Salt Blog

Given the vast amount of information that regularly passes through our hands, it’s not unusual for us to gloss over information that we don’t consider to be necessary in our daily lives. As technology advances, more terms come into use and things can get a little confusing for people who don’t work in IT—but never fear! It’s always okay to stop and ask questions. And if you’re the type to do some research before getting involved in something like creating your own website, then look no further. Here, we’ll outline a few basic terms that you can benefit from when delving into the world of web design. Domain Name This one is short and to the point. Your domain name is the name and address of your website: a critical piece to any organization or business. It is used for website addresses and email addresses, and what internet users will...

Saltmedia is proud to present our latest feature in the world of creating success online: Essential websites, internally we like to call these “Just a Pinch” because we are salty like that. Our first ever packaged based website for startup businesses that want a professional foundation to grow upon. For 10 years we’ve taken pride in delivering clean and polished custom websites to all our clients. Recently, however, we began looking at a project that would not only be clean and polished, but also quick and easy. Something a little simpler, so you have the choice to have your brand on display in a shorter period than with our custom websites, while still maintaining a professional appearance. This is where Essential Websites come in. These websites are powered by WordPress, so you can learn to update your new website yourself, if you want. Don’t worry, we are always just a...

I love attending events at the Friendship Centre. We donated a website to this deserving not-for-profit in 2018 and we certainly didn’t expect anything in return. We were excited to receive an invitation and attend the Friendship Centre Volunteer Appreciation Banquet. I asked if our 2-year-old daughter could attend with us, and they said absolutely! That meant the world to me since being a new mom, a partner in two local tech businesses, and president of a large local not-for-profit keeps me busy. We were honored with a lovely presentation from a Friendship Centre board member, as well as this beautiful gift (pictured). The friendship center honored 7 sponsors altogether in alignment with the 7 sacred teachings. Our honor was for Truth represented by The Turtle. Being a Metis woman, this hit home for me. I want to give a special thanks to our talented designer and project manager Chris....

The advancements in mobile phone software have led to a lot of new challenges for businesses. And with those challenges, new opportunities have arisen too. There are so many avenues to explore, many new markets being accessible, and a great new number of customers to gain access to. These avenues, markets, and customers were previously inaccessible, or very expensive to access. But all of that has changed now. You can access these markets and customers through mobile apps and websites. The question arises when we have to decide between any one of them. An app can be pretty expensive to have designed. A moderate quality app can cost approximately $30,000 to have custom designed to your exact specifications. Another problem that can arise with apps is that they have to be made for multiple platforms or operating systems. You have to make sure that you have both an Android version...

Smartphones have defined and personified the advancements mankind has seen in the past decade or so. They have made our lives easy to the point that our use of laptops and desktops has minimalized. Apart from work, most of us only use our computers only for things that we cannot do on our mobile phones. These devices have literally brought the whole world in our hands. The increase in usage of mobile phones in the world and especially in Canada has made it a necessity to have a mobile design for your business website. Mobile design refers to having a website that is compatible with mobile phones. The user does not have to unnecessarily scroll around and zoom in or out. If you have a mobile compatible website. With almost 60% of Canada’s online traffic coming from mobile phones, the need to have a mobile design does not really need...

Like every year, Saltmedia decided to do a free giveaway in 2018 too. This year the winner was of the giveaway was the Grande Prairie Friendship Centre . Saltmedia presented the GP Friendship Centre a state-of-the-art website inclusive of all features that the organization might need to continue in its endeavors smoothly in the future. The Grand Prairie Friendship Centre has been working tirelessly for a noble cause. They have worked day in and day out to support the Indigenous people and look after their needs. They have been striving to bridge the cultural gap between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous community and have been successfully doing so for the past five decades. This giveaway is a way to reconnect with her roots for Angie Saltman, the President of Saltmedia. Having a Metis heritage herself, Angie has a deep connection with the work GP Friendship Centre has been doing. This website...

