Facebook is a commonly used for marketing and can be effective. For your business you should evaluate the results you are getting versus what you want from your marketing tools. Adding a blog or using the blog you have can enhance your marketing mix and even amp up your Facebook interactions.

If you’re considering either blogging or Facebook (which we truly advocate using multiple digital mediums to spread your message) here’s a list of 8 reasons why a blog may be a better choice:

8. Support – Facebook is constantly changing which drives many people crazy.
With blogging they are not frustrating changes to deal with. Blogs are steady, reliable and hosted by you so you’re in control.

7. Outcome – Facebook can be tricky and provide chancy results. While time invested blogging will always pays off if done correctly, keep reading to learn why.

6. SEO – Time spent Facebooking doesn’t contribute to your search ranking. Blogging improves your search ranking with keyword and link optimization when done right.  Learn more about how it helps.

5. Reinforcement  - Blog articles hold a longer shelf life meaning they will be found in your clients or consumers searches for months or years. However, Facebook post updates only last for several days at the most depending upon how popular they are.

4. Focal Point – Blogs are the hub for your content and where thought leadership begins. Through your blog you can reveal the full story and link it to other sources. Facebook helps promote your business’ content through links that direct the reader to the in-depth story on the Web page.

3. A Bigger Stage – Blog provides readers with more value by allowing you to have as much space as you need to give advice, helpful tips or teach cool new things. Facebook only allows you to have a few lines to tell the audience.

2. More Ways To Connect – Blogs reach site visitors and social networks through emails, other blogs and networks. This includes RSS, email, site visitors, and all social networks. Facebook is more limiting because you can only reach the people that ‘like’ your page.

1. Authority – Blogs allow you to tell the reader that you’re an expert in the industry. By giving step-by-step information and describing specific details consumers will want to read your blog to learn more to better their businesses. Facebook is controlled by many people and can include advertising fees, annoying requests and advertisements.

BEFORE: A single page is all that served the VRFP online.

The old Veterans Research Foundation of Pittsburgh website gave them web presence, but didn’t accurately portray their organization’s goals or service to the medical community. With only one webpage with only a general overview and contact information, it wasn’t working for them.

The new Veterans Research Foundation of Pittsburgh website is not only accurately portraying their mission to enhance the health care of veterans, but it is providing a professional and positive method for interacting with their potential patients, researchers, and donors. Users are greeted by some of the friendly faces they might find at the research hospital and called to support the many research studies the VRFP is currently working on by donating.

We take pride in creating custom websites that accurately portray the person, company or organization they belong to. We believe websites have the power to help you meet your goals, just as this design is for VRFP. Researchers, veterans, employees and potential donors can all find important information throughout the website that is specifically for them. Researchers can share information about their work and read about the studies of their peers. Veterans can find out more about the current clinical trials they can potentially participate in and the many studies already completed. Employees have a private section just for them along with the many pages sharing what the VRFP does and who it’s leaders are. Potential donors are able to find information about what they would be supporting and how to make a tax-deductable donation.

AFTER: Multiple pages and a fresh look make a great look that actually works.

We consider a website redesign project successful when all the good things that could happen co-exist. Congratulations to the Veterans Research Foundation of Pittsburgh on successfully completing your website! If you’re looking for a website that can do some heavy lifting – or just represent your company or organization online – get your pride on and give us a call. We’ll start with just a few simple questions to see if we’d be a good fit and go from there.

Come join us for our Third Annual Lunch and Learn workshop series.

We often hear the same questions “Can you teach me how to do _________?” throughout the year so we like to answer those questions in our workshops.

We think of our annual workshop series as a form of continuing education for our clients and the community. We host the workshops to help expand attendees interaction with their websites and other digital media. Keeping them informed about how they can use the internet to grow their businesses. This is a great way for individuals to receive consulting as a group, it’s cheaper and more fun!

Our goal for each workshop is to give attendees working knowledge of a subject. It could be conceptual understanding such as search engine optimization (SEO) and writing for the web or hands on experience through Facebook, WordPress and HTML. We are not selling anything. We are teaching. We want people to get a good feeling of what is possible so they can learn more on their own or allow us to help them.

