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July 27 2020

The Ultimate Guide to Image File Types and When to Use Them

Have you ever wondered when you should use a JPG instead of a PNG? Or maybe you’re just trying to figure out which program opens an INDD.

Unless you’re a graphic designer by training, chances are you’ve never needed to understand things like what separates a TIF from a PDF or a PSD. While the large variety of image formats may seem overwhelming, there is a method to the madness.

We’ve put together a useful outline to help you understand the difference between each file format, and when they are appropriate to use.

Vector vs. Raster

First things first: What is the difference between vector and raster?

Rastor Image Files

Raster images are constructed by a series of pixels, or individual blocks, to form an image. JPEG, GIF, and PNG are all raster image extensions. Every photo you find online or in print is a raster image. Pixels have a defined proportion based on their resolution (high or low), and when the pixels are stretched to fill space they were not originally intended to fit, they become distorted, resulting in blurry or unclear images.

In order to retain pixel quality, you cannot resize raster images without compromising their resolution. As a result, it is important to remember to save raster files at the exact dimensions needed for the application.

Vector Image Files

Vector images are far more flexible. They are constructed using proportional formulas rather than pixels. EPS, AI, and PDF are perfect for creating graphics that require frequent resizing. Your logo and brand graphics should have been created as a vector, and you should always have a master file on hand. The real beauty of vectors lies in their ability to be sized as small as a postage stamp, or large enough to fit on an 18-wheeler!

If you’re not sure whether you have a vector version of your logo, here’s a little trick for you: Call the company that printed your business cards or the vendor that embroidered your logo on a shirt. Often they’ll have a vector file of your logo that they can send to you for your records.

High Resolution vs. Low Resolution

Have you heard your designer talk about DPI or PPI? DPI stands for “dots per inch” and PPI translates to “pixels per inch.” These units of measure are essential for determining if the density of pixels in an image is appropriate for the application you are using.

The biggest thing to note when determining what DPI or PPI you require is if you are using an image for print or web. Websites display images at 72dpi, which is low resolution; however images at this resolution look really crisp on the web. This is not the case for print. Best practices for printing an image will require it to be no less than 300dpi.

Don’t try to trick the system. A lot of magic can happen in Photoshop, but creating pixels out of thin air isn’t one of them. Pulling an image off of the web and trying to get it to fit the dimensions of your print project just won’t work. You will end up with a pixelated image that appears stretched and distorted.

Types of Image Files

JPEG (or JPG) – Joint Photographic Experts Group
PNG – Portable Network Graphics
GIF – Graphics Interchange Format
TIFF – Tagged Image File
PSD – Photoshop Document
PDF – Portable Document Format
EPS – Encapsulated Postscript
AI – Adobe Illustrator Document
INDD – Adobe Indesign Document
RAW – Raw Image Formats

1. JPEG (or JPG) – Joint Photographic Experts Group

JPEGs might be the most common file type you run across on the web, and more than likely the kind of image that is in your company’s MS Word version of its letterhead. JPEGs are known for their “lossy” compression, meaning that the quality of the image decreases as the file size decreases.

You can use JPEGs for projects on the web, in Microsoft Office documents, or for projects that require printing at a high resolution. Paying attention to the resolution and file size with JPEGs is essential in order to produce a nice looking project.

2. PNG – Portable Network Graphics

PNGs are amazing for interactive documents such as web pages, but are not suitable for print. While PNGs are “lossless,” meaning you can edit them and not lose quality, they are still low resolution.

The reason PNGs are used in most web projects is that you can save your image with more colors on a transparent background. This makes for a much sharper, web-quality image.

3. GIF – Graphics Interchange Format

GIFs are most common in their animated form, which is all the rage on Tumblr pages and in banner ads. It seems like every other day we have a new Grumpy Cat or Honey Boo Boo animated GIF. In their more basic form, GIFs are formed from up to 256 colors in the RGB colorspace. Due to the limited number of colors, the file size is drastically reduced.

This is a common file type for web projects where an image needs to load very quickly, as opposed to one that needs to retain a higher level of quality.

4. TIFF – Tagged Image File

A TIF is a large raster file that doesn’t lose quality. This file type is known for using “lossless compression,” meaning the original image data is maintained regardless of how often you might copy, re-save, or compress the original file.

Despite TIFF images’ ability to recover their quality after manipulation, you should avoid using this file type on the web — it can take forever to load. TIFF files are also commonly used when saving photographs for print.

5. PSD – Photoshop Document

PSDs are files that are created and saved in Adobe Photoshop, the most popular graphics editing software ever. This type of file contains “layers” that make modifying the image much easier to handle. This is also the program that generates the raster file types mentioned above.