Regardless of your industry, chances are your customers are looking for your products or services online. Online marketing is the single most important form of advertising for businesses today. As a result, SEO (search engine optimization) is becoming more and more important for businesses who want to stand out from the crowd. SEO is the process of optimising your website so that it can easily be found in search engines. Let’s take a look at how customers are finding your business online, and how you can make sure your website is getting in front of them. Where are your customers? Chances are your customers are using Google to find your business. Sure, there are plenty of other search engines out there (like Bing and Yahoo), but Google takes up the largest market share with nearly 4.5 billion searches every single day. It’s important to remember, though, that not all Google...

Your website is your best employee. It works 24/7 and is always available to answer your customers’ questions, even when you’re not. And if your website isn’t on the first page of Google for important search terms, you have a lot of low hanging fruit you can harvest. The world of SEO (search engine optimization) is always changing, but there are plenty of things that you can do to ensure your website gets to the first page of Google. Here are just some examples of things you can do to reach that low-hanging fruit.   Have a good website This sounds pretty obvious, but you can’t underestimate the importance of a well-built website. While a basic DIY webpage might be enough to get your name out there, it likely won’t get you where you want to be. Investing in a professional website created by a reputable web design firm is...

Setting up a business is often complicated and costly, and it can be difficult to know where to spend your marketing dollars, especially when you’re just getting started. A strong online presence is crucial for just about any modern business. It’s no wonder, then, that the majority of business owners reach a point where they ask an important question: should I design my website myself, or should I hire a professional? If you have to DIY, do it right DIY website builders are a great option if you’re a startup on a very tight budget and need to set up a basic, quick online presence. If you choose to go the DIY route, make sure to keep things as simple as possible. We recommend building a basic website that clearly explains who you are and what you do. Of course, that’s not to say you shouldn’t spend any money at...

There are few things more frustrating than when technology you depend upon fails. Hassle aside, for businesses, it can also be a major issue because so much of what we do today is done via technology. Protect your business' operations and important data with dependable technology solutions designed and implemented by a team of experts. Saltmedia's Tech Savvy Brother As a full-service Grande Prairie web design company, we provide a wide range of web solutions that are expertly tailored to suit our clients' needs. The icing on an already stellar cake is that, in addition to our web development company providing you with the super slick site your company needs to stand out online, our brother company, IT Horizons, can satisfy all of your business technology needs. Located in the same office as Saltmedia, IT Horizons can help keep catastrophes to a minimum, preventing downtime and streamlining your business systems....

In business, there's no time for computers crashing or the disappearance of important email messages. If you're a business owner, you probably know how incredibly frustrating it can be when the technology your company depends upon lets you down. You need a website that not only looks great but is robust enough to facilitate your workflow in a way that's dependable and efficient. The solution? An attractive website built by our web design company, paired with business technology solutions that are expertly designed and implemented by our brother company, IT Horizons. All Your Business' Technology Needs, One Office When you choose Saltmedia as your web design company, you will have the opportunity to take your online presence to the next level, working with IT Horizons to prevent technological catastrophes and ensuring your operations are as efficient and effective as possible. Keeping businesses' computers and networks safe, secure and backed up,...

Humans have always tended to gravitate toward things that provide instant gratification. The fact that mobile usage has now surpassed desktop traffic is further proof that we know what we want, and we want it now. The number of people searching from mobile devices for the goods and services they wish to buy continues to increase every year. Consumers can access the Internet virtually everywhere across Alberta, which means there are no limits to when and where people can shop online from their mobile devices. For business owners of any shape and size, this is a huge opportunity - don't miss out! Responsive Websites are Key to Attracting New Business In the not-so-distant past, mobile web development was a lot less common or, at least, very different from what it is today. Whereas, before, mobile website design typically involved a separate, mobile version of the website or mobile apps, today's...

The world of technology is incredibly fast paced and constantly changing. Believe it or not, what mattered for your website five years ago has probably changed. Failing to keep up with what Google and your customers want and need now will only encourage more and more of your customers to head to your competitors. For website designs to be effective, meaning appealing and informative for your customers and in line with how Google wants your site to be built and maintained, they need to be updated on a regular basis. There's no set-it-and-forget-it solution in the world of websites, but our web design company can make it as hassle-free as possible to get your site back up to where it needs to be to perform well. Updating Your Business Information As your business grows and your focus shifts, you need to update your site to better reflect your offering. Saying...

