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Welcome to our New ribit Web Site

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Yes, we are the cobbler’s child. At least every five years we totally redo our web site. Trash the old one and start over from scratch.

This time we decided to leave the old content management system we used (short tutorial – a content management system is a database driven system that allows us to build you a web site where the content of the pages is separate from the design and structure of the web site. This allows us to be able to give the web site owner a user name and password that will allow them to update the content on the pages without changing the design or structure of the web site, using a content editor that is “similar” to editing in your basic word document editing software package.) and switch to WordPress.

WordPress offered a lot of advantages, ease of use being first and foremost. WordPress also has a huge community building Plugins, small applications that add functionality to the “base” program. You want more SEO (search engine optimization – what you need to get higher in the Google rankings) than you get out of the “box” from WordPress, there is a plugin for that. You want a Captcha field (those annoying squiggly letters that automated programs can’t generate to “steal” the form) to go with your contact form, there is a plugin for that. You want it, someone has probably already made a plugin for it.

So why didn’t we “switch” sooner. We at ribit pride ourselves on not only creating sites that work, that incorporate the SEO you need, that connect you to the Social Media, that have a blog, but we create sites that have unique designs that reflect the owner of the web site – that will help them reach their marketing goals and objects. Whenever we looked at WordPress sites, well, they looked like WordPress sites.

The challenge for us was how to make a WordPress site that doesn’t look like a WordPress site. This is what we came up with, different frog paintings on each page, the blog (okay the blog looks like a WordPress blog), a portfolio that is very clean and highlights just a smattering of our work.

We are going to be added to the site in the coming weeks, keep coming back to see how the site progresses. And welcome to our new site!

Posted in Design, General, Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media | 10 Comments »

Is PR Really Necessary?

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

If you build it won’t they come? Clients always think if you build them a beautiful web site, a great web site, if you put in all the meta information (code that the people creating your web site put in that the search engines read) that correlates with all the information on your site, that people will come by the droves to their site. Alas, only in Kevin Costner movies does “…if you build it, they will come” work (and yes, for the uninitiated, I am referring to a line in the movie Field of Dreams).

So you have your blog on your web site (or you are using a WordPress, Blogspot, Blogger or one of the many other blogging web sites available) and that is garnering some interest. And you took our advice and you set up a Facebook Fan Page for your company, and you started to use Twitter, but how do you get people to know about all the great things you are doing (and saying).

That is where PR comes to the rescue. Yes, your blog, your Facebook Fan Page, your Twitter account, your YouTube Channel are all pieces of your PR campaign, but you need a coordinated campaign and a way to reach your audience.

Public Relations campaigns are built around reaching the appropriate individuals in the media to get your story out to the masses (i.e., your potential customers and clients). Most people think you can just send out a press release and viola! Instant Story. Front page of the paper. Not so fast. To get good coverage you have to sell your story, you have to have a relationship with the reporters and know how to engage them. More importantly you need someone who knows how to get your story in the paper, on the air, or in their blog.

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Posted in General, Marketing | 1 Comment »

One Step

Wednesday, June 17th, 2009

It all starts with a step. Whether it is finding a new job, a new client, writing your next blog, or coming up with a 140 characters for Twitter it all starts with a step. You either have to get on line and look for job listings or hit the networking circuit, or put a letter on the page (that’s what is the most difficult for me, that shockingly blank white page).

In my experience, once you get past that first step, it is all so much easier. It is just like when we were kids, don’t dangle a foot in the pool, just jump on it. Yes it is cold. Yes it is shocking. But you are in the pool, and now it doesn’t seem so hard.

I realize that you need to organize your desk drawers, vacuum, take the dog for a walk. These are all very important things that keep you from taking that first step. At least I know they are things I think I need to do when there is a project that is daunting. I find if I just jump in with both feet I am through before I know it.

I know we all think that we have no boundaries and have no time, but I actually find that as long as I don’t procrastinate, I have all the time I need. It is when I start to stall and delay that the day goes on forever, because I never started what I needed to finish. I never looked for the client, I never wrote the blog, I never came up with a mere 140 characters to amaze and amuse my followers (however few of them there might be).

I made a mid-year resolution (yes a mid-year) to be better about blogging, I have been sporadic so far this year and I pledge to be better. So start to check back often to see what topic I have picked, I will be entertaining and enlightening. At least it’s a step.

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Posted in General | No Comments »

Mashups Explained!

Friday, September 7th, 2007

Mashups, you have been hearing the term, but you don’t know what it is. A mashup is a new type of web application using content already existing on the web in a new and innovative way. Mashups are considered part of Web 2.0. A good example of a mashup is chicagocrime.org, a web site that combines crime data from the Chicago Police Department with Google Maps. Google not only supports mashups, but they provide actual mashup framework and tools.

Not all mashups are map oriented, stumbleupon.com is search engine that is unique in that it matches the search results to your personal preferences. As they state on their site “Using search engines to locate relevant content typically means hunting through pages of results. Rather than searching for quality web sites, StumbleUpon members are taken directly to web sites matching their personal interest and preferences.” Joining is easy, over 3.3 million people have already joined.

If you have a blog and want to increase your reach you should use the mashup feedburner.com. FeedBurner allows you to “pubvertise” (their word, not mine) your blog through their web site. FeedBurner will analyze, optimize, publicize, monetize and troubleshoot your blog performance! An innovative way to build better blogging networks for a minimal cost.

If you want to customize your browsing use webwag.com. Webwag allows you to access all the information and services that matter to you, you can choose the newsfeeds, online services, live TV, emails, sticky notes, weather forecasts, etc. all from your Webwag page. You can even choose to have a Flickr feed so that you can keep up with your favorite pictures. My favorite is the Sodoku feed, you can choose how hard or how easy a sudoku challenge you want and can even see the solution if you get stuck!

There are a lot of good mashups out there, if you are interested in finding more just go to one of the mashup directories. I personally like mashup.com’s “Software Mashup of the day”. Have fun finding the right mashups for you!

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Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Redesigning Your Web Site

Thursday, July 26th, 2007

Before beginning the web design process, determine why you are doing a web design and what are your goals and objectives for your new web site. Do you want to move your site to the next level, make it a call to action? This can be done by allowing visitors to subscribe to a monthly newsletter or having an e-commerce section on your web site. Remember if you have people sign up for a newsletter, you will have to produce a newsletter. A simple HTML newsletter can be created as a part of many content management systems.

Is your site redesign being used as a way to bring visitors back to your site, if so you might consider switching to a content management-based web site. Content management systems allow you to easily update your web site yourself. No need to know HTML, if you can type you can update your web site. This will keep the site current and allow your visitors to see something new each time they visit your site. (more…)

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Posted in Design, General, Marketing | 3 Comments »

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