PSD File Type

The largest disadvantageof PSDs is that Photoshop works with raster images as opposed to vector images.

6. PDF – Portable Document Format

PDFs were invented by Adobe with the goal of capturing and reviewing rich information from any application, on any computer, with anyone, anywhere. I’d say they’ve been pretty successful so far.

PDF FIle Type

If a designer saves your vector logo in PDF format, you can view it without any design editing software (as long as you have downloaded the free Acrobat Reader software), and they have the ability to use this file to make further manipulations. This is by far the best universal tool for sharing graphics.

7. EPS – Encapsulated Postscript

EPS is a file in vector format that has been designed to produce high-resolution graphics for print. Almost any kind of design software can create an EPS.

EPS File Type

The EPS extension is more of a universal file type (much like the PDF) that can be used to open vector-based artwork in any design editor, not just the more common Adobe products. This safeguards file transfers to designers that are not yet utilizing Adobe products, but may be using Corel Draw or Quark.

8. AI – Adobe Illustrator Document

AI is, by far, the image format most preferred by designers and the most reliable type of file format for using images in all types of projects from web to print, etc.

AI File Types

Adobe Illustrator is the industry standard for creating artwork from scratch and therefore more than likely the program in which your logo was originally rendered. Illustrator produces vector artwork, the easiest type of file to manipulate. It can also create all of the aforementioned file types. Pretty cool stuff! It is by far the best tool in any designer’s arsenal.

9. INDD – Adobe Indesign Document

INDDs (Indesign Document) are files that are created and saved in Adobe Indesign. Indesign is commonly used to create larger publications, such as newspapers, magazines and eBooks.

ID File Types

Files from both Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator can be combined in Indesign to produce content rich designs that feature advanced typography, embedded graphics, page content, formatting information and other sophisticated layout-related options.

10. RAW – Raw Image Formats

A RAW image is the least-processed image type on this list — it’s often the first format a picture inherits when it’s created. When you snap a photo with your camera, it’s saved immediately in a raw file format. Only when you upload your media to a new device and edit it using image software is it saved using one of the image extensions explained above.

RAW File Types

RAW images are valuable because they capture every element of a photo without processing and losing small visual details. Eventually, however, you’ll want to package them into a raster or vector file type so they can be transferred and resized for various purposes.

As you can see from the icons above, there are multiple raw image files in which you can create images — many of them native to certain cameras (and there are still dozens more formats not shown above). Here’s a brief description of those four raw files above:

CR2: This image extension stands for Canon RAW 2, and was created by Canon for photos taken using its own digital cameras. They’re actually based on the TIFF file type, making them inherently high in quality.
CRW: This image extension was also created by Canon, preceding the existence of the CR2.
NEF: This image extension stands for Nikon Electric Format, and is a RAW file type created by (you guessed it) Nikon Cameras. These image files actually allow for extensive editing without changing file types, provided the editing takes place using a Nikon device or Nikon Photoshop plugin.
PEF: This image extension stands for Pentax Electronic Format, a RAW image file type created by Pentax Digital Cameras.

Working with images is a lot more complicated than you’d think at first glance. Hopefully, this guide has provided a better understanding of the standard file types and which are most appropriate for your project.

July 16 2020

5 Features Your Homepage Should Have

jpearson Blog WEbsite Tips 0

Websites are now the first port of call for consumers and are the face of a business. This means it’s more important than ever for companies to create engaging homepages that simultaneously provide essential information while encouraging users to explore further. On a homepage, design, layout and content have to work in conjunction, so we’ve put together a helpful checklist to help you improve conversion and increase session times.

The first impression counts – if users fail to find key features on your home page, they will be quick to sign off your site as a poorly designed one. The user experience on your site’s main landing page can make or break their perception of your business. What are some key things that you should have on your home page, upfront, and center? You can’t go wrong with these 5 features incorporated into your home page.

Company Identity and Visuals

Whether it’s introducing yourself to a new visitor or reinforcing the message to someone who uses your services frequently, business owners should leverage on the marketing and branding capabilities of their site. The company logo and tagline should be clearly visible on the homepage, and one of the first few design elements that your audience interacts with. These quick identifiers will let your users know quickly that they have found the right page and can move on to discover and explore your products and services. Don’t let your users take too long trying to figure out who you are!

Headlines and Sub-Headlines

Now that you’ve told your audience who you are, give them a sense of what you do. The headline tells your audience what you have to offer and your sub-headlines provides a brief elaboration of your services. Get rid of all the fillers that are there just to make up the word count, and speak to your audience in a clear, simple tone. Let the headlines speak for themselves.

