by Pieter Vorster | Dec 11, 2018 | Resources
While the websites we build at Pod Creative are generally considered “lightweight”, meaning they have content relevant to the service or products or cause only (not content created from outside sources like the article and infographic below) and do not receive traffic of thousands and thousands of unique visits every day, we still make sure to employ the following good practices: Rename any image files as appropriately as possible with SEO in mind Resize them using Tiny.jpeg (best compression site ever!) Upload and Smush them. This seems like a good time to remind you of our article – How to send media to your web team. Also, step 2 above is really important to make sure you keep your page load times low. We encourage you to read through the article and infographic below, as It points out some of the value, and dangers, of page load times. Pieter Vorster Page loading time is a vital part of the user experience online. Website visitors care more about page load speed than all the visual design and functions found in sites. Statistics show that 40% of people will abandon a website that takes more than 2 seconds to load. A single second delay in page response can result in a significant reduction in conversions. Here are 6 reasons why you should decrease your page load time in 2019: You Are Losing Money Every time a member of your target audience abandons your page because they are displeased with your page load time, you lose a potential consumer. Research quoted by HostingTribunal shows that online shoppers are more loyal to shopping sites...
by Pieter Vorster | Dec 4, 2018 | Resources
Considering that we work on the web every day, we at Pod Creative try to incorporate some of the positive and popular online opportunities we come across. We encourage you to read through the infographic below as It points out some of the top trends from the past year. Pieter Vorster 2018 has seen a number of changes in the world of web design. Facing a competitive arena, technological advances, and shifting markets, brand owners and web designers have put on their A-game, as they try to differentiate their sites and those of the competition. It has become apparent that with easily accessible online web building services and affordable web design professionals, any business can easily have a decent site. The challenge, then, is how to make yours – great. The following four trends are prime examples of a push toward better websites: 1. Brutalism It has now become clear that layouts matter a lot more than previously thought, affecting conversions, revenue, and even branding efforts. DesignAdvisor has noted that almost 40% of users will leave a website if the layout is unattractive, meaning that a poorly designed site could be bleeding customers at alarming rates. While some brand owners are playing it safe, with minimalist and simple layouts, others have tried to up their game by adopting brutalism. With brutalism, a designer is given free rein to do whatever they want. The result of this is a unique and artistic website, with a different user experience than usual. Although this is a bit of a gamble, the result can be a genuinely memorable web design, attracting customers and giving...
by Pieter Vorster | Nov 13, 2018 | Comox Valley News & Events, Pod Creative News and Events
Festive Cheer Party Saturday, November 23 – 6PM – 10PM Prime Chophouse – 1089 Braidwood Rd, Courtenay All proceeds will go towards Kus-kus-sum! As a token of appreciation for your support of Project Watershed and their Kus-kus-sum initiative (which Pod Creative has been part of since the start) we would like to offer you a ticket to the Festive Cheer event at 50% off the regular price of $75. There are only 20 of these tickets available so please take advantage of this offer soon! Get your tickets now! Festive Cheer is an annual party and fundraiser hosted by LIFT Startups. In 2016 & 2017, Festive Cheer raised awareness and funds for Everyone Deserves A Smile (EDAS). This year, the fundraising and promotional efforts are focused on Kus-kus-sum – Fields Sawmill Restoration Project. Please note: To access the 50% off tickets, click the “Get your tickets now!” button above and on the Lift webpage and then beside the green highlighted text “Festive Friends” select the number of tickets you want. Name First Last Email* Message* Web Development Graphic Design Hosting Campaign Management...
by Pieter Vorster | Oct 1, 2018 | Resources
Most of the websites we build at Pod Creative feature Instagram in some way, whether that be immediately apparent, or as a behind-the-scenes method to populate a Facebook page and Twitter account simultaneously. We encourage you to read through the infographic below as It points out some of the value you can gain from your own Instagram account. Pieter Vorster The majority of socially engaged businesses have already included Instagram in marketing strategies. For many, this may mean just adding photos to the feed with some strategically placed hashtags, while the more tech-savvy will be making use of one of Instagram’s newest features called Instagram Stories. The feature provides businesses with a ready-made vehicle for promoting their brand in real time, in a fun and engaging way which appeals to followers. Since its launch, Stories have had one success after another and are still hugely popular with Instagram users. If you get it right, you could engender your followers with that extra pinch of affinity with your brand, which will not only help to build brand loyalty but will ultimately encourage future sales. Even if you are a seasoned Instagram user for your businesses, it can be pretty difficult to continually come up with new ways to engage your users and keep them looking at your content. Here are some brief ideas of how you could be using Instagram Stories to promote your business: Behind the scenes – Many brands are using Stories to take their followers behind the scenes of their business, and you may be pretty surprised to find out just how many people will be interested in...
by Pieter Vorster | Aug 30, 2018 | Resources
The editorial staff over at UpCounsel cover topics related to legal tips, startups, technology, and such. From time to time we at Pod Creative have found some of their posts very informative and often insightful. We encourage you to have a look at their blog or the articles they share with us, like the one below. Pieter Vorster Written by Alex Liu. This article was originally published on UpCounsel. When considering small business financing, it’s important to understand all your available options. Otherwise, investors can easily take advantage of you and offer unfair terms. So before raising any money, learn if equity, debt or convertible debt financing makes the most sense for you to grow your business. Equity Raising capital through equity is a popular, if not the most popular choice, for entrepreneurs to pursue. Investors buy stock in your company, giving them a financial stake in the future success of your business. How It Works You set a specific dollar amount for what your company is worth. Based on that valuation, investors agree to give you money in exchange for a certain percentage of your company. Investors receive compensation based on the percent of stock they own once you sell the company or go public. Pros All your cash can go toward your business rather than loan repayments. Investors take on some risk and don’t have to be paid back until you’re doing well. Investors often have valuable business experience. Since investors have a financial stake in the success of your business, they are motivated to offer sound guidance and valuable business connections. Cons Equity financing has the highest legal bills...
We create strong client relationships and beautiful, functional websites on budget. 