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  • October16th

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    Blog Basics 101

    Posted in: Articles

    Even with all of the different forms of social networking today, a blog (from web log) is still a popular communication tool. Blogs are usually written by one person and should be updated regularly. Think of it as an online journal. It is a way for you to express your thoughts, give advice, share information and, most importantly, communicate first-hand with a broad audience. A blog is usually arranged in chronological order from the most recent post (or entry) at the top of the page to the older entries towards the bottom. All posts are archived and can be categorized for searchability.

    Believe it or not, a blog is actually a two-way communication tool. Every blog has the ability to create dialogue between the author and audience. Readers can leave comments on blog posts and the author can respond instantaneously. Readers can reply to other readers to create a dynamic conversation tool.

    You can have a blog added on to your current site or you can have a Website that is only a blog. While our site has a blog component added on to it (what you are reading right now), BrianKatcher.com is an example of a site that is only a blog. Either site is acceptable; it really just depends on your style and how much information you have to share.

    Think your site would benefit from a blog? Contact us! Check back next week on the features of the iDesigns CMS blog add-on.

  • October1st

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    Featured Add-on to CMS: Build Your Own Forms!

    Posted in: Articles

    A new feature that we’ve just added to our content management system is the ability for users to create forms on their site – no technical knowledge needed! A simple “drag and drop” function allows you to build your own forms (such as a contact form) with a variety of fields including text, file uploads, dropdowns, email fields, checkboxes and radio buttons. You can even create a custom field and add it to the form, which means getting whatever information you want from your site visitors.

    You can even mark some fields as required and set custom validation messages. Once the form is completed, an email will be sent to you with the form submission information (this form can also be sent to multiple email addresses). Finally, the form submissions can be stored in a database for quick, online browsing or exported to a CSV file.

    Contact us today to get this build-a-form feature added to your CMS!

  • September23rd

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    What is a Content Management System and do I need one?

    Posted in: Articles

    Users can easily update text and change formatting using a toolbar.

    CMS users can easily update text and change formatting using a toolbar.

    Recently, we have talked a lot about content management systems or CMS. Since many of our current and new clients are transferring their sites to a CMS, we thought this would be a good time to describe what a content management system is exactly and just how easy it is to use.

    A CMS is used to maintain and update a Website’s content, which includes graphics, copy, titles, photos, links, etc. Probably the easiest part of a CMS is changing and adding written copy to your site (especially if you have frequent updates). Editing copy on a CMS site is similar to using a word processing program, which means you don’t need to know any HTML coding. Once you are satisfied with the updates, you can push the updates live with just a click of a button. It’s really that easy!

    Another great feature of the CMS is that you can update your site from any computer as long as you have an Internet connection – no more Dreamweaver or FrontPage! Think how nice it would be to update your site while traveling for work.

    To read more about the iDesigns Content Management System, visit our Services page.

    Sources: Next Step Design Solutions (2009) and Two Step Designs (2003)

  • September15th

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    Check Out Radleigh’s New Digital Downloads Store!

    Posted in: Client Updates

    A popular part of Radleigh Valentine’s site (MagicalThings.com) is his online Radfirmations©. Several people asked him to sell his Radfirmations© on his site so they could listen whenever they wanted — on their PCs, iPods iPhones, etc. We decided a digital download store add-on with a content management system would be the best option for him.

    With this new add-on and content management system (CMS), Radleigh can add new mp3s to the digital store, manage his current ones, set pricing and even follow his Radfirmation© sales. All the payments flow right into his PayPal account. 

    We even took it a step further and customized the look of the digital store to match his current site. Full training on uploading the files and navigating the CMS were included in the package.

    This was a great addition to Radleigh’s site, and now his audience can own a little piece of the magic! To visit Radleigh’s Radfirmations© store, click here.

  • September9th

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    3 Tips for Writing for the Web

    Posted in: Articles

    Writing for the web is different from writing for print. For one thing, your online audience’s attention span is a lot shorter. These readers typically scan articles instead of reading word for word; trying to get as much information in as little time as possible. So how do you make sure your content is compelling enough to keep readers on your page before they are lured elsewhere? Here are three quick tips that you can use for your website, newsletters, blogs, etc. Happy writing!

    1. Keep it short and sweet. Try to limit yourself to about 600 words or one or two screens of content, with minimal scrolling. Trim your word count by writing shorter sentences, using abbreviations and varying the format, i.e., Q&As and lists.

    2. Break it up. Bullet points, numbered lists, bolding and subheads draw the reader’s eye down the page. Use lists whenever possible. Many times lists are read first and the rest is ignored.

    3. Link to other stuff. If you reference something on your own site or even on another’s site, link to it. Don’t make your reader search for information on your site. It doesn’t have to be a “click here” link either. Nowadays, everyone knows what hyperlinked text looks like and what it does.

    These tips should get you started. Send your writing tips to amy@idesignssolutions.com.

  • September8th

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    WordPress Worm

    Posted in: News/Messages

    You may have heard of a worm that is posting malware and spam to some WordPress blogs. We have checked into this, and since all of our clients are using WordPress version 2.8.4, they are unaffected by this worm. However, if you experience any problems, please contact us immediately.

  • August29th

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    We’ve Redesigned Our Site

    Posted in: News/Messages

    We have updated idesignssolutions.com to better showcase our services and portfolio. At the top of the homepage, a scrolling window shows some of our recent client projects. These projects range from a custom blog, template customization, e-commerce implementation and site redesigns.  The middle of the page contains a Twitter feed; all of our tweets will show up on our homepage now. Contact us if you are interested in any of these features for your own site. Also, be sure to check out our detailed list of services.

    We’re also going to feature web and business-related articles every week, such as writing for the web, popular site add-ons and which clients’ sites we’ve recently launched. We hope you find these and other articles on how to enhance your web presence helpful. If there is a subject matter you would like to learn more about, we are open to suggestions. Email your suggestions to amy@idesignssolutions.com.

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