Powerpoint resource: typography-presentation
Ranking and Link Building
This week has been completely new learning for me. I understood why certain businesses would show up in a Google search and how Google ads would pop up. But I did not realize I could contribute to the success of my website by linking it to other sites. I guess that is why people call it the interweb because so many websites are linked together. There are specific ways that I have learned about how to build links to your websites.
- Write a blog post about something that relates to your website to drive traffic to your site. In addition, you can build relationships with other bloggers and ask for links from them.
- Write press releases or articles for an online source to advertise your product or information. It is always good to have links from a variety of different sources because Google can tell the difference and having a variety of links will increase your ranking.
- Add your website to online directories like professional business organizations or online communities. This is a great way for people to find out about our website. Don’t forget to use keywords that will be relevant to potential customers.
- Find out what links your competitors have by typing “url.com” -site:url.com into Google. Ask some of the same or similar type companies if you can link to each other. They will most likely want a link from you too.
The list can go on and on. Here are two great articles that provide additional ideas to build links. Advanced Link Building and Link Building Strategy. The link building strategy article provides a great format to help people set specific goals for increasing their links.
When you search for something on a search engine like Google, your websites ranking determines in what order your website will pop up. The more links you have from a variety of sources will increases your ranking. It is not only about the quantity of links, but also the quality. If you can link to a website that is very popular and relevant to your own website, that will affect your ranking so much more than any other a social media link for example. Link building is very important for your success, but takes time and strategy. If you feel that you are up for it, you can hire a professional who is an expert in this field.
PROJECT CORRECTIONS/TIME SPENT
DESCRIPTION
Design a portfolio that showcases all projects from my Visual Media course.
PROCESS (Programs, Tools, Skills, FOCUS principles)
1. I sketched out a few designs on paper.
2. I created a few different designs in Adobe InDesign.
3. Using the shape tool, I designed the leaf design.
4. Then, I created a 21 page document and used the master page to apply my design to the whole document.
5. Last of all, I created text boxes and included my projects on the left.
MESSAGE
To showcase what I have created and learn throughout this semester.
AUDIENCE
People who will be interviewing me for hire.
TOP THING LEARNED
When to use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
COLOR SCHEME & COLOR NAMES
Analogous // Green
TITLE FONT NAME & CATEGORY
Rockwell // Slab Serif
COPY FONT NAME & CATEGORY
Century Gothic // Sans Serif
THUMBNAILS OF ANY ORIGINAL, UNEDITED IMAGE(S) USED IN THE PROJECT
N/A
SOURCE OF EACH IMAGE (website name and hyperlink)
Images and graphics are my own.
Social Media for SEO and Social Networking
This week I read many articles about how to enhance social media for a business. Here are a few of the ideas.
- Socialize with friends and followers to create connections with others on social media. Like, follow, comment, and retweet.
- Create quality content for your users. We live in a fast paced world with information at our fingertips. So your information needs to be interesting and engaging.
- Measure your success on social media using Google Analytics. Some social media forums have their own way to track success for businesses.
- Creating social media accounts will increase link access to your website.
- Add social media links to your website so that people can access your website from social media and vice versa.
- Research the best social media forum to use to target your audience.
- Collaborate with gurus and social media icons.
The online store http://www.zoeandjoestore.com is an online boutique that sells leather bags to men and women. I have decided that my target audience spends a lot of time on Instagram and Snapchat. Therefore, I created a plan about how to participate on Instagram and Snapchat, what kinds of things I will post, and how much time I will spend daily to promote my social media accounts.
I want to improve my efforts to track my success. This Youtube video explains how to use Google Analytics to track social media success on your website. Using Google Analytics can help me recognize which posts and tactics are working well. Moving forward, I can tailor my social networking because of the results that I find using Google Analytics.
DESCRIPTION
Design a brochure using Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
PROCESS (Programs, Tools, Skills, FOCUS principles)
1. I sketched out a draft of my brochure. Then, I opened InDesign and created a layout using text boxes and rectangle frame tools.
2. Next, I added the pictures to my layout from a file that I collected the pictures in. In addition, I added filler text that I would later fill with original text. I used the shape tool to make rectangles that would go behind the titles on the front and back. I copied these rectangles to use for the stripes on the back. I used the color dropper tool to find an exact match for the color of the rectangles.
3. To make sure that the brochure was aligned and folded correctly, I used many ruler alignments. I cropped the photos to line up when the brochure was folded together.
4. In Adobe Photoshop, I clipped the check box picture to remove the white square background.
5. Finally, I made the bay bucketlist logo in Adobe Illustrator and I added in the photo from Photoshop. Last of all, I exported the file as a jpg and printed our my brochure. I grouped the elements and exported my logo into Adobe InDesign.
