Pickard Design Studio is Live!

Pickard Design Studio was an ever so stylish site to watch come together! Our focus for this was to build a stronger brand identity and create a custom website! Sarah was looking for something with an editorial feel that was clean and modern. 

Square Creatives did a fully custom site & branding project.  Elements included in this project: 

• Logo Revamp

• color scheme

• Image Selection

• Portfolio Creation

• graphic designs

• Lite SEO

• Custom CSS

• Website Copy

• Client Brochure

Make sure to scroll down to check out this site’s dramatic before and after!

Congrats to Pickard Design Studio on their new brand and the new site! 

Before

AFTER

Dispositive Motion is Live!

Blogger, Lynn Winter, was ready to take her blog to the next level and knew she was ready for a new site! She is a full-time lawyer, mom, blogger, and Beachbody coach. This girl really does it all and takes you on her daily journey. Be sure to go check her out and follow along! 

Square Creatives did a fully custom site & branding project. 
Elements included in this project: 

• Branding
• Color Selection 
• Image Selection 
• Photoshoot Consultation/ Design
• Graphic Design
• SEO
• Lite Coding 
• Some Website Copy
• Blog Setup

Our mood board for the Custom Site was a clean and modern site with an emphasis on fitness and her love for purple!

Congrats to Lynn on her new brand and the new site! 

Blog Heading

THE MOOD BOARD & COLOR PALetTE 

What is a Favicon?

If you have a website, you need a favicon. It's basically the "cherry on top" and really helps complete the overall web experience. What is a favicon, you may ask? A favicon is a small square graphic that displays next to the page title in a browser tab. Adding this graphic to your site makes your website immediately recognizable in a browser full of tabs – so your site stands out! You know, when you have 50 tabs open in your browser?! The visual recognition that happens with a small graphic in the browser makes it so easy to find your site amidst the sea of tabs! Keep in mind, if you don't add a custom favicon, a (boring) default one will be connected with your site. 

Wondering what to use as your image? It's a great idea to use your logo or a small portion of your logo. The image is displayed very very VERY small, so using a portion like a "+" sign, heart, one letter or the initials will translate better at this small size. Less is more to have an impact! We would also recommend using the accent color from your color palette. Check out our favicon above in your browser, we've used only the "G" from our logo and made it stand out by placing it in a colored circle.

Depending on the platform your are using, favicons are usually in the .png or .ico format. If you need to create a favicon in the .ico format, just take your .png and upload it to the favicon converter (http://www.favicon-generator.org/). Favicon images work best across all browsers when sized between 100px × 100px and 300px × 300px, though they display at 16px × 16px. These are the standard favicon dimensions, and while some browsers support larger favicon files, all will support that size.

If you are using Squarespace, here is a tutorial on how to connect your favicon image to your site.

TCP Catering is Live!

TCP Catering's website was a tasty treat to whip together! I was able to work hand in hand with one of the owners to take their brand to the next level. Our focus for this was to build a unique brand, custom website,  and a focus on the copy for the new site. Looking to caterer here in Texas? Make sure to consider them as I am sure they will delight your guests! 

Square Creatives did a fully custom site & branding project.  Elements included in this project: 

• branding
• color selection 
• Image Selection 
• Photoshoot Consultation/ Design
• graphic design
• SEO
• lite coding 
• Website Copy

Our mood board for the Custom Site was a focus on the visual appeal of their food while showcase a family feel and sharing their passion for cooking! Make sure to scroll down to check out this sites dramartic before and after!

Congrats to TCP Catering on their new brand and the new site! 

Before

AFTER

THE MOOD BOARD & COLOR PALetTE 

THE BEST WEBSITES FOR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY

If you have worked with me before you know I preach that photography will make or break your website. It is what truly sets the tone of your brand and allows you to bring in colors, textures, and emotion to your site! While I always advocate allowing me to assist you with a personalized shoot, this sometimes isn't just isn't feasible or time is of the essence and you need to get your site live ASAP. Here are some of my favorite go-to sites when you are needing some awesome stock images! 

WHERE YOU CAN USE STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY:

• Social media posts & graphics
• Blog posts
• On your site

MY FAVORITE STOCK SITES:

01 – Unsplash | Unsplash is my go-to site for those on a budget. It offers FREE photos for you to download that photographers have generously gifted. This is my favorite because it allows you to organize the stock photos you like which come in handy for me and my clients. 

02 – Pixabay | Once again, a free photo option with limitless options. Less organizing capabilities but still a great option for those looking for royalty free stock images. 

