WordPress Website Hosting and Maintenance for 2023

On November 30, 2022   /   Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
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WordPress Website hosting and maintenance for 2023

For Connection Group Hosting Customers with WordPress Websites:

It’s that time of year when we talk about WordPress website maintenance plans and WordPress and website hosting. 

WordPress is a popular solution for small business websites for a few key reasons:

1. Ease in website content updates – editing or adding new text, photos, etc.

2. Multitudes of free/inexpensive plains that allow for custom features.

3. Availability of security and functionality updates for WordPress, themes, and plugins

Now…. the cons of WordPress. 

1. WordPress CMS and themes have a shelf life. Code becomes outdated. Decreased functionality and increased vulnerabilities occur. 

2.. Adding more features, and functionality can make updates more complicated for the novice user.

3. Due to its popularity, frequent updates are required to keep websites safe from nefarious hackers.

Definitions:

Website hosting is the storage of your website pages and content on servers that are accessible to the World Wide Web.

We offer website hosting specifically optimized for WordPress.  

Website Maintenance is the upkeep of those files. 

The WordPress hosting plans we offer do not include any form of maintenance, otherwise, we could not keep them at $20 per month. The fee covers the space on the server so your customers and prospects can access your website from anywhere in the world. We do offer optional WordPress website maintenance plans for our website hosting customers.  Please also see a previous blog entry ‘What’s the Difference Between Website Hosting and Website Maintenance” for more detailed comparisons. 

There are two kinds of website maintenance that we offer.

1. Backend Website Maintenance – this includes regular (monthly updates to themes, WordPress versions, theme updates, updates for plug-ins, and backup of your website.

2. Content Updates – this includes adding new copy, photos, pages, blog entries, or other information to your website. 

Although both types of maintenance are recommended the most important for your website’s health is number 1, to maintain the backend.  Although not critical for security, regular content updates help you score extra points with search engines. You also score with customers who are looking for the most current information. 

We receive desperate calls throughout the year from customers who have not updated their plugins and they discover:

  1. Their website is completely down and has an error when visitors go to it. (100% of these calls happen right after sending out an important proposal or new campaign.)
  2. There are photos or text on their website that they did not add (they have been hacked.)
  3. Features stop working because the code is outdated and will no longer feed/communicate with other features.

This happens most frequently with websites that are three years or older. However, it occurs anytime there are security compromises on plugins or themes – no matter the age. When WordPress, plugins, or themes have not updated for a couple of versions (say you are on WordPress version 5 and the current version is WordPress 8.2) there is a higher likelihood of incompatibility issues with add-on plug-ins, etc. when you get around to making updates. Updating regularly can avoid this. 

If your website is older than 3 years you want to start budgeting for a refresh.

Consider how many system updates your phone or computer has had over three years. Code gets outdated whether you’re watching or not. Maintaining the back end monthly will help extend its life. However, at some point, a refresh will be in order. Websites three years or older should get a refresh. Websites older than 5 years likely require a complete revamp. Design style and features also become dated quickly. Using a 3-5 years timeline will help keep everything current.

DIY WordPress Website Maintenance: 

Updating WordPress website elements is not hard. Often it is a click of a button. Make sure you cross your fingers though! Sometimes a quick click and you’re done. Other times one update affects other features and disables them, or the entire site. This is another reason why we do not recommend automatic updates. If you want to do your own updates please schedule a time to do them every month and put it on your calendar. Following are some resources for DIY WordPress website maintenance. Google more if you encounter issues.

Update WordPress Versions: WordPress Versions don’t happen frequently, they will be noted on the backend of your site when you log in. We also recommend holding off a week or so before your do a major WordPress version update. This will give the WordPress plug-ins time to update to the most recent version. Allowing the plug-ins to update will ensure they continue to be compatible.

Update WordPress Themes: (look for the name of the theme creator in the backend of your website. Going to your original theme creator’s website can make this even easier.) 

Update WordPress Plugins

Plug-ins need to be updated most often. Make sure you check the live site once you update one. Look at everything. You may not realize the interrelationship between plugins and how one plug-in update can disable another one. 

If you ‘hope’ to do the updates yourself and by March you realize you haven’t done any, reach out. We want to help our customers keep their websites functioning optimally. When we get your desperate call asking why your website is down and we’re booked out for two weeks we want to cry for you! Seriously! Don’t do that to us – or yourself! Keep your site optimized. If you know you’re never going to get around to the updates, ease your mind and save us stress! If we host your WordPress website get your monthly maintenance locked in today.  Complete the form and indicate if you need backend maintenance or both backend and content updates. We’ll send you the current pricing and get you started once we receive your order.

Good luck and maintain.

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Annual Mid-Michigan Marketing summit – MI MOB Summit

On February 14, 2022   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, Press Releases   /   Leave a comment
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2022 Mid-Michigan Marketing summit Speaker Connie Sweet Connection Group

Registration is no longer available for the 2022 Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit.

 

Connection Group has been invited to present at the 1st annual Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit on May 7, 2022.  Amy Zander of Zeedia Media marketing agency is the brainchild behind the 1st Annual Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit – affectionately known as the MI MOB Summit. The MI MOB Marketing Summit is a one-day event where Lansing area marketing experts will conduct presentations and workshops on a variety of marketing topics. The event is being held on Friday, May 6, 2022, from 8 am to 4 pm at Royal Scot Banquet Facility located at 4722 W Grand River Ave, Lansing, MI 48906. Connection Group, founder and President, Connie Sweet, is grateful for the opportunity to speak on Logo Design as it relates to brand marketing. Connie will be offering the presentation “Branded in Memory.”

Branded In Memory covers the importance of logos and the role they play in the identification and recognition of your brand.  Although a logo isn’t your entire brand, logos play a leading role in brand recognition. Branded in Memory will cover some of the most frequently asked questions we receive when we are working with our branding customers

Logo FAQs We Will Cover Include:

  • What makes a memorable logo? 
  • Where should a logo be used? 
  • What are the best colors to use for a logo? 
  • When should a logo be revised?
  • Which logos need trademarks?

Connection Group Joins Other Marketing Experts  at the Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit

Along with Connection Group, many other Lansing local marketing experts will be presenting. The target audiences for this event are regional small businesses and non-profit marketers looking to improve their marketing. Plus, other marketing agencies and professionals looking to up their game and network.

