Carrie

Black Cap Design Supports Our Community

September 1, 2017 in Design & Development / Event / WordPress Development by Carrie

We believe it is important to support our community. In addition to volunteering on the Board of the Women’s Business Network and providing Web evaluation to a national program for career practitioners, we also sponsor local events by providing support with their websites. For the second year in a row we will be sponsoring the International Women’s Day Conference by providing website design, development and hosting services. The IWD Peterborough website is an e-commerce site where tickets are available to […]

WordPress is still the go-to CMS

July 6, 2017 in Website Management / Website Security / WordPress Development by Carrie

We have been designing and developing websites using WordPress for 8 years now and it continues to be the CMS of choice. This infographic from Matt Banner says it all: http://www.onblastblog.com/best-blogging-platforms/ Our clients continue to love WordPress because it includes blog functionality and they can make changes to content and images independently – and it is easy to customize. People using e-commerce also like the ability to add products and change pricing on their own. We love WordPress because it […]

Moving to SSL – Increased Website Security and Better SEO

July 1, 2017 in Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Security by Carrie

Google and WordPress have made it their mission to secure the Web. In the “old days” – before 2016, the only way to secure a website – and encrypt data transfer – was to purchase a costly SSL certificate. That also meant purchasing a dedicated IP address, which ruled out cost-effective shared hosting. Then, in 2016, a company called “Let’s Encrypt” developed a system to enable SSL without the need for a dedicated IP address. Google and WordPress both quickly […]

Black Cap Design Clients Go Responsive

April 10, 2016 in Uncategorized by Carrie

Since Google announced in April 2015 that they are rewarding mobile responsive websites with better search rank, Black Cap Design clients have been busy making the transition. (See our post “It’s Official: Google Has Decided You Need a Mobile-Friendly Website“.) There are still a LOT of traditional fixed-width sites out there, but the tide is turning and people are increasingly realizing that small screens are here to stay! Responding to Responsive Avant-Garden Shop: This well established local brick & mortar […]

Managing Comments on your Blog

February 5, 2015 in Blogging / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Website Management / Website Security by Carrie

Are you thinking about setting up a blog? Are you trying to manage comments on an existing blog? Whether you are setting up a business, professional or personal blog, you will need to decide whether you will allow comments. Blogs help you improve your website’s SEO AND they help you connect with new and existing customers. Allowing people to post comments on your blog is a great way to make it interactive and drive even more traffic to your site. However, […]

Do I Need a Home Tab?

January 26, 2015 in Design & Development tagged Black Cap Design / home tab / menu / responsive design / website design by Carrie

Why do I need to include a Home tab on my website when everyone knows you just need to click on the logo? You may find it surprising to learn that not everyone knows that, in a well designed website, clicking on the logo will open the Home page. Many of your visitors may still expect to find a Home tab on the menu. A “Home” tab does take up space. If you have a crowded menu it can be […]

Call to Action

September 25, 2014 in Communication / Design & Development / Marketing tagged Black Cap Design / blog / call to action / email encryption by Carrie

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 […]

Mapleridge Recreation Centre Site Launch

September 9, 2014 in Design & Development / Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / WordPress Development tagged domain registration / Hosting / Mapleridge Recreation Centre / photo gallery / responsive design / slider / WordPress by Carrie

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. […]

One Page Websites – Pros and Cons

July 21, 2014 in Content and Format / Design & Development / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tagged meta data / mobile devices / Search Engine Optimization / Search Engines / SEO / tabs / WordPress by Carrie

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” […]

4 Reasons to Start a Business Blog

June 5, 2014 in Blogging / Communication / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / Website Management / WordPress Development tagged blog / blogging / CMS / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / social media / target audience / web content / WordPress by Carrie

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 […]

Andrew Benedetto Site Launch

May 28, 2014 in Design & Development / Website Management / WordPress Development tagged CMS / responsive design / web design / WordPress by Carrie

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 […]

Black Cap on TV

March 19, 2014 in Event / Website Management tagged Avant Garden Shop / Black Cap Design / blog / CHEX Daily / E-commerce / e-newsletters / Ontario / Pat Kenney / Peterborough / SEO / social media / The Garden Gate / web designer by Carrie

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 for Fun

March 5, 2014 in Blogging / Communication / Content and Format / WordPress Development tagged blog / blogging / WordPress / writing. by Carrie

