Archive for category: Web Design

Improve Website Security with SSL

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Improve Website Security with SSL

SSL certificates provide increased protection against spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches.

By providing enhanced security, SSL certificates can help you stay ahead of the curve in today’s digital world.
What is an SSL Certificate
A SSL certificate is an important piece of security for online transactions. It authenticates the sender and recipient of a packet of data, helping to prevent spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches. A certificate is also used to authorize access to a site or service by a specific person or organization.
How SSL Certificates Protect Your Data
SSL certificates protect your data by verifying the authenticity of the sender and recipient of the packet of data. They also help protect against third-party attacks, which can occur when someone attempts to view or use your data without proper authorization. By using a secure certificate, you can reduce the chances of your information being compromised in any way.
How to Get a SSL Certificate
SSL certificates provide increased security against spoofing, cyber-attacks and data breaches. To purchase a SSL certificate, you will first need to find an SSL certificate vendor. You can do this by visiting an online site that sells SSL certificates. We recommend https://www.myinternetwebsite.com/products/ssl
How to Use SSL Certificates
When using SSL certificates, it is important to be familiar with the different types of certificates and how they work. In addition, it is also important to make sure that the information on the certificate is correct. By following these tips, you can protect your data and ensure that your transactions are safe when traveling abroad or storing sensitive information online.
How to Protect Your Data With SSL Certificates
SSL Certificates are a means of protecting your data from being accessed by unauthorized individuals. By buying a SSL Certificate, you can help ensure that your data is not accessible to anyone without your consent. Additionally, using SSL Certificates can help protect your online privacy.

Help! I Think My Website Has Malware

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malware

Many people think only websites that collect personal information are vulnerable to malware.  In reality, any website can fall victim.  Malware – short for malicious software – can cause numerous issues.  Sometimes it generates links and advertisements on your website. However, in worst cases, cybercriminals use malware to take control of your website and install programs on the computers of your site visitors in an attempt to steal data, passwords, photos, credit card information and anything else that is of interest.

Knowing the signs of malware is the first line of defense.  If you suspect your website has been infected with malware, it is extremely important to address it sooner than later because:

  1. You don’t want the malware to put any of your customers or site visitors at risk.
  2. Browsers and search engines will begin to identify your site as containing malware, which is a red flag to both existing and future customers.
  3. Most importantly, once Google discovers your website has malware, you have a limited time to clean the malware and send a proper appeal to Google before they remove your website from their search engine.

If you suspect your website has malware, a professional can scan your site, identify the type of malware that has infected your website, clean and resolve the malware, and submit any necessary appeals to search engines to ensure your website is restored to good standing.  How do you know if your website might be infected with malware?  Here are a few signs:

  1. Your website becomes very slow for no apparent reason.
  2. Your website suddenly crashes or freezes.
  3. Your website is being re-directed somewhere else.
  4. You notice ads or pop-ups that you have not enabled on your website.
  5. There is a sudden or rapid drop or increase in traffic.
  6. Browsers (i.e. Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.) send warning messages about your site containing malware.
  7. Google Search Console sends you a message that your website has been hacked.

If you’ve experienced these or any other anomalies, your website may have been hacked and infected with malware.  Taking immediate action is key to successfully resolving malware on your website.  If you think you’ve been hacked, give us a call right away and we will conduct a complimentary evaluation and malware scan on your website.

Adobe Business Catalyst End of Life Announcement

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migration service

If your company’s website is built in Adobe Business Catalyst, you are probably in the process of deciding what to do now that Adobe has officially issued an “End of Life” announcement.  First, don’t panic.  Second, know that you do have options!

Although none of our current clients are affected by this announcement, we understand the difficulties this has caused for thousands of companies.  If you are one of the companies now scrambling as a result of the Adobe Business Catalyst End of Life announcement, we are here to help.

  • The Site Crew will offer companies with a website built on Adobe Business Catalyst a discounted rate on migrating their website to a new platform.
  • We will also offer our special client rate for ongoing website support and search engine optimization services for companies we migrate to a new platform.