The keynote address will be delivered by Amy Zander, owner of Zeedia Media, on the topic of branding. Amy has a unique approach to developing brands. Her brand archetype model helps companies define the specific psychology their business is best suited to. Some of the archetypes include the Mother and the Neighbor. Each is outlined by specific characteristics that businesses can then leverage for their branding messaging, brand marketing, and brand visuals. It’s a pretty cool approach and can really help businesses hone in on their messaging.

Some of the other presentations will be on website SEO, Google Ads, Instagram Reels, Video production, and more. In true mobster fashion, our friend, Paul Schmidt at UnoDeuce Media will be presenting “Picture It!… Sicily 1938.” One of our very favorite printers who Connection Group has worked with for over 20 years will also be in the spotlight. Missey Trudell, Co-Owner of Paper Image Printing Centers will guide everyone with her presentation “How to Make a Brochure That Doesn’t Suck.” You know we love that topic!

Tickets are on sale for $75/person which includes lunch and a full-day access pass to the area’s best and brightest marketing professionals. Purchase your tickets now, they are limited.

The Mid-Michigan Marketing Summit will include prizes ranging from $200 – $5000 in value, including a full rebrand package by Zeedia Media. Connection Group will be giving away a full year of website hosting (value of $240). Several sponsorship levels are available for businesses who wish to maximize their exposure to a room full of up to 250 local businesses professionals as well as exposure on social media, podcasts, and other forms of marketing.

Current sponsors and speakers include Jesse Flores, Missey Trudell, Julie Holton, Paul Schmidt, Brian Town, and more. For additional information about the event, sponsorships, and tickets check out the website.

About the 2022 MIMOB Marketing Summit creator, Amy Zander of Zeedia Media:

Zeedia Media is located in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and is a full-service digital marketing agency. Services include social media marketing, website, and logo design, graphic design, content creation, branding, and podcast production.

Connection Group has worked with Zeedia Media with their Brand Archetype Platform and we have also sought Amy Zander’s wordsmithing expertise for our customers. We highly recommend Amy’s writing expertise, please let us know if you would like a personal introduction. I hope you can join us on May 6, 2022. There may be an option for virtual attendance as the creators look into making a hybrid format available. Be sure to follow the link for tickets for updates if this is a format you prefer. If you’re like us and love the experience of being surrounded by the creative energy of an in-person summit, get your tickets now! They will sell out fast.

Stay connected, we’re here to help.

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5 Ways to Connect Your Brand to a Cause and Make a Difference

On February 7, 2022   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, Inspiring Stories, Wisdom and Opportunities   /   Leave a comment
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5 Ways to Connect your brand to a cause

“It’s clear that brands now are being asked to do much more than just brand their products. Customers are taking the extra step to ask, ‘Hey, what is this company all about?’.” – Antoine Andrews

When you connect your brand to a cause you make a promise to your customers, staff, and stakeholders. As we build quarterly promotional calendars for our customers our most exciting content comes when we can connect your brand to a cause and create supportive messaging around that cause. Whether it be childhood nutrition, mental health, sustainability, diversity, equality, etc. when a brand can use its position to make a difference, studies show customers have more loyalty to the brand.

5 Ways to Connect Your Brand to a Cause

  1. Offer financial support. For example a percentage of profits from a specific product’s sales, annual corporate profits, or profits from an event, etc.
  2.  Increase awareness of a cause and offer educational resources for their followers
  3.  Offer ways customers can participate in contributing to the cause through their efforts
  4.  Evoke change through working with, hiring, sourcing products and services that support their beliefs and chosen causes
  5.  Create an event to increase awareness with a course, a presentation, etc. Or raise financial support through a fundraiser or auction, etc.

Keep Authenticity when You Choose a Cause

I am writing this in February and am happy to report on the many large brands sharing black stories and standing for equality and change. Just this morning I received an email from Disney+ with their campaign Black stories. Black joy. Black History. Moments later an email from Hulu.

Hulu’s Black Stories Always promotion recognizes that the interest in Black History isn’t just in February. A variety of Dramas, comedies, documentaries, etc. are available 24/7, 365 days a year. Subscribers can search within the app for Black Stories. They can also follow the link from social media promotions or email campaigns. Hulu has developed evergreen digital content for the campaign. Each February during Black history month it is locked into the promotional calendar.

Thoughtful, inclusive, creative, on-brand.

What a consummate way for a media company to raise their platform and lift Black History and culture. Hulu understood the need for black stories to be shared, they considered how to fill the need, and recognized they had a platform to make a difference. Creating the catalog that continually expands offers value to subscribers and builds loyal audiences. This compilation not only exposes larger audiences to black history, it advances black voices, demand for black actors, and more. All the while educating and entertaining bingers.

Personally, I started with Mudbound and then got hooked on the series Snowfall. Waiting for this dramatic series to drop more episodes I’m inspired to watch more of the Black Stories catalog. The Hulu brand has demonstrated how to use its role to shine a light on society’s problems, introduce history and new ideas, be inclusive, and entertain audiences with diverse catalogs and messages. Now, when I am looking for a story with depth, I look to Hulu first.

Even if your brand does not touch the number of people that Hulu or Disney+ does, your brand has the power to make a difference. In addition, the morale of the entire corporation is lifted when you are working together to create change. So what is important to you? What is important to your team? How do the products or services you offer affect a population, a community, a culture, the future, etc?

When you choose to connect your brand with a cause, follow through on your promises through perpetuity. In 1990, Starfish tuna claimed they would change the way they were sourcing tuna. Dolphin numbers were being diminished in part because they were being netted by large tuna harvesters. By making a commitment to change the way they captured tuna they eased consumers’ minds that no harm would come to dolphins. Unfortunately, many reports claimed there was no such action taken by Starfish. Not only did they not create positive change and save dolphins, but customers also sued them in 2019 for not following through on their claim.

How Your Brand Can Make a Difference

It’s great when you tie your cause to your brand or connect your brand to a cause. In the case of Starfish, it was evident. In other companies and industries, there may not be an obvious path. I encourage you to give it some thought. What do your customers feel strongly about? What causes are in mainstream media that align with your business or personal beliefs? With a few exploratory conversations with your customers, ideas develop from local issues, personal experiences, family, company history, etc.

Be selective here. If brands connect to each and every cause, studies show they are less effective. Don’t be viewed as wishy-washy. Be choosy, show support in what you believe in, but build focused efforts to connect your brand to a cause that resonates with you, your team, and your customers.  Don’t try to be all things to everyone.