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 […]

Blogging Software

February 26, 2014 in Blogging / Communication / Design & Development / Website Management / WordPress Development tagged blog / Blogger / blogging / CMS / Content Management System / dashboard / web developer / weblog / website / WordPress by Carrie

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, […]

10 Password Safety Tips

February 20, 2014 in Website Management / Website Security tagged password generators / password storage / usernames by Carrie

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 […]

The Power of Colour

February 11, 2014 in Design & Development / Marketing tagged branding / colour wheel / web designer by Carrie

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 […]

Managing Your Online Presence with a Personal Website

January 29, 2014 in Blogging / Communication / Marketing tagged blog / career blog / career management / career portfolio / Google ranking / SEO / social media / WordPress by Carrie

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 […]

4 ways to Evaluate your Website?

January 15, 2014 in Website Management tagged Black Cap Design / blog / bounce rate / load time / mobile devices / SEO / social media / web content / web design / web security / website development / website redesign / YouTube by Carrie

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 […]

Blog vs Newsletter – Top 10 Advantages

January 8, 2014 in Blogging / Communication / Marketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / WordPress Development tagged Black Cap Design / blog / blog post / constant contact / e-newsletters / keywords / MailChimp / newsletter templates / pull marketing / push marketing / RSS / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / social media / target audience / web log / WordPress by Carrie

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 […]

The Website of Your Dreams

December 30, 2013 in Content and Format / Design & Development / Website Management tagged Black Cap Design / branding / mockup / PDF / web design / web developer / web development / wireframe by Carrie

If you’re considering having a website designed or redesigned, selecting a Web Designer is just the first step. Imagine you have just commissioned a painting. The artist will need to know what you have envisioned – portrait, landscape, abstract… A Web Designer is like an artist staring at a blank canvas. You really don’t want your Designer jumping in without any guidance from you, especially if you are working to a deadline. In most cases a Web Designer will start […]

Improving your Website SEO?

December 11, 2013 in Blogging / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tagged CMS / keywords / organic search / Search Engine Optimization / Search Engines / SEO / sitemap / social media / web content / web developer / webmaster tools / website / WordPress by Carrie

Your web developer may have already explained that your website will move up and down in search. For example, today you may be on page 1 and tomorrow you may find your site on page 3 of a Google search. Your search results will also vary depending on which search engine you’re using, e.g. Google, Bing or Yahoo. Where your site shows up in search will depend on the specific combination of words you’re using, however there are many other […]

Building a Website: Your Role in the Process – A Great Webinar

October 21, 2013 in Website Management tagged branding / CMS / Content Management System / Open Source / TechSoup / WordPress by Carrie

At Black Cap, we regularly get questions from clients like “what’s involved in getting a website project rolling?”, “what do you need from me?”, and “what’s better – a custom-built CMS or an open source CMS like WordPress?”. So, we were excited to find this great webinar – because it covers these questions and many more. The presenter takes a common sense approach, using plain language…no technical jargon! When we first listened (it’s audio with PowerPoint) we wondered if the […]

Web Design Resource for Non-Profits

September 26, 2013 in Content and Format by Carrie

Before launching Black Cap Design, Pat and I both worked for not-for-profit organizations. We also have experience as volunteers on fundraising committees and on non-profit Boards of Directors. This gives us insight into the unique challenges social service agencies face when it is time to design or redesign their websites. We developed this PDF checklist for our not-for-profit clients to help them identify some of the common decisions they will need to make. This list also includes steps that will […]

Creating Effective Web Content

September 24, 2013 in Content and Format by Carrie

Writing Web content is easy right? Actually, one of the most common challenges people face when creating or updating their website is the written content. Here are some tips to help with crafting effective written content for the Web. Before you begin writing ask yourself: Who will be visiting my site? What is the likely purpose for the visit …what are visitors going to be looking for? How can I make it easy for them to find the information they […]

Client Questions

September 20, 2013 in Black Cap Design - An Introduction by Carrie

Traditionally, the Black Cap Design team has responded to our client’s questions by email; providing information and instruction. Over the years, we have come across many common themes. People often ask functional questions like: Should I use a content management system like WordPress or ZenCart (for e-commerce) or do I go with a static site? What steps do I need to take to prepare? How do I register a domain name? Does it matter where my site is hosted? What […]