Blue Zoo Creative https://bluezoocreative.com/ Website Design and Social Media for Northwest Arkansas Mon, 20 Nov 2023 22:24:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 ThanksGIVING 2023 and #GivingTuesday https://bluezoocreative.com/2023/11/thanksgiving-2023-giving-tuesday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=thanksgiving-2023-giving-tuesday Mon, 20 Nov 2023 20:19:19 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=91606 The post ThanksGIVING 2023 and #GivingTuesday appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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ThanksGIVING and #Givingtuesday Header Banner

This ThanksGIVING, please support those who GIVE to those who need help in our communities daily. With #GivingTuesday on November 28th (2023), help your favorite nonprofit OR visit the nonprofits we work with regularly.

Below is a list of the organizations we work with and support in various ways. They are listed alphabetically with a brief description of who they help, what they do, and a link to their ‘giving’ page or home page.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Arkansas Crisis Center Logo

Arkansas Crisis Center

arcrisis.org

Founded on hope in response to a series of teen suicides at Rogers High School in 1985, the Arkansas Crisis Center emerged as a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing helpline services throughout Northwest Arkansas. Recognizing the widespread need for such services, they expanded their efforts to encompass all age groups across the state. Their ongoing mission revolves around restoring hope, empowering individuals, and saving lives through suicide prevention.

With a vision to achieve Zero Suicides by 2025 in Arkansas, ACC addressed the rising rates through their helpline (now 988 nationwide), where crisis call specialists confidentially and anonymously offer intervention, counseling, and connecting callers with local resources, ultimately preventing crises from escalating into life-threatening situations. Committed to providing help for today and hope for tomorrow, the Arkansas Crisis Center encourages anyone concerned about someone else to reach out as they stand ready to listen and support.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Arkansas Crisis Center Logo

Beaver Watershed Alliance

beaverwatershedalliance.org

Dedicated to preserving the water quality of Beaver Lake in Arkansas and its tributaries, the Beaver Watershed Alliance actively engages in a multifaceted approach to conservation. Through voluntary best management practices, outreach, and education initiatives, as well as strategic planning and analysis activities, the Alliance proactively safeguards the ecological integrity of Beaver Lake. The tributaries, such as the West Fork, Middle Fork, and East Fork of the White River, Richland Creek, Headwaters, and War Eagle Creek, not only contribute to the aesthetic beauty of the region but also sustain the livelihoods of over 500,000 people across a vast expanse from Harrison, Arkansas to Westville, Oklahoma.

Beyond addressing water quality issues, the Alliance organizes engaging volunteer and educational events to foster a community-driven commitment to the health of the lake and rivers. With a belief in the collective power to positively impact Northwest Arkansas’s water quality, the Alliance empowers individuals with the knowledge and tools needed for effective environmental stewardship.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Children and Family Advocacy Center

cfacbentonco.com

Situated on 70 acres in Little Flock, Arkansas, the Children & Family Advocacy Center traces its roots back over 30 years to the compassionate efforts of David and Beverly Engle. Today, under the leadership of Executive Director Natalie Tibbs, the organization has evolved to center on acute and restorative trauma services. The Main Center focuses on acute services, providing comprehensive support to children suspected of experiencing child abuse in Benton County. 



A dedicated team of advocates, interviewers, nurses, and mental health counselors collaborates to offer a holistic approach to healing. Additionally, the organization provides restorative services, including long-term housing for women and their children in crisis situations. Beyond shelter, the center offers ongoing case management, mental health counseling, and group sessions, working diligently to break the cycle of abuse. United under the motto “One Team. One Mission. One Voice,” the Children & Family Advocacy Center remains steadfast in its commitment to restoring lives impacted by trauma.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Children’s Safety Center

childrenssafetycenter.org

As the inaugural child advocacy center in our region, the Children’s Safety Center was established to mitigate the additional trauma that children might face during the intricate processes of investigation, prosecution, and treatment. Founded in 1997, the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County operates as a nonprofit organization, following the Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) model. 


Their overarching objective is to enhance the effectiveness of prevention, detection, investigation, and treatment of child abuse. Through the collaborative efforts of dedicated professionals and essential resources, they strive to prioritize the best interests of child victims. Whether advocating for children and families, conducting forensic interviews, or providing therapy, the Children’s Safety Center team is unwaveringly committed to prioritizing the well-being of the child. Operating around the clock, they ensure that local child abuse victims receive the utmost care and support.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Fred J Brunner Foundation

fredjbrunnerfoundation.com

Since its establishment in 1956 by Fred J., the third-generation director of Brunner & Lay Inc., a leading manufacturer of mining and construction tools, the Fred J. Brunner Foundation has been providing grants to various organizations. Focusing on assisting the most vulnerable, particularly the young and elderly, the Foundation prioritizes education, shelter, and hunger relief when selecting recipients.

While the greater Chicago area is the primary location for grant distribution, exceptions are considered. The Foundation operates without discrimination based on race, creed, or ethnicity, and all recipients are welcome to reapply annually. Grant distribution occurs once a year in the fall, and applications must be submitted by the beginning of August, including details such as a description of the organization, the intended purpose of the grant, a photocopy of the latest IRS determination letter confirming 501C3 status, and a current audited financial statement.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Kendrick Fincher

kendrickfincher.org

The Kendrick Fincher Hydration for Life nonprofit organization is a beacon of dedication and advocacy for preventing heat-related illness and proper hydration. Established in memory of Kendrick Fincher, a young athlete who tragically succumbed to heat stroke during a football practice, the organization is committed to raising awareness about the importance of hydration and providing life-saving education.

The Kendrick Fincher nonprofit seeks to prevent heat-related illnesses and deaths, particularly among young athletes and outdoor enthusiasts, by offering resources, educational programs, and support. The organization’s website serves as a comprehensive hub for information, resources, and opportunities to get involved in their mission to ensure a safer, healthier future for individuals engaged in physical activities in various settings.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Pulaski County Humane Society

warmhearts.org

Since its establishment in 1946, the Humane Society of Pulaski County, situated in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been actively impacting the lives of domestic animals in Central Arkansas. Operating a private, no-kill shelter, our organization relies solely on donations, fundraisers, bequests, and grants without receiving city, county, or state funding or affiliations with other organizations. The core mission of the Humane Society of Pulaski County is to rescue, rehabilitate, provide veterinary care, spay/neuter, and secure loving homes for dogs and cats in need throughout Central Arkansas.