03– Creative Market || At Creative Market, you will find photo with lots of character that are very unique for your brand.   This is a great option and most photos can be purchased at a low price point. 

04 – Bloguettes  || This is a great site for those needing blog/ lifestyle images for their site. While these do come with a price tag, the unique style, and the clean photographer can give a boost to any brands vibes. 

05 – Kaboom Pics || Last but not least here is another FREE stock photography site that will help you to add a clean look to your site or feed. 

I hope this helps you take your image to the next level! 

Goolonukos Tours is Live!

This project was such an honor to work on. My husband and I have personally used Pedro owner of Goolonukos Tours for our past three visits to Costa Rica and it has been the most incredible experience! I was so thrilled to be able to help Pedro build a brand, website, copy for his new site. If you are ever looking to go to Costa Rica you HAVE TO REACH OUT to them! 

Square Creatives did a fully custom site & branding project.  Elements included in this project: 

• logo design
• branding
• color selection 
• image selection 
• graphic design
• SEO
• lite coding 
• Interactive Messaging
• Website Copy

Our mood board for the Custom Site was tropical vibes, with clean elements—and a touch of the jungle life that Costa Rica is famous for! The vision for the site was a design that truly reflected the heart and passion Pedro has for his country while showcasing an easy to navigate site for tourists. 

Congrats to Goolonukos Tours on their new brand and the new site! 

The Homepage

How To Select The Perfect Domain For Your Biz

01 | Catchy 

Something short & catchy is ideal. A general rule is to keep it between 1-3 words. If you are thinking of using a longer domain name, think about how difficult it will be for your customers to remember and/or write it down. Thesaurus.com should be your friend as you start the brainstorming process. (Business lesson #329: Clear and short for a business/domain name are key! Go put those creative juices to work in your business in other ways.)

02 | Spelling 

Getting "creative" with spellings may get you closer to your ideal domain name BUT it will be SUPER HARD for customers to find you. Keep the spelling simple aka words that people know how to easily spell for your clients ease. 

03 | Dot.com Versus All the Other Guys 

We all know that “.com” is the go-to for most people but getting the name you really love can be a challenge. The newest rival to the ".com" is the ."co". Think of it as .com's hipster cousin. As for the rest, look at what you are trying to accomplish; .org is great for a 501C3, .US is a great solution for a US based company, & .ME is becoming more popular among bloggers. While .com is the staple, these other guys can be a perfect solution to getting the domain your heart desires

04| Using Your Own Name

Going with your name is a great way to personalize your business (hello it's literally your name). It can be a great way to help others remember the name of your company and makes new clients feel like they already know you! The two biggest reason to not use you name are spelling (my maiden name was Kryfko and that made for many errors!) and if you are wanting to expand your brand to have multiple employees. While you can still have employees with a company named after yourself, it is much more inclusive to have a general name. 

 

SQUARESPACE VS. WORDPRESS

1. SAVE THAT $$$

I know what you may be thinking, 'Gosh, Squarespace has this monthly fee and Wordpress doesn't... Squarespace cost too much.' Well, I am here to inform you that you will end up spending MUCH LESS on a Squarespace Site VS Wordpress. 

Hidden Costs in Wordpress: 

• Additional Plugins $

• Premium Themes $$

• Security Updates $$

• A Web Designer On Retainer $$$

These are the real costs associated with any Wordpress account. The number one way to save money on Squarespace is being able to run your site on your own with their easy to use interface.  

So you can spend all that money you’re saving on a new business book, a web designer, or that new pair of heels you have been eyeing.

2. USER-FRIENDLY

Squarespace is EXTREMELY user-friendly. I am talking college roommate, ride or die, do the holidays together kinda friendly.  

I spent so much time when I was on Wordpress working on correcting formatting, fixing broken plugins, and struggling to find solutions to the problems I was having.  This was beyond frustrating and prevented me from focusing on the actual context. Say so long to that issue! Squarespace allows you to simply focus on what is most important in your biz.  

I also love that as a designer and a bit of tech geek, I can get all into the coding to create the features and look my clients want and they still have a website they can easily use when I am not around.

I also take each of my clients through a tutorial so that they can see how easy it is to make quick changes, upload a new blog, or add a new products easily. This is my favorite part of the process because my clients can launch their site feeling empowered to take over their biz. 

3. GO LIVE IN ABOUT 10 MINS. 

Most of the time, when a client comes to me to do their site, they needed it done yesterday. While I can't time travel, I can have a coming soon page up in a matter of minutes and your website complete in 12 days. 

