This day and age there are a plethora of content management systems on the market. You’ve probably heard a few of the names bounced around: WordPress, Concrete5, Magenta, SquareSpace or Wix. But which is best for your small business? While no two businesses have the same needs, there are clear pros and cons of each that will help you and your web developer make the right decision.
To start, we should put these into two categories: open source and SAAS. Open source means that the software you use to run your website is free to use and modify. That makes it very easy to use and add features to. WordPress, Concrete5 and Magento are all examples of Open Source software. SAAS, or Software As a service, means that you pay to use software that someone created and now maintains.
Cost
When shopping, the price tag is one of the first things a consumer looks at and it’s no different here. When looking at the price tag, it’s important to factor in the price of the website over its entire lifetime, as well as any additional features or plugins. Open Source is free by nature. SAAS websites always have a monthly fee, to cover licensing and maintenance. The fee is not enough to break the bank, but is residual and will remain for the life of the website.
Over time, this cost adds up fast. Secondly, don’t forget to factor in the cost of extra features such as a shopping cart, booking, shipping plugins, etc. Open source software is generally priced as a flat rate, while SquareSpace and Wix are more likely to have extra monthly fees for any extra features. These fees can be harder to anticipate so be sure to look into whatever you might need and count that into the overall cost.
SEO Optimization Capabilities
There is no point in building a website that no one can find, so SEO marketing capability is crucial. Some claim that WordPress is more difficult to optimize and won’t rank as well as other content management systems. While some of the premade themes are bloated and slow, making SEO optimization more complicated, this goes out the window with a custom WordPress theme (or even a well-made premade theme). Custom WordPress themes are faster, leaner and 100% optimizable and 100% marketable. They lack nothing.
In general, open source is better for marketing and SEO. With full access to the core files, the sky is the limit. Secondly, many of the DIY website platforms are difficult to optimize. Without access to the files, you can only take a website so far. A SAAS company will try to sell you on their SEO capabilities, but they are usually only surface deep and limited.
Extensions, Plugins and Add-on Capability
You want your website to grow with you. Do you plan to add a shopping cart, booking, or custom API integrations? This is where the various platforms really differ. Open Source tends to have more room to grow. With full access to the files, you can build out whatever features you might need, no matter how custom or unique.
WordPress really shines in this area. As the most popular Content Management System on the market, there is a plugin that does almost anything. Their plugins tend to be stable, flexible and competitively priced. With over 27% of all websites on the internet using WordPress, developers are creating more and more plugins. I advise people to research the plugins BEFORE deciding on a CMS, so they don’t lock themselves into something that cannot do what they want.
Concrete5 also does a decent job with their extensions repository. It’s fairly simple to create a custom plugin for Concrete5 and build out whatever features you might need.
Who Owns the Website?
Lastly, is the question of who owns your website? This is a question most clients have never even thought to ask but is absolutely crucial. If you build with SquareSpace, Wix or any SAAS website builder, the answer is NOT YOU. The company owns the website, and you pay them monthly to ’rent’ the website. You cannot separate your website from their service, so if you decide to move away from their platform, your website will need to be rebuilt from scratch. If for some reason you miss a payment, your website will cease to exist with zero recourse.
These are just a few of the things to think about when choosing a website software platform. Here at Tandem, we have extensive experience with all of the above platforms, and can help you make the right decision for your Summit County small business. Reach out to us today to get started!
The past week, WordPress released WordPress 5.0, and along with it a brand new editor that will dramatically change WordPress. This will effect every existing and new website. Most existing websites will require some kind of retrofit so that they do not break when these changes go into effect.
What Is Gutenberg?
Gutenberg is a new editor, to replace the current “Classic Editor”. This new editor includes a myriad of features that have never been a part of WordPress’s out of box solution. Up to now, if you wanted to add columns, or overlay text on an image, add a background color, you needed external plugins or a global stylesheet to do so. Now you can do it right from the WordPress backend.
This is big news for WordPress! Now let’s break down what this means for all of you.
Gutenberg: the Pros
I’ve had the chance to test out the editor and I have to say that I really like it. It’s sleek and pretty; intuitive and easy to use. The ability to add rows, blocks and basic styling, while won’t take the place of a good custom stylesheet, will certainly help in content layout and can replace other, more clunky, fragile solutions. WordPress has been lacking a good editor for a long time and having one built in is a great change.
The Cons
But unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the change. For one, the look is very different. The whole layout for editing a post or page has been rearranged. If you are accustomed to the Classic Editor, you’re gonna be lost for a few minutes while you figure out where they moved everything.
