Hudson Valley is NYC’s Web Designer Incubator

Before the digital-age there was The Hudson River School. For centuries, the Hudson Valley has inspired artists and creative talent of every type. It only makes sense that that legacy has continued into the realm of Cyberspace. WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc. is a website design company in Hudson Valley.

The Hudson River School  flourished in the mid-19th century

“The Valley” has attracted the likes of  Thomas Cole, Frederic Edwin Church, Jasper Francis Cropsey, Asher Brown Durand, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Martin Johnson Heade, Sanford Robinson Gifford, John William Casilear, William Hart, George Inness, Robert S. Duncanson, Jervis McEntee and many others. Like these great New York artists, we are equally inspired by the magnificence of this beautiful river valley, its history and the convenience of being less than 2 hours trip to NYC.

Kindred Spirits. Oil on Canvas by Asher Durand Kindre, one of many famous landscape artists of the Hudson River School – the paiting was commissioned by the merchant-collector Jonathan Sturges as a gift for William Cullen Bryant.

Creativity inspired by the Hudson River Valley

Much like these famous  landscape artists, we too are inspired by the beauty of the Hudson Valley. WhatsTheBigIdea.com will take your big idea and make it even bigger, even bolder and even better. We chose our name to speak to your imagination, to inquire about your vision and goals. And to that end, we serve our clients by providing quality, professional web design for individuals and businesses all across Hudson Valley and beyond.

Regardless of your locality from Mohonk Mountains to Montauk Point, we’re here to serve. Be it in New York City, or across the Hudson River in Westchester or Northward of Albany County, your company needs a global platform.  Your message needs to reach consumers who aren’t on the same block, who don’t live in the same zip code. And that’s what experienced website designers like ourselves do. We put companies in front of thousands of people each and every day. And we do it with style, with enthusiasm, with your customers in-mind.

Plain and Simple Talk About Web Site Design

We won’t try to sell you on web development service by enticing you with esoteric, complex-sounding terminology. When you hear terms like “MySQL”, “Cascading Style Sheets”, “graceful degradation” and “robots.txt”, over and over again, you are listening to someone who isn’t listening to you.

Plain and simple, just as our name so aptly states, we are web designers who want to partner with you–not lecture you on technical aspects or talk down to you with insider web page design jargon. We know precisely what works and what doesn’t.

You only have a few seconds to engage visitors. Clever visual design and animation will never do it alone. You also need to harness the power of simple language. Facebook’s homepage, for instance, declares: ‘Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.’ What could be clearer than that? –Inc.com

Flash is Out, Simplicity is In

Simple, clean, accessible and mobile-friendly is our Web design philosophy. That’s why we won’t waste your time–or our own–selling you on flash animation and silly embellishments, which are nothing more than holes in the Internet.

Our web design service gets visitors right to to the most important aspects of your site. We put our focus there because it’s where your customers will instinctively go. And nothing is more paramount than serving your visitors, than making the site useful and informative, than delivering on the promises made when your site pops-up in the search results.

Custom Website Design With Our Customers In-Mind

According to CNN Money, when visitors land on your site, they expect, in fact, demand, to find what they’re looking for. And that’s our approach to effective, custom website design. We think about the end-user through every step of the development and design process:

• Intuitive navigation. This is where we stand out. Every website designer knows sites have to be navigable, but many let aesthetics get in the way–we won’t and we don’t.
• Striking a balance. Speaking of aesthetics, there’s certainly a necessity for them. But functionality is where the real payoff comes from. That’s why we offer services like responsive design and e-commerce.
• Making important information conspicuous. Visitors do want to go on an Easter egg hunt to find what they’re looking for–and we don’t dye cyber eggs. Our designs avoid the back button–the third-most tapped keyboard button–according to a study conducted by Nielson.
• Site transparency. A huge visitor turn-off hiding behind stock images and cookie-cutter graphics. We give your site personality and put a face on the brand.

If you are looking for a web design specialists that aren’t just flashy and following here-today-gone-tomorrow trends, then we’re the firm for you. Thanks to communication advancements, we may be a Website design company in the Hudson Valley, though our clients are located throughout the Norteast. We can take your business–be it in Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, or anywhere else in New York City or in the tri-state area–and give it an engaging online presence that turns casual visitors into repeat customers.

Website Design Company Hudson Valley - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

Responsive Website Design for more online business

Responsive Web Design Simply Explained

Responsive web design is the hottest and most ubiquitous Internet trend going into 2013 and will be for years to come. But why? And just what does it mean to have a “responsive” or “fluid” website?

