BeauCreations blog

Well, this isn’t exactly News, since the site was launched months ago.  And it isn’t exactly a new Website, since  I simply migrated a blog and re-designed the header image.

But it’s a nice website – a WordPress site, with all the functionality that implies.  It goes to show how a simple – and inexpensive – it can be to get an online presence in the form of a website that can be edited by its owners.

The Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP) in Trinidad & Tobago seeks to provide rural women with access to credit for micro-business projects, to contribute to government policies regards the special needs of rural women producers, and to provide marketing support and training.  The NRWP is the Trinidad & Tobago chapter of CANROP - The Caribbean Network of Rural Women Producers, which also includes rural women of Barbados, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica.

But my little write-up here does not do justice to the vibrance of this organization.  For that, you have to visit the website, and look at their signature event:  the upcoming MANGO FESTIVAL!

Earl Sommerville has been collecting, propagating and photographing Georgia’s Native Azaleas for almost 50 years.

This very simple Starter Website has only one purpose:  to show off his beautiful photo collection.

What’s unique about the website is the technology used.  Cool Iris takes your images (via an RSS feed) directly from your Picasa, Flickr, or other collection, and displays them in this stunning, lightning fast photo browser.  You have to look at Earl’s photo page to see what I mean!

Maintenance Cooperative, Inc.  is in the business of cleaning theaters.  What sets them apart from other janitorial services is the professional integrity that owner Jay Scovill brings to the table.   Theater managers know they can count on Jay to make sure that things are done right, their facilities are secure, and everyone involved is treated fairly.

BeauCreations Web Design recently re-created the Maintenance Cooperative website.  It was a pleasure to work with Jay, who took the time to educate me about his company values, business model, and future plans.  Jay had the following goals for his new website:

• Design: Update the look while preserving the original logo artwork
• SEO: Get “found” by search engines for terms like “theater cleaning”, and “janitorial service theaters”
• Content: Update copy, draw attention to the certifications held by staff
• Functionality:  Improve navigation and online forms.  Add a training video.

While these goals have been met, the website is still a work in progress. In particular, it may take months for the SEO improvements to be fully realized.  However, we are tracking search engine results, and have seen a marked improvement; Maintenance Cooperative is in first or second position for several of our keyphrases already!

We’re pleased to announce the completion of the brochure website for On Schedule Consultants.

On Schedule Consultants works for building owners and construction contractors, creating and analyzing the complicated CPM  schedules that are so critical to large building projects.

Martin McInnerney, VP / Senior Project Consultant, was a pleasure to work with.  Our goal was to create a “one-click”, audience-friendly website; All important  information is linked to the front page. Potential clients can quickly appreciate On Schedule Consultants areas of expertise, including past projects, services offered and software used, without even leaving the home page.  Additional information on any of these topics is just one click away; hence the “one-click” website.    For a small website that sells a service, this is a great format – which explains why it’s become so popular on the internet!

Best Wishes to On Schedule Consultants for a fulfilling and prosperous future in the ATL!

Recently I completed a web site for Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association (CBHMA).  CBHMA is one of several organizations that take a scholarly interest in the historic Battle of the Little Bighorn and the context in which it was fought, including the life and times of George A. Custer and the Plains Indians tribes of the day.

One of the founding members of CBHMA, Chief Joe Medicine Crow, was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.   His photo was incorporated into the design of the web site, along with photos (all taken by members of CBHMA) of the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.

The main functions of the web site are to encourage membership in the organization, promote interest in its publications, and provide resources for study.  The web site features a photo gallery and a news page, both of which can be updated by volunteer staffers.

It was a pleasure to work with this group of historians and be exposed to their passion for accurate knowledge regarding this period of American history.

Well, one of my New Year’s resolutions was to blog more.   Another was to update my own portfolio web site.   There were a few others, but I won’t bore you with the “health-and-weight-loss” portion….

In keeping with some of the resolutions, here’s the latest web site I’ve completed. Susan of Susan Originals is starting a business selling her original artwork on greeting cards, which can be purchased hand-painted. Susan has produced some very original cards for the “less ordinary” occasions in life- times when “off-the-shelf” cards just don’t say what you mean!

Susan needed to display lots of card designs at once.  She wanted a user-friendly way of browsing, viewing close-ups, and reading the text on the inside of each card.  I came up with a layout that allows shoppers to browse by either thumbnails or a slide show. They can “Add to Cart” from almost any page on the web site.  The artwork is protectedby watermarks, as well as a script that prevents  people from copying the images.  Behind the scenes, the site is enhanced by JavaScript code that makes the slide show and the PayPal shopping cart interface run effeciently.

Susan’s website needed to enhance her artwork in a way that suits her style and sense of humor (laughter is an important message in the cards).  My friend and colleague Rhonda Weisberg of Juggling Cat Design added her considerable talent as a graphic artist to this web site. Rhonda started with Susan’s artwork, then added graphics, color scheme and other elements to create Susan’s branding, business card, and ultimately the look and feel of the  web site.

Susan wanted to set up her site to sell online quickly and simply. We got her started with a PayPal account.  They have some easy solutions to get you started without a hassle.  You can compare PayPal plans here.

Susan’s reported that her first order for two boxes of cards came last week, so we’re all celebrating, and wishing her success in 2009!