The shelter takes in animals from crowded city and county shelters, owner surrenders, abused and injured pets, and occasional strays. Typically housing around 200 animals at any given time, half are available for adoption. In contrast, the other half receives care from our in-house veterinary staff until they are ready for adoption. As the only 4-star rated animal welfare charity in Arkansas, recognized by Charity Navigator, they take pride in their fiscal responsibility, transparency, and dedicated efforts, ensuring that donations are used wisely and that supporters can contribute to with confidence.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday
Freedom Finder Logo

Whitaker Family Foundation

whitakerfamilyfoundation.org

The Whitaker Family Foundation is committed to shaping a better future through its dedication to healthcare and education for children. Established in December 2014 by the family members of the late C. Don Whitaker and L. Pauline Whitaker of Rogers with a philanthropic vision spanning four generations, the foundation focuses on raising public awareness and generating funding for medical and scientific research aimed at understanding and curing chronic or serious medical conditions affecting children.

In addition to supporting research and clinical trials, the Whitaker Family Foundation strives to leave a lasting legacy by promoting improved social, economic, and emotional engagement and education for today’s youth. The foundation envisions empowering children and young people to develop into healthy, confident, and independent members of our society, exemplifying the best practices of responsible and effective philanthropy.

Line drawing of hands coming together to form a heart for #GivingTuesday

Do you work with
or manage a nonprofit?

Blue Zoo specializes in creating brands and websites for numerous nonprofits. We have also have spoken at conferences for nonprofits on the importance of sharing compelling stories and constructing engaging sites for beneficiaries, volunteers, and donors.

Whether it’s a single-page website or a comprehensive branding initiative with multiple pages, we collaborate with your dedicated team to ensure your organization reaches those in need. Our goal is to make your team proud of their contribution and support, fostering a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

 

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post ThanksGIVING 2023 and #GivingTuesday appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo Celebrates Fifteen Years https://bluezoocreative.com/2023/10/blue-zoo-celebrates-fifteen-years/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blue-zoo-celebrates-fifteen-years Tue, 24 Oct 2023 19:52:49 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=91546 The post Blue Zoo Celebrates Fifteen Years appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo Celebrates Fifteen Years

Blue Zoo Celebrates Fifteen Years

As we stride into our 16th year, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those who have been part of our journey—our cherished clients, dedicated contractors, valued employees, supportive family, steadfast friends, and anyone who has played a role in our success.

Our commitment to excellence, combined with our refined processes, extensive experience, and cutting-edge systems, enables us to work on projects of all scales. We thrive on collaborations with like-minded agencies, contractors, and passionate professionals in the creative industry.

Blue Zoo continues to serve a diverse clientele, from startups and nonprofits to Fortune 100 companies, both here in the vibrant community of Northwest Arkansas and across international borders.

Our core areas of expertise include:

  • Branding and Design: We craft brands that resonate and design solutions that captivate.
  • Website Design and Development: We create secure and optimized websites that leave a lasting digital impression.
  • Hosting with Ongoing Support: We provide scalable hosting to handle peak traffic, make updates for: security, core WordPress, themes, and plugins, monitor uptime, send monthly “Website Care” reports, and make simple content changes (photos, blog post, hours, test, etc) for you to let you focus on your business.

When you’re prepared to partner with a company dedicated to upholding brand consistency, staying at the forefront of marketing trends, and ensuring top-notch website security and performance, don’t hesitate to ‘Get Creative’ with us today.

Here’s to 15 incredible years and the boundless possibilities of the future!

Eric Huber and Collin Condray at their first virtual office at Panera in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Eric Huber and Collin Condray circa 2008 meeting at their first ‘virtual’ office at Panera in Fayetteville, Arkansas before launching Blue Zoo.

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post Blue Zoo Celebrates Fifteen Years appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Phishing Revisited https://bluezoocreative.com/2022/07/phishing-revisited/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=phishing-revisited Tue, 05 Jul 2022 20:00:08 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=91307 Why is Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile? Out of the box Divi usually scores okay but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. Read about our research and techniques on getting faster PageSpeed.

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Phishing Revisited

Phishing Revisited

Let’s Revisit “Phishing,” Shall We?
We want you to be very aware.

DEFINITION: Phishing is a criminal act (generally under ‘wire fraud’) of gathering confidential information with the malicious intent of stealing from others. An article we published at the end of 2020 was about trying to scam people into paying for photo rights.

Phishing usually starts as an email with a veiled threat that immediate action must be taken or some dire consequence may occur. It seems legitimate and often comes from a brand you use or trust. An example may be: “Your domain name is about to expire and already has a buyer ready to purchase. Renew immediately to keep from losing your domain name!” Then a link to log into your account. At which point you are logging into a server that is logging your username and password (and maybe more).

Being in business for nearly 15 years (and personally being in the online industry for nearly 25 years), we’ve seen a lot of SPAM, malicious emails, and scams in particular. Browsers and email programs do very well in giving warnings, but we have a few things we watch for. Here are some steps to take BEFORE clicking any link.

  1. Short messages from trusted friends or businesses with a link that says something like “Check this out!” Or “Is this what you were talking about?” Regardless, it could be even a Google link that is often used for sharing files. DON’T IMMEDIATELY CLICK IT! It could be malware or a phishing scam.
  2. Before Clicking ANYTHING, verify the sender. This is also not quite enough. Scammers know how to ‘spoof’ or duplicate a sender’s email. Especially from someone that has already been scammed or hacked.
  3. HOVER over links. This helps. Usually, the link should include the company’s domain name. In the case of email companies like MailChimp and Constant Contact, the links should still go to the company’s website. So a link to ‘log into your account’ should include the domain name. BUT BE WARY! Some clever scammers will create ‘subdomains’ to fool you. Like, “https://bluezoocreative.7wzqueue.com” to fool you. The domain name you’re logging into is actually at “7wzqueue.com”!
  4. Be SAFE and go directly to the site in question. Skip the link in the email completely. Go RIGHT to the site referenced and log into your account ensuring you’re in the right place and double-check the issue in question.
  5. CALL or CHAT. Once logged in, if you don’t see any mention of the issue, hop on a chat or call the company to confirm for peace of mind.

“But, guys!
Who has time to check
all the emails like that?”

Better to spend a few minutes now than accidentally lose your identity, money, or more. Ask anyone who has had to deal with situations like this. A few minutes is nothing compared to having your site hijacked, bank accounts emptied, services locked out, social media channels inaccessible, and having to reissue bank and credit cards (and checks too).

