Salt Blog

Recently, I've been sharing tips and other useful insights for Facebook, and specifically how business owners in Grande Prairie and beyond can use the social media platform to attract new leads and even sales. As a web design company that also offers search engine optimization and other internet marketing services, we often see business owners who are keen to take advantage of this free marketing platform, but who don't necessarily know how to use it in a way that will generate the types of results they're after. There are a few basic principles that should guide your interactions in Facebook. With these in mind,  you'll make the best use of this free marketing platform. Facebook is a Place for Socializing, Not Hard-selling In our dealings as a web design company and through our own personal use of Facebook, this is the mistake we see businesses making most often. Facebook is...

Whether your business has a storefront in Grande Prairie or you operate entirely online, your business needs a Facebook presence if competing and succeeding in your niche is what you aim to do. Even if social media isn't your thing, or just like any other business owner you've got little extra time to devote to something other than the products and services you offer, using the following 4 tips when designing your Facebook strategy will ensure your interactions on this social media platform are as streamlined and effective as possible. Set your strategy . Determine your target audience, the image you want to present and what benefits you are going to offer your audience. Make a list of the objectives of your strategy, for example: Loyalty Increase audience Create brand Disseminate brand / product Educate people in my sector What's new in my sector And so on... Plan your content....

WordPress vs Joomla: The debate about which Content Management Software system (CMS), WordPress or Joomla, is best for powering websites isn't new, and I'm sure website designers everywhere will continue to argue the merits of one over the other, for years to come. You see, everyone has a favourite, like Coke or Pepsi, one that they feel is superior and that they recommend to their web development clients, again and again.  While WordPress and Joomla aren't the only CMS options out there, it's my opinion that they're the best options in 2014, and the fact that tens of millions of people around the world have chosen to use WordPress or Joomla for web development leads me to believe I'm not alone in my thinking. What is a Content Management System and Why is it a Critical Component of Any Website Design? People who work in web development sometimes forget that...

Life as a Saltmedia customer just became more convenient. We're pleased to announce that we're now able to receive online invoice Visa and Mastercard payments directly through our website at   https://www.saltmedia.ca/payment-form   This option will help many of you save time, streamline your payment process and you don't have to miss out on collecting Air Miles, Aeroplan, or points from any other credit-card rewards program you might be leveraging.  /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}

When you go to a business meeting do you roll out of bed and head right out in your pyjamas or jogging pants? Or do you take a shower, do your hair, and dress to impress? This seems like a silly question right? Maybe not. There is a big difference between having a website and having a great website. Great web design is not achieved by simply posting a collection of pretty pictures on your website. There are many nerdy folks out there who can slap together this and that and get a website online. But the work of a creative graphic designer working with an experienced web developer will result in a stunning visual design that gives your clients a smooth and seamless website visit. They will enjoy browsing your site, and that good audience experience will be much more satisfying. A website visit may often be the first...

Here is a short visual demonstration of a responsive website.

A responsive website presentation given at the 2013 Tech Forum at Centre 2000. 

Today I have a special announcement to share. Saltmedia is no longer a sole proprietorship; I am a proud founding partner in Saltmedia Inc. My husband and partner in life, Alex Saltman has always played an important role at Saltmedia, and I feel privileged to announce that he has joined us full-time as general manager, leading our business into the future. Alex’s extensive knowledge in Internet solutions enables us to offer powerful, cutting edge, and affordable business solutions. Thank me for all the hard work to get us here, and thank Alex for his big brains and deep expertise that enables us to present our clients with some of the best online options out there. Go Team Salt!

Many people search for information online before making a purchase.  A website could be the first chance a company gets to make a great first impression to a likely buyer. So, if a website looks like it was made by your 14 year old cousin, who lives in your basement the chance of making a good first impression will probably be lost.   Your website can yell “Hey we had our basement nerd design our website for free, I hope it works and good luck finding stuff”!  or it can say “We are an established business and we have taken the time to create this well designed, mobile friendly website for you, our valued clients.”  Every businesses should have a professionally designed website to help their customers, potential employees, or stakeholders quickly find out more about the business and services offered.