We advise acting sooner than later, as Adobe has indicated that no new features will be developed for Business Catalyst.  They have also noted that while technical support will still be available, priority will be given to platform migration inquiries. Additionally, if you are going to continue to invest in your online presence, it is advisable to do so on a platform that will not be discontinued.

As of now, Adobe Business Catalyst customers have until March 26, 2021 to export their data.  Adobe has indicated that data will not be available for download beyond the end of service date.  If you would like to get started on migrating your Adobe Business Catalyst website to a new platform, call or e-mail us today.

Mobile-First Indexing on Google

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Mobile-First Indexing on Google

Mobile-first indexing is well underway at Google.  Since mobile has become a more widely used platform to perform searches, Google will now utilize the mobile version of the website when it indexes and ranks pages.  As a result, we expect to see search engine rankings drop for websites that are not well optimized for mobile.

What does this mean for your website?

  1. If we developed a responsive website for you within the last five years AND you have been subscribing to Ongoing Support (which includes version, theme and plug-in updates), then your website is already optimized for mobile.
  2. If your website is more than five years old OR you have not been subscribing to Ongoing Support, please contact us for a complimentary mobile review.
  3. If we did not build your website, please contact us for a complimentary mobile review.

Google evaluates all desktop and mobile content to determine mobile friendliness.  We have and will continue to place great importance on the mobile User Experience (UX) as it significantly affects the indexing and ranking of websites.

Sometimes when we develop a responsive website, a client will ask us to organize content and/or navigation in a way that adversely affects the responsiveness of their site.  When such a request is made, we do inform the client of the negative impact their suggestion(s) may have on the mobile optimization of their website. Please keep in mind that since Google has implemented mobile-first indexing, it will be now be crucial for websites to deliver an optimal mobile UX.

If you've received a notification from Google about your website's mobile-first indexing, forward the notice to us for a review.

Have questions or would like a complimentary mobile review of your website?  Send us an e-mail.  We’re here to help!

Should I Build My Website Myself or Hire a Professional?

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Professional Website Developer
There is much more that goes into developing a website than most people realize.  If you have the knowledge required to build a website yourself then you may want to give it a shot.  However, time is money and it does take significant time to properly develop an effective website that ranks well on search engines and helps your business grow.

Website development involves a process of checks and balances.  A website that violates search engine best practices can actually hurt your business more than help.  Once Google and/or other search engines index a page of your site it counts either “for” or “against” your search engine rankings.  If search engines index pages that do not fall within best practices, you are compromising your overall rankings.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why you should consider hiring a professional website developer who is also knowledgeable in search engine optimization (SEO):

User Experience (UX)

We design your site with the UX in mind. The UX is important when it comes conversions on your website. It also plays a role in SEO.  Think of your website as your online storefront.  Would you patronize a brick and mortar store that is cluttered and disorganized or choose one that is neat, tidy and makes it easy to find what you need?  Most of us would choose the latter.  The same philosophy rings true with websites.  If your site is cluttered, difficult to navigate and not appealing to the eye, then people are likely to go elsewhere.  You have 3-5 seconds to capture the attention of the user.  If your UX is poor, then there is a greater likelihood they will navigate off of your site.  Search engines also consider the UX when it comes to rankings.  A poor UX does not bode well for search engine rankings.

Mobile First Indexing

Google recently announced the implementation of mobile first indexing.  This means that Google will now consider the mobile version of a website first when it comes to search engine rankings.  So, if your website does not function or display well on mobile, there is now an increased likelihood of it not ranking well on Google.  There is an art to designing a website to display well on both desktop and mobile.  We have been developing websites with both desktop and mobile users in mind for years.

Optimization of Pages

If you want your website to show up in searches, then your pages need to be optimized for search engines.  Our team of experts writes and optimizes each page of your website to ensure the content is both appealing to the user; and includes the proper elements, formatting and SEO metadata to rank on search engines.