Images

It’s time for your portfolio to shine. Add in some photos to show off your work, products, and your team. A picture says a thousand words, so be sure to align the images with your branding. Based on your target audience, your homepage should feature the images that your audience can relate to, and are likely to make them linger around your page a little longer.

Contact Information

A lot of times, consumers seek out the website of a company to find out how to get in touch with them. Whether it’s for customer support or a simple inquiry, poor visibility of your contact information can be very frustrating to the user. Those browsing your site may not want to sieve through irrelevant content and tabs just to find out how to reach you. So keep your contact information center stage on the home page.

Social Media

Get connected. There’s a very good reason why most sites have their social media links on their home page. Keep your audience apprised of your latest updates and promotions. You never know who might see your digital posts at just the right moment when they need to. The current trend is to link sites directly to social media, where swiping up can lead a user directly to your website. Can you get more targeted than that?

At Apis Productions, we specialize in website design and development services and so much more such as social media management, video creation, and SEO services. If you are interested in creating a site, it’s time to tell us about your project or have a chat about what we can do. We’re listening.

July 13 2020

Without DNS, You’re Just Another Number

jpearson Blog DNS 0

What’s in a name? Everything. Your identity, your reputation, your brand, your business. DNS, the Domain Name System, is what makes your unique and memorable web presence possible. Without it, you’re just another number known as an IP address. This long series of numbers and letters is what every online device and server use to find each other. While this is efficient for machines, it is an impasse for people. We want names; a translation is necessary. This is where DNS steps in. This is no simple task.

DNS has three main components that nest together like a Russian doll.

Nameservers,
Zone files, and
Records.

Nameservers are computers dedicated to translate domain names into IP addresses.

Inside the Nameserver, Zone Files define the available resources for a domain.

Inside the Zone Files, Records are the individual maps between a resource and a name.

In very simple terms: DNS is the sea, Namservers are the ship, Zone Files are the pilot, and Records are the navigator. Of course, there is a lot of nuance and variation within these three main components but this is the basic premise and should get you started on the road to understanding DNS.

Who’s Who

A part of DNS is the name of the Registrar, Website Host, and Email Host. A domain registrar, sometimes called a DNS registrar, is a business that sells domain names and handles the business of registering them. Registrars must be accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Commonly used Registrars include GoDaddy and Network Solutions.

One step further and we move into the Website Host and Email Host.

Web Hosting is a service that enables your website to live on the internet and be accessible to web browsers. Your web content is hosted on a server. Your DNS Record will contain an “A Record” – the IP address that identifies the web server, thereby allowing the world to find your website.

Email Hosting is a service wherein your email content is stored on a server. Your email service provider will identify “MX Records” which tell the world where to deliver the email sent to your domain.

For additional information on DNS, check out this guide:

https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-dns-665?

June 26 2020

Best Practices for Sponsored Content | LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram Ad Tips

jpearson Blog LinkedIn Tips 0

LinkedIn ads

LinkedIn ads help your business with three types of marketing objectives:

Awareness: Create more awareness of your company or brand.

Consideration: Drive website visits, increase engagement, or encourage video views.

Conversions: Collect leads and drive website conversions.

Audience considerations: LinkedIn is much more business-oriented than the other social networks in this post. It offers targeting options based on professional qualifications like job title and seniority.

You can choose from several different types of LinkedIn ads.

Sponsored Content
Sponsored Content ads appear in the news feed on both desktop and mobile. They’re used to get your content in front of a larger audience and showcase your brand expertise.

Quick tip: Headlines under 150 characters have the best engagement. Larger images get higher click-through rates. LinkedIn recommends an image size of 1200 x 627 pixels.

Linkedin Sponsored Content

Sponsored InMail
Sponsored InMail is similar to email marketing, except that the messages go directly to users’ LinkedIn inboxes. However, Sponsored InMail has an interesting unique feature. Users only receive ad messages while they are active on LinkedIn. That means messages don’t sit around getting stale.

Quick tip: Short body text (under 500 characters) gets the highest click-through rate. The top five performing calls-to-action for Sponsored InMail are:

Try

Free

Today

Click

Apply

Text Ads
Text ads are small ad units that appear at the top and the right of the LinkedIn news feed. They only appear to desktop users, not on mobile devices. Despite the name, text ads can actually include a thumbnail image of 50 x 50 pixels.

Quick tip: Show a human face. Profile images work better than logos or pictures of objects.

Facebook ads

Facebook ads are designed to help you achieve one of three broad types of campaign objectives:

Awareness: Build brand awareness or increase reach.

Consideration: Send traffic to your website, increase engagement, encourage app installs or video views, generate leads, or encourage people to communicate with you on Facebook Messenger.

Conversion: Create online conversions, make catalog sales, or drive foot traffic to offline stores.