6. Last of all, I exported the file as a jpg and printed our my brochure.
CRITIQUE PROCESS
I met with Natalie Taggart who suggested that I move the front cover photos so that the height of the bridge was more in the middle. Natalie also pointed out a few ways to fix my phrasing on the inside panel titles. On Facebook, Christine reminded me that I needed to make a logo and advised me to add more white space. Aimee agreed that I needed to add more white space and also mentioned that I should either change the font or add a color behind the font since it was hard to see. I was able to move the pictures around, add colored boxes behind the hard to read font, add a logo, and change the body copy so that it appeared to have more white space.
Facebook Critiques: Christine Winward, Aimee Jorgensen, and Kylee Priest
One-on-One Critique: Natalie Taggart
Instructor Critique: Put business information somewhere on the brochure. On the inside of the brochure, decrease the font size. He also suggested to add something to the back cover of the brochure.
MESSAGE
To inform people who are traveling to San Francisco.
AUDIENCE
People who need ideas of what to do in San Francisco.
TOP THING LEARNED
Use ruler alignments in InDesign to keep track of where the folds will be. The difference between the Free Transform Tool and the Selection Tool in InDesign.
COLOR SCHEME & COLOR NAMES
Analogous // Orange and Yellow
TITLE FONT NAME & CATEGORY
Desdemona // Decorative
COPY FONT NAME & CATEGORY
(Logo and Text) Krungthep // Modern
THUMBNAILS OF ANY ORIGINAL, UNEDITED IMAGE(S) USED IN THE PROJECT
SOURCE OF EACH IMAGE (website name and hyperlink)
Logo is my own.
https://unsplash.com/search/san-francisco?photo=METhgKHfWkk
http://sanfranpsycho.com/blog/local-knowledge-palace-of-fine-arts/
http://cdn.funcheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Fisherman-Wharf-San-Francisco11.jpg
http://www.exploratorium.edu/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/u870/DSC_6324_72dpi.jpg
http://clipartsign.com/image/14753/
http://www.iconarchive.com/tag/facebook
http://to17.conquercancer.ca/assets2016/images/build/instagram.png
Landing Page/Website Optimization and Basic SEO
This week I learned a lot of good tips about how to improve a website, especially the landing page. After all, the landing page is like a first impression. It is important to make sure that your landing page is relevant for the customer, loads quickly, and is easy to navigate on all devices. Once the customer decides to stay on the page, these ideas will help increase viewer interaction. If there are photos of people on your website, direct the photo eye contact towards the focal point of the page. It is natural for people to look where other people are also looking. Adding trustworthy labels to your website can give customers peace of mind. Testimonials about your product or service can also provide a level of reassurance to new customers. Another idea that I learned from this week’s reading is to focus on one call to action on your landing page. If you want users to subscribe to a weekly email, then you should add a pop up or something other sign up for customers to enter in their email. Even something as simple as placing the cursor in the box, makes it easier for customers to sign up. Of course, it is important for your website to promote whatever you advertised from the beginning.
SEO is search engine optimization. In other words, how to help search engines like Google to find your website. Text is one of the greatest ways to improve your SEO. Search engines scan through all text, even the text within the computer code. So using keywords throughout your website will help customers to find your site. There is an important to balance to strike between creating quality text and visual appeal. So another way to increase SEO is to create quality design and user-friendly layouts. Links and sharing through social media is a great way to gain a reputation for your website.
DESCRIPTION
Design a brochure using Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.
PROCESS (Programs, Tools, Skills, FOCUS principles)
1. I sketched out a draft of my brochure. Then, I opened InDesign and created a layout using text boxes.
2. Next, I added the pictures to my layout from a file that I collected the pictures in. In addition, I added filler text that I would later fill with original text. I used the shape tool to make rectangles that would go behind the titles on the front and back. I used the color dropper tool to find an exact match for the color of the rectangles.
3. To make sure that the brochure was aligned and folded correctly, I used many ruler alignments. I cropped the front photos to line up when the brochure was folded together.
4. Finally, I made the Travel Guide logo using the shape and line tools.
5. Last of all, I exported the file as a jpg and printed our my brochure.
CRITIQUE PROCESS
I met with Natalie Taggart who suggested that I move the front cover photos so that the height of the bridge was more in the middle. Natalie also pointed out a few ways to fix my phrasing on the inside panel titles. On Facebook, Christine reminded me that I needed to make a logo and advised me to add more white space. Aimee agreed that I needed to add more white space and also mentioned that I should either change the font or add a color behind the font since it was hard to see. I was able to move the pictures around, add colored boxes behind the hard to read font, add a logo, and change the body copy so that it appeared to have more white space.
Facebook Critiques: Christine Winward and Aimee Jorgensen
One-on-One Critique: Natalie Taggart
Instructor Critique: There was not a critique video so far this week.