For instance, the Connection Group team loves nature and the outdoors and feels strongly about protecting our environment. The print industry uses virgin wood and damages the environment. In response, we adopted sustainability practices over twenty years ago.
• commit to the reduction of virgin material use in our office
• established a recycling program
• source the highest recycled content in print stock for client print projects as possible
• partner with vendors who share our beliefs and follow sustainability practices

What cause can your brand embrace?

Also, we are a certified woman-owned business and as such are advocates for diversity, inclusion, and equality. We demonstrate our support by providing high-value services to diverse businesses, primarily women-owned businesses. By delivering valuable brand services, reliable support, and fair pricing, our efforts help lift women-owned businesses. We also seek partnerships with other women-owned businesses for our needs, personally, and professionally. We know that the more women-owned businesses we help succeed the more equitable the marketplace can be. Living our cause and connecting it to our brand extends our impact.

Support a cause and demonstrate that your brand is committed to changing the world. Or keep it closer to home and lift your local community. Our customer Augusta Mills is a woman-owned flour mill in Michigan. Their motto is family, community, love. One of the causes we help them to promote each year is families baking together. Teaching children to bake, inviting them into the kitchen to make their own food is empowering. It helps strengthen families and teaches a skill to fulfill our basic need for food.

What cause can your brand embrace? How can you create change with your promotions, advertising, actions, or profits? If you are curious how you can share a cause effectively with your audience, connect with us. We are happy to help with a consultation. Or, we can assist with building a promotional plan and editorial calendar that can help you beginto share your story. Connect with your customers on a level that makes a difference to you, to them, to your team, and to the cause you believe in.

Stay connected, we’re here to help!

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What’s the Difference Between Website Hosting and Website Maintenance?

On January 7, 2022   /   Graphic Design and Web design, Web Hosting Web Security   /   Leave a comment
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Difference in Website Hosting and Website Maintenance

Each year when we send out annual invoices to our WordPress website hosting customers we get the same questions. In most cases, customers are curious about the difference between website hosting and website maintenance. I understand why there is confusion and I hope to offer clarity on what website hosting includes and what is meant by website maintenance in this blog.  Most of the information to follow is applicable for all types of websites. However, we specialize in WordPress website design, development, hosting, and maintenance and I will cover WordPress websites mostly. The rules also apply to all geographical areas too. It’s not limited to Michigan or even the United States. We are located in Michigan however we design, develop, host and, maintain websites from all over the United States. Let’s get started with the frequently asked questions.

Hosting vs Website Maintenance

Simply put website hosting is the storage of your website data, all of your website files. Website maintenance services are tactics to help keep your website updated and functioning properly. There are various levels and types of website updates from back-end code updates to front-facing content updates. We’ll get into that more in-depth later.

To answer the question on website hosting and website management more clearly it will be helpful to explain what website hosting is. I intend to simplify explanations and resist using highly technical terms. I believe explaining this in layman’s terms will help those users who need to hear it most. If you want more technical information please reach out to a web technologist and take notes!

What is Website Hosting:

All live websites are accessible because they are connected to the internet. The www in URLs -www.yourwebsite.com- stands for the world wide web – mind blown yet? The worldwide web also referred to as the web, is the pages you see when you are online, pages are pieces of a website.

All websites and web pages must be stored on a server that is connected to the internet for people around the world or around your town to access it while online. The internet is a network of these servers (or computers) that are connected (networked). The web works on the internet which is made up of all these servers. You are able to access these sites by paying an internet provider or (ISP) then connects to this network of servers.

An analogy could be that your web page, for example, the About Us page, is a page in a book. Your website is the book. The www/web is the bookshelf you see your book is stored on and the internet is the library (or bookstore) people visit to search for your book. Your internet service provider (ISP) is the library card that allows you to access that book.

All that to say, website hosting is when your website files are stored on a server that is connected and part of the internet.

website-www-server-internet

Why Does Web Hosting Cost Money?

Although your website files are not physical they take up digital space. Digital space is costly. Anyone who pays for cloud services or large computer hard drives knows the more files you store the higher the cost. Servers are actual physical hardware. The servers used for storing websites and connecting to the internet are costly to build, purchase, and maintain.

Some businesses have in-house servers. This is a smaller server for your internal company communications and file storage. These personal servers range from $1000-$3000 depending on your needs.  These are puppies compared to the big dog web servers used by most web hosting firms. Beyond the cost of the hardware, there is the expense of software, continuous maintenance, security, and all of the human brainiacs making sure everything is flowing smoothly to the internet.

At the beginning of website development, they were simpler (until we website designers got added in the mix…. but that’s another story the coders and engineers still have nightmares about.) Suffice it to say, making websites pretty, adding cool functionality, e-commerce, and content management capability, etc. adds – you guessed it – more space on servers.

Why is There a Large Range in Cost for Website Hosting?

A big differentiator with hosting is whether you are on a shared server or a dedicated server. Shared servers can have 100s to 1000s of websites on one server. This can cause bottlenecks because all of those websites are sharing the same CPU, RAM, etc.

As well, WordPress websites perform best on dedicated WordPress servers that include optimized features for WordPress.

Some Advantages of Dedicated WordPress Website Hosting:
  • Increased security
  • Predictable server usage
  • Ease in updating – plug-ins and themes
  • East of Set up
  • Optimized speed from shared hosting

Does Website Hosting include Website Maintenance?

By now you understand the difference between website hosting and website maintenance. In most cases when you purchase website hosting you are just paying for hosting. Website maintenance is an add-on service you can choose.

This is a critical differentiation to understand. If you purchase website hosting only and nobody is updating or maintaining it, you are leaving your website at risk. Be sure to determine if you will handle the maintenance required to keep your website fresh and safe or if you need help. When you choose which hosting company to use ask about hosting and website maintenance. Be honest with yourself and your vendor about your comfort level and the likelihood of you or your staff making updates.

What to ask when pricing website maintenance and hosting:
  • Will your website be hosted on a shared server or a dedicated WordPress server
  • Are plugin updates included – how frequently and at what cost
  • Are theme updates included – how frequently and at what cost
  • What level of security is included
  • Does maintenance include content updates
  • Other additional services included (design, SEO, blog writing, etc.)
  • Is email included, how many email addresses,
  • Is email set-up support included

Ask for pricing and the tactics they will use and the frequency each will be done.

What is WordPress Website Maintenance?

All websites rely on shared code, languages such as php and sql, etc. These languages are constantly evolving and code gets outdated. If you are a website owner who doesn’t add new content such as text or photos, etc., and you never look at the back end of your site you can be prey to issues.

