Skybox Creative Blog

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San Diego, CA 92103

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Once you’ve got a Facebook page as part of your social media marketing plan, it’s time to think about what to do with it. We know, from our own personal use of Twitter and Facebook that it’s all about staying active. We want to be in that news feed! And if you’re a business looking to engage customers, it’s even more important. After all, action – whether it’s foot traffic for your San Diego beachfront taqueria or “likes” on your small-business blog – means business. And nowhere is that more true than in the world of social media marketing.

But aside from posting company or product updates, commenting on industry news and answering customer questions, how do you keep your Facebook community alive?

The Social Media Examiner has recently published a list of the ten best Facebook apps for building community.

Facebook apps don’t just mean Farmville anymore. There are now tons of apps on the social media giant that help highlight top fans and helps you engage with your fans by sharing videos, photos, slides and get feedback from users. And what’s great is that, since they’re designed to be used and disseminated in the social networking world, they’re pretty easy to use.

Praise Your Customers

Everyone likes a little positive feedback – especially in social media. I mean, why else do we post our best San Diego sunset pics? We want the “likes”! A couple of the apps noted by the Social Media Examiner – “Fan of the Week” and “Booshaka” — track your fans’ activity on your page and get points or even a personalized shout out for being active.

Interaction Action

Many of the Apps in the top ten have to do with company-customer interaction. Livestream lets you post live video events to your page and even has a chat feature for interaction. ContactMe lets you customize fields for fans who want to get in touch and Constant Contact lets fans sign up for newsletters right from your Facebook page. Scribd, the company that offers document-sharing services in the real world, also offers a service for the virtual one, Scribd for Pages.

Other apps can help you manage updating content and scheduling posting. For the rest of the top ten, check out the article. Or, for a deeper list, check out Top 75 Apps for Enhancing Your Facebook Page.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

When Applied Fiber, the world’s leading provider of terminated fiber tension systems, noticed Skybox Creative’s online portfolio, they knew they’d found a fit for the re-branding and web design they’d been looking for. San Diego-based Skybox began work on the rebrand in April, 2011.

The client was looking to develop a more modern, masculine look. New products and growth in the Florida-based company prompted them to reconsider the message they were sending with their old color palette – soft blue, light gray and a thin font.

Applied Fiber Logo - Before + After

Skybox jumped in to give the company the look and feel they aspired to. Keeping the icon on the left of the logo was important to Applied Fiber — it’s the universal symbol for fiber. But we identified darker tones of blue and gray to give the design a more modern feel. The darker shades really hit on the growing company’s maturation and expanding business. It also adds gravity, masculinity and sophistication to the look and feel of the brand. We also designed new typography for the brand. Slightly thicker, it has a more substantial feel and really fits an established company that is growing its brand along with its business.

For the website design, multiple layout, design and color options were explored. A few of the initial design comps are shown below.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

Web Design Study - Multiple design directions and color options were explored.

For the final website design, the client chose a simple, clean design direction focusing on the products and expertise.

Applied Fiber Final Web Design

Part of delivering that sleek, modern feel, too, was simplifying the design. Each web page now features simple, clean design and easy-to-navigate web pages. The photography we chose is sleek and the close-up product shots foreground the technology without losing the visual appeal.

Our design choices were in-step with the company’s goals for growth and their forward-looking philosophy. For Applied Fiber, reaching out to a San Diego-based company for rebranding and redesign turned out to be a good move – and we’re proud to be working with them!

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

Fonts equal personality. If you’re a San Diego beachfront motel, your sign’s going to look different from that of a Napa Valley spa. If you’re a San Diego scuba outfitter, you’ll choose different typography from an Aspen ski lodge. So what typography a web or graphic designer chooses will say a lot about the personality of the company. And now, just as happened in the shift to high-def television, our high-def screens are showing every wrinkle in our existing fonts. So . . . what to do?

Get a facelift! Recently, the world’s most common fonts — Verdana and Georgia – did just that.  In the time of high-def, high-resolution screens on tablets like iPads, mobile devices laptops, Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc., has released updated versions of Verdana and Georgia fonts.

These fonts were originally commissioned by Microsoft in the 1990s. And the typefaces were designed by typographer Matthew Carter. The typefaces then only featured four weights.

But with the move to tablet and mobile internet usage and higher screen resolutions on the iPad or iPhone, for example, users expect cleaner, clearer design. So Microsoft decided it was time to update the font. Carter returned to work on revising the font families and worked with David Berlow of The Font Bureau, and Steve Matteson and Tom Rickner of Monotype Imaging. Microsoft owns the pro versions of the typefaces, but Monotype Imaging and Font Bureau will distribute the fonts.

The new Georgia and Verdana typefaces include 20 different weights and extend sets of characters to help web and graphic designers adapt to the higher design demands of tablets.

The updated typefaces include weights light, semi-bold, and black, each with italics, small caps, old-style figures, and condensed sizes (for the smaller screen space on tablets and mobile devices).

You can download these typefaces now from Fonts.com, linotype.com and itcfonts.com.

Try out the new fonts to show off that “in the know” personality!

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825.

