Old City Web Services

Take Your Website Outside!

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40% of OldCity.com's Traffic in July was Mobile.

Step out on St. George Street on a busy Saturday and you won't have to wait more than five minutes to see someone searching the web on a smart phone. Mobile devices are becoming incredibly popular for people on the go, and visitors to St. Augustine are no exception.

In the month of July, OldCity.com received over 19,000 visits from mobile devices -- 40% of our total unique visits for the entire month.

iPhones and iPads lead the way.

Of our 19,000+ visits from mobile devices, more than 13,000 of them came from iPhones and iPads. With Apple products dominating the mobile scene, that means we all have to be cautious about using Flash and other components on our websites that do not work with Apple devices.

If your website has a lot of Flash -- a type of programming that makes your website look animated -- mobile visitors on Apple devices will have trouble using it. This may translate to lost business for you, which is why it's so important to keep with the times and have a mobile website.

Our solution: It's time for an all-in-one upgrade.

In about eight weeks' time we can give your entire website an upgrade with a new look & feel, new content management system (which gives you the option of making your own updates) and a clean, easy to use mobile website.

Our mobile website plug-in takes the content from your regular website and automatically converts it for mobile users. You don't have to have a second site, you don't have to make updates twice, everything is controlled under one roof with one easy solution.

Test drive some of our mobile sites by visiting the sites below on your computer and a mobile device to compare:

  • oldcitywebservices.com
  • sunsetgrillea1a.com
  • atjourneysend.com

To receive more info, pricing or ask questions about our mobile website options, please give us a call or send us an e-mail:

904-867-4112

letusmarketyou@oldcity.com. 

Does Your Logo Have Wrinkles? 5 Signs it’s Time for a new Logo

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1. Your logo is not part of the digital age.

If we asked you to email us a copy of your logo, would you be able to do it? Almost all designers whether they're creating websites, brochures, T-shirts, embroidered uniforms, billboards or anything else will need a digital copy of your logo, preferably in the format known as EPS. An EPS file is created using vectors instead of those tiny little squares on your screen called pixels, this way your logo can be expanded or shrunk to any size without getting blurry or distorted.

2. Your logo is black and white.

If your logo didn't make the transition to color along with Dorothy and Toto, it's time for a change. We can help you breathe life into an old logo just by adding some bright, fresh colors!

3. Your logo doesn't match your company name.

Have you changed the name of your company since your logo was first designed? It doesn't have to be a big change, but even something as simple as adding an "Inc." or "& Partners" should be reflected in your logo so that your brand is consistent every where your customers see it.

4. Your logo contains a phone number.

There was a time when it was considered an advantage to have your phone number in your logo. But as times have changed and you're using your logo in more things like your website, mobile apps, brochures, etc. you've probably run into some situations where you don't need the phone number in with your logo. Having the phone number as part of your logo image will also prevent mobile devices from recognizing the phone number for one-touch dialing. We can help you separate the two so your logo will be more versatile for your marketing.

5. Your logo comes in many shapes & sizes.

Do you have multiple versions of your logo on different materials? You might have an old edition on your uniforms, a newer version on your company vehicles and a third variation you use for your advertising. That can be really confusing for customers. Give your business a clean, continuous image by simplifying things down to one logo with one set of color options and one tagline. We can help!

If you need help tweaking your logo, give us a call or shoot us an e-mail:

904-867-4112

letusmarketyou@oldcity.com. 

Twitter Terror? Take Control With These Easy 6 Tips

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1. Have a mission

Just like anything else, your Twitter account needs to have a purpose. For what reason do you need to get on Twitter and post information? Here are a few examples of possible mission objectives:

  • Find new customers
  • Keep current customers informed
  • Demonstrate your expertise
  • Form relationships with other businesses

2. Use a photo or logo for your icon

Personalize your icon with a photo or logo image so when it shows up in someone's feed they will know who it's coming from without having to look at the name.

3. Fill out your profile 

Make sure you add a name, location, short bio and most importantly a link to your website in your profile. Not only will that guide customers to your website, it also helps link your Twitter account and website in the eyes of the search engines.

4. Be mindful of your online legacy

Tweets are public -- they can appear in search rankings and will likely stick around on the internet for many years to come. So be very mindful of the things you say and how they will play into the online legacy of your business.

5. Shorten your links

When you add a link in your tweets, be sure to use a website like bit.ly or ow.ly to shorten your links. You only have a 140 characters to work with, every one counts!

6. Use good grammar!

Tweets are not to be confused with texts!

Only use abbreviations when absolutely necessary and make sure to read over your tweets a couple times for spelling mistakes and typos, especially if you're using a mobile device.

For more tips on social media and websites, give us a call or shoot us an e-mail:

904-867-4112

letusmarketyou@oldcity.com. 