Sometimes there are major updates to this code. In 2021 PHP had a major update and many older websites became disabled or had sections that no longer functioned properly.

Often times it is a minor update. These smaller updates are in response to security vulnerabilities. So although small, they are important to pay attention to.

What we encounter most often are WordPress plug-in updates.

Plugins are pieces of software/code that work with your WordPress website and add functionality. A plug-in allows a user to perform a specific set of actions easily. For example, a donation plug-in builds in the capability for users to donate money by clicking a donate button. The plugin automates the action behind the scenes and allows the user to just click a button while performing multiple steps behind the scenes.

WordPress plugins require maintenance regularly. This can be a very simple task even for novices. we suggest logging into the back end of your website monthly to check the status. When you log on you will see an alert if there are any plugins that need updating. Go to the plug-in page and click update. Save yourself from features being disabled and protect your website from hackers and malware.

Updating one plug-in can sometimes affect another plug-in. When there are major updates to your WordPress theme it may be wise not to update instantly. That is because some plug-ins you use may not have updated to the new version and may no longer work.

It’s important to keep this in mind when you or your website developer is building your WordPress website. Automated features are included in your website development with the use of WordPress plug-ins. However, the more bells and whistles you add, the more often you need to check to be sure they are all current and functioning optimally.

The more complex the features on your website the more time-consuming keeping it updated and optimized will be.

What is included in Website Maintenance Packages?

Website development and website design firms offer a variety of options for website maintenance. Some website design firms only offer plans for keeping your front-facing website content updated.

Types of Website Content Maintenance:
  • Updating your office hours and other page content
  • Adding important time-sensitive announcements
  • Adding a new product or service, etc.
  • Blog writing and optimization
  • Adding new photos or videos
  • Adding client testimonials, etc.
  • On page SEO
Website Design and Development Maintenance Plan
  • Updating data / content (as above)
  • Adding additional sections and pages
  • Updating themes and plugins
  • Troubleshooting issues
  • Security updates, etc.

We offer a variety of website care packages to suit.  If you do not update your website or log in to your WordPress website backend monthly we recommend at minimum hiring us or another firm to monitor and update your website plug-ins. Plug-in update service is only available to our web hosting customers. Save hundreds or thousands of dollars in missed sales inexpensively by making sure your website is not compromised.

I hope I answered the questions about Website hosting and Website Maintenance clearly. Be sure to connect or call if you have any other questions. It has always been our mission to stomp out ugly websites and we also want to help keep websites secure from hackers and optimized for search engines. Keeping your website current and fresh is your best means of defense from hackers. It is also your best practice for keeping your site optimized for search engines.

We’re here to help

If you need help keeping your website current and safe, check out our Website Care packages. We can customize plans if there are additional features you would like to add or items you are already handling. If you still have questions about website hosting or what types of maintenance services your specific business will do best with, give us a call, we’re happy to help you.

Good luck, and stay connected!

 

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Holiday Promotion Ideas for Professional Services and SAAS Businesses

On November 2, 2021   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Holiday Promotion Ideas for Professional Services girl shopping online

 

Black Friday has been a mainstay promotional event for e-commerce and brick-and-mortar shops for decades. Many a shop owner prepares months in advance for that magical 6 am door opening. While throngs of caffeine-crazed shoppers stand prepared ready to snag the best deals of the year.

Our focus for this particular blog is to share holiday promotion ideas for professional services and SAAS businesses. If you offer a mix of retail, subscription, and member-based offers, read on—much of this may apply to you too. Businesses also seek deals this time of year and not only for traditional products. These holiday promotion ideas for professional services and SAAS businesses can add a revenue boost to B2B companies in a historically slow quarter. However, to take advantage of it this year it’s important to start planning now.

Many marketing experts recommend preparing for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday at least four weeks in advance. We are posting tips every week leading up to Black Friday on our Facebook and Instagram channels to help tackle everything from page load to email testing. With the challenges many of us are encountering with supply chain issues, product deliveries, etc. it’s important to plan as far in advance as possible for all holiday promotions. Retail and e-commerce product sites are especially vulnerable. Brick and mortar retailers and e-commerce shops will want to check availability well in advance to make sure what they are promoting will be in stock. Fortunately, Professional Service companies and SAAS companies are not as affected by the supply chain. However, planning is still critical.

Following are some Holiday Promotion Ideas for Professional Services and SAAS Businesses

Although Cyber Monday began as the online version of the retail industry’s Black Friday (thank you Amazon) it has evolved to include service and digital product promotions. Personally, Cyber Monday/Cyber Week is when I finally purchase the personal apps and training courses I haven’t been able to justify purchasing. From meditations, to music, to digital training courses, Cyber Monday gives non-traditional tech and digital sales a boost. I havee have also taken advantage of stock art subscriptions, annual software purchases, or BOGOs for professional services for business during the big holiday sale days. More and more professional service and SaaS companies are jumping in the holiday promotion wagon and everyone benefits.

Here are a few holiday promotion ideas for professional services to get you started:

1. Offer a percentage off of the entire purchase

We’ve come to expect discounts from retail shops and service companies and SAAS firms can benefit from this promotion too. The biggest consideration is determining the percentage you want to offer. Getting 30% off a pair of $90 shoes is a good deal, offering 30% off an entire construction project could bankrupt a builder. Paying attention to margins here is key. 

  • Offering customers a percentage off of services can be the trigger to get in the door for the bid or the customer to choose you instead of another contractor.
  • Create an on-demand offer or annual retainer model and offer a percentage off the annual fee
  • Monthly website hosting or IT services, $5 off monthly fee when you pay the year in advance, etc.
Industries who can benefit from this promotion: 
  • SAAS Companies – percentage off of a download or annual commitment
  • Construction service firms: plumbers, remodelers, cleaning services, roofers, etc. 
  • Professional service firms: Attorneys, IT service companies, event management firms, Accountants, Bookkeeping, Marketing, Design Firms, etc.

 

2. Offer One Free of a Multiple Purchase (one session, one month, one download, one window, etc.)

Get creative and think beyond the promise of a free consultation or free estimate. In construction, law, and other industries a free initial consultation or estimate is expected and won’t be perceived as a true ‘freebie’.

