Thursday, August 05, 2010 - We have moved! And we are having a housewarming party!!!

Graphik Solutions' News !!   We have moved! And we are having a housewarming party!   Date: August 13th, 2010 Time: 5:00 pm Address: 2002 Graybriar Green - Stony Plain. (Just off Boundary Road - please park on the road outside the complex as the complex has limited parking)   This is a potluck party - so bring a tasty treat! Our mailing address and phone number stay the same however our location is different!     If you have anything that needs my attention, please be sure to contact me via email or phone  780-963-0278 crysta@graphiksolutions.ca     Hope to see you all there!

Tuesday, August 03, 2010 - Graphik Solutions August 2010 - What In The World Wide Web Is A Content Management System?

Monthly Newsletter August 2010     Design Websites Print    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Fast Fact The World Wide Web (known as "WWW', "Web" or "W3") is the universe of network-accessible information, the embodiment of human knowledge.   Today’s fast fact is from W3C http://www.w3.org/WWW/   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~       “Graphik Solutions has been working on my web page for the past two years. Crysta created and maintains my web page for me. In that time I have found her to be very professional, she has excellent knowledge of web page design and has created a professional easy-to-use web page for me and my clients. It has been a pleasure to work with Crysta!”   Dean Davenport Dean Davenport Photography    What In The World Wide Web Is A Content Management System?   In very basic terms, a Content Management System, or CMS, is a application developed for the easy management of you website, including all of it’s content and the way in which it is displayed on the world wide web.   A content management system (CMS) is a computer application used to manage work flow needed to create, edit, review, index, search, publish and archive various kinds of digital media and electronic text.   CMS's are frequently used for storing, controlling, versioning, and publishing industry-specific documentation such as news articles, operators' manuals, technical manuals, sales guides, and marketing brochures. The content managed may include computer files, image media, audio files, video files, electronic documents, and Web content. These concepts represent integrated and interdependent layers. There are various nomenclatures known in this area: Web Content Management, Digital Asset Management, Digital Records Management, Electronic Content Management and so on. The bottom line for these systems is managing content and publishing, with a workflow if required.   What is DotNetNuke?   DotNetNuke is a web content management system (WCM or a type of CMS) and application development framework which enables businesses to quickly build and deploy feature-rich, interactive web sites.  An intuitive, menu-driven interface allows even non-technical users to easily create new sites or extend the functionality and features of their existing web site.   DotNetNuke is able to create the most complex content management systems entirely with its built-in features, yet also allows administrators to work effectively with add-ons, third party assemblies, and custom tools. DNN modules and skins are easy to find, purchase, or build. Site customization and functionality are limitless.   DotNetNuke is the world’s most widely adopted framework for building web solutions on Microsoft Windows Server. DotNetNuke powers over 400,000 portals, intranets, extranets, and public web sites. An enthusiastic open source community with more than 700,000 registered members supports the platform.   Graphik Solutions uses DNN for all new websites because client’s love it’s ease of use in making changes, big and little, to their websites themselves. For more information on DNN or websites in general, please contact us at info@graphiksolutions.ca or 780-963-0278. Or you can visit our website at www.graphiksolutions.ca for a more indepth look at all of our website solutions.     Graphik Solutions' Design of the Month   Graphik Solutions' News   GRAPHIK SOLUTIONS HAS MOVED !  If you wish to come see us, please call to make an appointment before you come by.

Thursday, July 01, 2010 - Graphik Solutions July 2010 - Do I Need Web Site Analytics?

