Two New Pubs Featuring 13thirtyone
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I just wanted to share my excitement in being featured in a few publications.
As mentioned previously, a few logos were chosen for Logo Lounge’s first of the Master Library series, 3,000 Initial and Crest Logos. The book is now available online at Amazon.com for ordering. I’m anxiously awaiting my own copy!
Secondly, I’m very honored to have been interviewed by Gail Reid for inclusion in her new book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Low-Cost Startups. While this title doesn’t release until March 2nd, it’s certainly available for pre-order. I’ll be up-front and say Gail warned me my bit in the book was small, but I’m still very excited about it! Thanks again for including me, Gail.
Client Holiday Gift 2009
Every year I like to send my clients a bottle of wine for the holidays. It’s a gift most clients get very excited about and it gives me an opportunity to show off a little work as I design the label myself (if you’re interested in doing the same, I go through PersonalWine.com).
My client gifts were officially shipped early this week and already most clients have let me know they received their wine. A note to clients – if you haven’t received yours yet, it’s still on its way!
Here’s a look at this year’s bottle label:
I’m really pleased with the look of this year’s bottle. Let’s take a quick peek down memory lane for previous years’ artwork, shall we?
2008 Holiday Season
2007 Holiday Season
I have to say I think the label for this year is my favorite. Another added bonus to offering this gift is that the bottles are 100% recyclable as are the tissue and boxes the gifts are delivered in. A tasty and eco-friendly promotion!
Only 2 Days Left to WIN a Marketing Makeover!
There’s only two days left to win a marketing makeover worth over $10,000.00. For full contest rules and entry information, click here.
Green Give-Away Winner
Thanks to everyone who entered the give-away for the e-book, Graphics Gone Green: Ways to Go Green Without Losing Your Shirt by Rita Amladi and Erica Aitken. This is sure to be valuable resource!
So without further ado, the winner of this give-away is (drumroll, please)…. Pam Adams! Congratulations, Pam! Hopefully this will help you out when working with your eco-conscious client you mentioned. I’ll be emailing you your copy of the e-book directly. As requested by the author, please do not sell or share this material with any other party.
The winner of this give-away was chosen using random.org. But don’t be too sad if you didn’t win – lucky for you, the book is available for purchase in several different formats on the website.
Green Give-Away: Graphics Gone Green E-book
*****This give-away is now closed.*****
A few weeks ago, I had mentioned the book release of a piece I’m very excited to be a part of. The resource is called Graphics Gone Green: Ways to Go Green Without Losing Your Shirt (by Rita Amladi and Erica Aitken) and it’s an essential for any eco-friendly designer/business owner.
The book covers ideas for running an eco-friendly business and creating and promoting yourself in a green fashion. You can also learn more about the practices I use to maintain an eco-friendly design studio along with checking out other green folks such as Terri Stone of InDesign Magazine, Don Carli of the Institute for Sustainable Communication, and more. What’s even better, is that this book is a digital piece. There is a printed version created for purchase, but what could be more eco-friendly than a digital book?
So what do you have to do to win this amazing e-book? Simply post a comment with your name and email address. If you have a tip for how you run an eco-friendly business or design studio, feel free to share that too. The winner will be announced this Friday, December 11, 2009 at 5:30pm CST. One lucky winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be notified via email, and will be announced here on this blog.
Please note this prize may not be shared nor distributed in any way. For more information, check out the Graphics Gone Green website here and the blog here.
*****This give-away is now closed.*****
13thirtyone New Website Launch
I kept my word and worked hard these past few months to not only update, but redesign, the 13thirtyone website. A few screen shots of the new site are below:
My goal was to create a website that was more corporate in feeling. I still wanted to incorporate my style, but wanted the look to be a bit more buttoned-up as well. Also, I’ve found that the sites I think are most effective are fairly short and sweet. They don’t bog the reader down with loads of text, long lists of services nor paragraphs on end about mission statements and philosophies. A short bio page, client page, press area and portfolio are all I’ve really include on the site as far as content is concerned.
Furthermore, some web developers may cringe, but I wanted the focus to really be on the design and the fonts in this version of my website. I chose to incorporate a lot of large background images, and even some images that incorporate text (though there’s alt tags and meta tags to replace the keywords). All in all, I’m very happy with the result.
Holy Cow!
I didn’t want to bring it up before it happened, just to be on the safe side this time. But now it’s official and I have to share it because I’m so excited!