Everywhere you look, people of all ages are searching the Internet from their smart phones. Add to that ever-growing trend the number of people who search the web from tablets at home, and it's high time you upgraded to a mobile friendly website. There was a time when businesses could get away with not having a mobile friendly website, but when the majority of people are now looking for the goods and services they want to buy via mobile devices, you can't afford not to provide a website that's user friendly for all devices. You have mere seconds to impress your website visitors and sites that aren't mobile friendly no longer impress. What's more is that it's not just consumers who are demanding websites that can be easily searched from any device, but Google also prioritizes sites that are mobile compatible - and rewards them with better rankings! There's no...

It wasn't that long ago that a mobile-friendly website was almost unheard of because the vast majority of people were still searching the web from their desktop computers. Today, when people of all ages are surfing the Internet for the goods and services they're ready to buy from their mobile devices, a mobile-friendly website is a must for those who want to compete online. Just like people's search habits have changed so, too, has the technology. If you own a business and you want to ramp up your visibility online, reaching people no matter the device they're searching from, the ultimate solution is responsive web design. With one platform to manage all your marketing content on multiple devices, this is the web design that's capable of taking your business to new heights, both today and in the future. If you own a business, one of the key goals for your...

You know your business needs a website, but you have no idea what your website should include. Sound familiar? If you're feeling a little lost as to what the best website design is for achieving your company's online goals, you're not alone. While the Internet offers an incredible opportunity for attracting new leads and sales, determining what your website needs to first be found online, and then what you've got to do to compel site visitors to become your customers, can seem like an impossible hurdle. At Saltmedia, years of experience and loads of super slick, small business websites later and we've got a good grasp of what the best website designs look like for businesses in any industry. For starters, 100% custom is the only way to go; your business is unique and your website should be, too. From there, first impressions are vital. Studies show that consumers are...

If you own a business and your website isn't mobile friendly, you're missing out on a huge opportunity. Not only are websites featuring a mobile website design favoured by Google in the search engine rankings, but they also get far better exposure. If you've been on the fence about mobile web development, it's time to choose a side, and in today's fast-paced technological world, mobile compatibility is a pre-requisite for success online. Here's why: Everyone is Surfing the Web from Mobile Devices Yes, that's right, people of all ages everywhere are searching for the goods and services they're ready to buy from their smart phones and tablets. While 10 years ago mobile made up a smaller portion of the search pie, lacking a mobile compatible site is a detriment to your success online today. The thing is, people don't want to have to scroll back and forth a hundred times...

You know the old saying, 'if you want something fast, cheap and good, you can only pick one?' Well, for most things in life, this is pretty true. If you want something done for a super cheap price, it's probably not going to be all that awesome or ready any time soon. Or, it's often the case that if you want something that's really high quality, you've got to be willing to pay top dollar and may wait a while to receive it. At Saltmedia, we take a different approach. Our websites might not be the cheapest on the market, but they are very reasonably priced when you consider the quality of our sites, how efficient our web development process is, and the savings you will enjoy by getting it right the first time with a web design company that knows what they're doing. If you're in need of web...

If you've been shopping around for a new website, you've likely discovered that web design services are available in a huge range of prices. Like anything else you buy, there are web design options for businesses with really small budgets and basic online needs to those with large budgets that require very complex sites and everything in between. And, just like anything else, you get what you pay for, which means that developers who charge rock bottom prices aren't going to provide you with a site that's robust or customized to serve your specific business needs. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule; while Saltmedia websites can come in a wide range of prices, we offer web and graphic design at rates that are comparatively affordable, and that provide much more value for your dollar. Let's take a closer look: Our Knowledge & Experience Saves You Money We've stacked...

If you're not sure if your website is compatible with mobile devices like smart phones and tablets, your business could be missing out. In fact, in today's fast paced, technological world, failing to provide a great user experience for the vast majority of people who search the web when they're on the go is likely what's stopping you from taking your business to the next level - both on and off of the Internet. Consumers Demand Mobile Compatibility Today's shoppers are savvier and more demanding than ever, which means your website needs to be up to the task of providing the information they need, precisely when they need it. Fingers and thumbs need to be able to navigate websites. Scrolling in every direction will no longer cut it, nor will super slow loading speeds. Failing to provide mobile users with a positive experience will ultimately prevent you from turning these...