Audience considerations: Facebook is popular across demographics and offers detailed targeting options. This makes it a great platform to get started with social media advertising.

Photo ads
In addition to a photo, Facebook photo ads include 125 characters of text plus a headline and link description. They can also include a call-to-action button like Shop Now or Send Message.

You can create your photo ad in Facebook Business Manager, or simply promote a post with an image from your Facebook Page.

Quick tip: Facebook photo ads work really well for showcasing new products or services. Show people using your product, rather than a simple photo of the product itself.

Video ads
Facebook video ad options range from short mobile video ads up to 240-minute promoted videos designed to be watched on desktop. With so many options, it’s critical to have solid goals and understand who your target market is and where your video will reach them.

Facebook video ads can work well in conjunction with a TV ad campaign. Even if T.V. is not part of your marketing mix, video ads can be a great way to draw people in. Use compelling visuals that highlight the best parts of your brand.

Quick tip: Short videos tend to have higher completion rates. However, if you’ve got a compelling message you can go a little longer.

Rareform uses mobile Facebook video ads to highlight its unique value proposition. The company makes bags out of recycled billboards. Their video ads get a 19% higher return than ads without video.

Stories ads
In this full-screen format, photos display for six seconds, and videos can last up to 15 seconds.

You can’t specifically select Facebook Stories ads on their own. They’re included as a possible placement when you select Automatic Placements when creating your ad.

Quick tip: Stories only last for 24 hours, so this is a great format for in-the-moment marketing like limited-time offers. The majority of people Facebook surveyed said they wanted Stories ads to be “quick and easy to understand.” Keep things simple.

For example, the clothing brand tentree used a Facebook Stories slideshow ad with six photos to show off six different men’s hats. The campaign had a 70% lower cost per product page view than other digital ads.

Carousel ads
A carousel ad lets you include up to 10 images or videos, each with their own link, all in one ad.

Carousel ads work well to showcase different features of a product, or to explain a step-by-step process. They’re also a great way to present multiple products.

Quick tip: Use the different elements in your carousel ad together to present a compelling, effective story or message.

Slideshow ads
A slideshow is an ad that creates a video from several static images—your own or stock images that Facebook provides.

Slideshows offer the compelling motion of video, but require no video-specific resources to create. If you’re not ready to try video ads but want to move beyond static photos, slideshow ads are a great option.

Happy Socks uses slideshow ads to show off their colorful product in an eye-catching way.

Collection ads
A collection ad highlights your products right in the Facebook feed. The ad includes a cover photo or video plus product images with pricing and other details. This allows people to learn more about your product without leaving Facebook. When someone clicks on the ad, they go to an Instant Experience (see below).

Quick tip: Collection ads work especially well for retail and travel brands.

Instant Experience ads
Formerly called Carousel ads, these are full-screen interactive ads for the mobile feed. An Instant Experience ad can include up to 20 images or up to two minutes of video. You can include a call-to-action button with up to 30 characters of text.

Instant Experiences also include interactive features like tilt to pan.

Quick tip: Instant Experience ads can also be used to collect customer or lead information using an instant form.

Messenger ads
Messenger ads are simply Facebook ads placed on the home screen of the Messenger app. You can use them to encourage people to connect with your business on Messenger, but they can also link to your site.

Here’s how a Messenger ad looks in the mobile interface:

Quick tip: You can use Messenger ads to restart conversations that have trailed off. Use a custom audience of people who have previously messaged your business.

Lead generation ads
Facebook lead generation ads are mobile-only ads that include pre-populated forms. This makes it easy for people to:

sign up for your newsletter
request a free trial
ask for a quote

They’re a great tool if you’re looking for leads to pass along to your sales team, or to build your online sales funnel.

Quick tip: Ask for the minimum amount of information you need to process leads effectively, to maximize completion.

Instagram ads

Facebook owns Instagram. So it’s not surprising that Instagram ads support the same three broad categories of campaign objectives as Facebook ads:

Awareness

Consideration

Conversion

Audience considerations: Instagram is most popular with millennials. Plenty of Generation Xers also use the platform.

The specific Instagram ad types also mirror four of the Facebook ads types:

Photo

Video

Carousel

Collection

You can create each type of ad for either the main Instagram feed, or for Instagram Stories.

Photo and video ads
Your Instagram photo or video will look like a regular Instagram post—except that it will say Sponsored in the top right. Depending on your campaign objective, you may also be able to add a call-to-action button.

Quick tip: Make sure your photo and video ads are consistent in style with the organic posts you share on Instagram. This helps viewers recognize that the ad is from your brand.

