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Author Archive for TunedIn_Dev

Infographics for Small Businesses

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 July 29, 2016
  ·  No Comments

When you have information you would like to share with clients, and potential clients, consider having us create an infographic for you. It’s an easy way to convey facts or statistics that can be dense to read in text or chart form. The style can be coordinated with your established branding identity. And, images get great traction in social media.

Here is a sample of a pretty simple infographic, so you can get some ideas. We are always ready to help you figure out ways to visually present your information.

How Web Browsers Work

History

A web browser is an application that displays web sites in a graphical interface. Prior to modern web browsers, computer to computer communication was text based and pretty tedious to use. With the advent of the modern browser it became possible to include images and styling for text information.

What Happens

What is happening when you open a web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and type in a domain name or URL (Uniform Resource Locator)? The browser sends a request to your service provider to look up the website associated with the URL. The service provider’s server uses a Domain Name System (DNS) to search for the actual location of the website by using a database that tells the server which domain name corresponds with what IP address. Then a request is sent to the server for that IP address and the page content is loaded into the browser. The associated files, images, media, etc. are stored separately and only included in the page as called for.

All of this happens in seconds (usually) and you see the page content and can click on links as desired. It really is pretty amazing.

Now for the Infographic

Here is a detailed breakdown of the parts of a domain name. I’ve included it as basic text, then below you will see the same information in the infographic. It’s much quicker and more fun to see the details visually than it is to read it in blocks of text. Most people find information more engaging when offered in this way.

Domain name vs. URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – you just need to use the actual domain name to find a website, but every site has a full URL. URL’s consist of several parts. Using this example I will break down what each means:

  • http://www.myexample.com/resources/example.html
    http; https; ftp; etc. Protocols are simply the way that servers agree on how they will share information. It’s like the difference between a voice call, a video call, or a text message.
  • www – this is considered a subdomain of the domain name. It isn’t really necessary anymore and is a holdover from the early web days. It was originally used to tell the server that I want you to find the website portion of the server for that domain name.
  • myexample.com – this is the actual domain name that you purchase the rights to use for a specified period of time. You don’t actually own a domain name. The .com portion of the domain is the Top Level Domain indicator. Other TLD’s include: .org., edu, and .net among others.
  • /resources/example.html  Path – anytime you see a slash after the main part of the URL, that is telling the server to look in specific directory (folder) named resources, then for the last part look for the file named example.html.
    • You don’t always see the page name these days because so many sites are no longer based in html (HyperText Markup Language). But, if you do, this is just telling the server which file you want to view.

DomainName_graphic-01

Check out our post about domain name tips at our parent site Resource Connection – 8 Things Small Business Owners Need to Know about Domain Names.

If you would like to explore options for using infographics please get in touch and we can brainstorm ideas.

Tips Uncategorized

Site Redesign: Advanced Holistic Healing Arts

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 May 9, 2016
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Advanced Holistic Healing ArtsAHHA_Screenshot already had a great look (we did the design two years ago), but needed additional and improved back-end functionality. We did freshen things up a bit, but left the overall look and feel as it was.

On the surface this site looks simple, but if you dig into the content and product areas you find a real depth of information. The site owner was unhappy with the shopping cart system she had and wanted something simpler to manage. I had built a couple of e-commerce sites with Exchange from iThemes and had found it easy to set up and manage, so that is what we chose.  This site has a combination of physical and digital products and that fits the Exchange model perfectly.

In addition to product sales the site offers resources for the owner’s classes which include students at a local massage training school, a variety of health professionals who attend her national CE classes, remote students for both an online class and a workbook based home study course. Additional resources for the local school students are provided on password protected pages to which only they have access.

An online event calendar is included to help find out about all the class options she offers. This plugin allows her to create classes easily and keeps everything well organized.

Another service she provides is a Practitioner listing for therapists all over the country who have taken her training classes. We used an add-on called GravityView for Gravity Forms to easily take the data entered via a simple form and display it in a sortable and searchable table format.

