Your Site

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

Managing your Site
While the site is designed, you will want to populate the site. Start with your categories, go light on your sub-categories and make sure all your pictures are about the same length and height. That will help keep all of your pictures aligned. You may also want to consider framing them. Although this may be time consuming the end result is always very professional. Make sure you always populate your site documents as your About Us, Contact Us and Policies pages will become the lifeline of your site and will answer any questions your customer may have.

On the General Settings link you will see some of the information you need to add to your cart, like your business name and address. You can also put your store on vacation so no one will see your work in progress.

Content is also very important. The lack of content will make you look as if you have no experience or fraudulent. You will need to answer questions before they are asked! Why should your customer buy from you? Are you offering enough information to make your customers feel comfortable and invited? Are you talking about your products? Are you using the keywords you chose and repeating them on your content, titles and links? This will become part of the search words customers use to get to you.

Just remember that copying text from other sites, even phrases, will get you penalized with the search engines!!

Going Live

This is the most exciting part as your site becomes live and a viable source of income for your business. After teaching you how to use and manage your cart and configuring it, it is time to think how you will promote and brand yourself on the internet.

Have you ever driven by a McDonald`s and your son or daughter will recognize the golden arches? They have effectively used an icon, a recognizable icon, that has branded them and bred familiarity. But how do you breed familiarity? Advertising! Mailers, newsletters, postcards and ads will get your logo to your customers.

Create promotions, coupons, sales and online parties to get that ball rolling. Send out your newsletter and promote your store. Mail your postcards and get the sale!

In short, having an easy to navigate layout will help your customer have a pleasant shopping experience. Limit the amount of subcategories you choose, or your customer will feel like she is in a maze of categories and subcategories, never finding the product she came to buy in the first place. Highlighting items and features with graphics can be an excellent way to make a sale.Also keep in mind that having too many subcategories will make your site a labyrinth and your client will get lost or will not find the product she needs and leave. You may want to write down what categories and sub categories you may want and in what order.

SEO and Maintenance

SEO- Search Engine Optimization is essential to be successful as it will be your number one tool to be found on the internet. Here are 5 good tips to make sure you are found;

1. Make sure you use your keywords in your content
2. Always submit your site at lease once a month
3. Site maps are very important for SEO so make sure you ask for one!
4. Change your content on your front page often
5. Don`t use your competitor`s name in your keywords!

Following these simple steps will help you keep your site indexed and found!

Stationery

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

There are many good places where to go and print your design. You should always keep in mind that what you see in the computer monitor in RGB- or better known as red, green and blue- in not what you see on printed matter or in CMYK- cyan, magenta, yellow and key.

Paper also plays a big part on how those colors will look. Matte paper will down play vibrance and hue value. Glossy is perfect for vivid color and logos with patterns and the colors stay true to their values. Also the thicker your business card is, the less likely your client is to dispose of it. Please consult with me before choosing a printer.

Illustration and Site

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

After finalizing your logo, I will work on your Girly Design illustration. If you have chosen not to have one, I will work on backgrounds and textures that will complement your logo.Your illustration has ten revisions. After the artwork is finalized and approved. I move on to layout on the site.

I have a very unique process which allows the client to have as much say on the graphics for this area as the want. We discuss in detail your favorite things and styles and I create the illustration. You may have an illustration of you done, as well as change the weather, clothing, scenery to suit any changes to your business and weather. After the site is rendered, a fee will apply to make those changes.

It is very important to me how fluid is the site, since paying attention to this will create a site that is easily accessed. Web art can be effectively used as markers and guides to cue your customer in to what should they click on. It`s a lot like supermarket isles with signs that tells you what is where. Buttons, rollovers, and graphics from your illustration will be put in to the template to make it lively and beautiful. On the site documents I will give you special images you can upload and decorate these pages.

Once you approve the layout, the coding is finalized and the template gets uploaded to the server.

Revision Process

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

After receiving your logos, your natural response will be to show friends and family. Please be aware that every one has an opinion and unless you are set and finalized on your decision, you should know that showing off your logo is not a good idea.

Just as you would only discuss the purchase of a home or having a baby with your significant other and not cousin Emma or your best friend, your logo choices are a part your business. Although they may mean well, they may persuade you out of your decision. Show your logo only after you have made your final decision. A lot of research and planning goes into making a logo and if your well meaning cousin talked you out of your decision, you will be wasting time and money.

Also do not compare the artwork given to you to the logos/sites/illustrations in the site. The logos in my portfolio are considered finished and were fine tuned to the specifications of the client. Your initial logos are not considered not finished. Although I have had many customers like my logos at the initial stage, it is not rare to have them add or remove something later on. Utilize revisions to fine tune and explore options. All ideas will be considered, only those worth implementing will be rendered.

Certain things I will not budge
There are certain things I will not change when requested. I have enough websites under my belt to know better. If I know something will not be right, I will refuse the request. A prime example would be showing your work to another designer. There are certain rules in web design I like to follow and others I like to break. One rule I love to break is left align websites- I hate that rule! I like them center. If the designer likes to left align, he will tell you your site is wrong. If you create a request based on this, I will refuse the request and I will not make the changes. 90% of the time, you will see it my way. Unnecessary changes will make delays.