NOT EVERYTHING IS PHISHING

Some things are just bad design and planning. Let me give you an example of something that happened to Blue Zoo (without naming names, of course.)

  1. Email Notification with a threat. This message came in from a trusted vendor. The threat was offset by the chance for free service. I checked the email sender and it seemed legit. But something felt ‘off.’
  2. Link seemed malicious on the big blue button. It had the company name in it, but as mentioned before, it was part of a subdomain name. So the link was even stranger, like: company-7qrx555681382.other-company-name.com. This was followed by a long string that we recognize as a tracking code. But what was it tracking? Regardless, I clicked the link.
  3. New domain name + immediate request for business information. The link to me to a new domain name that was tied to a form capture online software with an obscure subdomain name, like “wm-tq-788d.superform.com”. It immediately said, “You’ll need your business EIN and screenshots of…”
  4. Logged into my actual business account. At that point, I backed up and went to the business account to a linked article. There was no specific information I needed. So I logged into my account and hopped on a chat conversation. After making it past the BOT to a real person, and asking several times to verify the very phishy link in the email, the staff member verified the link was legit. I did take a few minutes to explain that their email and form links were very suspicious.

Total TIme Lost?
Maybe 15-20 Minutes
(not counting writing this article)

If you are going to get clients or potential customers to fill out any information, reset passwords, join an event, and otherwise ask people to share confidential information, make sure it is communicated if you are using a third-party platform. The other platform MAY actually be more secure than your own website. We actually don’t recommend storing that kind of information on your own website but can help you make for a better customer experience.

Blue Zoo will never send you obscure links to click! So, the next time you get an email telling you to update anything, take a beat. Then, check the sender, look over the link URL, and then verify the authenticity by going to your own account instead of the link provided. If all else fails, reach out to the service and hop on a chat. Peace of mind is worth a lot.

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post Phishing Revisited appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo News: May 2022 https://bluezoocreative.com/2022/05/blue-zoo-news-may-2022/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blue-zoo-news-may-2022 Thu, 26 May 2022 21:28:25 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=91258 Why is Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile? Out of the box Divi usually scores okay but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. Read about our research and techniques on getting faster PageSpeed.

The post Blue Zoo News: May 2022 appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo News: May 2022

Blue Zoo News: May 2022

SUMMERTIME!

Summer is almost here! For Blue Zoo, that means prepping for our mid-year business review. Where are we best? Where can we improve? And what should we stop doing?

Over the past years, we’ve had the privilege of working with startups and Fortune 100 companies. We’ve worked with organizations as far away as Denmark, Peru, Canada, California, New York, Florida, and Alaska.

We’ve gone from newbies to folks who’ve developed a process that is followed for our projects to ensure consistency and quality. We’ve learned to merge creativity with technology along the way.

What does all that mean for you, our clients, and
those of you who may become our clients?
READ ON!

Arkansas Crisis Center Branded Materials

BRANDING

Most everyone knows that a logo, alone, isn’t a brand. A brand is the sum of many parts whether you have a product, service, or organization: personality, language, photography, imagery, colors, mission, vision, actions, and more.

Ready for something new?
When people approach us for a logo design, we explain we want to offer more than just a “five” dollar solution. We approach from a brand perspective and deeply listen to your passion and create something that will inspire you, your customers, and your team. We follow guidelines followed for decades, consider mediums being used (print and digital), and work to differentiate from others in your niche.

Already have your branding locked in?
We honor other brand creators when creating branded materials for our clients. We will ask questions or work with other designers to ensure consistency. If the brand is older, or the designer is no longer available, we will ask questions to see if a refresh is in order or if creating a supporting brand suite of items makes sense.

Last note on branding.
In 2016, Blue Zoo created The Pride; vetted passionate professionals that enjoy working for themselves but craved working with teams. When a project needs more than brand strategy, we still reach out to those Pride members who are a good fit for your project. Eric’s 36 years in design (Partner/Chief Creative Officer), will bring in a team and manage your project when your in-house team is already busy or needs extra help.

Arkansas Crisis Center Branded Materials

DEVELOPMENT FOR WEBSITES

WordPress or Bust.
In 2008, we opened ‘our doors’ using WordPress (turning 19 on May 27th!). We’ve checked all the new platforms along the way and while many have merit with bells and whistles, functionality, and so forth, we found by focusing our attention on one CMS (Content Management System), we could better support all our website clients, regardless of their individual needs. On the comment of “WordPress or Bust,” should something happen to WordPress, Blue Zoo has the skills to move to a new platform. We currently have helped folks with Wix, SquareSpace, Adobe Business Catalyst, and can build pure HTML/CSS sites with a dash of PHP and JavaScript thrown in.

Mad Skills and Organization.
In 2020, Collin, Partner/Chief Technology Officer, joined codeable.io and met their rigorous standards to become a developer resource. He’s consistently received 5 Star reviews for 23 projects to date. By using our already developed project process and mixing in the high standards required by codeable, he’s helped improve Blue Zoo’s standards for development.

Collin on codeable website

White Label.
On the website development side, Blue Zoo has had the opportunity to work with many agencies in a white label capacity (meaning their clients were not aware of our involvement). We discovered that most did not have a consistent process in web design/development. We were excited to help them look great for their clients and have enjoyed working with them to make their clients look good in the meantime. We’ve set up a ‘white label’ business website and email addresses to ensure our identity stays hidden.

Arkansas Crisis Center Branded Materials

HOSTING IMPROVEMENTS
SINCE WE STARTED

Early Days.
When we opened the doors in 2008, even though we were using WordPress, we only charged $9.95/month. What did we do for that price you ask? We made sure WordPress’ core software was updated and you had a website. We doubled the price in 2012 and added email (5 addresses).

Email and 3rd Party Apps.
By 2016, email was becoming a challenge. An entire server of websites could be ‘blacklisted’ from sending email if one person sent too many emails out from their domain name. Rules for MailChimp, Constant Contact, and others made it harder to clear these issues. It was bad for business. At the same time, the rise of 3rd party services for websites like Event Calendar Pro, Social Feeds, Photo Galleries, Video Feeds, WooCommerce, and more worked with monthly or annual license fees for their products. Blue Zoo began adding a suite of regularly used programs and doubled our capabilities and our price doubled to $39.95. Now we offered such things as daily backups, scalable hosting for high traffic, critical WordPress for security, uptime monitoring, and analytics.