Secondly, the new editor adds some extra markup to a post or page that can alter how built in WordPress built in content elements will display. For example, galleries will most likely be effected. If you are using the builtin WordPress gallery, and convert to the Gutenberg “blocks,” you are likely to have some styling issues.
Thirdly, most website have had some sort of editor in place. Whether you are using Visual Composer, our Sidebar plugin or another lesser known plugin, there will need to be some sort of retrofit to make sure they all play nice together. Gutenberg is the new default and has taken the place of the Classic Editor.
What This Means for You.
All existing websites will need some kind of retrofit. I repeat, this effects all current WordPress websites. Some can convert to Gutenberg; some will need to be rolled back to the Classic Editor with Gutenberg disabled. This will protect your website from Gutenberg disabling featuring, destroying your styles or other fatal errors that would happen without the retrofit.
Here at Tandem Design, we believe in taking care of our clients and providing quality websites that last. Because of this we will be retrofitting for no extra charge all websites that fit the below criteria.
Your site was completed in the last 12 months.
You have the Managed Hosting Package with automatic software upgrades.
You have a current and active SEO or marketing package with Tandem Design Lab.
If you fit the above criteria, shoot us an email so we can work with you to complete the retrofit. We will likely be doing retrofits in the next 2-3 weeks.
If you do not fit any of this criteria, you will need to engage our services to complete the retrofit. This can be done as part of your annual tune-up. At this time we will take full backups, upgrade all your software, and install the retrofit to disable Gutenberg and protect your website. If you do not do a retrofit, and you accidentally upgrade (or your host upgrades you automatically), it may be more difficult to fix the website.
On occasion, it is necessary to check your email on a browser. Not only is your email accessible from any computer or location, but the webmail has a ton of extra information and settings that are important.
Here’s a quick tutorial on how to check your email in a browser.
1. In a browser, navigate to the appropriate URL.
Navigate to the following URL, changing our “yourdomain.com” for your actual domain name.
http://yourdomain.com/webmail
2. Login
This will redirect you to a login page. Your username is your email address and your password is the password you use to login to your email account on any other platform.
What if I don’t know my password?
If you don’t know your password, you have a few options.
1. You should have received a document when your email account was setup. Look back in your records for this document. Unless, you changed your password manually, it will be the same.
2. If you own a Mac, you can find the password in Keychain. Keychain is software that is installed on your Mac computer and holds all your password. In keychain, type your email address in the search field on the top right. Click the entry that is named after your Mail Client (Ex. Outlook, Apple Mail, Airmail). You will need the password for your computer in order to see the password.
3. Lastly, if all these options fail, we can reset your password for you remotely. This would force you to change your password on all devices it is being used.
Note: For security purposes, Tandem Design Lab does not save any client passwords.
3. Choose the default application.
You are now logged in. From here, you can see all your configurations setting just below the three boxes at the top of the screen. You will also see various tutorials for setting up your email account in specific devices.
If you’d like to access your email from the browser, choose RoundCube from the top three boxes. From here you can send and receive email as normal.
Common Tasks
Change Your Password
Click on the email address in the top right corner of the page. In the dropdown list, click Password and Security. Here you may change your password. It is wise to use a strong password, with numbers, characters and no dictionary words. Please save this password in a safe place. Note: For security purposes, Tandem Design Lab does not save any client passwords.
Configuration Settings
If you are attempting to set up your email account in a mail client, you will need Configuration Settings. Click on your email address in the top right corner, and Configuration Settings is in the dropdown about half way down.
Autoresponders/Vacation Autoresponse
If you would like to set up an autoresponder, you will need Autoresponders. Click on your email address in the top right corner and Autoresponders is the fourth option.
Empty Junk or Trash Inboxes
If you are getting close to your limit, it may be necessary to empty the Junk, Trash or old emails on the server. This is particularly important if you are using POP to download your emails as no emails are deleted with this method. Click “Manage Disk Usage” in the dropdown list under your email address (top right). This will allow you to empty the various email boxes you have.
Forwarders
If you would like to forward all email or specific emails, you will find the option for Forwarders in the dropdown list, when you click on your email address in the top right corner of the page.
Twelve years ago, armed with a love of coding, a passion for design and a rebellious streak, I, Kristylee, started KL Creative Design. What followed were many, many websites and lots of personal growth. It has been an absolutely thrilling adventure. All of you were there for various parts of the journey and helped to make the dream of KL Creative Design a reality.
Often, when a dream is beginning to turn into reality, the picture is hazy. You are never quite sure into what it will grow. And in the case of KL Creative, the business grew and evolved in ways I couldn’t imagine.