Overall Quality and Function

Poor quality websites and websites that do not function properly not only adversely affect the UX, but they also tend to not rank well on search engines.    Users won’t come back and visit a site that is of poor quality and search engines will penalize sites that do not function properly. We take time to ensure each site is built to the highest industry standards!

These days, your online presence is everything.  Ensuring your website is developed properly from the beginning is important now more than ever.  We often have business owners who either built their websites themselves or hired an unqualified website company come to us in crisis because their website is not functioning or ranking well on search engines.  Investing in a professional and experienced website developer can save you a lot of time, money and headaches in the long run.

Need a new website or assistance with an existing site?   We’re here to help!

 

WalkerTax.com Launches

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Walker Accounting

TheSiteCrew.com, a full service web design and search marketing company serving clients nationwide, is proud to announce the launch of a new website for Walker Accounting & Tax in Walterboro, SC.  The new website can be found at https://walkertax.com.

TheSiteCrew.com custom designed this website with a clean uncluttered design, global navigation including a site search, social media integration, and on-page search engine optimization to enhance the user experience.

This new website utilizes responsive web design. Responsive web design (RWD) is an approach to web design which makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes including tablets and smartphones. When viewing the website on different devices a visitor will see the site content shift and change to fit the screen and settings of their device – no more zooming in and out or scrolling right and left.

For optimal security, this website utilizes the secure HTTPS protocol. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between the visitor’s web browser and the website that the visitor is connected to. The ‘S' at the end of HTTPS stands for ‘Secure'. Communication between the visitor’s web browser and the website is encrypted.

TheSiteCrew.com specializes in producing beautiful, user-friendly, search engine optimized websites that effectively promote a client’s business. If you are considering a new website or redesign, contact email@thesitecrew.com for a free website analysis and quote.

 

Evolution of a Brandmark: Fairfield County Library

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Fairfield County Library

We were proud to have had the opportunity to work with the Fairfield County, South Carolina library system to create their new logo/brandmark and website.  They came to us with a unique idea that we were excited to bring to life!

The first rule of design is that all design must have a purpose.  The second rule is to listen to your client.  During our initial discussion with the client, the most important concepts in this case were history and legacy.  The main branch of the Fairfield County library is located in a building which exemplified both history and legacy.  Developing a concept which encompassed the history of the building and the colonial legacy of the region – along with an element of modern design – was key to creating a memorable brandmark for such an important landmark.

We utilized the building cupola as the key element to tie the brandmark to the rich history and legacy of the library while maintaining a bond with the colonial heritage of the region.  A modern upward moving swoosh carries the eye to the name and finishes the concept with a forward look and feel.  The deep red color coupled with the black and white cupola reinforces the historic to modern feeling necessary to appeal to a wide age demographic.

Special thank you to the good folks at the Fairfield County Library System for choosing us to work with them on this challenging and enjoyable project!

library websites

TheSiteCrew.com Launches New Website for Advantage Healthcare of Charleston

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TheSiteCrew.com, a full service web design and search marketing company serving clients nationwide, is proud to announce the launch of a new website for Advantage Healthcare of Charleston in Goose Creek, South Carolina. The new website can be found at https://ahcwellnesscenter.com.

TheSiteCrew.com custom designed this website with a clean uncluttered design, global navigation including a site search, social media integration, and on-page search engine optimization to enhance the user experience.

This new website utilizes responsive web design. Responsive web design (RWD) is an approach to web design which makes web pages render well on a variety of devices and window or screen sizes including tablets and smartphones. When viewing the website on different devices a visitor will see the site content shift and change to fit the screen and settings of their device – no more zooming in and out or scrolling right and left.

For optimal security, this website utilizes the secure HTTPS protocol. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the secure version of HTTP, the protocol over which data is sent between the visitor’s web browser and the website that the visitor is connected to. The ‘S' at the end of HTTPS stands for ‘Secure'. Communication between the visitor’s web browser and the website is encrypted.

TheSiteCrew.com specializes in producing beautiful, user-friendly, search engine optimized websites that effectively promote a client’s business. If you are considering a new website or redesign, contact email@thesitecrew.com for a free website analysis and quote.