Where are we in 2022?
Hosting involves a lot to keep things flowing, updated, connected, and secure. Up until now, we’ve separated our monthly hosting with annual licensing, but sometimes, that can be a weird blip in your annual costs of maintaining a website. We’ve started to include those fees, as well as adding in simple website updates to our hosting. The years have shown most people need something added or changed every two or three months. Social feed apps require updates to reconnect as Instagram or other channels change their connection settings from time to time (often for security).

Speaking of Security.
Since we opened in 2008, we’ve continuously improved our security. We’ve upgraded our hosting provider to one that is dedicated to WordPress hosting. It is better optimized for speed and security and stops many attacks before they even get to your site.

We are also notified of WordPress-related security issues right away. We update your site as soon as possible so it is safe and protected. Additionally, we use tools like Google Search Console to provide an additional security check so we have plenty of notice where there is an issue. We’re serious about your security.

New Pricing.
Over the next few months, we’ll be sending out new pricing starting at $149.95 for WordPress websites and $35 for static site hosting. If you have any questions or want to discuss options, we are – of course – more than happy to see what can be done.

See what our new hosting services look like today…

Arkansas Crisis Center Branded Materials

INCLUDES

  • Security updates
  • Core updates
  • Theme Updates
  • Plugin updates
  • Daily Backups
  • Scalable hosting to keep your site up during traffic spikes
  • Distributed content to serve visitors based on geography
  • Basic site speed improvements
  • Uptime monitoring
  • Analytics (Google or alternate) to monitor traffic
  • Monthly “Website Care” Report
  • Costs for all annual plugin fees and licenses:*
  • Simple Content changes (blogs, hours, text, etc).**
  • 30 minutes/month of FREE support for the first 2 months

* This will vary from client to client based on your current license fees required. Example: an Event Calendar will increase your monthly by $15-25 depending on add-ons (payments, online events, etc.)

** If more than 30 minutes is needed to make requested content changes, a proposal will be sent for time or a flat rate of $100 will be charged with prior notification and approval.

SOME OF OUR NEW PROJECTS
THIS PAST YEAR

Some were branding, some web development, and some a mix of both.

Recent Work

Select the image or link to view

Bright Haven Children's Learning Center

Bright Haven

Allan Taylor & Co Logo

Asa Adirondack

OZ Brands

Realignment Media

Realignment Media

Logo Design

Suzie Atkin Intentional Design

Nelson's Labradoodles

Allan Taylor & Co Logo

The Five6

Jackrabbit Outdoor

Logo Design

WEBSITE

Chef Life Radio

Logo Design

Suzie Atkin Intentional Design

Suzie Atkin

Allan Taylor & Co Logo

OZ Art

Once Upon a Time Books

Logo Design

Kendrick Fincher

OZ Trails NWA

Allan Taylor & Co Logo

Allan Taylor & Co.

Children's Safety Center

UAP

UA Power Group

Allan Taylor & Co Logo

Sign Artists

Cushman Wakefield Sage Partners

Frisco Tattoo NWA

The post Blue Zoo News: May 2022 appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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What’s a WordPress Website Really Cost? https://bluezoocreative.com/2021/11/what-does-a-wordpress-website-really-cost/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-does-a-wordpress-website-really-cost Wed, 03 Nov 2021 01:21:41 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=89724 Why is Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile? Out of the box Divi usually scores okay but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. Read about our research and techniques on getting faster PageSpeed.

The post What’s a WordPress Website Really Cost? appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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What’s a WordPress Website Really Cost?

What’s a WordPress Website Really Cost?

With the rise of do-it-yourself websites and the advertising showing how inexpensive it is to build your own site, people often come to us at Blue Zoo saying how hard it was or how limiting it was. When they ask for a proposal, there is sometimes wonderment around the investment price we share.

While we approach all our creative projects from a holistic view encompassing audience, client, design philosophy, and technical approach, we also know that budget is very important. Over the past several years, we’ve helped educate people about the aspects of a website.

The primary costs are centered around the following:

  • Domain Name/URL
  • Design
  • Development
  • Plugins and Licenses
  • Hosting
  • Maintenance

That’s already a lot of things to cover, right?

We’re going to briefly go into detail about each aspect and give you some price ranges and samples for real-world comparison.


Domain Name/URL

This may seem like a no-brainer, but one source said that all two-word top-level domain names are taken. While you might get lucky to find one here or there, any two-words of a .com site are probably going to be hard to find free (an example being DinnerTime.com).

“But what about a hyphen? Or a .co or .media?”

The bottom line is that someone will search for the non-hyphenated, normal .com domain name first. If that domain is live, then that domain’s website gets the business. Additionally, that business can impose legal action if your domain name is too close. So, no ‘dinner-time.com’ or ‘dinnertime.menu’ (a second-tier domain name).

“But I use Google and it doesn’t matter what a domain name is, right?”

To a point. If you insist on sticking to a longer domain name like Dinner-Time-Menu-Services.com you’ll need to make sure you have excellent and useful content or Google won’t make you easy to find. But that’s a whole much much longer post.

Top-Level Domain Names are generally in the $15-80 range depending on the name extension (like .bar or .clinic) and additional features like WHOIS Privacy (in case you don’t want people to know who is behind the website).


Website Design

Websites aren’t just online brochures. There is such a broad type of website as well; entertainment, eCommerce, informational, promotional, membership, and more. While there are templates you can buy ready to populate with content, images, and links, they are often inflexible to the custom approach that may set your business apart from others. The design process involves a graphic designer and possibly a copywriter and photographer (or at least photography and/or illustrations).

Graphic Design

This is where we need a professional Graphic Designer.

“But most sites look the same these days? Do I really need a graphic designer?”

As graphic design professionals, we are trained to look at more than aesthetics. The audience, experience, product or service, competition, typography, color psychology, and more. And, yes, some trends we design for are due to the current technology, platforms,  or medium; desktop, mobile, iPad, or HUGE monitors in an office conference room.

Additionally, Graphic Design is not art. While it can be aesthetically pleasing it must inspire some action or the designer’s job has not been accomplished.

Design rates vary widely based on experience, the company overhead, and the project requirements. Additionally, design and development are usually tied together in a package price vs an hourly rate of design.

  • A single-page website with 5-6 sections (Hero, Intro, Services, Testimonials, Call to Action, and Contact form) range between $1,500-3,500.
  • A complete website with 6-10 pages can run from $4,500-$10,000.