A member of the GD USA staff contacted me regarding answering some questions about owning/operating an eco-friendly design firm. She asked that I send along a few photos and that was that. I received the published magazine yesterday and was thrilled with the article write up they did about me and 13thirtyone which is on page 40, I believe.
Today I checked out the website and not only is the piece on the site, but my photo is the face of the article section. CRAZY!!! Click here to see for yourself and click the top link next to the magazine which reads, “Feature | The Hows and Why of Going Green.”
Book Release
A little over a year ago, Rita (one of the authors of Graphics Gone Green; Ways to Go Green Without Losing Your Shirt) found my website online. She saw that I placed a focus on being eco-friendly with my business and asked if I’d be willing to be a case study in her book. Long story short, the e-book, which will also be available as a printed copy later, was released this past weekend.
You can find me and my business on pages 1.13-1.15 and 5.2 and 5.22. Here are a few sneak peeks:
Here’s a small blip from the book’s website:
If you’re a creative professional who’s anywhere on the path of a project that’s going to press or the Internet, Graphics Gone Green is for you. Our book will give you an understanding of what you can and cannot change, and how to reduce your carbon footprint at work. You’ll meet fantastic pioneers who have cut a path in a jungle of bureaucrats, naysayers, and skeptics, always with great determination. You are in good company.
The content loosely follows a designer’s day at work, starting with matters relating to your studio or work environment, followed by tips on efficient Internet use, streamlining client and workgroup communication, green design strategies, print-related issues, and finally, locating and working with sustainable print providers.
Each chapter is available singly or assembled in one book. If you prefer to see it in print, you will find it at Blurb.com where books are printed one at a time.
Click here to head on over to the website. The book’s blog is here as well.
Is your marketing just plain ugly? Enter to win a marketing makeover.
Calling all boring websites, clip art logos and bland brochures:
Win a MARKETING MAKEOVER worth over $10,000.
You’re in business, and you know the way you’re perceived is important. And while you’re careful to leave your house looking polished, your brand looks like it’s wearing sweatpants.
If your marketing needs a face-lift, you should enter our contest.
13thirtyone Design and Inkwell Marketing are accepting applicants for a Marketing Makeover that includes:
- Website design (four pages)
- Website content (four pages)
- Logo design
- Tag line creation
- Stationary design (letterhead and envelopes)
- Brochure design
- Brochure content
- Press release
The value? Dollar-wise: over ten grand. Reality-wise: a heckofa lot more. (We can’t put an exact number on increased confidence, perceived professionalism, and infinite new clients.)
Even if you don’t win the package, you could come in second and get 50% off a marketing service of your choice.
Does this sound like a good deal? Cool. Before you apply, read our application requirements and fine print.
Application requirements:
- You’ve been in business for two years or longer.
- You have current marketing materials you use to woo prospects and win clients. You are not pleased with these pieces. These should include (but are not limited to) logo, website, tag line, etc.
- You want your brand to work harder for you.
- No whining: you are willing to allow two professionals do their job. Simply: you hand over creative control. (No worries, you’re not going to get something you hate. We take client input very seriously, but in this case the idea is to give a makeover. We need freedom to do this.)
- Before you apply, please view our web sites for our styles: www.13thirtyone.com and www.inkwell-marketing.com. It’s important that you like our aesthetic and writing style before you sign-on. Sure, this is a chance to win something FREE, but it’s pointless unless you’re happy with it.
RULES AND REGULATIONS (Otherwise known as fine print.) PLEASE READ.
All entries must be received by 11:59pm Eastern time, December 18, 2009. Only one entry is accepted per business. All fields on the application must be completed in order for entries to be accepted. By submitting the application form you certify the following statement “I certify that I am the author of the material I am submitting to 13thirtyone Design and Inkwell Marketing. 13thirtyone Design, Inkwell Marketing, and their licensees may reproduce, distribute, publish, display, edit, modify, create derivative works and otherwise use the material for any purpose in any form and on any media. I agree to indemnify 13thirtyone Design and Inkwell Marketing for all damages and expenses that may be incurred in connection with the material.”
A grand prize and first place winner will be selected. Winners will be announced January 22, 2010 on the 13thirtyone Design and Inkwell Marketing blogs and newsletters.
Grand Prize winner will receive a professional marketing package provided by sponsors 13thirtyone Design and Inkwell Marketing. First place winner will receive 50% discount on desired marketing project. Prizes do not include printing costs, domain name fees, or hosting costs.
Does everything sound kosher?
.
Fix-up your website and stop frustrating your clients.
