http://www.parscale.com/blog en webmaster@parscale.com Copyright 2011 2011-06-24T17:50:02+00:00 http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/3-things-to-look-for-in-a-web-developer/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/3-things-to-look-for-in-a-web-developer/#When:17:50:02Z Choosing a San Antonio web developer is a crucial task. This person will need to design, program, and market your website. Many clients have a hard time when choosing a designer because they have no idea what to look for. Listed below are 3 crucial features for choosing a web developer. Experience Experience is the key to results. An experienced web developer is one with an extensive client or design portfolio, who demonstrates a depth of knowledge in certain programming languages. Look for developers who have solved multiple problems, ranging from ecommerce back-ends to content management systems to complex workflows. Experienced developers can also adapt more easily to unexpected circumstances and unique requests. Contact previous customers to ask about the developer’s work, and request their portfolio, if one is not immediately provided.  The ability to create original and professional websites is what separates the amateurs from the professionals. Almost anyone can create links and put words on a page, but it takes a trained person to have a proper sense of page layout and a tasteful knack for design and graphics. Keep an eye out for this kind of innate design sense when browsing through a potential web developer’s portfolio—look for unique and original designs, and pay attention to style. If the none of the samples seem to match your style, you may be looking at the wrong developer for your project. Marketing Having the most awesome website on the web won’t make a whit of difference if nobody ever sees it. Standard marketing tactics you might use for a brick-and-mortar store don’t apply here. You need to incorporate social media marketing, along with other online strategies to build a steady stream of visitors, allowing you to sell products and actually make money. If a web developer claims to be an expert in search engine optimization, do your own Google search to see whether they’ve utilized those techniques on their own website with good results. Price The cost of a professional website can range anywhere from $500 to tens of thousands of dollars. Before hiring, always get a written price estimate for the project. Some firms may request half of the fees to be paid upfront as a deposit, while others may charge a flat hourly rate. Aside from the initial production cost, you should also factor in the cost of maintenance once the site is online. If you plan to update your website regularly, you will need to pay an administrator a monthly/weekly fee, unless you plan to do the job yourself   General 2011-06-24T17:50:02+00:00 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 11:50:02 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/first_impressions_why_an_updated_website_is_important/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/first_impressions_why_an_updated_website_is_important/#When:19:18:32Z The old adage may be cliché, but oh so true in the digital universe we live in. Even though some trends come and go, like a flipped up collar on a polo shirt, dated website design is not one of them. This is an area where old is not classic, but potentially detrimental to your online presence and your business. On a daily basis I talk to people who “want to be on the first page of Google”. There’s way more to it than that. You can drive a million people to your website, but if it appears outdated, chances are the visitor will leave. People associate the look of a website with credibility. You run the risk of being perceived in a manner that may not be how your business actually exists. It’s one thing if you’re an established organization and you just need to update your website. It’s another situation when your business depends on converting traffic going to your website. Either way, if a website is more than five years old, in some cases even fewer, it is probably time to consider an update, and most likely a new site. Here are just a few things that have changed in website design: • Design Structure and Appearance • Content Management Systems • Animation technology • Search Engine Optimization • Search Engine Marketing • Social Media Integration • Email Marketing Integration • Enriched Content Your website has to change with technology in order to keep up. With over 15 billion pages indexed online (double the world’s population, p.s.) competitiveness is a slight understatement. There are many people people who are able to build websites out there, just make sure you find a partner who is well versed in all these areas.  It makes a difference, just ask our clients, Paseo del Rio Association and Buyers Distributing Incorporated. Paseo del Rio Association Before and After:                                       Buyers Distributing Incorporated Before and After:           General 2011-04-08T19:18:32+00:00 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:18:32 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/the_city_of_seguin_has_a_new_look_-_on_the_web/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/the_city_of_seguin_has_a_new_look_-_on_the_web/#When:14:44:53Z Last week, the city of Seguin, Texas launched their new website. It was a true community effort. Check out what Jim Vassar, IT Manager of Seguin, had to say... "Today the City of Seguin has a website it can be proud of. Two and a half years of hard labor has produced our new site: www.seguintexas.gov" It features a Content Management System that allows certain people from each city department to update information on their