  • For products or services, you can offer one free window install with the purchase of a full house of windows. Or for professional firms offer a small add-on service for free. Cover a filing or registration fee or offer free set-up or installation, etc.   
  • Think of offering a set of services, 11 massages for the price of 10, 10 coaching sessions and one free e-book, one free month with annual membership purchase.
  • For digital companies, this could be one or more downloads for free. Think e-cards, meditations, courses, the first chapter, or the introduction of a book. Another idea could be the first download in a series customers usually have to pay for. Give a free introductory training download.  This helps introduce your products and services to customers and can keep them coming back for more or investing in a higher level or longer-term commitment. The customer will save money and when they find value in what they received, you become their go-to company because you helped them get started.
Industries who can benefit from this promotion:
  • SAAS (One free month with annual commitment, or one add-on or in-app purchase)
  • Coaches (Life Coaches, Business Coaches, Family Coaches, Sales coaches)
  • Counselors, Massage Therapist, Hairstylists, Nail Salons
  • IT Services, Website hosting service, Marketing maintenance service, 
  • Bookkeepers, Accountants, Association Management, Client Management
  • Teachers, Trainers, Speakers, Authors,
  • Artists (Digital Downloads)
  • Construction: builders, skilled trades, plumbers, remodelers, cleaning services, roofers, etc.
  • Professional Services: Attorneys, IT service companies, event management firms, Accountants, Bookkeeping, Marketing, Design Firms, etc.

 

3. Offer Free Shipping/Delivery or a Fixed Amount Discount  

Keep it easy for everyone. Taking $20 off every $100 spent is much easier to understand than 30% off of a $100 purchase. Customers don’t want to do the math. Keep it simple for them Keep it simple for you.

  • SaaS companies could do $20 off purchase or $5 off in-app purchase. Coaches, Therapists, Hairdressers, and Nail Techs could do $10, $20 off a session, etc.
  • If you have higher ticket items you can offer a scale. $15 off $100, $40 off $200, etc. The more they buy the more they save and the more you sell. Just be sure to keep your margins in mind when you are selecting the discount. Win/Win
  • If you have a hard copy study, journal, workbook, calendar or other books for sale consider offering free shipping. Nobody likes add-on fees especially delivery costs. Choose a dollar amount the shopper needs to spend that will earn them free shipping. Set up your e-commerce platform to tally their totals as they add items to their cart. Honestly, who here hasn’t added another $7.00 item so they could get free shipping?
  • Always create promotions that are clear. Don’t make shoppers have to think – Black Friday or any day.
Industries who can benefit from this promotion:
  • SAAS
  • Coaches – Life Coaches, Business Coaches, etc
  • Counselors, Massage Therapist, Hairstylists, Nail Salons
  • IT Services, Website hosting service, Marketing maintenance service,
  • Bookkeepers, Accountants, Association Management, Client Management
  • Teachers, Trainers, Speakers, Authors
  • Artists (Digital Downloads)
  • Construction, skilled trades, builders
  • Professional Services

 

4. Give a Gift, Send a Card

The holidays are about giving. If you don’t have an add-on, training, or a download to share you can look for other ideas. You can still give a gift that brings you top of mind to your customers and prospects during the holidays. Do your best to find an item that connects with your business in some way.

  • For companies that have time-sensitive services, calendars with your branding may be seen every day, all year long.
  • Work with a promotional product company to discover a gift that is appropriate, on budget, and useful. 
  • For small businesses with a local focus personal deliveries of food or homemade goodies are always great ways to get in the door.  
  • If you have a large customer and prospect list and gifts are not in the budget this year send a card. In lieu of customer favors some companies donate to a cause. Acknowledging this in a holiday greeting sheds a positive light on your brand. Cards are always appreciated and once again get your business name out there. I recommend resisting sending postcards. Cards are often displayed on customers’ desks, file cabinets, in their homes, etc. Postcards do not fit with standard display options and in many cases won’t be seen by others. The last tip to stand out a little more is to consider sending cards for Thanksgiving or New Year instead of Christmas.  
Industries who can benefit from this promotion:
  • Everyone!

 

If you decide to run a campaign this year be sure to follow us on social media. We have broken down tasks for each week leading up to the major holiday sales days. Catch tips on how to optimize your website for holiday promotions. We will also share what to review to be certain your campaign goes without a hitch, and more. Follow us on Facebook or Instagram for 4 weeks worth of step by step tips.

 

Good luck with your holiday promotions!

If all of this is just too much, or if there are pieces that make more sense for us to do instead of trying to plow through them alone, connect with us. We’re happy to help with setting up your website for e-commerce, creating auto-generated emails, or digital graphics and pop-ups to promote your sale. Give us a call or shoot us an email today. We’ll do a quick phone review to get us all up to speed and plan the next steps.

Stay connected!

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Ideas for Residual Income for Your Professional Service Company and SaaS Firm

On October 20, 2021   /   Branding - Marketing, Entrepreneurs - Small Business   /   Leave a comment
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Personal totaling Residual Income for their Professional Service Company

Looking for ways to add residual income for your professional service or SaaS firm? Are you an expert in your field? Do you have a flair for breaking complex ideas down into simpler contexts? Do you have a unique business model or process others can benefit from? Or do you have a talent, hobby, or practice that can help others feel better personally or professionally?

Service Companies and SaaS Companies can expand their offerings and enhance revenue by developing some of the following digital assets. These can complement in-person consultations and offerings or be introductions to more in-depth digital services.

Online learning is not just for k-12 students and gone is the day where everything is free to download. We pay for apps, we pay for online news articles, we pay for local tv! If you have a following or if you have expertise in an area or topic that others want or need, you can create an entire business or add an additional revenue stream for your existing company.  You determine if the assets you choose to create will require regular attention. Determine which fits best for you and your customers or think of some other opportunities not covered below. Some of these ideas can attract passive income for your business for years to come. Most digital items will require a few updates or refreshes on occasion.

Start with determining the best option for you, plan it out on paper or a Google doc. Next, build it out or hire a website design firm to help design all the elements and create the e-commerce component. Next, all your need to do is decide what you’re going to do with the passive income and how frequently you want to update or add to it.

Ideas for Increased Revenue for Professional Services and SaaS Companies:

1. Digital Courses

  • introductory training – start with a pdf workbook where you share your knowledge and tips about your service or a topic of interest to your prospects and customers. These can be pre-recorded webinars or live streams.
  • formal courses using UDemy, LearnDash  – Go beyond the pdf workbook and offer full-blown courses. Depending on your expertise and industry you could get approval to offer continuing education credits for your courses.
  • reward – Students may receive industry-approved CE credits, a unique certification, or may attend for personal interest and education with no need for credentials at the end.