Everyone and their mother has a website these days. The good news? You don’t have to spend a fortune on building your online presence. The bad news? If you want to stand out, you might have to do some things differently.
In the rush to compete for clients, a lot of us threw a website together just to have one up. In our hurry, we missed some crucial elements that make the difference between mediocre and phenomenal sites. If you don’t have a website yet, you should (and continue reading this article).
Every website makes an impression. The thing is, it could be good or bad. If you want your website to make a positive impact on visitors and get them to DO something, the following tips will help:
1. Make sure your website loads quickly.
If your website takes a while to load, you’re losing customers. According to a recent Akamai (www.akamai.com) marketing survey of 1,058 people, 75% wouldn’t return to websites that took longer than four seconds to load. It’s understandable: users are looking for information, and they want answers quickly. When your site takes too long to load, you’re frustrating visitors looking for instant gratification. If you have a slow-loading website, talk to your web designer or programmer and have them make adjustments.
2. Optimize your images and format to load correctly.
Don’t get me wrong: having images on your site is a good thing. They add visual interest and can help clients grasp difficult concepts. However, done wrong images suck the life out of your site and make you look silly. The remedy?
- Make sure your images are in the right format (file size), and of high quality.
- Correctly label images and optimize them for search engine friendliness.
- Ask if they make sense? Don’t insert images willy-nilly. They should have a point.
Remember, nothing is worse than an image with one of those red X icons in the middle. Do them right and save the embarrassment.
3. Be cautious with animation.
Animation or flash websites are all the rage. It’s no surprise, really: they’re fun to look at and can add interest to a static site. However, while flash sites are edgy and trendy, there are some downfalls you should be aware of:
- Animation and flash videos can take some time to load. Site visitors want information fast―many users will click off before seeing your website in its entirety.
- Flashing banners or links on websites can be distracting. Stick to only one per page, if at all.
- Consider animation carefully: are you using it to compensate for poor design or boring copy? Don’t expect too much from animation. When it comes down to it, visitors want information, not smoke and mirrors.
- You’re losing out on search engine optimization. Search engines don’t read flash animations and videos, let alone entire flash websites. If you want to be found online, make sure you include lots of content.
Don’t get me wrong, flash and animation can be used effectively if it’s used strategically. Think carefully about what you want to accomplish and don’t assume that flash will auto-magically convert customers for you. Many times, effective copy and compelling design will accomplish more.
4. Make links visible and clear.
The point of your website is to help your visitors, make a positive impression, and convince them to do business with you. Make it easy for users to get around your site: make sure your links are obvious and clear. When your links are easy to see, visitors will have no problems getting around and they’ll stay longer (increasing the odds they’ll do business with you).
5. Make sure your website makes sense.
Just as you should make links clear, the architecture and pagination on your site should be intuitive and easy to navigate. It might look fancy and creative to put links in mysterious places, but you’re just confusing visitors and making it hard for them to find the information they need. Most websites have pages listed at the top, or down the right or left hand sides and customers seem comfortable with this format. Want to change it up? Cool. Just make sure your pages are obvious.
6. Update frequently.
The best way to keep people (and search engines) coming back to your website is to update often. Your changes can be simple content tweaks, a change in the code or metatags, or a monthly tip. If possible, you should change something on your website at least once a month.
7. Offer a take-away.
I love websites that give me things for free. Don’t panic. A take-away doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Things like interesting or helpful content, great articles and resources, or a free download are great things to give to visitors. These pieces function to win-over skeptical clients and position yourself as an expert in your industry. Another welcome side-effect: better search engine rankings. In addition to offering something of value, your site should have a clear call-to-action. What’s the next step you want your visitor to take? If you want them to call you, fill out a form, or email you make sure you tell them before they leave. (You’ll probably never get a second chance.)
8. Put your best foot forward.
No doubt, you’ve heard it before: visitors will choose to stay or leave your website in 2-3 seconds. Moral of the story? Make sure you’re compelling. If you don’t have captivating design or convincing content, your visitors will chose to leave. Visit your own site. Review it honestly. If you were a visitor, would you choose to stick around? If not, update accordingly.
9. Redesign.
If your site is just plain ugly, definitely consider a re-design. More than making your site look “pretty,” web designers strategically develop your web presence to appeal to your ideal clients and get them to stay around longer. The result is increased conversion and sales.
Websites are always a work in progress. With the tips above, you can be sure that you’re progressing in the right direction and making a positive impression on your visitors.