The range is also attributed to the fact that the larger the site, the more varied the requirements which may include copywriting and photography.

Copywriting, Editing, and Proofing

One thing most people try to save money with is copywriting. It is the number one website launch delay in every single project we’ve ever done when a client wants to do content creation. So much so we stopped offering that option unless they could give it to us upfront.

A great copywriter not only helps find the voice of the company for the website, but researches look for keywords (for SEO), relevant text, industry terminology, and verbiage a customer may use that a client may not necessarily use. An example is the graphic design term ‘leading’ (pronounced led-ing) meaning the vertical space between lines of text. In web design, it’s referred to as line-height. And in Word or Google docs it’s referred to as line spacing. So a copywriter would use ‘line spacing’ as it would be more understandable and not industry-specific.

In the end, the copywriter then reviews the website for all content to ensure nothing is left unwritten so that the website visitor can make a buying decision without hesitation.

Pricing for copywriting varies depending on the size of the project, research involved, and how clear the existing content is to reorganize and place on the website. A sales website may need several ‘long sell’ pages with over 2000 words of copy, testimonials, descriptions, and technical content. An eCommerce site that requires 100 items each with ‘romance’ copy, descriptions, usage, and other details could easily exceed several thousand words.

Currently, rates range from $250-900/page.

Photography

A picture is worth a thousand words.

We always recommend authentic photography for clients, but hiring a photographer may not always be within the budget. However, it is one area we help build trust in a website visitor. To see key staff, interactions, products, and action help a visitor connect.

Like other areas, pricing depends on experience and skill, equipment, editing, and the type of photo being taken (headshots, model shoots, or aerial photography).

The best way to find a photographer (if you’re not using us to handpick one for you), is to search for photographer websites and look at their style to match your brand.

Photography ranges widely from $1500-5000 and up. Some photographers shoot a specific list of photos and others will shoot a variety to allow you to have a library of images to use. You are also usually given the right to use the photos however you want for your marketing online and offline.


Development

Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just ‘click a button to launch a website. A skilled experienced developer has a process and standards from which they build sites.

A finished site that is customized from a submitted and approved graphic design comes to the developer in pieces that have to be put back together in a logical, scalable, and organized manner. An example would be the fonts on a website. They need to use certain code to adhere to standards that can be viewed on web browsers (and there are many). While the designer pics the font that works on the web (and not all fonts do), the developer makes sure it displays properly.

So instead of saying, “Hey browser: use Ariel for all paragraphs that are about ‘this’ tall.”
A developer must ‘say’ (in code):
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
font-size: 16px;
}

Then comes the functionality of the site. Some people need an event calendar. And some need an event calendar that takes ticket fees, tracks seats, RSVPs, allows for community submissions, create virtual events, and more. Rather than code from scratch, a developer integrates a specific plugin that enhances the website. Generally, there are 3-10 extra plugins. Some standard tools in the developer’s toolbox and some custom tools for a specific client.

The flexibility of medium (mobile, desktop, and browsers) is another aspect a developer must consider. This also goes into the coding of a site and testing has to be done on every aspect.

As mentioned above in the Design section, a website is rarely just development but is a joint effort that works hand-in-hand with Design. The prices range from $5000-$30,000 and more (a small informational site up to an eCommerce and membership site.)


 

Plugins and Licenses

In the introduction, we named a few plugins like booking calendars, donation applications, eCommerce, memberships, and fonts. Many of these have ‘free’ levels that give you a good bit of functionality. Many also have a ‘paid’ tier of service that gives extra bells and whistles.

Nearly all of the paid plugins have an annual fee or at least a one-time price (though we’ve seen the annual plugins stay on the market much longer than the others).

Like everything on our list, there is a wide range of pricing depending on the complexity and service of each plugin. One calendar program has an annual fee of $99 (though you have to pay more for add-ons). A booking calendar we use has a $504 annual plan.

Donately, a donation platform, has two price plans that are great for non-profits: one is ‘free’ but they take 4% in processing fees (handy if you aren’t already set up with credit card services or want to make it super easy for those who donate) and a paid level of $828/annually and they drop fees to 2%.

While WooCommerce is a free platform, it needs a designer and developer’s touch to make it be on-brand and has many add-on features that require license fees. They sell an ‘Essentials’ set of extensions for $503/annually that covers things like sale bundles, gift cards, coupons, and Google ads.

Fonts for some companies have been hand-picked from high-end font foundries (a holdover name from when fonts were made from lead and sold to magazines and newspapers). In the early days of the web, it was impossible to use these fonts, but most have a license available for a fee based on your website traffic. While you can often download a font for free, they are for personal use only. Any commercial use must have a font license unless stated otherwise. One site we visited had all their 27 fonts for $27 for personal and testing use only. They have no web or app license listed. Linotype’s font family “Avenir® Next” charges a server license of $890 annually per style, so regular, italic, bold, and bold italic would run you $3560/annually.

Conclusion? Licenses will probably run you at least $150-500 annually.


 

Hosting and Maintenance

Think of hosting like you would a brick-and-mortar store. You have to pay a lease to have a space. As part of the deal, you have plumbing, electrical wiring, walls, roof, parking lot, and other amenities that might include furniture, fixtures, and appliances.

Maintenance for a website is the extras: electricity, water, gas, internet, snacks, signage. Some have a one-time cost. Some have a monthly cost. When something is wrong with the electricity, if it’s from the street to the building, the electric company pays for it. If it’s inside the building, the landlord or you have to pay for a fix.

MANAGED HOSTING is a mix of both. Not only are you renting, but someone comes in and checks all the locks, replaces the bulbs, replaces worn carpet, puts in a new router, and leaves a note that the toaster is working, but the manufacturer is no longer in business and you may want to get a new toaster that has support and warranty.

That’s what managed hosting does for you.

