within the first few seconds on their website.  Here are some points to follow when reviewing the design of an existing or potential website design:

  • What message is communicated through the web design?  Do the graphics look dated or unprofessional or are they clean and catchy, making you want to see more?
  • What demographic is the website design aiming at?  Do the graphics and colors isolate a specific demographic?  If so, is it your intended demographic or the demographic that offers your company the highest customer base?  If your customer base is fairly spread out, does your website reflect a more neutral focus?
  • Does the message stand out above the fluff?  Web users appreciate the experience of your website, but they have come for the content.  Does the web design distract from the message of the website therefore blurring the purpose or does it enhance the website content?  Is the content easily found and readable?

Web Development

The development of a website is the process of converting the graphic design into web friendly code.  It can be a relatively lengthy process and requires knowledge and patience.  A good web design company will offer cross browser compatibility (the laborious process of creating a website that looks the same within entirely different environments – like Internet Explorer 8, 7, 6.5, 6 or 5, FireFox, Safari or the newest browser, Google Chrome).  They will utilize the latest web development technology and upgrade from older, less effective methods of programming.  Below is a few items to look at when selecting a web development studio:

  • Is the website easy to navigate?  Can you find specific information quickly (say information on a specific product or service) or do you have to use the search function to locate anything?  Is the information logically laid out with an intentional process or sporadically placed anywhere with no purpose whatsoever?  If the information is not easily accessible, web users will get frustrated and return to Google Search Results and select another option on their search query.
  • Is the programming intuitive and nonrestrictive?  Are you using complicated programming methods that make it difficult for your users to operate the website or is the programming an asset enhancing the users experience?
  • Is your code accessible by search engines?  Google has recently announced their ability to “dissect” content from within a flash movie.  Although this is still fairly vague on how effective their “bots” are at extracting content from a contained movie, such as flash, it is a gamble on how effective important content is when concealed.  For effective website results, content must be easily accessible by users and search engines alike.

Post Web Production (SEO)

SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of being proactive with your position within search engines like Google.  The post web production process is not only getting better search results, but gauging the type of traffic, online conversions, problematic areas within the website, etc.  It is the process of being proactive with your website as a powerful online marketing tool, not simply an online brochure.  Below are a few points/questions to consider when looking into SEO services:

  • SEO is crucial for any effective website.  For example, our website has gained success within search engines based upon our efforts corresponding with the guidelines set by the search engines.  If you would search “Indiana web services” – which is a statewide term – you will find us up at the top.  If you would search “Creative web services” – which is a worldwide term – you will find us within the first page of results.  The achievements are reached by following SEO guidelines and remaining consistent with our efforts.  This can be reached with other websites as well.  Learn more about Indiana seo.
  • Track your results to know which search terms are converting sales and not just bring in traffic.  The important factor is that qualified traffic (users that will more likely solicit your services or purchase your products) find your website over simply getting the numbers to rise.
  • Know your website results.  You need to know where users are leaving your website or “dropping off” and then you can make alterations to ensure your website’s effectiveness.

Web Company Compatibility

Make sure that your web company is a good fit for you.  You vision and ideas should be handled with care and translated appropriately onto the web.  The web project is as much a reflection on the web design companies ability to listen and collaborate as it is their creative limitations.  Ensure that your ideas are respectfully processed and applied as best fit within the website.  Below are a few questions to help with this process as well:

  • Is your potential web design studio thorough with their proposal.  Do they detail out what is proposed and how the plan to progress forward with your website project?  Is everything clearly stated with a clear idea on what the price will be, or are there hidden addendum’s and un-speculated costs waiting for the project to begin to pop up?
  • Do you feel heard?  Does your potential web design studio listen to your ideas and direct with their expertise or do they disregard your opinion altogether explaining their plan instead?
  • Does your potential web studio attempt to understand your company’s vision and customer base in order to produce the most effective website possible?  Do you feel they understand you as well as an outside perspective can?
  • Do they value your input and direction and curb it with their industry expertise offering more of a partnership or do you get to select from a row of stale templates and hope it works well for your potential customers?

These ideas, among many others can help you be more effective in selecting a web design firm.  If you are interested in learning more about our process, contact Indiana web design for more info on our creative web services.

Are creative web services important?

Businesses are struggling in our economy to reach out to the potential clients and even if they can reach out to them, how can these businesses warrant their services above their competitors?  This is one of the main reasons why creative web services are so vital for businesses.  A quality creative website by an Indiana web design studio that knows how to build an SEO successful website, monitor user methods and make positive changes when needed to keep the website relative and effective, is quickly becoming the best method of marketing for most industries.  More and more consumers are looking to the internet daily, regardless of what your Verizon Superpages salesman will tell you, individuals are looking online instead of to the phone books, radio and even TV.  Tivo has made it so that consumers can record the programs they want to watch and disregard the advertisements – another reason to look for creative web services to help promote your business venture or creative idea.  Indiana web design studio, McGlinchy Media & Design, offers a wide variety of web solutions including:

  • Indiana web design - creative and completely custom website design that fits your idea and reaches out to your demographics.
  • Indiana web development - innovative web development that logically looks at the process and flow of the website, how users will navigate and where problematic areas may be – and improves them.
  • Indiana SEO services – Search Engine Optimization is the method of proactively pursuing potential customers while staying within the guidelines that Google has set and engaging the website into successful Search Engine Ranking and a higher, more effective PageRank.
  • Indiana web management – reliable, efficient and cost effective website updates completed by a professional website studio.

For more information on any of our creative web services contact Indiana web design today!