section of the site. This allows much quicker updates to the site, making it more practical to post News items, Emergency notifications, etcetera for Seguin's citizens. It also gives freedom to each department to display pictures, PDF files and text in their own creative way within the confines of the site. Easy to use Agenda and Minutes postings, Employment opportunities, and Bid opportunities are also new features to our site. SEDC is now integrated on our city website under Business. "Special thanks to Parscale Media for working with us so well and providing the functionality and design of the site. Also, thanks go out to Dan Rubio and Manuel Rosas for their huge efforts in this project. And let's also thank the web site administrators in each department for working so hard to make the site come alive with up-to-date content. Thanks to each department for their cooperation in this project!" For more great projects from Parscale Media visit www.parscale.com General 2011-03-25T14:44:53+00:00 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 08:44:53 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_launches_new_website_for_the_san_antonio_river_walk/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_launches_new_website_for_the_san_antonio_river_walk/#When:22:43:17Z Parscale Media is proud to launch the new official website of the San Antonio River Walk for the Paseo del Rio Association. The project is the result of a very dedicated collaborative effort between Parscale and Paseo. “As the number one Google search for the River Walk, we felt we were due for an upgrade,” explains Nancy Hunt, Executive Director of the Paseo del Rio Association. “The enhanced visual appeal truly highlights the beauty and wonder of the city’s jewel, the River Walk. The enhanced functionality allows visitors to the site to find the information they are looking for, in fewer clicks. We wanted to provide visitors a comprehensive understanding of what San Antonio and the River Walk have to offer.” The new website showcases a new modern design, but more importantly evokes a more interactive layout for visitors, members and sponsors of the Paseo del Rio Association. It is no longer a text driven brochure online. Now it is a multi-faceted resource with options to plan a trip, sign up for email updates, find points of interests through category-based sections, and of course links to social media. It also features an extensive Events section with in-depth detail pages, links to purchase tickets and image galleries. The Paseo del Rio Association is a non-profit association whose mission is to promote, protect and preserve the River Walk. www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com Parscale Media is a San Antonio-based web-marketing firm specializing in custom web design, web strategy and online presence. www.parscale.com   Press Releases 2011-03-18T22:43:17+00:00 Fri, 18 Mar 2011 16:43:17 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/redesigning_rivercenter/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/redesigning_rivercenter/#When:22:07:52Z As part of the Rivercenter Mall’s rebranding efforts, Parscale Media had the opportunity to work on the website portion of the plan. In keeping with their new look and feel, and the use of “Re” words, a very image-driven design was implemented. The site showcases everything Rivercenter has to offer in addition to shopping, such as great dining, entertainment and special events. A multi-level directory map was created to help visitors easily find what they are looking for based on categories and location. Several items have been implemented to encourage more interactivity for a marketing and social media benefit. The opportunity to sign up for convenient email updates and establishing a Facebook and Twitter presence will help Rivercenter Mall keep in close touch with their audience locally and beyond. In addition to these efforts, every page of the website is properly titled to optimize the opportunity to be found in search engine results. All of these features combined will prove to keep Rivercenter Mall as a key destination in the Riverwalk area. Check out the new site at www.shoprivercenter.com and see more of Parscale Media's projects at www.parscale.com General 2011-03-11T22:07:52+00:00 Fri, 11 Mar 2011 16:07:52 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/happy_traveling/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/happy_traveling/#When:19:51:42Z There’s a certain twinge of excitement I get when going to the airport, because it typically means I am doing something fun. But then, in an instant, you take the happiness detour to Baggageville. The lines, the people and worst of all, the FEES! I’m always envious of those people who seem to float through the airport minutiae and arrive at their gate with composure in tact. Fortunately, we can all have that experience thanks to ShipLuggage.com. ShipLuggage is a premier door-to-door luggage delivery service that makes traveling much more enjoyable and stress free. You simply go to ShipLuggage.com, schedule your luggage shipment, print your labels, a courier picks up your luggage from your home or business, and you receive your luggage at your desired location. How great is that? There are similar services out there, but none have the vision and expertise that ShipLuggage does. The owners approached Parscale Media with a very clear vision of how their website and service would be unique. This resulted in a custom design and program unlike any other out there. The website is modern and user-friendly, which is made possible by a combination of excellent design, concise marketing messages, and a transaction system created specifically for this project. Recognizing the role that social media