Hosting depends on these factors:

  • CMS Used
  • Visitors per Month
  • Bandwidth Used per Month
  • Storage Needed

But hosting isn’t just about a server and uptime. Today’s dynamic websites require more:

  • Security updates. Malware, hackers, and other threats are real. Our servers and software block attacks all the time.
  • Core updates. WordPress is updated all the time for new features and security. There have been three major updates since December 2020 with 3-5 smaller updates along the way. WP 5.9 is due this December (2021) and WordPress 6.0 is due in 2022.
  • Plugin updates. Plugin creators also work towards improvement constantly but also have to make changes when WordPress Core is updated. Especially when there are security patches released.
  • Regular Backups. Backups of large sites take time, bandwidth, and storage space, but having a daily backup is important especially if you are making updates or, more importantly, doing core or plugin updates. We recommend daily backups with a good hosting company.
  • Content changes (blog posts, staff changes, events, etc). Most Hosting and Maintenance don’t include this service. This is where managed or locally managed maintenance comes in.
  • Development updates (new functionality or changes to how things work). Depending on your site, you may discover that a form, eCommerce aspects, or some other functionality needs tweaking to better fit in a new process flow. This is best handled through the original developer and can be worked into a Managed Hosting Account with Maintenance.
  • SEO updates. For many websites and businesses, an initial setup is not enough. Planned advertising and marketing may need SEO updates, keyword research, and editing, and advertising spending.

While you can get website hosting with apparent bells and whistles starting at $6.99/month with a 3-year contract paid upfront, we’ve seen websites get corrupted and lose 90 Days worth of blog posts, images, and submissions. Nobody’s got time for that!

Managed Hosting and Maintenance plans vary widely but can include the normal hosting, all the annual fees, and time for help (like a retainer). Pricing for that runs from $200-$500/month depending on the complexity of your site. Pricing for websites that need content, development, and SEO can range in thousands of dollars and may include advertising spending.


What’s the Grand Total?

As we’ve shown, prices range dramatically for every service, but here is a range:

  • Startup (domain name, design, and development)
    • Basic One Page: $1,530-3,530
    • Small Site (1-5 Pages): $2,500-$8,000
    • Medium to Large Site (6-20 Pages): $5,000-$12,000
    • Complex to eCommerce Site: $10,000-$20,000+
  • Operating (hosting, plugins, and basic updates quarterly)
    • Basic (you’re probably going to lose your site one day) price: $3.99/month
    • Small to Medium Site: $30-200
    • Medium to Large Site: $150-500
    • Large to eCommerce Site: $400-$1,200+
  • Maintenance (hosting, plugins, and monthly support)
    • An extra $100-500/month depending on the needs of the site

The last thing to consider is what you value: your time or investment. we think that the overall cost of an active and successful WordPress website can be as low as $1500 if you’re conservative and just need something simple. We’ve found the average range for our clients has been from $8000-$32,000 depending on the complexity and size. You’ll add much more for advertising and marketing.


Piggybank Photo by Fabian Blank on Unsplash

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

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Phishing Scam About “Disgusting” Photo Theft https://bluezoocreative.com/2020/11/phishing-scam-about-disgusting-photo-theft/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=phishing-scam-about-disgusting-photo-theft Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:00:17 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=78340 Why is Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile? Out of the box Divi usually scores okay but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. Read about our research and techniques on getting faster PageSpeed.

The post Phishing Scam About “Disgusting” Photo Theft appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Phishing Scam About “Disgusting” Photo Theft

Phishing Scam About “Disgusting” Photo Theft

A Recurring Phishing Attempt

To give you all some peace of mind, we want you to be aware of a recurring phishing attempt that is brilliantly crafted to scare the heck out of anyone who opens up their email to find this from their website contact form.

The contact form has a name (usually Mel, Melanie, Melika, or similar), email (mphotographer365@ or similar at gmail and yahoo), and phone so it seems legitimate at first.

The first few lines cover the bases of what MIGHT be on your site: photos and illustrations. From here it devolves and begins to try to elicit an extreme emotional response:

Hello there!

This is Mellie and I am a licensed photographer and illustrator.

I was surprised, to put it nicely, when I came across my images at your web-site. If you use a copyrighted image without my consent, you need to be aware that you could be sued by the copyrigh owner.

It’s illicitly to use stolen images and it’s so disgusting!

From here, they tag your website address and tell you to go click a link to prove the images they’ve seen are actually theirs. However, this link rarely works and may even be capturing your IP Address or worse. Most of the time, the link is dead.

They end the contact form entry with a threat:

And if it doesn’t work, you may be pretty damn sure I am going to report and sue you! And I will not bother myself to let you know of it in advance.

One thing to note is although they are ‘professional,’ they do not share their own domain name but rather a Google site or other platform. They don’t identify where they are located, or any other identifying information. Most of you are professionals and have that information in your signatures. 

Plus the fact, that there are many emotional trigger words, personal opinions, and cursing,  versus professional terms is a dead give-a-way that it is a phishing attempt.

PEACE OF MIND for BLUE ZOO CLIENTS

We and our contractors all believe in paying professionals and obtaining rights for image use. Most photo archives like iStockPhoto and Shutterstock have license agreements when images are purchased and the photographers we work with give us (and our clients) usage rights.

After 12 years in business, we can share that we’ve only been approached for copyright infringement twice and were able to prove we had the rights purchased. It was a mistake from a company that bought another company’s collection, so they didn’t have a record of the purchase. (We did.)

In the photo and illustration world, a legitimate claim would send you a document of screenshots and an invoice. Many also give you an opportunity to remove the image first depending on how long the image has been online.

ON PHISHING

When it comes to scary contact messages as well as any contact form that includes a link, ALWAYS be cautious. Don’t give personal information or anything that would allow access to your website. And always double-check when people are demanding money.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at any time.

Photo Phishing Contact Form Example

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

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PageSpeed Improvement Tips For The Divi WordPress Theme https://bluezoocreative.com/2020/05/pagespeed-improvement-tips-for-the-divi-wordpress-theme/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pagespeed-improvement-tips-for-the-divi-wordpress-theme Mon, 11 May 2020 14:56:50 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=26160 Why is Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile? Out of the box Divi usually scores okay but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. Read about our research and techniques on getting faster PageSpeed.

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PageSpeed Improvement Tips For The Divi WordPress Theme

PageSpeed Improvement Tips For The Divi WordPress Theme

I’ve had many questions over the years why Divi’s PageSpeed score is always so low especially for mobile. Out of the box Divi usually scores OK but each plugin you add reduces the score from 1-3 points. I tend to add a common set of plugins to add standard features to our sites which brings down the overall speed score.

PageSpeed test Google

Fortunately, the PageSpeed score isn’t the end all and be all of site speed metrics. I consider it more of a diagnostic to let you know what to tweak on your site. The actual time it takes to load a page is a more important measure of site speed. I usually point people to webpagetest.org. When they use that tool, Divi usually scores pretty high.

The fastest and easiest way to improve your score is simply to remove content from your site. Large images, animation, popups, tracking, and other common web features all reduce your score because of the time it takes to send them to your visitors’ web browser. Unfortunately, removing elements is not always possible without changing the web site experience and the message you’re trying to convey.

