Client Shout Outs (aka A Great Big Thank You) #4

As an entrepreneur I fully understand how much of oneself a business owner puts into making their venture successful.  One of our latest clients shows just how much he loves his business and wants to make sure it is successful.  Kenneth Vaughn came to JMB Designs, LLC ready to allow us to give his existing website a makeover so that he could give his company a more professional appearance and strengthen his brand. This latest Shout Out goes to a smart & savvy client that we assisted with their existing website.

Kenneth Vaughn FFS 

http://www.kennethvaughnffs.com/

Mr. Vaughn contacted us for a FREE website review and Social Media review.  We evaluated his website to see if it represented his brand and his industry properly.  We also looked at how well his website was optimized for the search engines. Based on the recommendations in the review we were hired to improve the company's existing site.  Currently, we are working with Kenneth Vaughn FFS to increase their organic Search Engine ranking & Social Media presence.

• Updated Wordpress Theme to better match company industry & brand
• Designed custom slide show graphics
• Added Newsletter plug-in
• Added missing META tags, keywords, & descriptions

Where Were You 10 Years Ago?

This morning I saw an interview with Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg on the TODAY Show. It's Facebook's 10 year anniversary. Congratulations!  It really made me reflect on where I was 10 years ago.

This Fall marks my company, JMB Designs, LLC, 10 year anniversary.  A lot can happen in 10 years.  In February 2004 I was in school, about 3 months pregnant with my first child, and helping my husband build his business.

I had a long list of goals and expectations.  I never planned to start a web design company, but instead I wanted to work for a company as a designer.  That happened; except the company is owned by me.  I thought we'd only have one child, but we ended up with two beautiful girls.  The business my husband ran successfully for years is now just a shadow of pleasant memories.  I have relocated, traded in a gold sports car for a black SUV, and now spend my weekends shuttling kids to the skating rink and play dates.

Your life can change a lot in 10 years.  How has your life changed?

[Solved] Paypal Button Not Displaying Correctly in Joomla

I have experienced a high level of frustration when adding Paypal "Subscribe" buttons to my Joomla website.  The Paypal hosted  image never displays correctly. I finally came across the answer after a little bit of research.

Have you added the code to your article or module and then find that the 147px x 47px image looks like this? Much smaller than you would like.

Have you tried to alter the code and find that even if you change the width and height the image will adjust the width but not the height?

This is more than likely happening because of your CSS settings.  Because the code for your Paypal button is <form> code the default settings in your template's stylesheet will control how the button image is displayed.

The Simple Solution:

Apply your own custom style in the HTML code for the Paypal button.

1. Go to your button code in your Joomla article or module
   
   
2. Add this code after the alt text "The safer, easier way to pay online!":  style="border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; width: 147px; height: 47px;"
   
   
3. In that string of code you will need to delete the the HTML code border="0"

Of course you can adjust the width and height as needed.  These values are the default size of the basic Subscribe button from Paypal.  Your button should now look correct in your Joomla article or module.

**Note: Your code may also contain a link for a pixel.gif with a width="1" height="1". This is NOT the image that displays your button so there is no need to edit this image.**

Please be aware that this is what has worked for me.  Please backup your website before making any adjustments to the code. Use this advice at your own risk.

Celebrate Your Moments

If you spend anytime using social media for marketing your small business you can easily become obsessed with numbers.  Whether it's how many followers you  have or how many people "like" your page, we tend to value our success on social media by these numbers.

I have learned that in the great big world of social media, numbers are relative. There are any number of companies willing to sell you followers and get you likes.  I choose not to use such means to build my online connections.

It would be easy to buy thousands of followers so my numbers look fantastic, but still not have one meaningful engagement with them.  Instead, I choose to work hard at building relationships on social media. Because of this I may not have the most followers, or likes, as the next person, but I do have great people that I connect with on a daily basis that bring value to my personal and professional life.

I take time to celebrate my great social media moments.  I don't compare myself to the next person.  I know how much effort I have put into gaining followers, and I know how that effort has paid off.