About five years ago, I met a web developer named Tracy Francis, founder of Ineffable Concepts, serving the Grand County area. Despite owning competing businesses, it didn’t take long for us to realize that our journeys were meant to be traveled together. In 2015, we married.
It soon became apparent that we were better together in business as well. Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table in areas such as software development, networking and systems admin, and programming. For the past two years, we have worked together to build something amazing. By adding his expertise to the mix —in vision and in the day-to-day work — the business has grown into something beyond the original vision of KL Creative Design.
In short, Tandem Design Lab was born.
Don’t worry. The heart and soul that has served the Summit and Grand County communities for these past years hasn’t been lost. We are very committed to serving local businesses, big or small. Our vision for Tandem Design Lab is greater than any individual members.
Here is what Tandem means to us:
Tandem means working together with you, the client, to bring your dream into reality.
Tandem means “A rising tide raises all boats.”
Tandem means we are all better together.
We look forward to working in tandem with you in the coming years.
Isn’t this the most beautiful time of year? I probably say that every season but this time I mean it! The bright green mountains contrasted against the stark white peaks and the vibrant skies. And if you slow down enough to look around, the wildflowers are blooming everywhere.
The past few years, I’ve made it my mission to learn about the wildflowers that grow in our backyards. The season goes fast, so you have to pay attention and take the time out of your day to enjoy it. Here are a few early season flowers that you are blooming right now in Summit County.
Fairy Trumpets.
These flowers are easily recognizable by their bright orange-red coloring and distinctive shape. They look exactly like the name suggests- a trumpet small enough for a fairy. The red flowers are splayed out towards the sun and often have white markings on the inside.
Phlox.
The Alpine Phlox creates beds of white or blue tinted flowers of 5 petals. They tend to grow low to the ground in large groups and give the appearance of mini meadows. The Silverthorne Bike Path has patches of the dotting the sides of the trail.
Early Larkspur
The Early Larkspur has 5 points and is deep blue, almost purple petals. The unique coloring and shape make it easily recognizable although it grows low to the ground and can be easily missed or mistaken for its more aggressive growing friend, the Silvery Penstemon.
Wild Iris
Wild Irises grow in a few spots in Summit County. They tend to prefer wet and marshy open meadows. They don’t last long so you have to look now! In past years, they were spotted on Aspen Meadow Trail or behind Breckenridge’s Highline Railroad Park, adjacent to the Ice Rink.
Mountain Marsh Marigold
These flowers are 1-2 inches in size, with many white petals with pale gray striations, and bright yellow centers. The leaves are dark green and lettuce-like. Look for them growing prolifically along the sides of streams. Some say they have a distinct “stinky” odor.
Shooting Star
This flower is a little more rare and easily missed, despite its bright coloring. The magenta flower has yellow and white along the bottom and looks like it has been turned inside out. The petals face upward and the bottom comes to a darkly painted point. While a little harder to find, this exotic beauty is worth the effort.
Ok, there were actually 6 in this list. I couldn’t choose between them! If you are interested to learn more, or have a flower you’d like identified, take a look at our database of local wildflowers. To see more Colorado wildflowers, follow us on Instagram at @coloradowildflowers or like our Facebook Page. You can also follow us at @coloradowebdesign for highlights. And we always love hearing about your adventures. Send us photos of your own adventures or flowers you find along the way!
By now you should be used to Google changing the rules for SEO. Well, it seems they are preparing to do so again. They are now pushing all websites to use an encryption layer called SSL.
What is SSL?
SSL.com defines it as such:
“SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser.”
An SSL certificate encrypts the data being passed between you and the website’s hosting server. This data is passed over your internet signal. If this data is intercepted, passwords, credit cards and other identifying information may be stolen. An SSL encrypts this data. It also verifies that you have visited the correct website with proper identification credentials.
An SSL protected website will have two indicators. There will be a small ‘lock’ icon next to the URL in the address bar. The URL will also contain an extra ‘s’ in its name. Instead of http://yourdomain.com, the URL will be https://yourdomain.com.
So What is Changing?
Google will now be marking all websites as either encrypted or not encrypted. Unprotected websites will be labeled as “insecure”.
Right now, these markers are only in Google Chrome. Encrypted sites get a small green lock icon and the word “Secure”. Non-encrypted sites get an ‘i’ icon. If your site has the ability to login or accept credit cards, you will also get the word “Not Secure” next to the icon.
Eventually, this unencrypted site warning will become more harsh and will show a red warning triangle instead of the ‘i’ icon.
On top of the negative markings, encrypted sites will receive a ranking boost and will rank higher than a comparative non-encrypted site.