If you’ve ever bumped into a parking meter while updating your Facebook status, you’re not alone. Everyone’s accessing the internet on their cellphones these days. In fact, according to Mobithinking, worldwide, half a billion people hopped online with their mobile devices back in 2009, and they predict usage doubling within five years as mobile overtakes the personal computer as the most popular way to get online. The question for designers, as the screen shrinks and orientation shifts, how do you keep it pretty?

Easy.

Make it Easy

Ease of use is key to web design for a mobile device, whether it’s an cellphone or a tablet. Keep in mind that some users have data limits — if sites are bogged down with too many slow-loading graphics, they’ll move on to another site. This can be tricky as designers now need to use graphics at a higher resolution than 72dpi, lest they come out pixelated on high-res screens. Designers need to be mindful of making sure image files aren’t too large.

Clean, simple design can also help the mobile user experience. Easy-to-read fonts and simple layout mean you don’t make the user work to find what he wants. Part of keeping web design simple is to limit the depth, or number of layers, on the site. The rule of thumb, according to a designer at Computer Arts is to build a website with no more than two layers. To do this, you need to know why users are coming to your page. Do they want to see a menu? Check the San Diego weather? Do they need to make reservations? Give them what they want as early in their user experience as possible. Don’t make them work too hard for it.

Keep Em Coming Back

If the user experience is quick, easy and gratifying – that is, if it’s clean, loadable and lets users do what they came to do – chances are, your customers will keep coming back. When in doubt, of course, it’s never a bad idea to check the competition. Sites like MobileAwesomeness feature stand-out mobile web design and let users rate the best of the best. There are some great ideas there — just don’t forget to watch where you’re going.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825.

To web developers, Google can be intimidating – its algorithm daunting. One of the tough things about staying on top of SEO is that the standards by which websites are rated seems to change with every tiny behind-the-scenes tweak to the search engine. But a recently leaked training document for Google’s team of human URL raters offers a peek into how the search engine rates websites. (Don’t bother Googling that doc, that juicy little number’s already been removed from most sites.)

The rating scale goes from “Vital” (singular, specific sites, a celebrity’s site, for example), to “Useful” (helpful to most users), “Relevant” (helpful to many users), “Slightly Relevant”(not very helpful to most users, but not irrelevant to web search query), and “Off-Topic or Useless” (helpful to very few or no users).

According to Search Engine Watch, that scoured the document for rating clues, what Google’s really paying attention to comes down to just a few important points that web developers and designers need to keep in mind. But they’re also really intuitive – much like Google search itself. The search engine’s human evaluators look at the how useful a page is – how well a web page addresses the real desire (intent) of the user. They also look at the website’s interpretation of the search query – and how well the landing page addresses the query.

Other criteria include location, language, and whether the language of the video content – if the page uses video – matches the query language and landing page content.

One particularly interesting point is that, yes, current, timely content is important. But what these human evaluators look for is whether timeliness of content is necessary for the content. So, sites that follow trends should have timely information, but sites about historical sites, might not have to.

After all considerations of keywords, inlinks and bots, it’s nice to get a glimpse of the human side, isn’t it?

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

If less is sometimes more, then nothing is sometimes everything. When designing a logo — whether it’s for web or print –  memorable is key. And as you think about branding your company or launching your print or web design campaigns, one of the most memorable ways to approach logo design is to consider the negative space.

Negative space logo design makes the background a part of the overall design by creating a shape or form using the background color. A number of brands big and small – established and up-and-coming – have created striking and memorable logos with negative space design. They do it in two ways.

Suggest an Image

Probably the most famous example of negative space logo design is the FedEx logo.  Corporate colors, simple font — the logo looks simple. But look again. The white space in “Ex” creates an arrow…pretty clever, huh? This “power of suggestion” design touches subtly on the theme or vibe of a company without hitting the viewer over the head. Negative space is perfect for this kind of “read between the lines” logo design. Another great example is Bull Entertainment — menacing horns just visible in the B!

Create a Complete Image

The other way to go with negative space in logo design is to use it as part of the whole image, or to create a complete form that pops out.

For more inspiring examples of negative space design in logos and web, check out Web Design Ledger.

There’s something about making the viewer do a little figuring that makes them just a little bit more invested in the final image. It feels good to figure something out, and with negative space design, there’s a definitive click of recognition. Look no further than the image that’s gone viral by the billions in the last week to see how negative space can resonate: An iconic tribute to the genius behind Apple, Steve Jobs

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Branding Agency with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

Understanding SEO can be quite a task, and making it work is even more challenging. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 best free SEO tools to help you understand your site, how it ranks against competitors, and the power of keywords, anchor text and back links. Watch this quick video and start crafting a strategy to boost your rankings on search engines!

SEO Tool #1 Google Keyword Tool
www.adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

Research is key, this step requires a bit of time, but it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Provided by Google, this tool allows you to research your industry keywords to learn about local and global traffic statistics.

Now, what does your site look like to search engines in terms of SEO?