Try testing video ads against photo ads using the same content. America’s Test Kitchen found that adding motion to its ads resulted in a 45% increase in leads over the same ad using just a photo.

Carousel ads
In an Instagram carousel ad, viewers swipe to scroll through different images.

Quick tip: Make sure the images you use in your carousel ad are visually similar and tied together by a common theme. It shouldn’t be jarring to swipe between the different photos in the ad.

Look at this Carousel ad for Snag Tights. The similar images and consistent bar of text across each photo clearly connect the components of the ad and help to tell a consistent story.

Collection ads
Just like Facebook Collection ads, these feature a cover image or video plus several product shots. Clicking on the ad directs the user to an Instant Experience.

Quick tip: Instagram Collection ads don’t include a headline, but they do allow up to 90 characters of text.

Instagram Stories ads
Instagram Stories ads can use photos or videos up to 120 seconds long. These ads display in full-screen format between people’s stories.

Quick tip: Add interactive elements to Story ads for the best performance.

Dunkin’ found in an A/B test that a Story ad with a poll sticker had a 20% lower cost per video view. Plus, 20% of people who watched the video voted in the poll. (On the very important topic of which is better: donuts or fries.)

June 4 2020

Facebook Stories: What is it and how does it work?

jpearson Blog Facebook Stories 1

Facebook Stories is a new way to share your adventures. It’s a much more visual way of sharing, and gives some pretty cool ways of jazzing up your photos and videos. Instagram stories is the same thing.

So how do you use it, and how is it different from regular Facebook? Read on, and you’ll be a Facebook Stories expert in no time.

What is Facebook Stories?
Stories is effectively another News Feed, but one that relies on visual rather than written information. It adds new filters and effects to the camera, and requires you to select the Stories section, rather than just posting to Facebook as you normally would.

It relies on the camera so the phone is a more natural home for Stories, but you can post and edit them from your desktop, giving you the chance to create more polished videos.

Who can I share Facebook Stories with?
Any of your Facebook friends. You can choose to share with a group of people all at once, or just one individual if you like.

How long does Facebook Stories last?
Once posted, they’ll stay viewable for 24 hours. After that, they disappear. In other words, it’s just like Snapchat Stories. Facebook Stories don’t appear in your Timeline or News Feed by default unless you post them there too.

What is the Stories row?
This is a section at the top of your News Feed that contains all of your Stories. When you add a photo or video to a Story, it will appear here. If someone wants to see your Stories, this is where they click.

Facebook Stories

What are the Facebook Stories Camera effects?
Facebook’s camera also has some new tricks. You can now add masks, frames, and interactive filters to your photos and videos. For something a little different, try out the reactive effects – these let you interact with dynamic objects you’ve added to the video, like falling snow – and style effects that let you add filters in real-time.

Facebook has also partnered with brands to create masks for films like Alien: Covenant, Despicable Me 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Artists like Douglas Coupland and Hattie Stewart have also contributed their own effects.

What is direct sharing?
Created a story but only want select friends to see it? You can now choose to share directly with only specific people, thanks to direct sharing. Your chosen friends will be able to view your photo or video once, replay it and write a reply. Once the conversation ends, the photo or video will no longer be visible.

How do you get your photos ready for Facebook Stories?
There are three ways to get started on mobile. You can tap the Your Story icon in the Stories bar, tap the Camera icon in the top left of the screen. Then press the record button once to take a photo, or hold it to record a video. Already have a photo or video you want to share? You can upload it from your camera roll.

If you’re on the desktop, create a post just like you’re making it for your News Feed. Add words, backgrounds, stickers, GIFs, feelings, photos, video – or get ready to stream live video. Below this, you’ll see the options for News Feed and Your story. Add one or both and choose your audience.

How do you add camera effects?
It’s easy. Just swipe up or tap the Effects icon to see the selection of frames, masks and effects which you can add. You can also add words by tapping the text icon – maybe you’d like to add a caption – or press the doodle icon to start scribbling. When your masterpiece is complete, just press the download icon to save your photo or video.

How do you post to Facebook Stories?
All you have to do is tap Your Story, then hit the Share button. All done.

Can you reply to Facebook Stories?
You can. You just need to press where it says ‘Write a direct reply’, then type away. Direct replies can only be seen by you and the recipient.

May 28 2020

Why is Branding Important?

jpearson Blog Branding 0

So what is branding, and why is it so important for your business?

Branding goes way beyond just a logo or graphic element.

When you think about your brand, you really want to think about your entire customer experience…everything from your logo, your website, your social media experiences, the way you answer the phone, to the way your customers experience your staff.

When you look at this broad definition of branding, it can be a bit overwhelming to think about what is involved in your brand.

In short, your brand is the way your customer perceives you.

