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Category Archives: Consulting

Consulting Programming

A Host of a Different Color

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Has a website loading too fast ever annoyed you? What about too slow? Yea, slow is not good. Even worse, Google will downgrade slow sites. Not all hosting environments are the same. The low-end hosting providers tend to provide, well …. low-end quality, and potentially low-end performance. This might work fine for a simple, low traffic site. Since server virtualization became a big deal and drove server prices down, many hosting providers have begun to offer a type of service commonly called “VPS” — Virtual … Continue reading →

Consulting Marketing

Understanding Bounce Rates

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bounce rate

If you’re throwing a party, you don’t want to hear your guests say, “Let’s bounce.” The same can be said for your website. So, what can you do to keep your website visitors “at the party” and hanging around longer? In this blog entry, we’ll take a look at a few tips that can decrease your bounce rate and increase your metrics. WHAT IS BOUNCE RATE? First, let’s define what the bounce rate is and why you want to keep it low. Bounce rate percentage … Continue reading →

Consulting Marketing

Building a Bridge for Your Brand

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The emerging trend in marketing has roots in traditional marketing but has evolved with the rise of web-based marketing. It’s called “cross-platform” marketing, which is simply integrated marketing over a variety of outlets. However, coordinating an effective cross-platform marketing campaign is not so simple. If you have a product or business that appeals to a variety of people in different demographics, placing the same message on separate outlets is probably not the best solution. For instance, targeting Facebook and Twitter users would connect with the … Continue reading →

Consulting Programming

Mobile First – The Way of the Future

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In early 2010, Google announced it was adopting a “mobile first” product strategy. While Google did not coin the phrase “mobile first”, they were probably the first major player to publicly adopt a mobile first strategy. So what does Google mean by “mobile first” and why should I care? Well first a few factoids: In India today, more people access the internet via smartphones than desktops. The same thing will be true in the US by 2015 according to many. (See this IDC report). Comscore actually … Continue reading →

Consulting Marketing

The 2013 Social Media Marketing Crystal Ball

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crystal-ball

Social media and its platforms are in a state of constant evolution. In 2012 alone, we saw Facebook launch (yet another) overhaul, adding the much-maligned and eventually accepted Timeline feature. LinkedIn is in the process of updating its look and Twitter made adjustments to profile pages. One thing that has remained constant is social media’s interconnectivity with businesses and consumers. Most marketing experts agree that 2013 will see even more B2B and B2C growth. Digital Marketing Suite surveyed more than 50 leaders in the digital … Continue reading →

Consulting Programming

6 Pillars to Successful Web Design

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6 pillars2

The web is primarily a visual medium.  When visiting a website for the first time, we rely on an abundance of visual cues to instruct us on what actions to take, what buttons to click, and what content to read.  Too often though, people place the appearance of their website on a pedestal, and fail to consider the other components that are vital to a website’s success. If we think of a website like a house, then nice looking windows,  landscaping and paint, can make … Continue reading →

Consulting Programming

Check-In Before You Plug-In

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plugins

Let’s suppose you’ve recently completed a website redesign. Aside from the fresh facelift given to your website, your redesign may have also included a Content Management System (CMS), which allows you to take charge of updating your content. Using a CMS rather than a web design professional makes economic sense, and affords you some control without having to learn how to code. Often times though, a basic CMS may lack a bit of functionality that you believe would be beneficial. Thankfully, someone else has likely … Continue reading →

Consulting Design Marketing Programming

DBS V5.0 is now live!

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websitev5.0

DBS>Interactive has seen and experienced a lot of change throughout our 10 years as an interactive agency. So much so, that it’s sometimes funny to think about how things used to be. We were building websites when a dial tone was required to access the Internet. We were building websites when Yahoo was the #1 search engine. We were even building websites when floppy discs were the industry standard. Throughout all the change in the industry, however, our core values have never altered. We still … Continue reading →

Consulting

Education. There’s an App for That…

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Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at The Kentucky Association for Psychology in the Schools (KAPS) on the topic of integrating technology and education into a program that aids in student learning. The United States’ public education system is failing. National rankings in science and math are at an all time low, and test scores have remained relatively stagnant since the 1970’s. It’s not about who should be blamed. A better question is who or what is going to lead that change. I … Continue reading →

Consulting

Building Strong Client Relationships

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“Integrity is the essence of everything successful.” – Richard Buckminster Fuller As a client services professional, I am continuously gaining new insight on the importance of maintaining strong and trusting relationships with my clients. Like most people in the field of customer service, I encounter different personalities and circumstances on a daily basis. What I have discovered over the years is that regardless of the industry, people are highly receptive to how they are treated and will respond accordingly. Therefore, it is imperative that a … Continue reading →

Consulting Design

Google+ from a Designer’s POV

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For the past two weeks, our marketing department has combed through Google’s new social network, Google+ and provided their expertise and opinion on the various features. Overall, our marketing department is overwhelmingly positive in their opinion of Google+ and believes that it is a promising alternative to social media giant, Facebook. While I also agree with them, as a designer, I tend to see things from the perspective of a designer. Improper spacing, padding, and kerning of letters is more of a pet peeve to … Continue reading →

Consulting

Common Sense Guide to Online Reputation Management

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We live in an era where anyone can produce and share content that everyone can see online. Although it likely won’t exist for all eternity, much of this content will stay published for a long time and can’t be undone. More and more people are using social media to share their experiences with others, whether good or bad, and these shared reflections can make a lasting impression on your reputation. A negative online reputation can have detrimental effects. Think of how a potential client, customer, … Continue reading →