Blog posts and web pages need to include some way for your visitors to connect with you directly. This “call to action” motivates people to take the next step, which may include sending you an email, signing up for an event or placing an order. Call to action buttons can work effectively for a wide range of website functions. For example, your site could include buttons that say, “Buy Now” or “Donate”, or “Join”, or “Volunteer” or “Call”, or “Sign […]
Black Cap Design launched the redesigned & rebuilt Mapleridge Recreation Centre website earlier this year. Mapleridge, located in Peterborough, Ontario, is a drop-in centre for people over 50 who are looking for social, physical and educational programs, activities and events. Mapleridge is a community-based not-for-profit organization operating out of a beautiful new building in Peterborough’s west end. Black Cap Design worked with the Mapleridge Board of Directors to develop a website that could be easily managed by staff and volunteers. […]
Back in January I wrote a blog post called “Responsive Web Design – The Silver Bullet for Mobile Friendly Websites?” discussing the cost/benefit of responsive design. In case you’re not familiar with the term, responsive design involves designing and building a website that is capable of adapting to the screen size of the end user. Responsive websites will morph or shift to accommodate very large and very small screens. Since writing that article we have completed several more responsive websites […]
If you own or manage a website there are 3 things you should have at your disposal. The contact and login information for your domain registrar (where your www address is registered) The contact and login information for your Web Host. If your Web Host doesn’t have a Control Panel for you to log into, you should consider moving your site to a Web Host that does (see: “What is this ‘Hosting’ Thing and Why Should I Care?“) An up-to-date […]
Mobile devices have become the driving force for recent changes in website design. Handheld devices with small screens have created a demand for responsive design; layout that changes automatically to suit your device type and screen resolution (see our blog post titled Responsive Web Design: The Silver Bullet for Mobile-friendly Websites?). This means Web Designers and Developers are on the lookout for new ways to present information that will work on both large and small screens. Enter the “one page” […]
I was chatting with a client the other day and casually mentioned the idea of displaying random ads on his club’s website to generate some income. His response was “What does random ads mean?” I was surprised by the question but I suppose I shouldn’t have been. The “random” display of elements on a website is used all the time, but the fact that something has been displayed randomly is invisible to the website visitor. So, I guess a more […]
If you’re like most business owners, your goals likely include improving the SEO of your website, positioning yourself as a leader in your field, marketing your products and services, and gaining new customers or clients. Adding and maintaining a blog on your business website can help you achieve all four of these objectives and save you money in the process. 1. Improve your Organic SEO If your website displays on the first few pages of an online search, you will […]
We recently completed a website project for Andrew Benedetto, a Psychotherapist and Jungian Analyst, providing client-centered therapy in Toronto Ontario. Andrew came to Black Cap Design by way of Sharp Connections, a Toronto-based technology consulting company, and frequent collaborator with Black Cap Design. Andrew was interested in being able to manage the site independently, so we recommended the WordPress Content Management System – which provides him complete control over his website content. Andrew played a key role in selecting images […]
We have recently been taking calls from people interested in establishing a presence on the Internet for their business, club or organization, without the financial resources for a full blown website with all the bells and whistles. These calls are typically accompanied by the questions: Can it be done? Is it a good idea? How much will it cost? Can it be done? Absolutely. The web is an incredibly flexible platform. Think of it like Lego™. A website can be […]
I had a conversation with a new client recently. His employees have been encouraging him to “get a website and join the 21st Century“. He said “I guess they’re right, but we’re already really busy and I’m not sure we can take on more business right now“. It’s true – having a website can generate more business – but it can also work for you by reducing your workload. This particular client receives a ton of calls from prospective customers […]
I wrote briefly about this back in October (WordPress Security: Fact or Fiction?) but it’s definitely worth mentioning again: WordPress now has the ability to update itself! Not only that, your WordPress site sends you a friendly email message telling you about it! How cool is that? If your site is powered by WordPress version 3.7 or newer it has the ability to conduct minor security updates independently. Lately, I’ve been receiving messages from clients asking me questions like “Is […]
A quick notice to our Website Hosting clients: sites hosted with Black Cap Design are NOT affected by the Heartbleed Bug. On Monday April 7, 2014 a major security vulnerability was disclosed on the Internet that can potentially affect some half a million servers worldwide. This vulnerability, known as the Heartbleed Bug affects the encryption keys that are at the core of SSL encryption. (Unencrypted internet connections begin with http, whereas encrypted connections begin with https.) The Heartbleed Bug enables […]