SEO Tool #2 SEO Website Grader
www.websitegrader.com

SEO Tool #3 SEO Blog Grader
blog.grader.com

SEO Tool #4 Check Backlinks & Anchor Text
www.bluebacklinks.com

SEO Tool #5 Search Engine Spider Simulator
www.webconfs.com/search-engine-spider-simulator.php

SEO Tool #6 Alexa Ranking (Worldwide Rank, Search Analytics, Audience Stats, Etc.)
www.alexa.com

SEO Tool #7 SEO Book – Free SEO Tools (These SEO tools can be used for ongoing website analysis and stats.)
www.tools.seobook.com

Next, it’s a good idea to asses what your competition looks like. (You can use the tools above as well as the tools below for this purpose)

SEO Tool #8 Spy on Your Competitors (Learn About Competitor Keywords & AdWords)
www.spyfu.com

SEO Tool #9 Search Engine & Directory Submission Tool
www.ubl.org

Once your ready to move forward with an SEO strategy, these tools will hep you with search engine & directory submission as well as PR article distribution.

SEO Tool #10 Press Release Article Distribution
www.prnewswire.com

Knowledge is only half the battle! Once you understand the status of your current site and have a better understanding of what you need to do, it’s time to hire experts to handle the workload so you can get back to business.

Overwhelmed with information? We’re here to help. Contact us today for a free SEO quote.info@skyboxseo.com or call 619.865.8881

With web pages tipping from portrait to landscape with the flick of the wrist, it’s important to have a web design that can adapt. Responsive website design means that your website looks the way you want it to whether your customer is checking you out on his iPhone, laptop or iPad. And of course, this kind of web design comes with its own challenges and considerations.

Considerations: Web Page Layout, Text and Images

The cornerstone of responsive web design is a fluid page layout. The pages should seamlessly adapt to the size and features of an iPhone, a laptop, or an iPad. There are a number of templates and tools out there that can help you make design decisions, for example, PXtoEM, a resource that can help you convert fixed-width design to a fluid layout.

Beyond page layout, text may be the most noticeable of the elements, since readers are familiar with certain spacing to make sense of what they’re reading. Flipping an iPhone sideways makes for a lot more real estate and you don’t want to disrupt your website’s design or content. Tools like Lettering.js and FitText can help with responsive design of your typography.

Images, too, need to be flexible in your responsive web design. Tools like the script imgSizer.js can ensure clean rendering of images across different browsers and Photo Swipe is a great image gallery for touch and mobile devices.

Several recent articles have taken a deeper look at the best tools for responsive web design including Six Revisions and Splashnology and are worth a read.

Models

Web Design Ledger recently highlighted twenty-four outstanding examples of responsive design. These websites can be great references for your own design plans.

Across the board, model websites did a great job of selecting scaled-back visuals from their larger pages for their mobile displays. Some even opted to go image-less in favor of a clear typographic message.

With these tips and tools along with the stand-out sites to serve as models, you should feel ready to look good in landscape or portrait, iPad or MacBook.

Now go forth and design responsively.

Skybox Creative is a San Diego based Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO . Get in touch for a free quote on your next design project or search engine marketing campaign! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825

“You” as an Online Brand: Self-Promotion in Web Design

Self-promotion is an important – and intrinsic — component of web design. We all know that the look, feel, flash and style of your website immediately brands you – which is why you spend time carefully considering design choices. But other features on your site, and even your behavior away from your site, are also factors that brand you.

Control Your Story

The “About Us” page has always been the place where you get to tell your story. Just an easy bio, right? Not anymore. Just as the world of web design is constantly changing, so too is the world of how to spin yourself – how to self-promote through your own narrative.

New companies have emerged to help job-seekers and business owners tell their story a little better than a standard resume or “About Us” page might — about.me, curv.me and getstoried.com. The first two are sites where creative workers can learn to describe their vision, contextualize their work and discuss their credits and accolades in an organic way. Getstoried targets entrepreneurs looking to capture their narratives for prospective customers. You can use these sites to help you tell your story — not just what you do, but why you do it. Information like this can help customers connect with you on a personal level. It’ll help them “get” you.

For example, if Skybox Creative were writing its bio, it could say that its business is web design in San Diego. The story’s true, accurate and informational. But it doesn’t answer the why. How about, “founded by San Diegans, Skybox Creative loves working closely with local businesses to identify the companies’ goals and deliver dynamic websites that fit their aims.” A little more personality, right?

Google Thyself

The way you behave online can also brand you. This may sound scary — customers can be one Google search away from your Facebook photos or Twitpics on Twitter. But aside from being on top of your social network privacy settings, you can also use your recorded online activity to your advantage.

Leave an online path that shows your passion. Jump into online communities that focus on what you’re doing. Engage with your own visitors with a blog. Make a space on your website designed for customer interaction.

Just go ahead and Google yourself and see if you like what you see. And if you don’t, start proactively leaving a trail that promotes yourself and your business the way you’d like!

Get in touch with Skybox Creative today! Whether your looking for copywriting, web design, SEO or brand development, we’ve got you covered! Skybox Creative is a Brand Consultancy with an emphasis on Web Design and SEO. Get a free quote for your next project! info@skyboxcreative.com or call us at 619.381.3825