Monthly Newsletter July 2010       Design Websites Print    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Fast Fact  The first newspaper advertisement - an announcement seeking a buyer for an Oyster Bay, Long Island, estate, is published in the Boston News-Letter in 1704.* Today's Fast Facts is courtesy of Advertising Age: http://adage.com/century/timeline/index.html   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   News  Just a reminder that Crysta will be on holidays from July 1 – July 9. You can still reach Trish by phone during this time. However, if you want to drop by the office, you will have to call ahead and make an appointment with Trish at our regular office number of 780-963-0278. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~     “Graphik Solutions – the BEST! I had been searching for a web designer, Crysta is fast, affordable and helpful. We are very pleased with the website she designed for us and feel it will help our business grow because of her expertise!” Taryn Coyes Stony Plain Flowers      Do I Really Need Web Site Analytics?   If your organization launched a print ad campaign how can you use your web site to determine if the campaign was effective? If your business is selling a product or service online, how can you tell where the source of online customers come from? Understanding the analytics of your web site will help you answer some of these key marketing questions. Web site analytics is the measurement and analysis of visitor traffic on a web site over a set period of time. Specifically, analytics will help you determine how customers found your web site, where they came from, online demographics, most popular site pages, visitor flow and revenue generated. Web site analytics also plays an important role in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Potential customers will type in certain keywords into Google search for example to find your business online. Analytics will identity which keywords are most popular and measure visitor traffic levels as you improve on search ranking results. Another important aspect of analytics is conversion points. Conversion points are web site controlled visitor behaviours or actions. For example, if you have visitors landing on a certain page of your web site then need them to navigate to another page to make an online purchase (conversion), analytics will determine how many visitors exited that process or path before purchasing. You can then make specific site and page changes to improve (or optimize) the visitor purchase conversion points. Using analytics, this will determine if your web site page changes are effective or not. Maintaining a strong online presence with an up-to-date feature-rich web site is a vital and necessary investment for any business. However, this investment is undermined if you are not using web site analytics to understand your online customer behaviour. Google offers a free web site analytics tool that provides most of the key measurement reports. However, at the onset, web site analytics can seem complex so it is strongly encouraged to consult with a SEO expert to set-up initial benchmark reports and provide some education on the reporting metrics used. Graphik Solutions has all your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) solutions that you may need, when you are ready to make the most of one of your biggest investments, your company website.  Please feel free to visit our website to get more SEO information CLICK HERE or please feel free to contact us at 780-963-0278.   Next Month's Newsletter Topic - What Is A Content Management System?   Graphik Solutions' Design of the Month   July Discount

Friday, June 04, 2010 - Graphik Solutions June 2010 - What Do You Mean “Update My Website”?!

Monthly Newsletter June 2010       Design Websites Print    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   Fast Fact  Google, the Internet Search company founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, got it’s name from the word “googol”, which represents the number one followed with a hundred zeros after it.     Today’s fast fact is courtesy of www.interestingfacts.org   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   News  Trish is back – yay! She’s gimping along, typing one-handed but she’s back at work! Her operation went well and she’s healing slow but sure.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with Crysta Hammond and the staff of Graphik Solutions. From first draft to final product, their work is exceptional and has always exceeded our expectations.    Crysta is a gifted graphic designer. She is very patient, intuitive and creative with her designs, checking in every step of the way to be sure she is accurately reflecting our vision. We look forward to future successful collaborations with Graphik Solutions.”     Jason Ofner Canadian Waterfowlers Pro Shop Ltd.    What Do You Mean “Update My Website”?!   Everything is there – I shouldn’t have to update or re-do anything!    We’ve all been to websites where we know there is nothing new to see or read about. The same old stuff, the same old look, the same content – nothing has changed, so why bother going to the website at all? Eventually we stop going because there is nothing new or different.   A website is your best salesman - it works 24-7 for you and your company. However, the downfall is that it’s only as good as the content that you put there. If you do not update your website on a regular basis you will lose visitors and, eventually, your ranking on search engines like Google and Yahoo will decline.   The best way to keep your website refreshed and up-to-date is to always be changing your homepage with updated graphics and content – that way a viewer will instantly recognize something is different and continue on to your other pages AND it will keep them coming back!   Other ways to keep your website fresh is to have newsletters, add links and add different features, like an events page, calendar, tips and tricks, change your pictures, add a slide show, etc. In turn you can mention in your newsletter about these new features on your website.   Graphik Solutions recommends that you freshen up your website every three months as well give it a complete overhaul about once every two years.   Graphik Solutions offers affordable Website Solutions to small or large companies for all budgets in mind. We have Website Plans available from our Basic Website Plan all the way up to our Extreme Plan. Clever, perceptive companies have unique, quality websites that draw customers in from your website to your office or store. Graphik Solutions will help you design, plan and maintain your website whether it’s your first website or you already have an established website.     Free Web Site Evaluation: Graphic Solutions will conduct a free web site evaluation. Contact us to learn more   For more detailed information, please visit our website at http://www.graphiksolutions.ca or please feel free to contact us at 780-963-0278.   Next Month's Newsletter Topic - Website Analytics!   Graphik Solutions' Design of the Month   June Discount