It is critical to be aware of your brand experience and have a plan to create the brand experience that you want to have… a good brand doesn’t just happen… it is a well thought out and strategic plan.

Many small organizations and start-ups neglect to spend the necessary time thinking about their brand in this broad sense and the impact it has on their business.

Let’s look at 10 reasons why digging into your brand is important:

Branding promotes recognition.

People tend to do business with companies they are familiar with.

If your branding is consistent and easy to recognize, it can help people feel more at ease purchasing your products or services.

Your brand helps set you apart from the competition.

In today’s global market, it is critical to stand apart from the crowd.

You are no longer competing on a local stage, your organization now competes in the global economy.

How do you stand out from the thousands or millions of similar organizations around the world?

Your brand tells people about your business DNA.

Your full brand experience, from the visual elements like the logo to the way that your phones are answered, tell your customer about the kind of company that you are.

Are all of these points of entry telling the right story?

Your brand provides motivation and direction for your staff.

A clear brand strategy provides the clarity that your staff needs to be successful.

It tells them how to act, how to win, and how to meet the organization’s goals.

A strong brand generates referrals.

People love to tell others about the brands they like.

People wear brands, eat brands, listen to brands, and they’re constantly telling others about the brands they love. On the flip side, you can’t tell someone about a brand you can’t remember.

Additionally, a strong brand website strategy, like backlinks, is critical to generating referrals or viral traffic.

A strong brand helps customers know what to expect.

A brand that is consistent and clear puts the customer at ease because they know exactly what to expect each and every time they experience the brand.

Your brand represents you and your promise to your customer.

It is important to remember that your brand represents you…you are the brand, your staff is the brand, your marketing materials are the brand.

What do they say about you, and what do they say about what you’re going to deliver (promise) to the customer?

Your brand helps you create clarity and stay focused.

It’s very easy to wander around from idea to idea with nothing to guide you…it doesn’t take long to be a long way from your original goals or plans.

A clear brand strategy helps you stay focused on your mission and vision as an organization.

Your brand can help you be strategic and will guide your marketing efforts saving time and money.

Your brand helps you connect with your customers emotionally.

A good brand connects with people at an emotional level. They feel good when they buy the brand.

Purchasing is an emotional experience and having a strong brand helps people feel good at an emotional level when they engage with the company.

A strong brand provides your business value.

A strong brand will provide value to your organization well beyond your physical assets.

Think about the brands that you purchase from (Coca-Cola, Wrangler, Apple, Ford, Chick-Fil-A, QuikTrip)… are these companies really worth their equipment, their products, their warehouses, or factories?

No, these companies are worth much more than their physical assets…their brand has created a value that far exceeds their physical value.

Wrapping it up

The best branding is built on a strong idea… an idea that you and your staff can hold on to, can commit to, and can deliver upon.

Your brand needs to permeate your entire organization. When your organization is clear on the brand and can deliver on the promise of the brand, you will see tremendous fruit while building brand loyalty among your customer base.

May 20 2020

Where to Find Quality Images for Your Website

jpearson Blog quality images free 0

If there is a thing that will make your website look more professional, trustworthy, and appealing in a second, it’s definitely adding high-quality images. How many times have you heard that a picture is worth a thousand words? You don’t have to be a graphic designer or a photographer to have access to high-resolution images for free.

The website background image is just the beginning…

Using better images on your website is the fastest way to brighten up the look and feel of your website with the least amount of work – regardless if it’s a personal website, business website, online store or blog. By choosing the right images, you can instantly make your products more attractive and desirable, make your ideas more influential, and show your expertise while inspiring trust. The visual part of your website can, therefore, make a noticeable difference in terms of the brand’s success.

People like nice things

Remember, people do like nice things: they favor and visit pages with visual and easy-to-scan information. High-quality and relevant images help visitors understand what your pages are about quickly, improving your audience’s experiences on your website. Images help increase views and user engagement – users will spend more time on your website and share it more often.

A search engine like Google Images will quickly show you any shot you could ever want, but using them will almost certainly violate someone’s copyright as many of the images have been used illegally. Fortunately, there is a simple and safe alternative: a growing number of websites with beautiful stock photography popping up all over the web. Yes, there are plenty of online libraries offering free images that you can use, even commercially, at no cost to you.

google images

Licenses – how to recognize free images

How free is free? Some websites allow you to download pictures for private use (wallpaper for your screen) but will disallow images for commercial use (e.g. business cards, websites, or posters). Thankfully, many photographs are free from copyright restrictions or licensed under creative commons zero public domain dedication (or CC0), meaning that you can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Some photos, however, may still require attribution.