A Responsive Website Design means more business

Let’s begin by answering with some questions. Did you know that desktop search declined for the first time in the history of the Internet in September of 2012? Did you know that Facebook disclosed in its IPO Prospectus that 90 percent of its 900+ million users access their site via mobile device? Did you know that Twitter handles a whopping 1.6 billion search queries every day, has a 70 percent retention rate and of its 500+ million registered users, 55 percent access the social network via mobile? What these impressive figures mean is that people are increasingly accessing the Internet through their mobile devices. And while this doesn’t necessarily make desktop computers obsolete, it does mean your site, in order to stay in-line with technology, should be completely viewable and fully functional on a mobile scale.

Why Mobile-First

Mobile or adaptive design is fast becoming a must-have element for any website. By the end of 2012, Apple alone sold 85 million iPhones and 34 million iPads, according to the Washington Times–and those numbers don’t include Sony, Samsung, HTC, Windows, Motorola and other manufactures’ mobile devices.

Several other popular news media companies, including TIME and USA Today, are also taking advantage of [responsive design], which helps to neatly distribute content across a wide variety of devices, from desktop computer to smartphone and everything in between. It’s not just news outlets that have taken a responsive approach. In the ever-popular WordPress market, nearly all newly released themes come fully mobile-optimized, bearing the mark “responsive” on their download pages. –Mashable

So, any sites which do not have a liquid feature to make them accessible through mobile platforms are missing-out on millions of consumers being able to view their site alternatively to desktops. And that means web properties which do have progressive enhancement are going to be preferred by a majority of consumers. It’s also important to note that responsive website design not only makes a site accessible via smartphones and tablets, but makes them convenient for people to use at any time they wish. That translates into more pageviews, longer time on site and increased conversion rates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI5wlKD4lO8

Implementing Responsive Web Design

Understanding the way people view a website and how they interact with it is key to implementing responsive design. For instance, if a site is an ecommerce store, then product browsing, a shopping cart and checkout are necessary for functional responsive cyber properties. If a website is selling a service, then it should accommodate visitors who want to book an appointment, schedule a service, or purchase a service on-demand. Other considerations about a mobile site is how it will interact with third-party platforms, such as social networks. Features are just as important. Every mobile site should have certain elements in order to be of the greatest use:

• Consistent branding. Your mobile site and desktop site should have the same look and feel for a sense of continuity.
• Calls to Action. Just like your desktop site, your mobile property should have conspicuous calls to action. Features like “Click to Call” are among the most important.
• Optimized images and code. Visitors will quickly bounce off a mobile site which doesn’t quickly load. Rather than wait, people will just click away and go elsewhere.
• Large buttons and easy navigation. A good responsive site takes into account the limitations of mobile devices. So, it should have big buttons and intuitive navigation.
• Link to your full site and conspicuous contact information. Mobile visitors may want to bookmark your full site and view it later on a desktop or email the URL to a friend–give them that opportunity. And because they’re already using their mobile device, be sure to have your phone number, address and email handy.

If you need a responsive design incorporated into your website, then contact us for a free consultation. We can make your site viewable and functional for any mobile device.

Responsive Web Design - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

New York Web Design

Web design is more than just technical know-how, it’s about creating an online presence which speaks to people. You want to make an impression that conveys a personality behind the images. You want to give your site a life of its own–that’s where we come in. We understand that true professional web design is more than trying to impress people with insider jargon and esoteric terminology. A good web designer takes the time to listen and make each client’s vision into a reality. We are an experienced New York Web Design firm.

That’s why we’ve chosen to call our site What’s the Big Idea. Because we really do want to know your idea. We want to help you take it to the next level–and do it with style, with you and your customers in-mind.

Aesthetic Website Design

Every great site captures the eye. It draws-in peoples’ attention the moment the page loads. But it does more than pique the imagination, it makes them curious about that business. Aesthetics are important. Pop combined with sophistication makes visitors feel they’re dealing with a professional company.

That’s what we focus on–the end result. Our many years of experience has taught us that custom web design means just that: no cookie-cutter templates will do. Your site has to be fresh, unique and compel people to act. And that can’t happen if we don’t capture your passion for what you do. So we do just that very thing, we embrace your ambition and turn it into a work of art.

Functional Web Development

Image only goes so far. Even great looking websites can be poor performers. We place great emphasis on making your site fully functional. Our web site design process incorporates many tests along the way so you are assured of a working product that will work for your customers.

The Internet is cluttered with bad websites. Make yours one of the most usable, and you’ll attract an audience and form lasting relationships with your customers. –Inc.com

Our proprietary website development techniques ensure that your site will be more than just eye candy. Be it ecommerce website design, one that’s for informational purposes, or a call-to-action resource for your business to generate leads or sales, we’ll take the time to tweak every pages so it works time and time again. That’s not only important for your business, but also for your SEO.