This all thanks to Squarespace's easy to use interface, ability to connect domains, and having everything you need in one place. There is truly no other platform (Sorry Go Daddy  Commercial) that can have a site up as quickly as you can with Squarespace. 

4. SECURITY

This is what sent me packing my bags and leaving Wordpress for good. I was constantly worried about various plugins to update and if I was not quick to respond I was putting myself at risk of being hacked. This made my website a point of stress instead of a point of passion. 

The next point of Security is the SSL updates. Wordpress does not automatically update your SSL Certificate leaving your site open to hack not just you but your site visitors as well. 

Squarespace offers free SSL certificates for all Squarespace Domains connected and pointing to a Squarespace site. With SSL enabled automatically, your visitors can access a constant, secure connection on every page of your site. Through SSL, your visitors see a lock icon next to your URL in the browser, showing that their information is safe.

Basically, if  a site is secure this is what you will see  next to the URL in the browser bar:

I now have the peace of mind knowing my site is secure for myself & my clients. 

You can know own your blog, biz, or online shop with confidence and ease. 

Obviously, I am a Squarespace fanatic but I do know in some cases Wordpress and other platforms may be better for you and your goals. Send me a message and lets see if Squarespace is right for you! 

Killen & Dennis is live!

Killen & Dennis, is an up and coming law firm located in Burleson, TX that went LIVE today!  They strive to find workable, cost-effective solutions whether it is in the boardroom or the courtroom.

Square Creatives did a fully custom site & branding project.  Elements included in this project: 

• logo design
• branding
• color selection 
• image selection 
• graphic design
• SEO
• lite coding 

Our mood board for the Custom Site was modern, with minimal elements—and a masculine touch! The vision for the site was a design that truly reflected the charm of their new office while showcasing a modern take on a law site. 

Congrats to the team at Killen & Dennis on their new firm and the new site! 

HOMEPAGE 

MOOD BOARD AND COLOR PALETTE

SIGNS THAT IT IS TIME FOR A REBRAND

Has your target market changed?

So let's pretend you are an event caterer! You have been in business for a couple years and originally you thought your target market would be brides but it turns out you have actually been doing a lot more corporate events and luncheons (go you and your imaginary biz!). This would probably need a significant branding shift to showcase where your business is thriving. Or maybe you relocated? Brides in Paducah Kentucky are more than likely looking for something very different than brides in LA. It is important to always evaluate your target market and make sure your brand is aligning with their needs. 

Has your products or services changed?

Let's keep chatting about this catering biz that you are rocking. Now that you are noticing you are booking more corporate events then weddings it may be time to stop offering wedding cakes. This may be a huge part of your current branding that isn't making you any $$$$. Your products have to be brand focused which will also be client focused! 

Is the competition passing you by?

Do your competitors have a beautiful site that looks professional, fresh and inviting?  The majority of people (especially millennials)  pick everything from restaurants, to dry cleaners, gyms, basically everything after looking at a companies website. What is your site saying about you? If you feel like your falling behind and not attracting those amazing client that you deserve then it may be time to rebrand to reflect how AWESOME your biz is. 

Did any of these question get you thinking that it may be time to rebrand? Lets chat! Click the button below to contact me. 

HOW TO GET A DISCOUNT ON YOUR SQUARESPACE SITE

It's obvious that I am a Squarespace enthusiast but I sometimes get pushback on their fee. Here are 2 ways that can save money on your Square Space Site: 

50% OF FOR TEACHERS & STUDENTS

Are you a student wanting to start a new lifestyle blog? Maybe you're a teacher who is ready to start an awesome small shop side hustle?

To me, this is a low key way to save that most people are missing out on!

All you need is a valid university email address (ughhhh sorry high schoolers you have to wait a few more years before you can cash in on these savings....).  

To get this super smart discount you first have to go to this page and verify that your university is enrolled.

Is it listed? YAY, AWESOME! Now you simply register your Squarespace site using your college or university email and the discount is automatically applied! 

 20% OFF WHEN YOU WORK WITH A SQUARESPACE CIRCLE MEMBER

"What is a circle member? How do I become one? Are you a circle member?

A circle member is essentially a Squarespace Webdesigner that has been invited by Squarespace into the circle of membership.  (yep, that includes me!). 

When the Circle member creates your site, a 20% discount will automatically be applied when you purchase a plan.

So, that is just another perk of having Square Creatives design your site! 

Have more questions about saving with Squarespace? Be sure to comment below and ask any questions!