What the Future Holds
As the most popular browser with around 40% of web traffic happening on Google Chrome, this is an influential move. It is likely just the beginning. Google has been pushing encryption (for good reason) and will continue to penalize non-encrypted sites. Other browsers will likely follow suit and begin marking unencrypted sites. In short, this isn’t going away.
What to Do
The only solution is to get an SSL certificate. Your web developer will need to install your SSL certificate but once installed, it only needs to be renewed once a year. Your URL structure will change and will need to be changed in any website links across the web. Other than that, you will have no changes to your site, in aesthetic or functionality.
You’ll also want to change any links to your website to reflect the new URL. This includes Facebook, Twitter and any directory listings or backlinks you might have.
Because this will effect any and all websites, we’ve created 2 packages for installing an SSL to your website. See here for our plans.
This was a weekend long event for girls, grades 3-12, aimed to teach them the basics of web development. Many of you may not know, but before I (Kristylee) started KL Creative Design, I was a mentor for at risk youth. This weekend felt like a combining of two of my favorite things: programming and working with teens!
The end goal of the weekend was to produce a working website about a subject of their choice and present it at the Breckenridge Film Fest. With a looming deadline and real people checking their work, the girls were motivated to work hard. They learned how to wire frame their idea, research and write their own content and design their logo. After that they got into the nitty gritty of HTML and CSS coding and created some fantastic projects. This is the stuff that really stretches the brain and forces it to learn new patterns. This weekend was far from easy or relaxing!
This site was a lot of fun to build! We started from the ground up, building out a new logo. Right from the start, we knew we were going to want some bells and whistles in the form of some custom animations. Our custom animation on the logo, built in mobile friendly languages, loads fast and clean and gives just a little bit of extra style.
You can also check the weather with this website! It is connected to the weather forecast and when snow is expected that day, there is a second animation that will load that day: snowflakes!
More than just a pretty face, this site is built in WordPress to make content edits quick and easy. With the ability to add new events, timely photos or update the menus, this website is created to be a powerful tool for the business.
Branding is the visual representation of your business. Your branding or any graphic design work you have, is reflected in the colors you use, your logo, the fonts you choose, the appearance of your social media sites, clothing attire of employees, flyers or any other marketing collateral you might use for your business.
Branding is often the first impression someone might have of your business. They see a sign out in front of your brick and mortar. They see your logo on a flyer or Facebook page. These images are imprinted in our brains and are used to recall your business at a later date.
One of the biggest mistakes I see from small businesses is lack of brand consistency.
What Message Does Inconsistency Send?
Inconsistent branding presents its own message. It clouds the waters of your branding message with a message of instability and unprofessionalism. It shows lack of attention to detail and lack of focus. When you interact with a business, you want to know that the business is capable to handle whatever task they advertise. An inconsistent message makes for a shaky foundation of trust.
Imagine going to an interview in ripped or stained clothing. You wouldn’t do that. You would take care to present the right message through your appearance. The same must be done for your business.
What does Brand Consistency Look Like?
Here’s some common mistakes.
1. Mismatched colors.
Perhaps the colors or fonts don’t match on flyers or the website. You might use different shades of the same color, or even different color sets depending on who made what flyer. Often times I see business owners changing the colors and fonts to match the personal styles of the designer. While it might make the designer happy, this is inconsistent branding. (More later about why your branding is not for you.
2. Social Media Imagery.
The images on social media sites do not reflect any of the branding or improperly uploaded. I’ve even seen companies that have separate branding for separate mediums! It can be difficult to get proper photos for all your social media sites. Each one has different sizes and shapes. These graphics look best when they are properly cropped or positioned to the specific dimensions of that medium.
3. Outdated Logos. It’s not uncommon for a logo to be modernized or freshened up. That will likely happen on a regular basis. When rebranding, the utmost care should be taken to make sure the brand message is retained.
Secondly, have all instances of the old logo been removed?
4. Inconsistent Listings on Web Directory Sites.
This one can actually have a negative effect on your SEO. Make sure your Google My Business listings, Yelp, website any other web directory has accurate and consistently formatted information. Make sure the hours, the address, the photos and all information on each and every directory is accurate and up to date.
5. Outdated information
While this isn’t exactly in the category of branding, I think it is worth mentioning. Outdated information on a website is a glaring eyesore.
Recently, I had an unfortunate experience with a local business. After checking its hours online, I visited the business, only to find they were not open when advertised. This instantly makes me think that the business is in trouble – likely having staffing issues, not making enough money to stay open or something of the like. Not only is it unprofessional, it’s frustrating for the client!
