Over the years I've learned a few things about what makes a website successful. Here are six basic mistakes people make. Cluttered Home Page - I've seen my share of websites that feel like Encyclopedia Britannica threw up on them. These days seconds make the difference between success and failure of your home page. Does the end user get directed quickly to where they want to go? Or are they frustrated they can't find what their looking for quickly? Frustrated experience leads to a higher bounce rate, percentage of visitors who enter the site … [Read more...]

Hey another year has past and this year brought many new plugins for WordPress that have made my job easier and added improved functionality to my client websites. Here's a list of the top WordPress plugins I started using this year. (See my Bells & Whistles page for complete recommended plugin list). Backup Buddy - Premium plugin that makes a number of tedious jobs easier. Tasks such as backing up and moving website from one server to another are a snap now. Totally worth the price. Digg Digg - Display counts for popular social butons … [Read more...]

Our team has seen an increase in repeat business the last couple months. This speaks to our ability as web developers and professionalism regarding customer care. Its really rewarding that this repeat business is not for redesigns but rather for other divisions within the original organization. ITW Illinois Tool Works Inc. is a Fortune 200 company that produces engineered fasteners and components, equipment and consumable systems, and specialty products. Today, it employs nearly 60,000 people in 825 business units across 52 countries. We … [Read more...]

I woke up on the right side of the bed this morning because I was feeling extremely appreciative of the things that improve my life. Hopefully you'll already have some of these things. Maybe you'll consider a purchase in your future. Weber Grills My neighbor has a Weber Grill from the 70's he never takes care of. It sits on his deck rain, shine, or snow and it starts every time. After going through a few grills during that span I decided to purchase a Weber Grill. The price is 2 or even 3 times more then comparable grills but the quality it … [Read more...]