How Are You & Facebook Getting Along?

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Are you making strides with your Facebook marketing strategy?

Over the last few months we've held a couple of Facebook workshops to help business owners like you figure out how to create an effective and efficient strategy for the social media site.

For those of you who were unable to attend, we've shared some tips and pointers in our e-mails and blog as well, so now we want to know how things are going!

Do you have more fans?

Has your total number of likes grown over the last month or so? With more likes comes a greater reach, because you can not only share your updates with people who have liked your page, but with their friends as well.

Are you posting more often?

In our workshops we shared a few ideas for posts, pictures and status updates. Have you made an effort to update your Facebook fan page more? Planning your posts in advance goes a long way to saving you time, so all you have to do is hop on and post an update each morning -- it will take less than a minute of your time and do wonders toward interacting with your customers and fans.

Do you know how to tag people?

How are your skills with Facebook's different features like tagging, link sharing, etc.? Have you added some major events in your business history to the timeline? What about the navigation buttons at the top of the page? Those are great places for adding links and adding function to Facebook with different apps.

Are we making you feel overwhelmed?

Sorry for all the questions! We don't mean to make you feel overwhelmed, but if you do feel like you're in over you're head we're armed with a life ring and ready to go!

If you're interested in joining the next edition of our Facebook workshop, send us an email at: 

letusmarketyou@oldcity.com. 

We'll add you to the list and let you know as soon as we've set the date for the next event!

5 Signs Your Website is Over the Hill

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#5 Your website is too skinny.

This can mean one of two things -- either you have a website that was designed around the start of the new millennium that was narrow to accommodate the small screen sizes back then, or you have too little content on your website. Either way, it's time for a new site with new information built for widescreen monitors.

#4 Your website is the odd man out.

Do you have new business cards, brochures, shirts and other items with the company's latest colors and logo while your website still has the old stuff? Don't let your customers get confused when your signs, print items and other promotional pieces don't match your website. It's time to make everything look the same across the board.

#3 Your website can't hang with new browsers. 

Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox are both on Version 10 of their browser software (what you use to surf to the internet). With each new update, websites get left behind because they are no longer compatible. It's time for a new website that can grow with the changes on the Internet.

#2 Your website is losing the race. 

Have you looked at your competitors' websites lately? If they've got a newer site with extra bells and whistles you'll have to work twice as hard to keep up. It's time to get a leg up on the competition again with an all new website.

#1 Your website is immobile.

Surely you've heard by now (probably from us) that technology has provided a new way to keep up with changes to your website on your own through a content management system (CMS). Instead of paying someone else to make updates or even worse, not making any updates at all, you can do them with the click of a button using a CMS. It's time to put the power in your hands to make your website the best on the block.

If you fell into any of the above categories, give us a call and set up a free consultation to learn more about what kind of new, custom website we can create for you.

Just trust us, it's time.

3 Print Design Updates You Need

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Are you still digging brochures, rack cards or business cards out of the same box you had printed five years ago? It might be time to take a look at those old materials and see what we can help you update!

Here are a few things we can update/add to your print designs:

1. QR Code 

You've probably seen these black and white barcode boxes all over the place lately, but do you know what they're for? Customers with smart phones (iPhones, Androids, Blackberries, etc.) can use the camera on their phone to scan the code, which will then take them straight to your website with one click.

The codes can also display a message (like a coupon code) or a phone number or they can go to a specific link like your Facebook page. QR Codes make print designs into a dynamic marketing tool you can use to drive more traffic to your website! If you don't have one yet let us know and we can create one for you and add it to your business card, brochure, rack card or any other print material.

2. Photos

Are the photos in your print designs starting to date your business? If the clothing and hairstyles in your photos are clearly from another era, it may be time to get some new photography of your business. Photos are the best way to engage with potential customers, so if yours aren't grabbing their attention, we can help! Call us for photography and design updates.

3. Directions

Does your print design provide good directions to your location? The landscape of St. Augustine changes on almost a daily basis with the addition and removal of buildings around town. If your brochure or rack card uses landmarks that no longer exist or if there's a new landmark that could help customers track down your business, it's time to update the old map and make sure you can be found!

We're happy to help you make updates to your print designs! Give us a call to arrange a free consultation and receive a quote on making updates!

News, Notes & Content Management Systems

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Our workshops are continuing to grow!

Yesterday we followed up the success of our Facebook workshops by hosting our first Google Analytics Business Clinic. Our clients in attendance learned all about using statistics gathered from their website to improve their web presence, convert more customers and build their business.

We will be announcing another Google Analytics seminar soon, as well as additional workshops with new topics. If you have a topic suggestion or would like to find out more about signing up, please give us a a call or send us an e-mail!

A new content management site for Rodbender! 