Berkeley Chamber Launches New Website

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Moncks Corner, SC:  The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce new website went live today!   This newly redesigned website offers quick and easy access to information and features that offers a more comprehensive understanding of the Chamber programs, essential information for growing their business, along with statistics for potential members and businesses relocating to the Greater Berkeley County region.  It marks a complete overhaul of the former website that was launched several years ago.  The website’s address remains unchanged:  https://berkeleysc.org

The new website has a clean uncluttered design, improved functionality and enhanced rich content focused on the Berkeley Chamber. “We are excited about our new website launch and the robust information it provides for members and visitors to our site.   We believe that this new site will allow our members to have a very informative experience as we continue to grow our Chamber and address their needs” stated Elaine Morgan, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber.

In keeping up with the latest in internet technology, the website is responsive for viewing on all of today’s devices, including popular tablets and smartphones.  The new site has been moved from its HTTP protocol to the far more secure HTTPS protocol; which encrypts data being exchanged between a website and the website visitor, ensuring critical data is not intercepted while in transit.

 

About Berkeley Chamber of Commerce

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in the greater Berkeley County area.   The Chamber seeks to accomplish this vision by advocating for initiatives that enable businesses to grow, thrive and remain relevant and forward-thinking in an ever-changing world. The chamber exists to create a positive impact on our community. The Berkeley Chamber strives to be the unifying force that brings together and leads those who work to improve the quality of life in the Berkeley County region through business growth.

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.RED Domain Names

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The new .red domain name is optimized for any creative endeavor associated with the color red.

The .red domain name offers endless opportunites for use in such industries as fashion, photography, art or interior design, just to name a few. Add a hint of flair to your personal or business project with the .red domain name today!

Anyone can register .red domain names on a first-come, first-served basis.

These domain names can have up to 63 characters, with a minimum of one character, and can contain letters (a to z), numbers (0 to 9), and hyphens (except as the first or last characters of the domain name). You cannot register domain names with special characters such as & and #. IDNs (Internationalized Domain Names) will not be supported at this time.

iphone call blocked – continued

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…….it's a security feature of your iPhone – not a problem with your website. You're just running too many tests. For any phone number you click, you get the option of call or cancel. If you hit cancel 3 times then Safari assumes that the website is creating unwanted call requests, and starts creating the message “this website has been blocked from automatically starting a call”. If you hit the Allow button it will reset the block flag and give you the “Call | Cancel” option again.
Go back to Question

Message: This website has been blocked from automatically starting a call

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If you're testing out the tap to call function of your new website – or any other website – and you get the error message, “this website has been blocked from automatically starting a call”, don't worry, it's…..
read solution

PayPal Custom Payment Pages No Longer Working

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I'm embarrassed to admit that I spent about an hour on this problem today so I thought I'd share the solution just in case someone else finds themselves in a similar situation.

THE PAYPAL CUSTOM PAYMENT PAGES FUNCTION NO LONGER WORKS!    STOP TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG!  The big question is why does Paypal still have this function described in their developers guide with full instructions????

As a work-around you can use image_url parameter to set your image logo (size 150×50) in the checkout page.  It's actually easier than the deprecated page_style and page_style_name.

Just use image_url=https://xxxxx.com.  Of course, the xxxxx is going to be replaced with your real image url.  And, of course, always use https.

There, hope that helps someone.

How Responsive Website Design Can Increase Sales

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Responsive website design is a technique that allows your website to adapt its layout to the screen size of the device it is being viewed on. This means that your website will look and function great on all devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktops.

Responsive website design is important because more and more people are using their mobile devices to access the internet. In fact, mobile traffic now accounts for over half of all web traffic. If your website is not responsive, you are likely losing out on potential customers.

Here are some ways that responsive website design can increase sales:

  • Improved user experience: A responsive website provides a better user experience for all visitors, regardless of the device they are using. This is because the website is designed to look and function well on all devices. Visitors are more likely to buy from a website that has a good user experience.
  • Increased traffic: A responsive website is more likely to be ranked higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This is because search engines like Google prioritize responsive websites. A higher ranking in SERPs can lead to increased traffic to your website.
  • Higher conversion rates: A responsive website is more likely to convert visitors into customers. This is because visitors are more likely to stay on a website that has a good user experience and that is easy to navigate.

