Client Shout Outs (aka A Great Big Thank You) #5

We have been very busy. Yay!  I had to take a moment to do more "Shout Outs" to some of our latest clients.

1. Absolute Disaster Services: They offer complete indoor & outdoor restoration and disaster recovery services for residential and commercial properties. They came to us when they lost contact with their previous web development company.  We assisted in getting both of their company websites (www.AbsoluteDisasterServices.com and www.MoldSolutions.net) live again.  We now assist them with their Social Media Marketing.
   
   Check out their Social Media Profiles:
   
   
     Facebook    LinkedIn       Twitter      Google+     Pinterest
   
   
2. BIG 6, LLP: This company offers a phenomenal solution that provides personnel protection against Active Shooters and Tornado events for both schools and industry.  We received an emergency phone call that their computer crashed and the site their marketing coordinator was developing had to be finished ASAP.  Our great designers stepped in and helped them finish developing the website and added a few more design elements. 
   
   Check out their website at http://www.big6llp.com
   
   Key Features: 
   Customized WordPress Template
   Converted PowerPoint presentation to a slide show
   Embedded YouTube videos
   
   
   
   
3. CNM Auto Sales: A family owned and operated used car dealership in Inman, South Carolina.  The owner started creating a website using their hosting company's web builder.  She contacted us to help finish the website.  I'm not a fan of most host provided web builders, but we took on the challenge. We were able to complete the website, using the site builder, and link the website to their Facebook page and Google Maps.
   
   Visit their website at http://www.cnmautosales.com
   
   Key Features: 
   Customized Charter Hosting Template
   Link to Facebook Page
   Links to Specific Facebook Photo Albums
   
   
   
4. Carolina Plastic Surgery: They have been a maintenance client of ours since 2008 and decided it was time for a new look.  We developed their new website in Joomla to feature the many videos available about their services.
   
   Learn more at: http://www.drlettieri.com
   
   Key Features: 
   Slide Show
   Customized Joomla Template
   YouTube Integration
   Photo Galleries
   
   
   
5. Ellis Repair Service: I love working with small businesses who have served their communities for years.  Eliis Repair service in Spartanburg, South Carolina had a concept for their website and already knew they wanted to use a popular web builder service to develop the site.  They hired us to help complete the overall look and layout of their website using the provided template from the web builder company. 
   
   See their great look at http://www.ellisrepairservicelocksmith.com
   
   Key Features: 
   Customized Wix Template
   
   
   
6. Haute Interiors, LLC: A high-end design firm located in Western North Carolina. They hired us to take their existing, template based, static HTML website and convert it to a WordPress based site.  We enjoyed every moment of developing this website.
   
   
   
   Take a look at http://www.hauteinteriorsllc.com/
   
   Key Features:
   Slide Show
   Photo Gallery
   WooCommerce Store (under development)

Bullets Missing in Unordered List in WordPress Widget or Sidebar

If you're reading this blog post there is a good chance you have added an unordered list to your WordPress widget and the bullets do not show on the front end of the website.  You've checked your HTML code and it's the perfect syntax for a basic bullet list of items.  For example:

<ul>
<li>Item 1</li>
<li>Item 2</li>
</ul>

I tried many different CSS hacks suggested in the WordPress forums, but finally tried a suggestion listed here.

There's no need to visit the above link. 

The answer is simple.

In your widget remove the <ul> & </ul> tags.  Leave the <li></li> tags. Save your widget.  Go to the front end of your website, refresh the browser window, and, viola!  you should have a bullet list in your widget.

Hope this can save a few people some time and frustration.

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