OK, maybe  it’s not really my all-time favorite, but certainly it’s my fav of the ones I’ve built.

Just goes to show you can create a very very nice website from a WordPress template (called Elegance, from the folks at mysitemyway.com).  Now lest you think it’s all automatic, I’m here to tell you that template websites still require work, skill, communication and research to create and customize.  Otherwise, I’d be out of a job!

Anyway… add to the lovely template and my own experience the voice of Susan Lorek, a talented marketing consultant, and you end up with a lovesly, functional, user-friendly website that also has terrific content and a strong marketing message.

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!  Woohoo!

Oh…   by the way, here’e the website:  On Demand Marketing

You’ve seen the photos of  ”credible corporate – types” on websites all over the internet.  Frankly, they’re often fakey and tired.

But stock images can be so much more!  Web Designers often incorporate stock graphics into their designs. Everything from background  wallpaper to  swirly lines to Facebook icons can be purchased as stock imagery.

Photos, too!

You can search on all manner of subjects.  When you don’t have photos to promote a product or a concept, or when your own photos are — ahem — less than professional, you can use stock photos.

Are they affordable?  Well, not always.  But if you shop at the right place, you might be surprised at the quality you get –  often for less than $20.

Try www.istockphoto.com ,
Dreamstime,
or Shutterstock.

From a web designer’s point of view….   support for being a minimalist

From this article in as website about vision

Essential Blogging Apps for 2012

Keep your blog flourishing while you’re out

A fresh stream of high-quality content is essential to your blog’s success. These apps will help you make good use of your down-time to produce great content at the doctor’s office, on the subway ride to work, or anywhere else you might find a minute.

1.Tumblr for Android

Microblogging is ideal for on-the-go updating, and Tumblr is one of the best microblogging clients on the market. This app provides a slick interface to post photos, links, quotes, text, or video to your blog in moments. Posting things you find on the move can also give your readers a richer, more authentic experience, since you’re presenting things from out in the world, rather than what you Google or dream up from your home office. It’s also ideal for skimming your favorite Tumblr blogs for inspiration at any time.

2.WordPress for Android

WordPress’s sophisticated blogging client is elegantly pared down for the mobile app. You have access to the same posting options as you would from your home computer, but in a tight mobile format. Obviously you are still limited by the difficulty of typing from your phone, but a phone with a high-quality touchscreen like the Samsung Galaxy can make posting much easier. Just like at home, you can use your smartphone or tablet to track your blog’s traffic, edit posts, and check other WordPress blogs.

3.Nobody’s Reading My Blog

This 9-part ebook by Robin Nixon provides tips on creating an engaging blog that will keep readers (and advertisers) coming. Nixon’s advice covers both the creative and business aspects of blogging, including tips on creating stimulating, controversial, and trustworthy content, as well as getting your blog linked and noticed by somebody besides your mom. It’s free to download, contains no ads, and is a great resource for beginning bloggers. Intermediate or experienced bloggers may find something they haven’t considered, but this is more of a primer than an advanced text.

4.Posterous Spaces

Posterous Spaces is a less-known microblogging client that allows you to post within “spaces” whose readership you control, much like the “Circles” feature in Google+. This is a good option if you have friends or family with varied interests, or if you want to keep blogging audiences separate. Most blogs allow you to customize the privacy level of your posts; but if you know exactly how you want to draw the content line, and you want a fine-tuned, quick interface, Posterous may be the client for you. Tumblr has a larger readership, and the privacy settings obviously limit who sees your stuff, so it may not be the choice for a blogger looking for mass appeal.

5.Blogger for Android

Blogger is one of the biggest and oldest names out there, so if you have a BlogSpot domain, this app will help you maintain it. In terms of features, the app itself is vanilla—you can post like you would on their website, but not much else. Still, it’s free, and if you use Blogger, it’s the easiest way to mobile post.

6. VideoSpin Touch

This app allows you to record, publish, and upload videos and text from your Blackberry to an expanding collection of blogging and social networking sites. It has a simple, no-frills interface that allows you to post to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, MySpace, Google Blogger, WordPress, TypePad, LinkedIn, LiveJournal, Live Spaces, and eBay in seconds. This ensures that whatever you have to say can be broadcast to as many people as possible, in seconds. If the developers can iron out this app’s design flaws, it could be the only resource you’d need for mobile blogging—but the reported issues are serious enough that you probably shouldn’t rely on VideoSpin alone for your mobile blogging.

Bio: Jane Johnson is a writer for GoingCellular, a popular site that provides cell phone related news, commentary, reviews on popular providers like T-Mobile.

According to Website Magazine, the number of social media accounts in 2011 reached 2.4 billion.

• Facebook: 800 million
• Twitter: 225 million
• WordPress: 70 million

WordPress for Beginners (Alpharetta, GA) – Meetup.

This is one of the best marketing messages for our industry that I have seen.  I’ve taken excerpts, and linked to the author.

“MORE is a full service graphic design, public relations, and marketing firm created out of the belief that in order for you to reach your full potential you must be noticed. ….

….    At MORE we believe in listening to our clients and working with them to achieve their objectives. For us, a job well done is defined by exceeding our clients’ expectations.

We have found our passion, and our goal is to serve as your firm’s graphic design, public relations, and marketing departments giving you more time to concentrate on what drives you.”