If you find you have a need for any similar functionalities please get in touch. We can help!

AHHA_Screenshot

Site Redesign

Site Redesign: Sherry Lowry

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 May 9, 2016
  ·  No Comments

I had the chance recently to work with my good friend Sherry Lowry to design and launch her new website SherryLowry.com. Sherry had an old HTML based site (see old site sample below) that was really in need of updates to both the look and the functionality. Moving the site to WordPress gave us the chance to make it shine!

Luckily Sherry had some excellent photos of herself with vibrant colors and we pulled much of the color palette from those images. I also pulled in one of my landscape photos from last summer’s trip to North Carolina to create the internal page subheaders. She had a photo of her with a leafy background but we wanted something to extend across the page. I did a little PhotoShopping and added greenery from the Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains, a gorgeous and very remote place to visit. We both think it worked out perfectly.

SL_SubHead_v2-1

The site doesn’t have any high-end functionalities (yet), but we did set up some pages with custom post types to make it simple for her to add posts and have them go automatically onto the right pages.

All in all the site has a much more modern feel and it’s going to be easy for her to add posts as she writes more content.

Here is what her old site looked like:

SL_OldSite_Cover

Site Redesign

New Site Launch: Three Hungry Racoons

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 May 9, 2016
  ·  No Comments

3Racoons_LogoWhat fun I had working with Christine Buendel to launch her new business – Three Hungry Racoons. She creates lovely cloth napkins and sells them locally at Farmer’s Markets and art/craft events. Christine has a knack for pairing the fabric patterns and colors into fun and creative groupings so that you get a set that matches your taste.

The really fun part about her idea is that she found that it really appeals to kids. Most youngsters seem to connect with using a napkin when it appeals to their likes and interests. She has lots of topical themed fabrics that kids truly love. Even our 2 year old grandson likes using HIS napkin.

All3CharactersShe also has created three distinct characters – Alex, Tina, and Bodie – the three raccoons that express their individuality in stories called “Racoon Tales“. As her business and website grow and change these three will add fun with more stories about their adventures. I had lots of fun creating the illustrations of these cute furry kids.

Watch for Christine and her pals at local markets and events. You’ll surely find something you love.

New Site Launch

The Importance of a Custom Website for Small Business

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 March 16, 2016
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WebDevPost_Graphic-09A recent survey found that almost half of small businesses surveyed do not have a website. The challenge for small business is making sure that potential customers can find them, and these days the first place people turn to find products and services is the web. If you don’t have a web presence then you definitely won’t be found.

It can be scary, and costly, to delve into the world of website development. But, it’s a critical piece of your marketing and branding. People need to believe in your company and being online helps them get to know you before they buy. So, getting help from Tuned In can make the process of putting up a site easy and cost effective. We focus on helping small businesses so we can create something that embodies your style, while remaining within your budget.

Get in touch and your initial consultation is free! Find out how we can help.

Learn more about the small business survey here: Nearly Half of U.S. Small Businesses Don’t Have a Website

Business

Listening Makes the Difference

Posted by TunedIn_Dev on
 March 16, 2016
  ·  No Comments

Conversation_GraphicTuning in to what is being said is a skill that can be developed if you apply yourself. There are specific techniques that, when applied, help to key in to important ideas and find the heart of the topic. Here at Tuned In Design we have lots of experience and training on how to be a good listener.

One thing we have found is that many people spend their time thinking about what they are going to say next rather than focusing on what the speaker is saying. This can lead to miscommunication, inefficient meetings, and frustration. When we are in conversation it is very important to pay close attention, take notes, ask for clarification, and discuss followup plans or tasks.

This article expands on these ideas and describes some important listening techniques – 5 Skills of really Great Listeners .

Listening

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Recent Posts

  • Infographics for Small Businesses
  • Site Redesign: Advanced Holistic Healing Arts
  • Site Redesign: Sherry Lowry
  • New Site Launch: Three Hungry Racoons
  • The Importance of a Custom Website for Small Business
  • Listening Makes the Difference
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