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Sol’s Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered 112 Krog Street Suite 7 Atlanta, GA 30307 404.373.0505 soldesignco.com

Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

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Page 1: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

Sol’s Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered112 Krog Street Suite 7 Atlanta, GA 30307404.373.0505 soldesignco.com

Page 2: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

Our job is to help clients navigate the landscape and plot the best course of action. Part of this process involves giving them some digital know-how and answering questions —lots of questions. So, we compiled a list of the most common ones we’ve received over the last 12 months and answered them here. Enjoy!

The digital space is a dynamic environment.

Page 3: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

Think of Drupal as WordPress’ bigger, more sophisticated brother. While both platforms are stellar content management systems, Drupal allows for more customization, and can handle larger sites with multiple users and site administrators really well. Rule of thumb: If your site calls for complex functionality, sophisticated data mapping and/or is more than 100 pages, Drupal’s probably the way to go.

Drupal vs. WordPress: What’s the difference?

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Open source is the democratization of code—by the coders and for the coders; and there’s generally no licensing fee. Here’s how it works: code is developed, improved upon and shared among tech-savvy circles. Originally designed as a response to corporate-owned software, the open source movement puts the power back into the fingertips of web developers, allowing for more customized sites.

What’s “open source”? 2

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How often should I update my website?3

Keeping your website fresh requires content that’s relevant and design that inspires. In order

to achieve this balance, you’ll want to update images and/or copy as soon as you have something

new to show or say. Newsworthy content such as press releases, new products/services, and even staff changes

should be updated right away. Frequent small changes (updated rotator images, for example) can help keep your site crisp as well.

Be sure to keep a close eye on your web traffic, as this will help you to determine what’s working and what needs to be tweaked. You’ll definitely

want to consider an all-out redesign if you’ve recently rebranded or if it’s been a long time since your last redesign (as in, since back in the days of Palm Pilot).

Page 6: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

First things first: let’s define mobile. Mobile first is the idea that websites should be designed (and built) with emphasis placed on how they will look and perform on a mobile device. Comparatively speaking, responsive design is the practice of designing a site to display well on any device. Still with us? Some designers argue that every site should be responsive with mobile in mind. We disagree. While responsive design leads to a more fluid interactive experience, it tends to be very minimalistic—which doesn’t work for everyone. Particularly complex sites don’t necessarily translate well with

“mobile first” thinking. To determine whether you should be thinking mobile first, ask yourself: What’s the intent of your site and what do you want people to do? Who is your audience, and how will they typically access your site? Once you understand how and why your users behave the way they do, and where they will interact with your site, you can assess what works for you.

What’s “mobile first” and “responsive” design?

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Page 7: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

5Possibly. But again, consider your audience.

Are they frequently accessing your site via a

smartphone or tablet? If so, how do you want

them to interact with your brand or business?

Apps offer more interactive features than a

mobile site, and Internet connectivity isn’t

required. However, it’s more time intensive to

create and maintain an app, considering all the

different mobile devices out there. For most

people, a mobile site is ideal. You have many of

the same features available on your full website,

just designed in a way that looks great on the go.

Do I need an app or a mobile site?

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6QR codes can work really well IF there’s a good strategy behind them. (Notice that we capitalize “if.”) Too often, QR codes are poorly executed. There are dozens of blogs dedicated to the impractical—and sometimes comical—uses of QR codes. But before you think we’re calling for the death of the QR code, understand that there are times when they actually make sense. We’ve found QR codes work well when linking to videos, on signage at trade shows or leveraged as a coupon code. The bottom line: ensure that the act of scanning the QR code is a worthwhile experience, and please don’t place a QR code on a billboard, car or airplane. Seriously, no one will be able to scan it—even if they wanted to.

What’s the deal with QR codes?

Page 9: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

If you’ve got something to show, “pin it!” Retail, e-commerce, and image-laden brands are ripe for Pinterest. However, that doesn’t mean other types of businesses can’t use it as a marketing channel. You can get creative with ‘Pin It to Win It’ contests, branded boards and public boards that your followers can contribute to. Social media is an increasingly visual beast, with Pinterest—along with Instagram—riding shotgun. Quality always trumps quantity with regard to images and, with the right strategy, pinning can significantly increase site traffic and boost brand exposure.

Should I use Pinterest?7

Page 10: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

The short answer is yes. Google+ is still growing (the active user base averages around 75 million), and there are several benefits to joining. Search is arguably the strongest reason for Google+, as the platform increases your organic search rankings. Further, Google+ integrates with other Google products, such as Gmail, Google Maps and Google Docs, and you can seamlessly transfer back and forth from these mechanisms in your company communications.(source stats from Mashable)

Should I bother with Google+?

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Page 11: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

In our experience, yes. If you deliver strong ad creative, target properly, conduct multivariate testing and maintain fresh messaging, Facebook ads can yield amazing results. Sponsored stories and promoted posts are also paying off for many businesses. And with ads now being incorporated into Facebook mobile, advertisers are reaping the benefits all the more. 9Do Facebook ads really work?

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10Before you can measure the efficacy of social media, you need to set some clear goals. Do you want to get more followers, more engagement, more sharing, sell more products, or increase site traffic? Once your goals are set, you’ll need a smart tool to determine whether you’ve hit your mark. We’ve had good experiences with tools like Hootsuite, Facebook Analytics and Tweetdeck. Raven Tools and Social Sprout are good options for smaller budget projects. For bigger brands, Radian6 (recently purchased by Salesforce) is an ideal platform for a deeper dive into social monitoring and analysis.

How do I measure my social media efforts?

Page 13: Sol's Digital Dozen: Your Questions Answered

11Do you want to establish yourself as an industry thought leader? Would you like to build a community around your brand, or significantly boost your organic SEO? Are you interested in strengthening your relationships with your customers and clients? If so, blogging is a must. There’s much to be said for owning your own slice of virtual real estate and consistently loading it with fresh, engaging content. A blog adds personalization to your website and can establish you as a respected thought leader in your field. Ultimately, you have everything to gain by blogging. Is it obvious yet? We’re huge blogging advocates.

Why blog?

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12What’s the next big thing?

It’s our job to know what’s happening in the digital space, but predicting the future is tough without a crystal ball. While trends come and go, these principles are always relevant:

Be seen. Be heard. Be authentic.

Follow your audience wherever they live in the digital space. Whether it’s in social media, a website or mobile app, know where they are comfortable, and use that digital platform to engage in dialogue that stays true to your brand.

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Creative Solutions for an Interactive World.