Your buddy just finished spending the big bucks for a great looking website.  It just launched and he is sitting by the phone waiting for clients to pour in.  He has done online and offline marketing and advertising for his websites new launch.  He doesn’t get any calls, or emails.  You agree, It’s a fantastic looking website.. maybe the best one you ever seen. So your trying to cheer him up and help figure out why.  How do you know if your website is actually working for your business?  Firstly, you need to know if your website even has visitors.  We use Google analytics to research website traffic numbers, trends, and most importantly what people are doing on your website.  If you know someone who is serious about converting website visitors into leads or customers, tell them you know a flavourful web design company that can help them out.

For us L33T speakers h4PpY v4l3N71n32 d4y! Enjoy your poem :)

Responsive, mobile friendly websites give your mobile shoppers an optimal viewing experience.  Responsive designs supply easy reading and navigating with a minimum scrolling.   If your looking for website that has an impressive design, with a responsive viewing experience, call us.   We specialize in web design and Internet solutions.  780 539 SALT (7258) Why 2013 Is the Year of Responsive Web Design?

Online freedom means everything to us. When you purchase a website from Saltmedia, you own the website we build for you. There are no hidden strings attached, and we wont hold your domain name hostage! Take control of your online media with Saltmedia!

We use only the best open source Content Management Systems (CMS) like Joomla! .  A CMS is a computer program that allows publishing, editing and modifying content as well as maintenance. Who else is using award winning Joomla for their websites? Harvard University  MTV McDonlalds E-bay:   Internal analytics platform Citibank:   Intranet (internal use) These leaders are choosing the power of Joomla to build their websites, why wouldn’t you? Don’t get stuck with a web firm that you can’t transfer away from, unless you want to permanently stay with that provider or purchase a new website.  Take full control over your online media with Saltmedia.  

Hosting is where your website and email live. Hosting is like apartment buildings where a website and email would share a suite.  A websites home provides security and accessibility to anyone with an Internet connection.  Web Hosting can vary, just like apartment buildings do. For a website or email to work, it must have somewhere to live - Hosting.  Renting space from a hosting server provides your website with all the services it entails.  For example - It could be a small bare empty apartment or you could rent a bigger fully furnished apartment with a great view.  Regarding websites, a better view metaphorically speaking would give you a faster and more reliable service.  A good web hosting plan is foundation for growth. That's why Saltmedia provides reliable, flexible, cost-effective web hosting. We've partnered with a highly reliable and secure data center, to help keep your website safe from downtime and cybercrime.

Every website needs three separate services to function.  A domain name, hosting and the website itself.  Today we will blog about with Domains. What is a Domain Name?  To put it simply, it's a lot like your home address, however it’s the address for your Website on the World Wide Web. Without domain names, you would have to find websites by their IP addresses.  http://74.125.226.40/ – go ahead, click on the link and you will find Google via its IP address instead of typing in https://www.google.ca/   or simply searching for the word “Google in a popular search engine. Domain names are translated through numbers into a word in order to give us a domain name to ease the use of searching.  Every computer that is connected to the Internet has an IP Address, which consists of a series of numbers.  For example; Victoria Street would be 345.432.575.657.  That would undoubtedly...

  Saltmedia is very proud to be a sponsor for Canadian Mental Health Association Masquerade Ball Event.  If you are local, and want to have a fantastic night out please come and show your support!  Check out Masquerade Ball GP for more info.

When you are establishing a website with a designer, the most important things for you to consider are: The Planning - Goals (Sales/Boosting your Brand)                     - Target Audience Keywords - Its important to make a list of several keywords  that potential customers would use in an Internet search to find your services. Pick terms that make your business standout.  If you are writing your own content, make sure you distribute keywords throughout your content to optimize their searches to find your Website.

Key component of a successful website is "SEO" SEO- Search Engine optimization, this simply means the process of enhancing the visibility of your website on search engines. ( Google, Yahoo, MSN, Bing etc.) The more frequent a website appears, or the higher ranked it is on the Search Result page, the more viewers you will receive from online consumers. SEO can work in different search methods, such as words, images, videos, etc. The duty of SEO is to ensure a websites trustworthiness and to get at the very top of the Search Result Page, by using specific words to deliver more views by potential consumers. Considering the majority of online consumers that perform searches click on the first link they see, acquiring a high ranked website is vital in the success of your website.