Business Partners
When there are two owners in a business, both of you must be in agreement and you both must converse first and then email me one email with all your thoughts for revisions. ONLY one of you should communicate with me rather than both of you. If this format is not followed I will not be able to finish the work, as I get as many as 1000 emails a day, and I will get confused.

In most cases, after choosing one of the logos, I can revise it to your liking. If that is not the case you have to choose from one of the three options;

* I can create 4 more logos for an extra fee more and after you choose one of those I will finish your logo package.

* I can make you one more logo and take away one of your revisions and radically change and revise it based on your specifications.

* Choose one of the logos I made you and I will change it to look the way you want it to look, without extra charge or taking a revision.

The Logo

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

A logo is distinctive symbol of a company, object, publication, person, service, or idea. It is also a name, symbol, or trademark designed for easy and definite recognition, especially one borne on a single printing plate or piece of type. It should not have more that 3 elements or 4 colors or otherwise it will be considered an illustration. A strong logo has 2 to 3 colors.

After your logos are done, please choose one, or different elements belonging to the other logos made for you. You own only the logo that gets revised. The finished art work in web ready formats of the logo rendered to you belongs to you- printer ready formats as well as a layered pdf if you paid for the Print License.

In most cases, after choosing one of the logos, I can revise it to your liking. If that is not the case you have to choose from one of the three options;

* I can create 4 more logos for a fee and after you choose one of those I will finish your logo package.

* I can make you one more logo and take away one of your revisions and radically change and revise it based on your specifications.

* Choose one of the logos I made you and I will change it to look the way you want it to look, without extra charge or taking a revision.

Design Process

September 25, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

The Process | Logo | Revisions | Illustration and Site | Stationery | Management

The very first part of the design process is the survey as it will give me an insight of what you feel your graphics should say, feel and represent as your business new mark of brand. It is imperative that you do your best at showing me your samples of the style you prefer, your old logos and site, and your targeted audience. That is the time in which you should research styles, colors and elements that you would like to see on your logo.

Once the survey comes to me, I render the logo. Once that is finalized, the illustration is next. Once that is approved, the site is designed.

Please know that under no circumstances I will NOT consider anyone`s work for copying or producing derivate work. However, I can make a logo/template/site in the style of another without copying design, layout or elements that belong to someone else. No one owns style. If you wear jeans and I wear jeans it is considered sharing a style. But if you wear CK jeans and a white DKNY shirt and I wear the EXACT same thing, I am copying you. Artwork rendered by anyone else will not be considered and I will not copy it.

This is a very crucial time because anything can influence the decision making process. My advice is to take your time. What looks good today, will not be so appealing tomorrow. Admire and deeply look at them. They will represent your company along with the sentiment you want, which will eventually brand you.

Also always check how your site looks in all browsers and even all computers. Mozilla Firefox is one of the best browsers out there and will give you a true view of any site. However I will test your site on 7 different browsers.

Other Services

September 13, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

• SEO Search Engine Optimization, Website Optimization and Marketing
• Stationery, Business card, Postcard Letterhead
• Commercials, Video & Custom Music

Stationery, Business card, Postcard Letterhead

September 13, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

Got your logo? Regardless of what flavor you chose- trendy, haute couture, girly, boutique,retro, feminine or chic. Then get your matching stationery with this package.

• 1-Business Card (one sided design)
• 1-Postcard (one sided design)
• 1-Letterhead
• eBay Banner, site banner or ad banner
• 2 Sided business Card Design available for a fee** Please note the logo will not be given to you in a printable format. You must purchase a license for that.  You can print your logo on you Business Card and Postcard for free.

Haute Couture Web Design & Girly Logos

September 13, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

Luxury web design, complemented by your style. My works brings luxury and depth to your site and stationery. Customers seeking quality and value will be engaged with your products.  Whether your preference in style is girly, sophisticated, feminine, trendy, fashionable, French or just simply couture, you can find girly characters, custom damask prints, feminine stationery, or just luxury web design to suit your style.

I have worked with designers from all over the world. From Parisian Tie Designers at Le Cravatier in Paris, France, to Luxury beauty house DIOR. I know a thing or two about design. After you checkout the rest, hire the original couture web designer.

More that just setting you up with a web site, I set you up for business. A knowledgeable business owner is a successful one and I will impart my knowledge to you. Deliver more than just advertising. Educate your customers on your new products and create sales. High quality commercials that will leave your competition breathless! Just add your girly logo and your flair and let those sales roll. Read more Commercials & Videos.

Donna from Social Butterflies said;

“The girl I was dealing with at party pop said she’d never know I was new, my site looks so professional she would have thought I was in business for years!  I told her I have the best web designer!! Thanks again for all of the valuable help.  What’s that visa commercial, new sweater, $100, night a the movies, $50, Elaine, priceless!!!!”

Elegant, Feminine & Girly Natural Media Illustration

September 13, 2008 | Filed Under Learning | Leave a Comment 

Exquisite hand made digital illustration that are both enchanting and feminine. This illustrations will have extractable elements you can use on your site and stationery that are brandable. Please visit La Bliss weddings for a sample.
Choose from watercolor and digital watercolor illustrations, airbrush, color pencil and many more. Enjoy the richness of natural media! Logo and background included!
**Print license necessary to print illustration. If displayed on a site must have link referencing authorship to elainebissdesigns.com as the illustrator.

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