Design 4 - Old City Web Services

Rise of the Solopreneur – How to brand yourself

July 31, 2013 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Strong branding is crucial in our ad-cultured world. It is important to ensure that you're the first person in your field that enters customers' minds. This can be a somewhat daunting task when it's just you-the entrepreneur who works solo. You may ask yourself: How can I stand out and become memorable in the minds of others? Simple- professional branding. Below are two things to remember when branding or re-branding yourself as a one-man or one-woman business:

1. Simplicity

When it comes to branding yourself, clarity of expression, or simplicity, is key. Having a logo that is too busy or filled with trivial detail can come across as confusing or even pretentious in some cases. A consumer will generally just take a brief glimpse at a logo and in those few seconds, you must grab their attention. It's no coincidence that the most memorable logos are also the most simple in appearance. Although larger corporations such as Cocoa Cola, Target and Nike may first come to mind, it's important to remember that even Solopreneurs and small businesses choose simplicity over complexity when choosing their logo.

Individuals that utilize simplicity (click on the names below to view logo)

2. Consistency

Once you have come up with your branding, don't shy away from it. Use it everywhere...and I mean everywhere! I'm talking new business and rack cards, advertising, stationary and of course, your website and social media networks. With this being said, take the time to generate a plan for exposing your new brand to the public and the media, but be confident in your new brand. If you don't believe in yourself, nobody else will.

Need a professional and skilled graphic design team to assist in your branding efforts? Old City Web Services specializes in providing small businesses, entrepreneurs and solopreneurs with everything from logo design and development to complete re-branding campaigns.

Here's a look at some of our recent logo development work for local clients (click on the name below to view logo)

For more information, give us a call: 904.829.2772 or email us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com! You can also view some of our branding work on our website - just Click Here!

Calling all small businesses!

December 26, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Ten years ago, just having a website put a business on the cutting edge of technology. Recently, more and more businesses have discovered that to have a leg up on the competition, they have to go beyond that initial leap into the web. Quality design and complimentary marketing materials are key to staying afloat in the online business world.

Ring in 2013 with a new website!

Whether it's a face-lift for your website, an eCommerce system, logo design or SEO, Old City Web Services has a lengthy list of Services we provide that will boost business and solve your web & design needs.

» WEB DEVELOPMENT: Make your website pop with an eye-catching design and user-friendly layout.

Process: We start with a custom design tailored to fit your business, and then we help you figure out the best way to organize information on your site so that your customers can easily find what they need. Every design is also developed to work properly in all the major browser systems.

Cost: Our design and development fees are estimated on a per client basis, determined by number of pages and site functionality. Call us (904.829.2772) to set up your free consultation.

» eCOMMERCE SOLUTIONS: Extend the reach of your business by selling your products and managing your inventory online with one our custom eCommerce systems.

Process: Based on our meetings with each individual client, we customize our eCommerce system to fit your business with a unique design and specific features. Our system includes the ability to create a secure log-in for wholesale clients, add/remove/edit products with a password protected admin tool, manage your inventory, assess shipping costs and so much more.

Cost: All of our eCommerce solutions are priced based on each client's individual needs. For more information, call us (904.829.2772) to set up your free consultation.

» LOGO DESIGN: Give yourself a good branding foundation with a custom logo and mark to represent your business.

Process: Our designers will create four separate logos for you to choose from. Every logo is custom designed for your unique business and strong enough to represent your company. All of our designs use Pantone Colors so that your logo will be printed with the right colors every time. Once your logo is completed, we provide it to you in an .EPS format so that it can be re-sized from a postage stamp to a billboard without distortion.

Cost: Our logo fees are assessed on a per client basis with a 50% deposit and 50% due upon completion. Call us (904.829.2772) to set up your free consultation.

» SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION: Bring relevant search engine traffic to your website's doorstep with our SEO services.

Process: Our experienced SEO specialist conducts advanced research to determine the most relevant key words and phrases with high search volume and low competition that can bring traffic to your site. These keywords and phrases are then incorporated into the content of your website.

Call us (904.829.2772) to set up your free consultation.

If your business is in need of rescue, let our team spring into action.

If you are interested in any of our services mentioned above, call us (904.829.2772) or e-mail us: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com and we can throw you a life preserver with a free initial consultation meeting.

The Importance of a Strong Brand Identity

October 24, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Your brand distinguishes your small business from its competitors...

A strong brand identity will build your small business' reputation and form consumers opinions about your products and services. This includes visual aspects such as logo design, print materials and color schemes as well as verbal elements like your tag line and marketing material. Your branding efforts will help your company have an establish and professional feel.

A picture is worth a thousand words...