Elegant Theme’s article on site speed does a great job of covering most aspects of speeding up Divi. There is a lot of information in there, but the steps I’ve seen improve scores most are:

  • Use quality hosting. This is the one of the most critical choices you can have for your site speed. Most sites I’ve seen with serious problems are using cheap shared hosting. Get dedicated hosting for the best experience.
  • Reformat and reduce size of all images so they load faster with no loss of resolution.
  • Use a LazyLoad technique to show images later in the page load process. If you’ve set your images up correctly you can completely load the text parts of your site first (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.) while waiting to download your images. The text parts of a page are typically smaller and load before images.
  • Use a content delivery network (CDN) like Cloudflare to keep copies of your site in different locations around the world to speed up load times local to where visitors are.
  • Minimize selected CSS and JavaScript files to reduce page size.

There’s not a hard rule to set up file compression, CSS/JavaScript file load location, and deferring files since sites are customized just enough to make one rule not work. A good starting configuration is to minimize, move to the footer, and defer everything but parent and child style sheets, the main JQuery file (jquery.js), and fonts. After that, you have to do some experimentation to get the right settings. Their article goes into more detail about how to actually make these changes using various optimization tools.

To try to squeeze a few extra points out of PageSpeed, I’ve found a few more speed tips from other people that work well for Divi. These tips aren’t mine but I have found they are relevant for the Divi theme. They do require you to change your theme’s functions.php file so make sure you have access to it before going forward.

    • Make sure you load the child theme right. For years I’d been doing it the wrong way by using inline styles. This is the correct way of loading a child theme and requires fewer of those precious server calls.
    • Gutenberg. If you’re only going to only be using the Divi page builder, you don’t need WordPress’s Gutenberg editor. Remove the calls for it using this technique.
    • Dashicons and more. This article has a lot of great speed optimization tips too. The tip that I always use from it is tip #13 to remove WordPress’s Dashicons font from the front end. Those hardly ever get used by me when running Divi. If you don’t use a plugin, remove query strings (#1) and disable emoticons (#3) by hand as well.
    • Load your fonts locally. Loading Google fonts from Google’s CDN should improve your speed but PageSpeed gigs you for this since it’s another external call.This one feels like it takes the most time to set up but it seems to help the most.

    Hopefully, these steps will get you those last few points out of the PageSpeed score. If you need help optimizing the speed of your site, our hosting service is fast and we know how to optimize sites. Please contact us and let us know how we can help speed up your site.

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Virtual Teams and Remote Work Still the Standard at Blue Zoo Creative in the Time of the Coronavirus https://bluezoocreative.com/2020/03/virtual-teams-and-remote-work-still-the-standard-at-blue-zoo-creative-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=virtual-teams-and-remote-work-still-the-standard-at-blue-zoo-creative-in-the-time-of-the-coronavirus Wed, 18 Mar 2020 17:11:05 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=26140 In this time of the Coronavirus, we're sharing our experience with virtual teams and remote work. Whether you're a business owner or manager, or contractor part of the gig community, we've got tips to share.

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Virtual Teams and Remote Work Still the Standard at Blue Zoo Creative in the Time of the Coronavirus

Virtual Teams and Remote Work Still the Standard at Blue Zoo Creative in the Time of the Coronavirus

It’s a strange time with much uncertainty and fear.

I went to the local Walmart the day after the president spoke to the nation just to pick up some normal goods and regular groceries. I stood dumbstruck at my first stop and just started with the thought, “Hunh. There’s absolutely no soap here.” I spent another 30 minutes just cruising around the store snapping photos of empty shelves.

Even at that moment, no fear washed over me, but I did realize it was time to think longer term. Not just for my family, but Blue Zoo, our clients, and creatives we work with.

In 2016, although we had been using creative contractors almost exclusively, we decided to make it part of our culture. Playing off an original idea I had mapped out all the way back in 2012, we gave birth to The Pride Contractor Community. It wasn’t just for local contractors, it enabled us to embrace many of our commercial creative friends we had made over the years across the nation.

In addition to our Arkansas clients, we have clients from all over the world from such places as San Francisco, New York City, Scotsdale, Canada, and Peru. We had to use online meetings right out of the gate, (though looking back on recordings, the video and audio were rough!).

Back to the Present

Because we’ve been managing teams and projects virtually and in person, we only have to adjust the way we do business slightly. Mostly we’ve cut down in-person meetings and have less in person networking. But what does the future hold and how can we help others? By sharing what we’ve learned, of course!

Two great articles to come out online recently are by Matt Mullenweg of Automattic (the creators of WordPress) and Alex Kantrowitz of BuzzFeedNews.com. They talk about how the Coronavirus outbreak will change how we go to work.

Lessons Learned and Shared

If you’re scrambling for guidance, there is plenty out there about remote working, management teams, and client connections. You still need rock solid processes and accountability, but you’ll find the following work really well.

FOR THE BUSINESS OWNER/MANAGER:

  1. Project Management Software
    There are several platforms that work well depending on your particular processes, know-how, and time you have to learn. We went through many project management solutions with varying degrees of success. We finally landed on TeamWork and have never looked back. It allows for internal/contractor conversations and review before sharing with clients. While we could share a referral link with you, I’ll just let you know it’s been fantastic and has many features we haven’t even touched yet. If you have specific questions, feel free to ask us why we chose it.
  2. Speaking of Contractors
    Our contractor community changes from time to time as people grow out of our community or the contractor ends up working for a larger company. The key is to make sure when you have a project that you have daily (or bi-weekly depending on speed). Contractors are legally different than employees in how you schedule deadlines. They are more like peers than people you expect are always looking out for your company. They want you to succeed, of course, but they also need your support. And not just financially. In this age of instant access by text, social DMs, email, and phone, contractors are NOT ‘on call’ at 2:00am.
  3. Client Relations.
    Zoom.us is the video conferencing platform we have been using for years. While most people prefer to meet in person (until recently), video calls have always worked well. We’ve found what used to be drive time plus an hour or more, has changed to as little as 15-30 minutes saving everyone time.
  4. New Business.
    What do you do when you can’t send your people out to knock on doors or go to networking events? Most businesses are already using LinkedIn as a referral/networking area. The difference during these times should be to focus your attention and energy on the specific type of client you want and introduce yourself. Changes are still the same if they need your product or service. Additionally, it’s called “Social Media,” so find ways to engage with people. We all love to see what you’re doing, where, and with who, but help us with the unique solution you have for our businesses and lives. Don’t forget to send them to your website or phone.