Workshop Schedule:

Writing for the Web

• Wednesday, May 9th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

SEO Unveiled – Ask the Expert

• Wednesday, June 13th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

HTML Boot Camp

• Wednesday, July 11th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Under the Hood of Google Analytics

• Wednesday, August 8th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Flash Back to WordPress

• Wednesday, September 12th, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Bonus: Facebook Friday

Friday, June 22nd – Two sessions:

Set up and Supplement, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Supplement and Solidify, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The workshops are held at our office, 307 Locust, downtown Columbia on the second Wednesday of the month, see below for specific dates. Register at MayeCreate.com, or feel free to call us at 573-447-1836 and we can do it for you!

Registration fees vary per session based on workshop length, materials and pre-session consulting activities. This fee includes program materials and a sandwich lunch from the Bread Basket Café.

We hope to see you there!

Think about it. Pinterest presents the opportunity to have your photos of and information about your products and services posted and repinned by a growing number of users, generating traffic to your website and increased sales. If you go request an invite, we’ll let you in on a few tips and a little information.

Click on the graphic below to enlarge it.

Hands on Health's website before the re-design.

Dr. Maria Coffman, D.O., a local Osteopathic Physician, has revamped her website: handsonhealthdo.com. Her old website was outdated and ready for some freshening up. Her new look features soothing colors and informative text about the field of Osteopathy, her treatments and her practice.

New and current patients have access to vital appointment information and forms. The Resources section will continue to grow to include articles about relevant treatment options, osteopathy and other media the public may be interested in. You can get acquainted with Dr. Coffman on her Meet the Doctor page and find recognition about her helping hands throughout the site. Choose to read more to view the after.

Hands On Health's new website.

If you’re interested in re-designing your website, get your pride on and contact us today. We’re always open to meeting with businesses and individuals looking for a professional web design company. Contact us today or learn more about the other services we offer!

View this year’s list of workshops geared to expand your digital horizons. View the complete list »

- Jennifer L. Smith
Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute

Completed in 2009

“I love MayeCreate! My experience was wonderful and I thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff and especially loved their creativity. My site is more than I anticipated and has helped my business grow substantially.”

- Andrea Jira
The Jira Collection

Completed in 2009

1. To begin, go to the download site for XHeader software. Once there, fill out the download form with your name and email address. Click Submit.
2. You will be directed to a new page, where you have the option to download the full version of XHeader. For the free version, click No Thanks. On the next page, click the green button prompting you to Download Now!
3. When the download window pops up, click Save File and follow the prompts to install your new application.
   
4. Once it is installed, a pop-up window will appear asking you if you want to buy pre-made headers. Click No Thanks. When you do, XHeader will open. A new window will also open in your Internet browser. In this window, you will find two tutorials. Watch the second tutorial to learn how to use your new software.

Before you get too designer happy, though, we have a few tips for you to use when creating your graphics.

Determine the size of your graphic.

First, when you create a new graphic you will be asked to enter dimensions for it. If you’re replacing or adding to an existing image gallery you’ll want to make sure the new graphic is the same size as the one you are replacing or as the other images in your gallery.

1. Right click on the old or like graphic.
2. Choose View Image Info. If it’s a slider image, you may have to choose View Background Image first.
3. A window will pop up.  Enter the Dimensions of the old graphic into XHeader for the new graphic.

Set your background color.

Second, you can change the the color of your screen (or workplace) in XHeader. We suggest changing it to the background color of your website to get a better idea of what the colors you choose for your graphic will look like when they go on the web. Go to Options, Screen Color, Choose Screen Color and pick or enter the color you need.

Save as the proper file type.

Finally, there are two ways to save your new graphic, and you should use both. Click Save XHF to create a file that you can edit in XHeader later and click Save As… to create a file to upload to your website.  Save your file as a JPG if it doesn’t have spots of transparency and save as a PNG if it does.

There you go. Skip along merrily now.