This phrase says it all - the simplicity of your logo will be identified and remembered by your audience, far more than 1,000 words. The most memorable logos and tag lines are coincidentally the most simple. What is your favorite logo? Nike and Target are excellent examples of company's that have successfully identified their brand with their consumers. Experiment with repetition and rhyme when it comes to text - event a strong image requires repetition to insure your logo stays in people's mind.

Our branding services...

For nearly a decade, our talented graphic designer and art director has been using his expertise in graphic arts to give St. Augustine businesses their own unique visual identities. We assure that every Old City client receives the best in aesthetics and functionality with their brand identity. We work directly wish our clients to determine your branding needs in order to transform your vision into reality. We create and present to you multiple designs and will make the necessary changes until you are completely satisfied. You will be given the logo in the highest quality format so that you will be able to use your logo for anything from a business card to a billboard to a t-shirt.

Here are a couple samples of our branding work...

In 2010, a local mother and her two daughters decided to start a unique candle company. Each candle in their collection represents a specific wish from love and marriage to health and wealth. The mother-daughter team started on the right foot by coming to us for a professional logo. Based on their vision, we created a butterfly formed from three hearts. We also created a series of slogans for them to choose from & they selected our favorite: "Ignite, Illuminate, Imagine."

When Little Looster C.E.O., Monica Mylet, and her family relocated from Oregon to Florida, she came to us in search of a few local, friendly faces who could help market her product-a booster stool that helps kids with potty training. We helped Monica solidify the design elements of her brand with matching rack cards, business cards and product labels. We created two different double-sided rack cards to serve her marketing needs. We continue to work with Monica in designing and implementing her marketing needs.

Give us a call: 904-867-4112 or send us an email: letusmarketyou@oldcity.com for more info on how we can help you with you branding needs.

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

August 2, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

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.

3 Print Design Updates You Need

June 21, 2012 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

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!

2011 In Review: Part 2

December 14, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

A recap of the knowledge we’ve shared this year.

It’s been a great year! We hope you have enjoyed our Customer Education Program and have learned some valuable tips and tools to promote your business.

Just in case you missed some of our articles, we’re doing a quick recap on what we’ve learned. You can also visit our blog to catch up on all of our tips from this year.

Here are some of the topics we discussed in 2011:

Business Marketing
We’ve spent some time this year talking about some important points to promoting your business including:

• Using online and offline strategies together.
• Keeping your message consistent across all types of marketing materials (brochures, business cards, website, etc.)
• Driving traffic to your website via marketing tools like printed handouts, advertising and more.

Social Media
In 2011, Social Media has become an even more popular avenue for reaching your customers. Our tips on using Social Media this year included:

• Adding Facebook and Twitter links to your website.
• Keeping your Facebook and Twitter feeds updated with a minimum of one post or tweet a week.
• Interacting with clients to get more followers.
• Using Social Media to get valuable feedback from your customer base.

Print Design
This year we talked about several different types of print design you can have created at Old City Web Services to help promote your business including business cards, brochures, rack cards, banners and signs.

Search Engine Optimization
Some of our tips in 2011 focused on our e-mail and hosting services including:

• Understanding how hosting and domain registration are different but equally important.
• Using email addresses at your domain to make your business look more professional.
• Protecting your computer from security threats with important safety tips.

To read more about each of the topics above you can review all of our weekly tips, tools and tricks on our blog or just give us a call at 904-867-4112!

Business Cards: 5 Things You Should Know

October 26, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

1. Make a good first impression.

Your business card is often the first impression branding-wise that you give your potential customers. That’s why you need a card that is designed to reflect your business style and stand out from the rest of your competition. Imagine if your potential customer was to line up five or six business cards from you and your closest competitors–how would they separate yours from everyone else’s? If you have a unique, professional card, you’ll be establishing a solid foundation for future business.

2. Provide just the right amount of information.

A common mistake with business cards is to put up too little or too much information. The perfect amount of text will give the name of your business, a tagline or short (less than 20 words) sentence about what your business does, your name and title, a phone number and address, email address and your website. For all other details, you want to direct people to your website where you have more available space to sell your products and services.

3. Make sure your text is readable.

It’s tempting to use unique fonts to make your business card different from your competition. But beware of fonts that make it hard to read your text. Some fonts are easy to read when they are large, but illegible when they are small. Pick something that won’t be distracting or confusing, simple is always best when it comes to fonts.

4. Two-sided is the way to go.

Printing costs have come down in the last decade with the increase in technology. This has many advantages, including reduced costs for double-sided color printing. Two-sided business cards are becoming a major trend, with most people choosing to put their contact info and title on one side of the card, then using the other to highlight their website or company name. It’s an eye-catching and memorable design.