1. Pixabay

Pixabay is a vibrant community of creative people releasing all content under CC0. You will find more than 1.5 million royalty-free stock photos, vector graphics, illustrations, and also videos safe to use without asking for permission or giving credit to the artist.

Pixlbay

2. Pexels

All photos on Pexels can be used for free commercial and non-commercial purposes, without any attribution required. You can be creative and edit the photos as you like. The Pexels team takes all images from other free image sources like Pixabay, Gratisography, Little Visuals, etc.

3. Unsplash

In 2013, Unsplash added the tagline “10 photos every 10 days” when they only had 10 photos for the first version of Unsplash. Then, it has grown into an industry-leading photography community. In April 2018, it passed 500,000 photos. Available for commercial and non-commercial uses, editing and copying allowed and no attribution required.

4. Picjumbo

It all started when all of the regular stock photo sites rejected photos of a Czech designer and photographer due to “insufficient quality.“ In 2013, Viktor Hanacek created Picjumbo with free pictures in full resolution and now counts more than 6 million downloads. All photos are free for commercial use, however, registered trademarks and brands must be respected.

5. Gratisography

They claim to be the world’s quirkiest collection of free high-resolution images, the world’s best, most creative images included. If you are searching for photos you just won’t find anywhere else, try Gratisography. You can find almost anything you can think of.

6. StockSnap

Hundreds of high-quality and high-resolution stock images free from all copyright restrictions (CC0) are added weekly on Stocksnap, with no attribution required. Check StockSnap’s tag-based category system to find images that convey the right mood, feeling, sense, or content that you need.

7. ISO Republic

ISO Republic offers thousands of high-resolution free stock photos under CC0, with more being added weekly. They also launched Foodie Factor, a website providing the best free food and drink stock photos. This website will make you indescribably hungry.

With these resources, we are confident that you will manage to get the best pictures to make your blog, personal, or business website unforgettable!

Below are some fun tools to take your images to the next level:

Canva

Canva is a tool loaded with enough easy-to-use features and functionality that anyone can create a variety of engaging content that gets shared.

Canva

Duotone by ShapeFactory

With Duotone by ShapeFactory, you can find beautiful free duotone images to use in any project, or make custom duotone images by uploading your own image and applying a duotone effect.

Duotone

Pixlr

Pixlr is a free online photo editor right in your browser. Experience next-level, intuitive photo editing with AI-powered tools for quick yet professional edits.

Pixlr

May 12 2020

Why You Should Invest in Newsletter Design

jpearson Blog Newsletter Design 0

The emergence and continued growth of social media marketing have caused many organizations to put all their energies into these emerging platforms and, for some, email marketing has become an afterthought.

Did you know that 72% of people prefer to receive promotional information through email, compared to only 17% who prefer social media?

If you have moved on from email marketing to strictly utilizing social media outlets, you might want to rethink this strategy. Not everyone is on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, but EVERYONE has an email address.

Here are some ways email marketing design matters in email marketing best practices:

Design for Mobile Devices

Mobile Newsletter

More people own smartphones than a desktop or laptop, and that means people spend significantly more time on their mobile devices.

Most email design platforms now come with a wide array of mobile-optimized newsletter templates. It makes sense to consider how the layout will appear on the smallest screen your subscriber may be utilizing and begin with a mobile-first approach.

Single column designs and slightly larger fonts are a safe bet to make sure that people will be able to easily view the entire width of your message on any smartphone.

Use a Clean and Organized Layout

Keep things clean and simple to avoid unnecessary distractions and hold your readers’ attention from beginning to end.

It can be helpful to begin by making a simple sketch of the general layout of the newsletter and then begin plugging in the necessary content elements as you refine your design.

Below is a perfect example of how single-column design can facilitate easy scrolling on mobile devices.

Single-column design

Tip: Evaluate and compare a number of different email marketing platforms. There are a wide variety of choices that allow non-technical users to easily populate and customize visually engaging templates.

Keep Text Short and Sweet

With declining attention spans, it is essential that you carefully strategize not only the right content but also how many different topics you want to introduce.

Many people receive various email newsletters almost every day of the week. Think about your own inbox and the newsletters that you no longer read or have unsubscribed from. What was the reason? Most likely it was because you did not find the information to be valuable on a consistent basis, the email was too difficult to quickly scan and read, or that it was sent too often.

Tip: Use a theme to weave content together and include a “Read More” button when promoting blog content.

Create Visual Hierarchy

Visual Hierarchy

This design principle requires creating a sense of what is important to the reader through the use of position, size, color, contrast, and shapes.

At a glance, it should be very obvious what elements are the most important and what you want the reader to focus on.

Effective use of font sizes and color are the easiest and most common ways designers can create a sense of importance within the body of an email.