New York Web Design – refining creative ideas can seem disorderly

Balanced Web Design and Development

Our team of web designers knows the value of their work–not just to us–but to you and your customers. We strive to deliver the most affordable web design with the biggest impact. It’s our pride and our integrity that has made for scores of happy customers who’ve used our professional, yet friendly web design services. When you work with us you get:

• Open communication from start to finish. We won’t dazzle you with technical mumbo-jumbo, we’ll speak to you in plain English and explain everything clearly.
• Creative choices. We won’t limit your site to some canned template design. You’ll be given a choice. You will be part of the whole process if you chose.
• A complete schedule. There are times when it seems nothing is happening, but we are working. We’ll let you know what you can expect and when to expect it.
• Flexibility. We understand that circumstances change. Talk to us and let us know of anything that comes up and we’ll make the necessary adjustments.

If you are looking for a quality web design service in New York or anywhere else across the country, then contact us. You’ll find we’re different and will take the time to form a relationship–because your website isn’t just another project, it’s a new partnership.

New York Web Design for Big Ideas - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

Basic Tips to Web Content Writing

When writing for the Web, consider who your audience is. Write in a casual way without pretense.

1. Keep your text simple and written in plain language. Unless your audience requires technical or legalese, stay clear of “spelling bee” words.
   • Flesch-Kincaid Score is considered an important factor in SEO writing.  Two readability tests were combined determining the ease of comprehension of writings. Rudolph Flesch and J. Peter Kincaid developed separate weighting factors. Basically, the shorter the word and sentence in an article of text, the easier it is to understand.Always remember that you’re also writing for search engines, so make your words count. 200 plus words per page focused on a specific topic is a good start. In terms of SEO, on a scale from 0.0-100, the higher the score the better.
     If you have the unusual case of a page being too long, you can break it up into several linked pages. Though, this is purely a personal preference and isn’t necessarily preferred. Refer above to tip #2 if you need a standard.
2. Font sizes smaller than 10 points are hard to read. Use a font size of 10 point or larger for the body of your page. Search engines are acutely aware of the H1 tags for headings and p for text in the body of your paragraph. So use them wisely, i.e. break up your text-rich pages with HI, H2, H3 tags to maintain interest in your topic.
3. Use a spell checker and carefully read what you wrote. Let others read it over and check for mistakes and readability. Typos can be embarrassing.

5 Tips Writing for the Web - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

WordPress Customization and Plugins for the Administrative User Interface

As often happens, I forget what I was searching for when I stumble upon a great resource for WordPress developers, WordPress designers and aficionados. In this episode of “where am I?” I find a page chuck-full of very useful WordPress customization and Plugins for Admin Panel.

Simplify WordPress Admin UI for Beginners

You ask “why?” would anyone want to change the easily understood admin UI? To make it even easier to use for the beginner user: your client.  I have several clients in mind whom have had difficulty understanding WordPress architecture and the post/page relationship as well as other WordPress-specific menus.

Let’s start with the very basic stuff first. Then, we’ll progress to gradually more complicated WordPress tricks and tips. These will all be focused on being upgrade-proof, so we’ll be editing your Child Theme’s functions.php file. Plugins will be used as a last resort.

ReBranding (Customizing) WordPress Login Page

Want to impress your customer with an ego-boost? Of course you do. Customizing WordPress’ Login Page is easily achieved by using WordPress Hooks, Actions and Filters.  A reference to WordPress Hooks can be found at Adam R. Brown’s Hooks Database. Using these magnificent little snippets of code will allow you to change WordPress core functions without messing with the core. Therefore you can upgrade without worry of overwriting your customization[s].

Place the code below into your Child Theme’s functions.php file. It will change the login page’s Link Title, Url and Logo that appears.

add_filter( 'login_headerurl', 'namespace_login_headerurl' );
/**
* Replaces the login header logo URL
*
* @param $url
*/
function namespace_login_headerurl( $url ) {
$url = home_url( '/' );
return $url;
}add_filter( 'login_headertitle', 'namespace_login_headertitle' );
/**
* Replaces the login header logo title
*
* @param $title
*/
function namespace_login_headertitle( $title ) {
$title = get_bloginfo( 'name' );
return $title;
}function my_custom_login_logo() {
echo '<style type="text/css">
h1 a { background-image:url('.get_bloginfo('url').'/wp-content/uploads/new-york-web-designer-logo.png) !important; background-size: auto !important; width: auto !important;height: 76px !important; </style>'; }add_action('login_head', 'my_custom_login_logo');

Keep in mind that the image or logo you decide to use needs to either be the same size of the existing WordPress logo or you’ll need to make make the appropriate changes to the inline style CSS as I did above:

h1 a { background-image:url('.get_bloginfo('url').'/wp-content/uploads/new-york-web-designer-logo.png) !important; background-size: auto !important; width: auto !important;height: 76px !important; </style>'; }add_action('login_head', 'my_custom_login_logo');

Screen Capture of Customized Login Page for WordPress

Simplifying WordPress Administration UI - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

Some graphic designers are inspired by the stimuli of big city life, while others find creative ideas in the quiet and calm of an upstate New York sanctuary. Being raised in Valley Stream, Long Island and initially pursuing large accounts in big cities like New York, I frequently found myself doing weekend excursions in the Hudson Valley. I’d escape my Greenwich Village digs most every Friday, exchanged my suit and tie for loose threads and hiking boots.