MESSAGE
To inform people who are traveling to San Francisco.
AUDIENCE
People who need ideas of what to do in San Francisco.
TOP THING LEARNED
Use ruler alignments in InDesign to keep track of where the folds will be. The difference between the Free Transform Tool and the Selection Tool in InDesign.
COLOR SCHEME & COLOR NAMES
Analogous // Orange and Yellow
TITLE FONT NAME & CATEGORY
Desdemona // Decorative
COPY FONT NAME & CATEGORY
(Logo and Text) Krungthep // Modern
THUMBNAILS OF ANY ORIGINAL, UNEDITED IMAGE(S) USED IN THE PROJECT
SOURCE OF EACH IMAGE (website name and hyperlink)
Logo is my own.
https://unsplash.com/search/san-francisco?photo=METhgKHfWkk
http://sanfranpsycho.com/blog/local-knowledge-palace-of-fine-arts/
https://sfbay.ca/home/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/18543211698_cb2725447b_k.jpg
http://cdn.funcheap.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Fisherman-Wharf-San-Francisco11.jpg
http://www.exploratorium.edu/sites/default/files/sites/default/files/u870/DSC_6324_72dpi.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/San_Francisco_Cable_Car_on_California_Street.jpg
ROI and Conversion Tracking
ROI means return on investment. Knowing the ROI is beneficial in understanding your “debits and credits” sort of speak. When I calculate my ROI, I can decide if what I am putting in is worth it for what I am getting out. For example, if I pay $2 in advertising for five days, I’ve spent $10. On the fifth day a sale goes through and I make a profit of $20 on the product. Then, I would take the $20 profit – $10 advertising cost = $10 ROI. I put $10 in and got $10 out, so in this case I’m only breaking even.
A conversion is a goal that I can set for my website. For example, when someone clicks the “Buy Now” button or when a final sale goes through or trying to get an amount of traffic to my website, etc. There is a neat tool called conversion tracking that helps me know when I have obtained my goal. First, you put the tracking code on the part of your code that will track your conversion. Then, you will be notified about the success of your conversion. Tracking your success can help you improve your ROI, website, and advertising.
I wanted to share this article with you that describes how traffic, conversion, and sales is the key for a long living, successful business.
DESCRIPTION
Create a website layout using layers and a grid.
PROCESS (Programs, Tools, Skills, FOCUS principles)
1. First, I sketched out my ideas for the website on a piece of paper. I included all of the details for the website. I first picked an idea of what I was going to use for the basis of my website. I chose the same cat
adoption center I used in the previous project.
2. Next, I opened up Adobe Photoshop and created a layout/wireframe of my website. I used a 16-column grid background to help me align all of the elements. I used the shape tool to create boxes for my text and image placement.
3. Finally, I added the actual text using the text box tool. Then came the images. I added layers and used”create clipping mask” to put the images in the shapes I had previously made.
CRITIQUE PROCESS
My critique process was very helpful. I met with Ashley Pabst who suggested to change the search icon and center the whole website. Instead of having subtabs under “Shop”, she thought it would look good to use “Men” and “Women” as individual tabs. On Facebook, Missy Holland thought the tabs would look good at the top. Anne Law gave me feedback about changing the font and alignment of my tabs. Kylee Priest suggested that I add some social icons to the page.
Facebook Critiques: Missy Holland, Anne Law, Kylee Priest
One-on-One Critique: Ashley Pabst
Instructor Critique: My instructor suggested that I put the header tabs across the top, beneath my title, and make the font thinner. He also advised me to make the bottom three photos larger and fix the search bar.
MESSAGE
A simple and minimalist website focused on purchasing beautiful bags.
AUDIENCE
People who want to buy leather bags for many occasions.
TOP THING LEARNED
How to use layers and masks in Adobe Photoshop to put a photo inside of a shape.
COLOR SCHEME & COLOR NAMES
Monochromatic // Black and White
TITLE FONT NAME & CATEGORY
American Typewriter// Slab Serif
COPY FONT NAME & CATEGORY
News Gothic MT // Sans Serif
THUMBNAILS OF ANY ORIGINAL, UNEDITED IMAGE(S) USED IN THE PROJECT
SOURCE OF EACH IMAGE (website name and hyperlink)
instagram icon: https://www.iconfinder.com/icons/104425/instagram_icon
Facebook icon: http://simpleicon.com/facebook-2.html
Pinterest icon: http://downloadicons.net/pinterest-icons
https://www.pexels.com/photo/fashion-woman-bag-jewelry-6839/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-messenger-bag-on-top-of-stone-169652/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/road-fashion-vintage-bag-1656/
https://www.pexels.com/photo/agriculture-food-cropland-pasture-108062/
McKenzie Taggart 