Some courses can be nested right on your website with a plug-in or on popular course apps like UDemy, etc. These can be individual or multiple class courses. Allot time for course creation. If you will be charging for your course you want to make sure you are offering enough content to match the value received.

Some industries utilizing digital courses include:

Attorneys, Accountants, Coaches, Human Resources, Graphic Design, Marketing, Arts & Crafts, Construction, Skilled Trades Authors, Professional Speakers, Physical Fitness,   etc.

2. Digital Programs

  • webinars – this can be an individual sharing information, a group of experts, or someone in your business walking guests through an instructional presentation via Zoom or other virtual meeting platform
  • digital meetings – similar to above however you can also have audience participation if desired
  • paid access to live streaming events, etc. – These programs can be one pre-recorded webinars, a single course, or a series of classes or live and attendees can join in. These can be hosted on a members only channel on YouTube or another platform. Plan to record the presentations and you can offer attendees access to the recordings afterward. You can sell  prerecorded trainings to those who were not able to join in.
Some industries utilizing digital programs include:

Pretty much all professional services; Attorneys, Accountants, Coaches, Human Resources, Consultants, educators, Graphic Design, Marketing, Arts & Crafts, Authors, DIYers, as well as Construction, Skilled Trades, Physical Fitness, Physical Therapy, and so many more.

3. Paid Digital Memberships

  • niche memberships that offer exclusive support and content for specific groups – Exclusive content may include live webinars by the host or guests, pre-recorded webinars, downloads such as ebooks, graphics, photos, etc.
  • consulting / therapy and coaching memberships – Exclusive access to information, membership may include allocated time throughout the month for one-on-one calls, chats, etc.
  • group forums – This platform includes member-based forums for member discussions, members can upload photos, videos, etc. Content may be structured the same as the others and include webinars, group coaching calls, or digital meetings for group training or discussions, etc.
Some industries using paid digital memberships include:

Coaches, Counselors, Niche skill-based education and training, Marketing, Book Clubs, Industry Associations

Ready to Build Residual Income for Your Professional Service Company or SaaS Firm? Reach out if we can help!

Do one or two of those ideas fit with your business model and sales goals? Do you already have some content or some prerecorded training or webinars that can be uploaded? If so maybe you can fit in a holiday promotion this year. and get some orders started. Make sure everything looks professional and when the customer receives access they know what the next steps are.

If You Already Have an Idea and Content:

  • Is your course, or download already created?
  • Do you have all of the content complete and need a professional graphic designer to make it legible and attractive?
  • Do you have e-commerce capabilities set up on your website?
  • Have you made it easy for customers to check out?
  • Have you tested your product or course?
  • Have you thought about how you will market it? Who you will market it to?

If you’re not as far along as you would like, or if this is the first time you have thought of these options for your business, don’t rush in. Taking time to plan at this stage will help everything go more smoothly. If you truly think one of these ideas is an opportunity for business growth, take some time with it. Build time into your schedule to write an outline of your course, membership vision, or download. Although these ideas can be implemented eaily if you have the cotnetn, there are a lot of aspects to consider to make this a successful venture.

Questions to Ask If You’re Considering Offering Digital Products:

  • What is your expertise?
  • Who is your customer?
  • What format is best? (Workbook, Love webinar, pre-recorded, a full course with grading, etc.)
  • Is your training applicable for continuing education credits in your industry?
  • Do you have knowledge of workbook, e-book design, and creation?
  • Do you have copywriting skills?
  • How should the materials look? Lively, traditional, artistic, etc.
  • Do you have knowledge of web page formatting?
  • How much will you charge?
  • How will customers pay and how will they get all the content?
  • How will you reach your customer?
  • Can you enlist a few people to test it?
  • Where and how will you market?

There are many pieces to consider to have a successful launch. If you don’t have content at this stage I recommend building this into your planning calendar for next year. Maybe you can pull it together and begin bringing in residual income for your professional service firm in the first quarter. If you need help with any of the stages call us or email today. We have developed 1000s of digital downloads, e-books, workbooks, etc. We also have experience building courses with LearnDash and have worked with UDemy courses as well.

Start with one additional revenue stream and you may be surprised by the new ones that come to you! We would love it if you shared other ideas with our readers. Please post below if you offer any of the options above. Or if you have another passive income stream idea, please share it below.

Why not share your knowledge and add residual income for your professional service business along the way?

Stay connected!

 

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Are You Embarrassed to Share Your Company Website With Prospects??

On September 22, 2021   /   Branding - Marketing, Graphic Design and Web design   /   Leave a comment
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Embarrassed to Share Your Company Website With Prospects

 

Recently I spoke to one of our favorite customers, Life Coach Jamie Lightner, about how the new responsive WordPress website we designed for her was working. We were in a group of other women business owners when I asked the question. Jamie’s response to my question actually made most of the women laugh out loud. She said she loved it and mostly she was happy not to have a website she was embarrassed by anymore! Jamie has an authentic sense of humor that is never lost on the crowd.

However, she explained further that the statement was sadly all too accurate. The free DIY website she built when she started her coaching business over 6 years prior really was embarrassing to her. Her experience, her services and programs, and the technology had all outgrown that initial DIY website solution. Of course, as the chosen website design firm I was happy to know how much our new website design has helped her in such a short amount of time. I knew when we started the new website design, organization and updating of content would help her prospecting and for her current clients. What I didn’t consider was the emotional impact the newly branded website would have.

Some of the reasons you may be embarrassed to share  your company website:

 

  1. Life coach, Jamie Lightner responsive website designOutdated design that looks like it is from another decade
  2.  Broken links that prompt 404-page errors
  3.  Confusing navigation that doesn’t lead the visitor where they intend
  4. The website isn’t responsive and is hard to read on mobile devices
  5. No clear calls to action
  6. Outdated services, products, or promotions
  7. Staff members listed who are no longer with the company
  8. No clear brand messaging or visuals
  9. Competitiors websites are modern and have valuable content
  10. The information doesn’t present current level of expertise
  11. …more…

It was rewarding for me to hear Jamie express that her decision to update her DIY website to a professional website design was the best business decision she has made. She now confidently shares her website URL with prospects and customers and she has quickly realized a return on her investments.

 

Want to Love Your Website Again?

Schedule a 100% free, no-obligation 15-minute consultation.

We’ll visit your website while on the call, talk about your goals and offer some insight. Even if your website is embarrassing right now, we can make it shine again – we promise. Let’s Connect

 

I’d like to say the conversation about being embarrassed to share your company website ended there.