FOR CREATIVE CONTRACTORS
and SMALL COMPANIES

(who may or may not be working from home)

These are lessons from years of being a company working from home or remotely:

  1. Have a consistent work schedule.
    Look, we get it. It’s awesome to take care of family during the day and work into the wee hours when no one is around. Sometimes it’s the ONLY way you can build your business. This may be your consistent work schedule. If it works, do it! However, if you set times during the day, make sure you’re not distracted by laundry, social media (unless that’s your focus), or the awesome weather (when available), you will find your evenings are clear and free. Here’s a hint, if your friends and family are saying “I know you’re busy, so…” stop and take a look to see if you are making yourself busy or you are really raking it in!
  2. Keep a ‘business’ area of your home and remember to ‘leave’ work.
    You may have a complete home office, or just a desk. Starting out, you may only have the kitchen table. The trick is to create a space where you can create and be productive. You might set up a routine of ‘going to work’ by moving your computer and work related products to a new space at home. And at the end of the day, pack it all up and move it to do ‘home’ related work. Even stepping into the great outdoors, backyard, or new room can signify a mental shift from work to home.
  3. Communicate and Schedule.
    Communication is key. Never ever assume that if a client (or company that contracted you) hasn’t reached out about your assignment/project that their deadline isn’t important. People get busy. Reach out. Clarify. Let them know, “You needed this by tomorrow and I still haven’t gotten the files I need. If I don’t get them by 3:00pm, I cannot meet your deadline.” This is reasonable, though you may get push back (see above about assumptions of ‘on-call’ contractors). Stand your ground, but be flexible when you can. The more you reach out, the more the client will appreciate you and your professionalism.
  4. Take Care of Yourself.
    I can’t stress this enough. You MUST move, stretch, drink water, eat properly, have quiet time, and recharge. It has been proven that we are influenced by everything around us at a subconscious level. So the more awesome things you see, read, experience, and do will create more amazing work. A rule of thumb is set a timer for every hour and take a 5-10 minute break. Seems like a lot of time, but you absolutely need this.

It may be truly weird times at the moment, but we all have greatness in us and the ability to overcome difficult times. Take a breath. Focus on your goals. Create a simple goal for yourself, family, community, work, business, and your clients. Then go through your list of goals just like the same way you eat an elephant (metaphorically speaking, of course), take one bite at a time.

Remember, together, we create (and accomplish) something bigger than any one of us could have imagined alone.

———–

Blue Zoo is a Creative Agency in Northwest Arkansas providing branding for web, print, and digital mediums and uses a virtual contractor community called The Pride. It was established in 2008 and has served clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. For more information and portfolio, visit https://www.bluezoocreative.com

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post Virtual Teams and Remote Work Still the Standard at Blue Zoo Creative in the Time of the Coronavirus appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo Creative Team to Present Branding Strategy Class https://bluezoocreative.com/2020/03/blue-zoo-creative-presents-branding-strategy-class-rogers-lowell-chamber-commerce/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blue-zoo-creative-presents-branding-strategy-class-rogers-lowell-chamber-commerce Tue, 10 Mar 2020 03:29:12 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=26133 The term "Brand" gets thrown around a lot when it comes to your business and can be one aspect that can magnetically draw customers and community if done well. Blue Zoo presents a class at the Aloft Rogers for the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce C2C series. April 14th, 2020.

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Blue Zoo Creative Team to Present Branding Strategy Class

Blue Zoo Creative Team to Present Branding Strategy Class

In Association with the Rogers/Lowell Chamber of Commerce

April 14th | 6:00-8:00pm | Aloft Rogers Bentonville

Business Branding Strategy Perfect for the Average Bear Business 

The term “Brand” gets thrown around a lot when it comes to your business and can be one aspect that can magnetically draw customers and community if done well. In the era of social media, digital marketing, advertising and instant access (email, phone and texting), there are many approaches to setting up and sharing your brand and still connect with potential customers. In this session, Eric Huber, Co-Founder, Partner and Chief Creative Officer and Justin Williams, Creative Consultant from Blue Zoo Creative will be covering such topics as:

  • How to define and create your brand
  • Crafting your message for your ideal client
  • Branding within your budget
  • Sharing your brand on social media
  • Making sure your brand is consistent online and off

By the end, you should have a plan to begin or strengthen your brand.

About the Speakers
Eric Huber and Justin Williams

Speakers, Eric Huber and Justin Williams are part of the leadership of Blue Zoo Creative. Huber has been in the design and marketing field for more than 33 years. He has been working in design agencies as well as Eureka Springs Advertising and Promotion Commission and in the Corporate Communications Department of Tyson Foods. Williams has also worked in the field for more than 23 years for such companies as Tyson Foods, Northwest Arkansas Business Journal, Rausch Coleman Homes and various businesses of his own.

April 14, 2020
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Chamber Contact Name:
Karen Wagaman
(479) 636-1240
karen@rogerslowell.com

Class Address:
Aloft Rogers Bentonville
1103 S. 52nd Street
Rogers, AR 72758

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post Blue Zoo Creative Team to Present Branding Strategy Class appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award https://bluezoocreative.com/2020/02/blue-zoo-creative-receives-2020-best-of-fayetteville-award/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=blue-zoo-creative-receives-2020-best-of-fayetteville-award Wed, 19 Feb 2020 16:47:58 +0000 https://bluezoocreative.com/?p=26120 Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award. Press Release: Blue Zoo Creative has been selected for the 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award in the Web Development category by the Fayetteville Award Program.

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Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award

Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award

Fayetteville Award Program Honors the Achievement

FAYETTEVILLE January 18, 2020 — Blue Zoo Creative has been selected for the 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award in the Web Development category by the Fayetteville Award Program.

Each year, the Fayetteville Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Fayetteville area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2020 Fayetteville Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Fayetteville Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Fayetteville Award Program

The Fayetteville Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Fayetteville area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Fayetteville Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Fayetteville Award Program

About Eric

Eric Huber, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Owner of Blue Zoo Creative has 35 years in marketing, advertising, and graphic design for small businesses, a Fortune 100 company, and international organizations.


See Eric's full profile
Read posts by Eric

The post Blue Zoo Creative Receives 2020 Best of Fayetteville Award appeared first on Blue Zoo Creative.

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