One of my latest "great moments" was when our company received 1000 followers on Pinterest.  Those followers came from learning about Pinterest and how to use it for business.  Time was spent researching what boards were being pinned from the most and how to utilize those boards for marketing purposes. When we hit 1000 followers I was so excited.  I was talking to my husband and happened to check my Pinterest app and jumped up out of my chair shouting "We hit 1000!"

Take time to celebrate your moments.  They will fuel future great moments and keep you motivated.

"Life isn't a matter of milestones, but of moments." -Rose Kennedy 

Client Shout Outs (aka A Great Big Thank You) #3

I enjoy working with all of my clients, especially those who offer great services to the community. My latest Shout Out goes to a great organization that we assisted with their existing website.

The Hoof and Paw Benevolent Society 

http://www.hoofandpawsc.org/

I met the Society president, Shirley Locklair, at an event hosted by local Chambers. She discussed their needs and I knew it would be a great project. They offer such a needed service to Fairfield County, South Carolina. To learn more, please visit the website and share their great cause with your friends.

• Corrected layout issues to existing template based website
• Added secured online membership form
• Made minor adjustments to fonts, font colors, images, and page layouts

Inspire, Instill, Ignite: Be an Example in 2014

In December 2013 I took time to review the past year and set personal and business goals for 2014.  I soon discovered 3 simple words that would become my inspiration for 2014.

Many times as entrepreneurs we try to separate our personal life from our business life.  I've learned over the last 10 years this is virtually impossible.  Whether you are a solopreneur, mompreneur, or entrepreneur with a large staff, embrace the gift that comes with entrepreneurship, melting your two worlds together.  Use this gift to leverage the opportunities that arise to better yourself and those around you.

Because of this I have decided to find ways to:

1. INSPIRE Others to be Better
2. INSTILL Values in Others that I Display, and
3. IGNITE in Others a Passion for Excellence

By doing this one can not only improve who they are personally, but also improve how they handle customers, and this allows for building strong relationships.

What will you do in 2014 to be a better person, better business owner, and better member of your community?

3 Ways Google+ Has Surprised Me

I love social media but I'm not one to jump on the bandwagon of the "next big thing". When Google+ was introduced, needless to say I was skeptical. Over the last few months I've read articles about Google+ and the benefits of using this social network for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).  I've slowly put more effort into my Google+ profile. Here are the  3 ways that Google+ has surprised me so far.

1. SEO for Your Brand
   
   We constantly hear about SEO for your website.  As the Internet changes I am finding that emphasis also needs to be placed not only on SEO for your website, but also on SEO for your entire brand.  If you are utilizing the Internet correctly a potential customer or client should be able to find information about your company throughout the Internet and not just on your website.
   
   I have found that posting on Google+, using targeted keywords, can increase your brand recognition in Google search organic results.  The results will link to the related post that you shared via your Google+ profile.  The benefit to you is that your name and profile photo are linked to the post.  If what you have shared is interesting enough it could very well prompt the web surfer to want to get to know more about you and the brand you represent.
   
   
2. Easy to Share Content
   
   I stay up to date on most news, industry related topics, and general Internet trends by means of popular media websites.  Because of the great benefits of SEO for my brand I have found that clicking the "G+" button next to an article allows me to share relevant content with my circles.  I take advantage of the comment box that appears above the actual post information in the Google+ pop up. Using strategic hashtags can help your posts to place well in the organic search results.
   
   
3. Google+ Took Over My Smartphone
   
   I added my business related Google+ account to my Android Smartphone and was baffled that the contact list on my phone was now "enhanced".  Imagine my surprise when I received a phone call from a potential client, one I never added as a contact on my phone list, and my phone had him saved in my contacts.  His listing was complete with his profile picture and other contact information he shared on his Google+ profile.
   
   When I finished the phone call I scrolled through my "People" app.  I soon realized that most of the people I added in my Google+ circles that have shared their contact details are now nice and cozy in my phone contact list.  It was a definite surprise to go to my contact list and see some of my Google+ circle mates now smiling back at me with their lovely Google+ profile photos.   I'm still trying to decide if I like this or not.

I will continue to post updates and new discoveries that I find while I continue to navigate the world of Google+.