I am surprised how often I wind up on a website requiring me to download and print a simple form – then fill it out and fax or mail it back – just to send a bit of information. Don’t get me wrong – I think PDF documents are great, and I use them all the time. But Web forms provide a simple, effective and immediate mechanism for getting information from visitors to a website administrator or owner. Web forms […]
Do you ever wonder why there is so much spam in your email inbox? The unfortunate truth is that spam – aka unsolicited or ‘junk’ email – is an unavoidable fact of life if you actively use email on the Web. Email spam is a growing problem because it is so inexpensive and easy to generate, and it’s difficult for the authorities to identify and hold spammers accountable for their actions. The good news is there ARE some steps you […]
A longtime Black Cap Design client Brenda Ibey, owner of The Avant-Garden Shop, asked us to join her on the CHEX Daily show to talk about her e-commerce website. Brenda’s show is called The Garden Gate. The Avant-Garden Shop is a retail store located in downtown Peterborough, Ontario. They provide quality garden accessories, backyard birding supplies, outdoor décor, and many other unique products. They specialize in products crafted by Canadian Artists. Black Cap Design designed and developed The Avant-Garden Shop […]
Blogging can be a great hobby. A growing number of bloggers are taking to the Internet to share their interests by writing on a wide range of topics. The WordPress CMS blogging software is flexible and easy to use so we recommend it for anyone interested in starting a personal blog. To learn more about WordPress blogs, visit our post “Blogging Software“. People who start a blog are usually the folks who enjoy writing, educating, helping or just connecting with […]
The word ‘blog’ is short for ‘weblog’. A blog is actually a website with a standard structure that allows you, the blogger, the ability to regularly record and share information, opinions, images, videos and links with a world wide audience. If you want to blog, you will need to make a few decisions. Do I want a basic blog or do I want a website that has a blog as one of the pages? If you already have a website, […]
Do your passwords look like this: “#47R?R)(*l*8“? If not, it may be time to think about securing your accounts. Password cracking computer programs can try to guess your password at a rate of over one hundred million passwords per second. What!? I’m not making this up (Source: Wikipedia – Password Cracking)! These password cracking programs will keep trying until they gain access to your account, unless they are stopped by a firewall or security software. Password cracking software is used […]
What colours should you use on your website? Do you want warm, vivid, energetic colors like red, orange and yellow, or cool, calm, soothing colours like blue and green? What you decide depends on the message you want to send, the emotion you want to convey and the appeal it will have for your target audience. Branding If you’ve already worked through the branding process, a Web Designer can use this information to design & build your site, integrating the […]
You have a site that you really like. The only problem: it was built 10+ years ago. Does that mean it’s time to bite the bullet and have it redone? Not necessarily. Like anything (computers, cars, people) “old” doesn’t necessarily equal “ready for the junk pile”! Like an old faded pair of jeans, sometimes websites can look and feel more comfortable with age. People often judge a website by the way it looks. The way a site looks has nothing […]
Develop your online brand with a personal website or blog built by Black Cap Design! Website Designer and Developer Pat Kenney will create a customized site and Project Manager Carrie Wakeford will help you develop content to showcase your skills and experience. In addition to being a Web Project Manager, Carrie offers her skills as a seasoned Career Management Consultant and Résumé Writer. It all starts with the results of a Google search. Have you Googled yourself lately? Are you […]
There has been a lot of buzz lately about Responsive Website Design. I’ve recently read several articles suggesting responsive design is the future of the Web and without it, sites are not truly mobile-friendly. What is responsive design, and does it live up to the hype? Let’s start with some historical context. In the early days of the Web, computer monitors were massive, but the screens were quite small. To accommodate small screen size, website layouts were narrow. As screen […]
Have you ever said “I have an old – but reliable website; why would I spend time and money doing an update or redesign?” You may be right; your website may be fine just the way it is, but before you can make a firm decision, take a bit of time to evaluate your current site. The team at Black Cap Design developed a list of questions that will help you think critically about your current website. We hope these […]
In this corner, we have “Blog” the young up-and-coming contender, prepared to challenge for the title. And in the other corner we have “Newsletter” the experienced fighter and current crowd favorite. The result: a technical draw. Research shows that no one needs to throw in the towel just yet. Both Blog and Newsletter have their strengths, and when they work together they have the ability to captivate the entire audience. Ok, enough of the boxing references. Most people are familiar […]