plays in a modern traveler’s world, you will find Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels associated with ShipLuggage as well. So, the next time you plan a trip – be it business or pleasure – consider sending your bags ahead of time. Save time, money, and sanity! Learn more about ShipLuggage and Parscale Media at www.shipluggage.com and www.parscale.com   General 2010-12-08T19:51:42+00:00 Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:51:42 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/the_proof_is_in_the_pudding/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/the_proof_is_in_the_pudding/#When:17:58:13Z Yes, the title is cliché’, but it is the day before Thanksgiving and I am very honed in on food at the moment. Not only is it the time for holiday planning, but also budget planning for many businesses. A recent article published on mashable.com has interesting predictions on how small businesses are expected to spend their marketing budgets in 2011. For some time now, trends have shown continuous increases in online, email and social media marketing. Over 54% of the businesses surveyed already have a website. This is not surprising. What’s exciting, is that people are starting to recognize their website must be more engaging and take their efforts further to incorporate other elements. People are seeing the value (and more importantly, results) of having a comprehensive plan that covers several ways to communicate and interact with their audience. However, 80% of those businesses say the majority of content is information about their business. Another key area where we are seeing much focus is content marketing. Stay tuned for more on that! Check out the full article -  http://tinyurl.com/2eynmqb - you are bound to find something that relates to you and your business. In the meantime, enjoy a turkey leg. General 2010-11-24T17:58:13+00:00 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 11:58:13 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/a_dedicted_website_for_a_dedicated_event/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/a_dedicted_website_for_a_dedicated_event/#When:20:52:53Z To celebrate this monumental occasion, the San Antonio AIDS Foundation decided to go big with their website too by creating a dedicated Walk for Life website!  Parscale Media created a completely customized registration system to provide the most user-friendly way for individuals, teams, volunteers and supporters to get involved.  This website is truly a one-stop shop for all things AIDS Walk related.  The 2010 San Antonio AIDS Walk will be held at Woodlawn Lake Park on Saturday, September 25 from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Help support the 20th anniversary of the San Antonio AIDS Foundation's Walk for Life and visit www.walkforlifesa.com.   General 2010-09-08T20:52:53+00:00 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:52:53 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_goes_gourmet/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_goes_gourmet/#When:19:19:23Z Gourmet Body Treats is a local family-owned business in San Antonio dedicated to creating green beauty and skin care products. Waleska, the creator of Gourmet Body Treats, was having a hard time finding products for her own skin issues, and when nothing else worked she decided to create her own! All of the products are handmade, 100% natural and 100% vegan. We collaborated with Gourmet Body Treats to create a marketing driven plan to showcase their natural products. The end result is a custom ecommerce website with a clean and inviting design, clear marketing messages, fluid navigation, and search engine optimized content. Dynamic titles, descriptions and keywords to the website help Gourmet Body Treats gain additional exposure. To support their growing online client base, Parscale implemented a Foxycart ecommerce solution for a smoother checkout experience for both the customer and the client. Other special custom features include hand-drawn navigational and product icons, illustrated by our own Michelle Sanchez. The goal was to create a website that would boast the beautiful organic products that Gourmet Body Treats is known for. To begin an all-natural regimen of your own, check out Gourmet Body Treatʼs website at www.gourmetbodytreats.com. To view more of Parscale Media’s work, including other ecommerce websites, go to www.parscale.com. General 2010-06-01T19:19:23+00:00 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:19:23 GMT http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_is_hiring/ http://www.parscale.com/blog/article/parscale_media_is_hiring/#When:20:49:19Z Parscale Media is hiring a Production Artist. Here are the attributes we are looking for: Must be highly organized, detail oriented and able to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet tight deadlines Able to implement quick revisions to meet Client's, Art Director's or Senior Designer's requests Must have advanced knowledge of Photoshop.  Knowledge of Illustrator and InDesign a bonus Should be familiar with image compression, file correction and optimization techniques Knowledge in  XHTML and CSS is a plus Must be experienced with Mac & PC Must be able to type properly and at least 40+ WPM Graphic design skills are a plus Will consider full or part-time Compensation based on experience If your qualifications meet these requirements, please submit a cover letter, resume and portfolio to Jobs@Parscale.com. Parscale Media is committed to providing outstanding web design and web marketing strategies by establishing lasting client relationships through communication, creativity, knowledge and cutting edge technology.  General 2010-05-24T20:49:19+00:00 Mon, 24 May 2010 14:49:19 GMT