Here are some tips for creating a responsive website:

  • Use a responsive theme or template. There are many responsive themes and templates available for WordPress, Drupal, and other CMS platforms.
  • Use fluid images and videos. Fluid images and videos will scale to fit the screen size of the device they are being viewed on.
  • Use media queries. Media queries allow you to specify different styles for different screen sizes.
  • Test your website on different devices. Once you have created your responsive website, be sure to test it on different devices to make sure that it looks and functions well on all devices.

Responsive website design is an essential part of any modern website. It can help you to improve your user experience, increase traffic to your website, and boost your sales. If you do not have a responsive website, it is time to create one.

In addition to the tips above, here are some other things you can do to make your responsive website more effective for increasing sales:

  • Make sure your website is easy to navigate. Visitors should be able to find the information they need quickly and easily, regardless of the device they are using.
  • Use clear and concise calls to action. Tell your visitors what you want them to do, whether it's signing up for your email list, making a purchase, or contacting you for more information.
  • Optimize your website for search engines. Use relevant keywords and phrases throughout your website to help people find you when they search online.
  • Use social media to promote your website. Share links to your website on social media and encourage your followers to visit.
  • Test and improve your website regularly. Track your website traffic and conversion rates to see what's working and what's not. Then, make changes to your website to improve your results.

By following these tips, you can create a responsive website that will help you to increase your sales.

10 Benefits of Using WordPress to Power Your Company’s Website

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WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that is used to create and manage websites. It is one of the most popular CMS platforms in the world, powering over 40% of all websites. WordPress is free and open-source software, which means that it is constantly being updated and improved by a large community of developers.

Here are 10 benefits of using WordPress to power your company's website:

  1. Easy to use: WordPress is very easy to use, even for beginners. It has a user-friendly interface and a drag-and-drop page builder, so you can create and manage your website without any coding knowledge.
  2. Affordable: WordPress is free and open-source software, so there are no licensing fees. You only need to pay for hosting and a domain name.
  3. Customizable: WordPress is highly customizable. There are thousands of free and premium themes and plugins available, so you can customize your website to look and feel exactly the way you want it to.
  4. Scalable: WordPress is a scalable platform. As your business grows, your website can grow with it. WordPress can power everything from a simple blog to a large e-commerce website.
  5. Secure: WordPress is a secure platform. It is constantly being updated with security patches to protect your website from hackers and malware.
  6. SEO-friendly: WordPress is SEO-friendly. It has many built-in features that help you to optimize your website for search engines.
  7. Mobile-friendly: WordPress is mobile-friendly. It is designed to look and function well on all devices, including smartphones and tablets.
  8. Supportive community: WordPress has a large and supportive community of users and developers. This means that there is always someone available to help you if you have any problems or questions.
  9. Wide range of features: WordPress has a wide range of features built-in. This includes blogging, e-commerce, social media integration, and more.
  10. Regular updates: WordPress is regularly updated with new features and security patches. This means that your website will always be up-to-date and secure.

If you are looking for a CMS platform to power your company's website, WordPress is a great option. It is easy to use, affordable, customizable, scalable, secure, SEO-friendly, mobile-friendly, has a supportive community, and offers a wide range of features and regular updates.

Here are some additional benefits of using WordPress for your company's website:

  • WordPress is widely used. This means that there are many resources available to help you with your website, such as tutorials, articles, and support forums.
  • WordPress is flexible. WordPress can be used to create any type of website, from a simple blog to a complex e-commerce store.
  • WordPress is extensible. WordPress can be extended with plugins to add new features and functionality to your website.
  • WordPress is community-driven. The WordPress community is constantly developing new themes, plugins, and resources to help users create and manage their websites.

If you are looking for a powerful and flexible CMS platform to power your company's website, WordPress is a great option.

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