It didn’t. Total transparency, I had to share my true confession that Connection Group also found ourselves in that same predicament.  (Obviously, I was feeling pretty safe with this particular group of women business owners!) My confession didn’t receive a laugh like Jamie’s did. The reaction was more surprise, “You? But your company excels at website design and development!”

After being in business for over 20 years our website has experienced many iterations, much revamping, some re-dos. Remember Flash websites? Yes, as cool as all the moving text and dancing graphics were, there was little to no ROI on that website design technology – and we did it in-house!  But, I digress from the point of my story…

Although we have over 20 years of experience in website design and have one of the most talented responsive WordPress developers leading our team our website was sadly outdated. It wasn’t because we didn’t have the talent, or the desire, or the budget, our reason was we didn’t have the time. We were living the proverbial ‘the cobbler’s children have no shoes’ saying. If you are a small business owner you may relate to our position. Basic business principles taught us customer orders, customer service, and billable hours come first.

We now liken our marketing to putting our own oxygen masks on first – before we save others.

Although we were allocating time for brainstorming, re-branding, targeting key audiences, and content planning, the new website was not given the priority it deserved. In the midst of the planning, COVID hit and our existing and new customers needed us even more. Of course, along with the rush of orders, there was the unknown. In addition to the customer projects we were also being proactive and responding to RFPs that we felt were a good fit.

I will never forget the late night preparingto post our RFP response to a web portal. I made the mistake of checking how many other branding firms had submitted responses. To my dismay, that particular RFP had 64 submissions, 64! To further add insult to injury I decided to check out my competition. I definitely needed to put my oxygen mask on after that! For over an hour I perused modern, sleek, contemporary websites that shone bright like diamonds. Talk about being embarrassed to share your company website with prospects! Ugh! It was too late (literally and figuratively) to do anything about it at that point, so I submitted the RFP and went to bed.

In the end, we did rank pretty high in the selection – because our credentials, experience, and cost were competitive and our proposal rocked. However, what I gained was the insight that taking care of our brand needed to be a higher priority. Never, ever may we make excuses or neglect imprtant components of our branding and prospecting ability.

Today, I am proud to see our new website doing its job. Like Jamie, I too appreciate the ease in updating it with the new front-end editor, the clear brand focus, and imagery we have developed. We took our time to hone in on the services that we do best and we have simplified the navigation and content to make it clear to our customers and prospects. Would we have won that RFP if this new website design was in place earleir? I’ll never know, either way, I know I always want to honor our brand, our abilities, and show our expertise. I want to proudly post our website everywhere and know the information is up to date, attractive, and fully functional on all screens.

So, that’s our story. What about you? Are you embarrassed to share your company website? If so, don’t wait any longer, I promise you, your competition isn’t waiting. Connect today, we’re happy to craft a professional, responsive website you will be proud to share and update for years to come. 

Stay connected!

Hurry and reserve your 15-minute slot today!

Commit to starting the new year strong. All of our websites come with step-by-step training. You and your team will know exactly what to do to keep your website up-to-date.  Let’s Connect

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Adobe® End Support of Postscript Type 1 fonts

On March 16, 2021   /   Branding - Marketing, Design Tips, Graphic Design and Web design, Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
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Adobe® Ends Support of True Type fonts

Nothing is fixed and everything changes. 

With the creation of web fonts, responsive design, and apps in the Cloud, the way fonts are built has changed too. Our team started noticing the adverse effects of these updates when our trusted creative design apps started crashing frequently. We discovered it was often when using older fonts or some designed by certain foundries.  Plus some super fun free ones that maybe weren’t coded well, to begin with, may have played a role. We have come to accept that Adobe Creative Cloud applications (you know the ones all graphic designers live and breathe by) only play well with Adobe cloud fonts. In addition to this realization, Adobe has also announced that they will be ending support of Postscript Type 1 fonts in 2023. 

This all matters to brand owners because the Helvetica typeface your designer used in your business card design from 2017 may not render correctly in your next update. If your brand visuals and logo were designed with Postscript Type 1 fonts or are not developed by Adobe your designer may need to make adjustments.

Options available to ensure your brand fonts are up to date:

  • Change your font entirely if there is not a compatible version of the brand font (stab to the heart)
  • Show certificate of license – depending on how many years ago it was purchased this may be impossible  (the license is probably on some installation CD that was obsolete 5 years ago)
  • Purchase a new font license to continue use, update the font files and ensure they are not type Postscript Type 1 (cha-ching!)
  • Font license pricing is across the board. First, you have to know if your brand materials just incorporate Helvetica Bold or a combination of Helvetica Medium and Helvetica Light Condensed? One font style, like Helvetica Light, can be $9.99 to $99.99. If you need to purchase the whole Helvetica family of fonts (30+ styles) this can begin to break brand marketing budgets.

How can Adobe® dictate how fonts are supported and End Support of Postscript Type 1 fonts?

Connection Group has been using Adobe® Creative Suite since its invention. We started with installation CDs for each software product from Photoshop to InDesign and even Flash. Changing now would be reinventing the wheel – plus there aren’t other compatible options at this time. It’s also not just Adobe® making changes, it’s a digital revolution – nothing is fixed and everything changes.

Personally, I love that we don’t have to frantically locate a license key when a computer station needs a fresh install of Adobe® Creative Cloud.  Adobe® Cloud allows us to install fonts under the Creative Cloud platform at a whim – a font hoarder’s dream. As long as we maintain our Adobe Cloud membership we have the license to use the fonts. However, for fonts to function in all media and for font foundries to protect their licenses, changes had to be made. The font license (like the Adobe cloud license) covers a specific number of users or computers.

When we design brochures, sales sheets, print magazines, etc., the logo graphics and the brand fonts can be sent to the commercial printer or pre-press company. This is still a legal option. Sending fonts to others, such as a virtual assistant, or even your IT personnel may not be covered under the brand design firm’s license.

For new brands and others who have updated their brand visuals recently your need for Postscript Type 1 font support is not likely. Most software applications stopped supporting Postscript Type 1 font in early 2005. Adobe® is one of the last applications to phase them out. If you use Postscript Type 1 fonts in Adobe products and need help preparing for the final demise visit this article in Apple Insider for more information.

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Font Copyright Infringement – Protect Yourself and Your Brand

On January 13, 2021   /   Branding - Marketing, Design Tips, Graphic Design and Web design, Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
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Font copyright infringement

What? What is that all about? Anyone who has designed social media graphics, posted photos to blogs and websites, etc. has encountered information about art and photo copyrights. But font copyright infringement may be new to many of you.

