Template Verses the Professional

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Posted on 23rd February 2010 by suem in In Your Business

If you’re a business owner, you know you need a website! Although it may be tempting to buy a pre-made template and do it yourself, there are several things to consider before making that choice.

1)     Whether you sell a product or service, you are a specialist at what you do. InSight Design Studios is as well. We have the education and experience needed to establish your professional web presence.

2)     As a business owner it is extremely difficult to find the time to create and launch even a basic website. There will be some time involved on your part when working with a designer but not nearly as much.

3)     Your site should stand out from the rest. A template is a template. You need an experienced person, well versed in programming languages to be able to truly customize your website. This is more than visual appeal. It is also a matter of functionality.

4)     Making the right color choices for back round, fore ground, and font are more difficult than you may think. If the site is visually unappealing or hard to read it will encourage visitors to leave your site before seeing what your business offers.

5)     Font selection is important. The font in your site should not be too big or small. Over use of capitalization or odd column width will not create a pleasant experience for readers. A website designer, with experience in cascading styles, will produce text that is easily read and flows throughout the entire site.

6)     Search Engine Optimization is more involved than you may think. Our design firm will make sure your site has internal linking, proper site structure and target keywords. We will also submit your information to online registries.

7)     Content Management Systems templates are very desirable because they allow you to add and edit text without extra site maintenance costs.  A reputable Design firm will not only build this functionality into your site but provide the necessary training to your employees to use it efficiently.

8)     Where do you turn when there is a problem with your site that you can’t fix? InSight Design Studios never outsources work to third parties. Your information is always readily available and you can contact us with problems for timely maintenance.

You website is not only a powerful marketing tool but also a reflection of your business. It is important to make a good impression. That is what we specialize in. We will do our job and allow you to concentrate on the business at hand.

No More Job Fairs

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Posted on 19th February 2010 by suem in Free Range Friday

I am one of “those” mothers who for the most part stayed home with my children when they were young. During that time, I took a series of part time jobs for extra money and to have a reprieve from Barney the Dinosaur and finger-painting projects. My husband and children’s schedule always determined the work I took. Career wise, I was hardly on the fast track. At the time, my part time gigs served their purpose. I didn’t much care if the pay was lousy, my boss was a jerk or even that the tasks I was expected to perform didn’t “feed my soul.” Sorry Oprah! I had other priorities. Even when the kids were older, I took jobs closer to home that wouldn’t involve traveling. This can be limiting when it comes to finding your dream job.

I’ve spent the last 10 years or so working in sales. My last job, in my opinion, had run its course. I could tell by the long conversations I was having with myself every morning, starting with the laundry list of all of the reasons I should quit. After the rant, the conversation ended with me trying to convince myself that it wasn’t so bad. At least I had a job, right?  So many people were out of work. Fortunately, over the holidays, my new boss and old friend recruited me to work for her at InSight Design Studios.

Sales are what I do but selling website and graphic design services are not. There was going to be a bit of a learning curve and having a boss, who is also a friend, left me feeling the pressure. Needless to say, the first month of the job, my emotions were all over the place.

But then came last Monday. I was enjoying the 20-minute ride to the office, singing off key to Jagged Little Pill and realized I was actually excited about going to work.

At first I thought it must be because I was leaving the old homestead. It was not exactly a stellar weekend for my family. An extremely nasty stomach flu decided to invade The Matheson house. It not only made my husband and son sick, but my son’s friend who was visiting as well. (His mother, in all her wisdom, decided he was best left with us until he recovered. She was afraid her two younger children might catch it.) Unfortunately for me, who was holding my own, it now meant more work and one more person to get me sick as well.  Let’s just say I now know how the bucket emptier in a Roman vomitorium felt.  So with that, the extra laundry, dispensing broth, and bleaching every surface that the infected masses touched, of course spending the Monday elsewhere would be pretty appealing.

Tuesday and Wednesday I was working from home. Everyone seemed to be on the mend and were able to take care of themselves, so why was I wishing I was at work? Thursday’s ride in was a repeat of Monday’s bliss. I was perplexed. (I’ve never been very in touch with my feelings. I think I have my waspy parents to thank for that.) It took me the better part of Thursday to come to the realization that I am loving this job. So it took me three days to figure it out. After 28 years of working jobs I didn’t love, taking 72 hours to find out I really loved this one doesn’t seem so bad.