More than twenty years have passed and it seems that I have become one of the many Hudson River Valley designers whom have sacrificed for the sake of sanity. With a view of the century’s old dam and the tidal influences of the great Hudson River, all of my graphic design and Web design services are inspired by the calming effect of my natural surroundings.

Design Services inspired by the Hudson Valley - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

EG&G X-Ray Bee Illustration for magazine advertisement

Illustration for trade magazine advertisement campaign

Created for EG&G X-Ray Division in Oak Ridge Tennessee,  this bee illustration was used as part of a magazine and print campaign using humor. Food packaging for snack foods, cereals, breads and other consumer goods require resources be given to quality control.  There are many ways that food product can become contaminated in the packaging process. Machine parts, adhesives, inks, lubricants, rodents, and airborne particulate can end up sandwiched in the container with the food.

Humor is rarely used in a highly technical industry. The science of food production is a serious business. Especially, when developing technologies which detect foreign objects in packaged food products. EG&G Instruments create X-Ray equipment that isolates contaminated foods within the packaging stage of production. Colorful illustrations were created to catch the attention of magazine readers. Combined with bold headlines, the print ad campaign produced the desired results: more inquiries.

Humourous Illustration for EG&G X-Ray of Oak Ridge Tennessee - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

Gadgets, widgets and snippets:

Yahoo Pipes – Features:

Import RSS feed . Provide an RSS feed URL for input, or specify a web service – such as Flickr – from which to retrieve an RSS data stream.

Get user input . To build robust Pipes, you need a way of letting end users supply information: search terms, URLs, dates, quantities, etc.

Generate URLs . If you want to marry Pipes with outside services, you will sometimes need ways to generate web service URLs on the fly, using user-supplied information.

Aggregate multiple feeds . Combine multiple RSS feeds. How multiple feeds are combined is dependent on which other modules are used (sorting, filtering, etc.)

Sort by value . Given a stream of RSS data/ content items (whether from a single source or mashed together), sort the stream by some field value. This could be by item date (usually the same as publishing date), title, category, etc. What you use depends on both what actual RSS/XML data you are importing as well as your specific functional need.

Pass filtering . Pass filtering just means that given your RSS stream, you want to specify which data items should be allowed to pass through to the next step. For example, if you are mashing together several blog feeds, you might “pass” items based on date, author, or a search string (e.g., posts about “Corvette” cars). Or you can filter out items by eliminating duplicate titles or URLs.

Transforming data fields . Sometimes you want to take the text content of an RSS stream and alter it using a set of rules. You might add or eliminate data fields, replace occurrences of a word or phrase, count items satisfying a criteria, geocode the data to produce a map, etc. There is no one single Pipes module that you use to transform data; there are many transform/ operator modules, each with a specific functionality.

Mathematical operations . Yahoo Pipes offers some very basic math functionality that can be combined with either numeric user input or suitable modules that produce a numeric value.

Plug-n-play of custom web services . The Yahoo Pipes interface is integrated with several external web services. However, a few months back, they introduced a module by which you can plug in your own custom web service.

Looping . Looping lets you repeatedly apply a block of Pipes modules over each item in an RSS stream. In fact, you can build a block of modules into a Pipe, name it, then access it from a loop in yet another Pipe.

Output results . The output of a Yahoo Pipe is a new RSS feed by default, though you can produce geocoded Yahoo Maps as well.

Sprout
From sproubuilder website:
Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Sprout has a range of features that will allow you to quickly and easily build, publish and manage rich media Web content including widgets, minisites, banners, mashups and more.

Timeline
Timeline is a DHTML-based AJAXy widget for visualizing time-based events.

Popurls
A popular site that lets you get a bird’s eye view of several popular sites.

Timer
Timer is a Twitter bot that helps you set an alarm for things you need to remember

Advanced (or just cool) Web Apps for WordPress - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

Ask me a question, e.g. Web Development, Graphic Design or SEO.

Knowledge about WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

View Topic on Quora

WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc. - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..

New York Web Design - appeared first on WhatsTheBigIdea.com, Inc..