5. Don’t short yourself on good paper.

It’s important to print your cards on a stiff, thick card stock that will have a longer life than a cheap, thin paper. Most printers also offer UV coating to prevent ink rub off and make the card sturdier as well. Still, matte coating (a dull finish versus a shiny finish) makes a statement as well, just remember that without the coating a thicker paper is a must to give your card a proper backbone.

Christmas eCards: Save money, send thanks.

September 22, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

It’s hard to believe that we have almost reached the start of another holiday season, but ready or not here it comes! Why not take advantage of St. Augustine’s September lull to get your business ready for the holiday season, starting with a Christmas card? You can choose from one of two styles for your custom designed greeting:

1. Traditional Paper Card.

Beautiful, memorable and noticeable, print cards often hang in your clients’ offices and homes throughout the holiday season. Make yours stand out from the rest with a custom design and message. Old City Web Services has years of experience creating the perfect designs, call today for pricing and information on developing a card for your business.

2. Cost Saving eCard.

Forget postage and envelopes, you can show your clients some appreciation without breaking the bank by using an eCard. This custom designed HTML can be sent out to your clients using one of the many online email marketing systems (like Constant Contact and Mail Chimp) or to a small list of important clients using your own email program.

What are you waiting for?

Christmas is going to be here before you know it! Get a jump on the season and contact us about creating your eCard today.

5 Things You Need to Know About Great Website Design.

August 3, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Over the next month we’re going to take a closer look at the most important components involved in creating a good website, starting with design. With every custom website design we create, there are several principle factors we take into account, including:

1. User Friendly: The most important factor in any design is the ease of use it provides for visitors. Clean lines, clear navigation and a simple layout will make it easy for visitors to find what they’re looking for. Our user friendly designs also help direct visitors to do exactly what you want them to do—whether it’s to fill out your contact form, call you, or visit your business’ physical location.

2. Great Photos: Users are most often drawn to a website by engaging, professional photography. You provide your own photography or allow us to select images from stock photo sites. If you decide to use your own photography, be sure to get signed releases from your subjects, use a camera with good resolution and make sure you have ample lighting (outdoor shots are usually best!).

3. Clear Message: Your website must convey the message of the company through appropriate design elements. The design has to match up with your company’s brand so that the visitor will have a clear perception of your message.

4. Complimentary Content: The best designs are balanced with just the right about of text and information. We often don’t think about it, but text has a certain design appeal to it as well. A combination of headlines, short paragraphs and bulleted lists provide design balance. Additionally, sites with sidebars should be mindful of having so much text in the side column that it runs longer than their primary content column.

5. Viewer Readability: Along the same lines, we want to be certain that your selected fonts are easy to read in all sizes. Scripted or highly stylized fonts should be reserved for headlines and titles while primary text should be displayed in simple fonts for easy reading.

Click on one of the “Read More” links above or visit the Old City Web Services blog for more details on each of these five design essentials.

We’re ready to create a professional, custom design for you!

The Old City Web Services staff features talented designers who can create professional web designs just for your business. For more information call 904-867-4112 or send an email to us at letusmarketyou@oldcity.com.

Turn over a new leaf with print design.

May 26, 2011 by anoadmin Leave a Comment

Put your business’ best foot forward with folders, letterhead and more.

Imagine that you have just concluded your presentation to a potential client. The two of you shake hands, and the client walks out with a handful of marketing materials you have provided that recap the services and support offered by your company. Hours (or in some cases days) later, the client is back in his/her office contemplating whether to go with your company or your competitor. The client took only a few vague notes from your meeting, so the only thing to compare the two options at hand are the printed materials you’ve provided. At this moment, you have only one question…

What will your marketing materials say about you?

If you have a professionally crafted set of printed marketing tools, you can feel confident that your business will stand out amongst your competition. Not only will your custom created folders, inserts and stationery package carry forward your company’s brand, it will also show your potential and existing clients the level of quality and professionalism they can expect from your business.

Take for example, a recent client of Old City Web Services. The Looster Booster™ is a specially designed booster stool for kids to use during potty training that doesn’t get in the way of older kids and adults. The product’s creator and owner is a client of Old City Web Services who recently contacted us looking to “Wow!” potential distributors, retailers and promoters with a full stationery package. We created letterhead, envelopes, a 9″ x 12″ folder and a set of four shingle-cut inserts for her to use in marketing her product around the country. Take a look at what we put together (Click on the thumbnails to view the full images):

Call today for an estimate on creating custom marketing materials for your business

If you want to make sure that your marketing materials are conveying the right message to your clients, call or e-mail us to get an estimate on creating custom pieces for your business!

– Old City Web Services