If you have events or specials that expired weeks ago, if you’ve changed your hours and haven’t updated this website – all these are things will frustrate a user. Their experience is doomed from the start with misrepresented and mismanaged expectations. It is better to have less info on your website, than to have inaccurate information. Here at KL Creative, we know and understand how time consuming managing your online presence can be. Nonetheless, it is absolutely crucial to stay on top of it.
More often than not, the website or social media page will be the first impression someone will get of your business. What does that first impression say?
Dwell Summit, property management company and realtor, came to us in need of an upgrade. Their current website wasn’t mobile responsive and while technically functional, was no longer representative of their branding message. It was merely limping along.
Here at KL Creative Design, we believe that your website should be the most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.
We built Dwell a WordPress website that has a strong branding message, is easily editable while still being a heavy hitter. Complete with IDX integration, a custom Properties plugin, and custom forms, this website is equipped to attract clients and facilitate the selling process – all while looking good!
If you follow our Instagram or Twitter feed, you know that the crew here at Tandem is all about Colorado. We love the landscape, the mountains and also the flowers. We are proud to live in such a beautiful place and feel lucky to get to see these views every day. We also love design and photography as that’s a part of what we do here. Naturally, we take a lot of photos.
Recently, the obsessive photo taking has taken a more professional direction.
Throughout my hikes, I (Kristylee) have come to recognize a lot of the wildflowers of Colorado, the crowning glory of our wonderful summers. But identifying them? That can be complicated. I’ve had to resort to carrying bulky resource books around with me wherever I go or spending hours googling/guessing after the fact. I realized that there is no good online resource for identifying these flowers! Hence Colorado’s Wildflowers was born.
We built our own wildflower database. We’ve spent most of the summer building up the database, writing up descriptions and gathering photos. That’s phase 1 and it is currently operational.
We also built a registration system so that we can crowd source the data, opening it up for other wildflower aficionados to add their own entries. This helps us focus on the technical side of things, while continuing to build up the database and add flowers from other areas of the state.
Phase 2 will include a mobile app with proper searching for identification purposes. The goal is to build a tool that you can take with you on your hikes, not only for identifying the flowers, but also for sharing your photos with others.
We’ve had great feedback on the website within the wildflower communities and are excited do share it with all of you. Most of the photos on the site were taken right in Summit County! Feel free to register here or submit your own photos.
This past weekend, I (Kristy Lee) worked at the Keystone Science School for their Girls in STEM program. The Girls In STEM program’s goal is to empower girls and build leadership and collaboration skills through the STEM arts (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). We had about 30 3rd-7th grade girls for a full Saturday. What an adventure!
This weekend’s theme was Maximizing Momentum and the girls completed 3 projects that focused on that theme. Each project taught about momentum, as well as fostered engineering skills, critical thinking, problem solving, mathematics, collaboration and team building.
For the first project, we created a paint pendulum and studied how the pendulum would create different patterns in the paint. We learned how to manipulate those patterns by adjusting the pendulum’s momentum, trajectory and potential energy. I personally loved this one, as I found the mathematical patterns created by the pendulum beautiful and mesmerizing.
For the second project, the girls were put into teams and each team created a catapult. Each catapult was then tested for distance, force and accuracy using different ammunitions using a target and measuring tape. We may have also tested out who could get it up to the ceiling as well…
For the third project, the girls created a ballon powered car. Not as easy as you might think! Not all the teams were able to actually make the car move…but nonetheless super fun to make!
The Girls in STEM program was created to foster growth in the science, technology, engineering and math arenas. In a safe environment free of stereotype and cultural influence, the girls can explore these areas. Culturally, we are often taught that girls are less adept in these sciences. I personally do not believe this to be true and would love to see more female programmers, women engineers and scientists!
It soon became apparent that we were better together in business as well. Tracy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table in areas such as software development, networking and systems admin, and programming. For the past two years, we have worked together to build something amazing. By adding his expertise to the mix —in vision and in the day-to-day work — the business has grown into something beyond the original vision of KL Creative Design.
An SSL certificate encrypts the data being passed between you and the website’s hosting server. This data is passed over your internet signal. If this data is intercepted, passwords, credit cards and other identifying information may be stolen. An SSL encrypts this data. It also verifies that you have visited the correct website with proper identification credentials.
Inconsistent branding presents its own message. It clouds the waters of your branding message with a message of instability and unprofessionalism. It shows lack of attention to detail and lack of focus. When you interact with a business, you want to know that the business is capable to handle whatever task they advertise. An inconsistent message makes for a shaky foundation of trust.
It’s not uncommon for a logo to be modernized or freshened up. That will likely happen on a regular basis. When rebranding, the utmost care should be taken to make sure the brand message is retained.