When you hired a graphic design and marketing firm to develop your brand and design your logo you also may have received a brand standards guide. In that brand standards guide, the graphic designer provided names of the fonts utilized for your visual brand. Intentional use of fonts and colors is key to establishing visual consistency in all communications and media promotions.

If you are designing images connected to your brand you will want to purchase licenses for the fonts. Fonts are designed by independent graphic designers and type foundries. Therefore, fonts hold copyrights and require licensing. Much like we do not own our domain names for our corporate websites, we do not ‘own’ fonts. These days with the cloud and digital marketing, discovering font copyright infringement is much easier than it has ever been.

Use of Fonts on Products and Apparel

This is also very important if you are selling products that use fonts. Whether you are designing and selling decorative signs, t-shirts with professional lettering, and any digital artwork for download and reproduction be sure to check the copyright of the fonts you use. Some sublimation printers come with software and fonts that may allow unlimited use, fonts you find online may not. Be sure to check the usage license on all fonts you use. If you are designing products or digital graphics for the mass market, learning to design your own original fonts may be fun. Another option is looking for font designers on Etsy and other marketplaces. Original font designs by freelance artists may be less costly and have more flexible licensing than the large foundries.

Keep in mind, even if you design a clever typographical design, font copyright is different from fine art or graphic design copyright. Just varying the fonts size, color or using a combination of bold, italic, small caps, etc. in a typography design is not enough to claim originality. Protect yourself, read all font licenses very carefully.

Font Copyright Infringement is a Honey Hole for Foundries

Font copyright infringement by individuals and corporations is often done by mistake because of an under licensed or unlicensed font. An innocent mistake doesn’t mean they get off with a warning though. Some foundries look for infringement and get as much revenue from enforcement as from normal licensing! There are now automated bots that can scan for font usage in web pages and posted PDFs. The public seldom learns of lawsuits for font copyright infringement because most are settled out of court.

Although there are some tricks like converting fonts to outlines or only using open-source fonts, etc. it is best to play it safe.  So when you need us to create a new team member business card and your brand font is not up to date or licensed please don’t blame your brand design team for adding a font license fee. It’s not revenue for us. It’s protection for your company and brand and it’s an homage to those clever coders and typeface designers who need to feed their families too.

For more information, we referenced this article on Communication Arts for this blog post. 

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What Skills Makes Great Graphic Designers Stand out?

On October 13, 2020   /   Branding - Marketing, Design Tips, Graphic Design and Web design, Uncategorized   /   Leave a comment
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Great Graphic Designers Grow with Targeted Training

Great graphic designers are trained in Lansing, Michigan! Each year I spend time with local graphic design experts as well as Lansing Community College’s, (LCC), Communication, Media, and Arts Department faculty members. The LCC Annual Advisory Board Meeting is a time where faculty and selected professionals from the Lansing, Michigan graphic design community discuss what is most important for students to learn to succeed in the graphic design industry. It is interesting to hear other professionals and instructors share what talents they are seeing from students and what skills are sorely lacking as they enter the workforce.

Because LCC is a community college, many students are enrolled for an Associates’ degree. This means they receive a mere two years of training. Other students are there to earn credit to transfer to a four-year college. When students are able to attend a four-year university the additional two years at University offers educators the ability to dive deeper into philosophy.

Graphic Design Theory Including:

  • Design concepts
  • Color theory
  • Drawing techniques
  • Nuances in typography
  • Problem-solving
  • Graphic design software training

However, the majority of LCC students plan to earn their Associates’s degree in Graphic Design, Website Design, or Animation, and enter the workforce right after graduation. The challenge for the faculty and Advisory Committee each year is to determine the most important graphic design training for students during their limited enrollment. These students need to have skills and knowledge that employers find valuable. They need to hit the ground running to be able to compete in a competitive field.

In an ideal world, training would cover all areas. This luxury is saved for the colleges and universities where students will receive Bachelor’s in Graphic Design degrees or hang out until they earn a Masters in Graphic Design.
It is a dilemma that we face each year. In the era of COVID, decreased enrollment, reduced budgets, and inflated graphic design software costs, the questions are even more important. What I appreciate most about our annual meeting is that we are determined to address the needs of the students.

Some of the questions we ask include:

  • What can we do to build better graphic design modules for students?
  • What does a graphic designer need to know to hit the ground running when they graduate?
  • Should there be a strong focus on teaching drawing techniques?
  • Are problem-solving techniques most valuable?
  • What about software, is Adobe Creative Suite® the only game in town?
  • How much time should be allotted for learning specific software?
  • What if graphic design firms switch to a different software?
  • What is a process that separates the creative graphic designer from the novice?

So many clearly important questions and all are difficult to answer. Each of our views is distinctive to our chosen areas of expertise. As designers and art appreciators, we consider what we like and what we look for as employers and instructors. My favorite discussion from this year’s meeting was the list compiled of creative prompts and practices all great graphic designers would benefit from establishing. I would love to adopt many of these into my own daily practice as well as my team of the graphic designer team at Connection Group.

Every Graphic Design Student will:

  1. Complete 7 sketchbook pages each week
  2. Design and develop at least one web component with each brand project
  3. Show process – steps taken to get to the finished design
  4. Demonstrate a clear understanding of fonts and how it relates to other visuals
  5. Create a clean design of a boring project, such as a form (shows tenacity!)
  6. Share designs in public – on Pinterest, Facebook, or other platforms and forums
  7. Develop an online portfolio and a solid, neat interview portfolio
  8. Research great design in print and digital format
  9. Subscribe to Communication Arts and other print or digital design magazines)
  10. Students and designers will enjoy doing some of the tasks above and some may find them tedious.

The interesting part is that all of these tasks are important if a graphic designer is going to be well-rounded and successful.

I believe the skill of graphic design can be taught. However, graphic design that stands out, conveys and emotes a moving and clear message is created by those who are skilled in the ability to see things others don’t see. Great graphic designers can break down complex ideas into simple visuals and messages the mass market understands. Neither a two-year or four-year degree ensures this ability.

Whether it is determined that a sketchbook is required in all graphic design classes, or that software training should be the focus, regular review is ket. I am happy LCC critiques their program and is always striving to bring the highest value to their students and to the organizations that hire them. I am proud to be a member of the LCC Graphic Design Department Advisory Board. I know the entire committee is committed to the success of the students and the value they will bring to the industry we love.

So what did I miss? What daily practices do you think great graphic designers can implement to stay inspired?

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