Embrace White Space

White Space

Effectively utilizing white space allows the brain to scan, interpret and break down elements into easily digestible pieces.

Apple has set the standard that so many brands have tried to reach when it comes to effective use of white space and a clean layout.

Less is more. Give your content room to breathe and make an impact on the reader. All beautiful design makes strategic use of negative space to emphasize certain parts of your content.

Frame Content with Headers/Footers

Frame Content with Headers and Footers

The first 2 to 3 inches on an email are the most critical real estate you have to gain the attention of the reader. The header, in particular, is your first opportunity to make a great impression.

Footers may not be the first thing a reader sees, but they should provide a solid visual bookend to the header of a newsletter and help frame the look and feel of the entire email. You can use an email template builder to achieve the right frame.

Be sure to include social media icons as well as an unsubscribe button and other elements that will make your message CAN-SPAM compliant.

Set the Mood with Color

Color in Design

Plenty of research has been conducted on how different colors elicit certain feelings and emotions. Be very intentional with your choice of color schemes to create a message that resonates with your readers.

So, what do different colors mean?

In the west, there are certain cultural conventions that dictate which colors should be used for certain messages. For example, black has been traditionally associated with luxury and sophistication, while blue is often connected with the notions of integrity and tranquility.

Obviously, you want to utilize a color scheme that complements and reinforces your brand identity.

Use Stunning Images

Stunning images in design

When you have limited space to get a message across, a carefully chosen image can make a big statement.

The example above puts the product on center stage, accompanied by a background image that creates an outdoorsy, adventurous feel that is likely to resonate with the target audience.

Just be careful to not overuse images or choose pictures that are too large, as they can make your email more likely to be labeled as spam. Give images no more than 30% of the available real estate.

As always, if you need help with email marketing, give us a shout, we’re here to help!

April 17 2020

How to ‘Spring Clean’ Your Website With Content Auditing

jpearson Blog Tips and Tricks, website cleaning 0

Of course, you can’t physically dust off your website content to make it look shiny and new. But, nonetheless, you do need to give your website content the proverbial spring cleaning it deserves — with a content audit.

Conducting a content audit can provide you actionable insights into what type of content is performing the best with your audience, improve your content’s return on investment (ROI) and improve your content-marketing strategy for the future.

So, to give your website a refresh, follow these steps outlining how to “spring clean” your website, using content auditing.

Set clear goals.

Before diving into your content audit, first set clear goals. Setting goals for your content audit will help you better determine which content is working well, what needs improving and updating and what needs to be retired. By keeping the goals of your content audit in mind, you’ll find it easier to get the big picture on your goals overall. For instance, in terms of your content audit, do you want to:

Improve your SEO results?
Increase audience engagement?
Improve conversion rates?

Depending on your goals, you can consider different criteria for each page or post. For instance, to improve SEO results, you’ll look over and optimize internal linking. To increase audience engagement, you’ll determine what topics your audience is most interested in. And, to improve conversion rates, you’ll identify the most efficient content for each stage of the buyer’s journey.

Create a content inventory.

Next, you’ll want to create an inventory of all your content. So, compile a list of all your URLs and put them in a spreadsheet. In the spreadsheet DOWNLOAD HERE, list all the URLS in columns along with other details such as:

Title of the content
Type of content (blog post, landing page, product description)
Date of publication or last modification
Author (if you have multiple authors on your site)
Stage of the user’s journey (awareness, consideration, decision)
Number of words
Metadata (title, description)
Metrics such as number of page visits, time spent on page, conversion rate, backlinks, shares, ranking for the main keywords, and so on.

Then consult your analytics tool to discover all of the key metrics you need to know. As you build this list of your content inventory, you’ll be able to easily identify which content is under-performing.

Assess your content and take action.

Once you’ve taken inventory of all your content in an organized spreadsheet, it’s time to assess your content and take action. In this step, you’ll identify what content is performing well for you, what you need to change/update, what you can merge and what you can get rid of.

Again, go back to the goals you set for your content audit. If your main goal is to improve conversions, you’ll mainly want to focus on metrics such as conversion rate and time spent on the page as well as what stage of the buyer’s journey your content is for.

For instance, when filling out your spreadsheet you may notice that you have lots of content for the decision stage of the buyer’s journey and not enough for the consideration or awareness stages. You can then go ahead and start planning more content to guide users through each stage of the buyer’s journey or edit your existing content as needed.

To make the process of assessing your content easier, create another column in your inventory spreadsheet to grade your content. You can use A,B,C,D grading or give your content a score from 1 to 5. If the content is performing well across all metrics, you can give it a top score. Other content that’s not performing as well can then be updated and tweaked to meet your goals.