Our friends at Rodbender Fishing Charters have a new home on the web with a built-in content management system. The optimized website features a photo gallery, contact form, custom Facebook icon and more! Visit the new website to see what OCWS put together for Captain Chuck and his crew.

The new Rodbender site is also hosted by Old City Web Services, which includes a link and listing on OldCity.com. Since we added the link a month ago, the new Rodbender website has seen a major increase in visits just from OldCity.com referrals!

If your website isn't listed on OldCity.com, call us to find out how you can be added.

How can a content management system save you money? 

The benefits of a content management system on your website are endless. In addition to the ease of use the system provides for making changes and updates to your site, it can also save you money.

How? Well, even if you don't have the time to make website updates yourself, we can make your changes faster using the content management system. Reducing our time reduces your cost as well, which means savings for you!

We're always here to help. If you'd like more information about content management systems, give us a call and we'll be glad to answer all of your questions.

The Value of Google Analytics

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Get to know the people who are visiting your website.

Have you ever wondered how many people visit your website? How long do they stay on the website? What pages do they visit? How did they find your website?

Google Analytics can answer all of these questions! This incredible program is free to use and tracks nearly every statistic imaginable about your website, including:

  • Number of visits and unique visits your website receives
  • Average length of time spent on your website
  • Average number of pages viewed by each visitor
  • The most visited pages on your website
  • The number of mobile visitors your site receives
  • Keywords used most often to find your website
  • Geographic location & primary language of your visitors

What can you do with this information? 

The information Google Analytics provides is very valuable to your business. Understanding your current website traffic and how visitors are using your website will help you improve your site and, as a result, increase your traffic.

As an example, you might discover that 80% of visitors enter your website on the About Us page and never make it to your home page. Knowing this would help you tailor the text and photos on your About Us page to provide essential information that might currently be on the Home page. You could also restructure your website to help guide users to other pages to be sure they are finding all the information about your business that they need.

Let Google Analytics show you the return on your advertising investments. 

Google Analytics can tell you what other websites are sending traffic to your website. This is incredibly valuable information if you've purchase online advertising because you can see exactly what kind of return you're receiving on your investment. You may find that ads on certain websites are sending you a lot of traffic, while ads on other websites are not benefiting your business. This information will help you to make wise decisions when it comes to online advertising.

We can add Google Analytics to your website! 

If you don't have Google Analytics installed on your website yet, let us add it for you! For just $20, we can get everything set-up so you can start tracking your traffic. There is no monthly or recurring cost, just the set-up fee and you're on your way!

The Weather Channel Partners With OldCity.com

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SPECIAL WEATHER ALERT: OldCity.com has a new forecast for success thanks to a recent partnership with The Weather Channel.

OldCity.com & St. Augustine received a special feature on Weather.com's Travel section!

As part of The Weather Channel's summer vacation series, their producers have selected several articles, blogs and photos from OldCity.com to share in the Travel section of Weather.com. 

The information includes links and attributions for OldCity.com, boosting our search rankings and pushing more traffic back to our site from one of the most popular websites on the Internet!

As part of our commitment to our clients, advertisers and community we are always searching for new ways to boost traffic for OldCity.com and the city of St. Augustine. This was a great opportunity to do just that and we are grateful to our new friends at The Weather Channel for the opportunity.

Check it out!

Click on a link to read one of the articles below:

Clean up your website!

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Take some time to clear out old information to give your website a fresh look.

Just like Tropical Storm Beryl taught us last weekend, sometimes things get a little messy and we have to use some elbow grease to get it cleaned up again.

Over time, your website collects debris as things don't get updated, graphics add visual clutter, and suddenly your once perfect website needs a little polishing!

Your website is often the first impression your business gives to potential customers, make sure it's a good impression! Old City Web Services can help you clean up the excess, make some updates, and get your website back to tip-top shape in no time.

Here are a few examples of clean-up services your website might need:

- Social Media Icons: Have you been adding a Facebook button here, a Twitter icon there, a YouTube link here? Let us help you make your social media icons more uniform so they get the job done without distracting visitors from the rest of your website.

- Old Announcements: Did you announce new products or services at the beginning of the year? Is that announcement still displayed on your website? It's time to bring it down or update it to reflect new summer information.

- Images of all sizes: Do you have pictures in a variety of sizes on your website from various updates over the years? Let us go through your website to re-size and clean-up photos so they'll look sharp and show your business in its best light.

Call us today for an estimate on making changes and updates to your website!

See our work
Call us: 904-867-4112
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We are Old City Web Services. We make it easy for small businesses to thrive online. Whether you need a professional website, help attracting more customers, or a fresh new look for your brand, we’ve got you covered. With over 20 years of experience, we specialize in simple, affordable solutions that work for businesses like yours. Let us handle the tech so you can focus on what you do best—running your business.

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