Wednesday, May 05, 2010 - Graphik Solutions May 2010 - Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Monthly Newsletter May 2010 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)    Graphik Solutions receives many inquiries regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO). It is basically a term that describes how easily a Search Engine finds and displays a link on its search results to your website. Graphik Solutions understands the importance of some of the SEO factors however we are not an SEO company.  We do know some of the tips and tricks to help out and get you started which we incorporate when we design your DNN website.  Your keywords and headings are the two most important things you can do to improve your website.  These two things are what search engines use to catalogue your website.  Here are a few questions that you need to ask yourself before you contact us: 1. Have you requested and added the appropriate keywords to your site? 2. What search terms did you type into the search bar? 3. Have you done a Google search for just your company name? When you request that Graphik Solutions add or change your website keywords, we do this within 48 hours after they are received from you, the customer.  After they are live – it is out of our hands. Google catalogues all websites using these keywords and that could require upward of 3-6 months to complete the process, however, Google makes no guarantees about timelines and completion. Yes, there is a waiting aspect to Google cataloguing. There is no way that Graphik Solutions can speed up Google’s methods of cataloguing, and we cannot jump start the process on your behalf. Google is completely in charge and they catalogue your website when they get to it. Please be advised that, officially, Google does not ever guarantee that you will ever be in the top of Google search results, but with the appropriate keywords, you have a much better chance of getting there. Google specifically states “Crawling and indexing are processes which can take some time and which rely on many factors. In general, we cannot make predictions or guarantees about when or if your URLs (or websites) will be crawled or indexed at all.” They also state “In general, the most common reason that a site is not indexed is because it's just too new -- be patient!” Please be advised that there are a lot of factors that contribute to being at the top of Google. All of which are out of our hands after the addition of keywords to the DNN website we build for you. Some of these factors include: • The headings on each webpages. • What your keywords are for each webpage. • How often your site is being updated with new content. • How many people do a Google search for your website and navigate to it. • How popular your site is with viewers. • How much traffic your website obtains. • How many other websites link to your live website. You should log into your Google Analytics account to see your current website overview. This feature allows you to see all the traffic that comes to your site – where it comes from and what keywords were used to get there. It also shows you what pages were viewed the most and on average how long the viewer stayed on your website. You can log into your Google Analytics account by clicking here: https://www.google.com/accounts/Login? (Please use the username/email and password that you provided Graphik Solutions at the beginning of your website creation) For more information on logging into your Google Analytics account, please click here: http://www.graphiksolutions.ca/Tools/GoogleAnalytics/tabid/212/Default.aspx As previously advised, Graphik Solutions is not a Search Engine Optimization Company, which, in layman’s terms – means that we provide the technical side of website design not the search engine optimization aspect. Should you wish to go further with optimizing your website (keywords and content) specifically for search engines, we strongly suggest that you contact a Search Engine Optimization company. Graphik Solutions recommends using Webmonton Media. You can see their website by clicking here: www.webmontomedia.com and/or you can call them directly at 780-756-WEBS (9327). Should you have any questions concerning Search Engine Optimization or Search Engine Search Results please do not hesitate to contact Graphik Solutions directly. Remember, patience is a virtue when it comes to Search Engine Optimization.   Graphik Solutions' Design of the Month       Graphik Solutions' Fast Fact   Did you know there are at least 14 Graphic Design magazines published yearly in North America?   Graphik Solutions' News   Tri-Municipal Tradeshow 2010   The Tri-Municipal Tradeshow 2010 was a great success!  It was a wonderful experience and Graphik Solutions will definitely be entering future tradeshows!  Mike from Webmonton Media came out to give us a hand with manning the Graphik Solutions Tradeshow Booth - which was awesome!  Much appreciated - thanks Mike! Office Update Trish went for her shoulder operation on April 27 and Crysta REALLY wishes her a speedy recovery!!  :)

Thursday, April 01, 2010 - Graphik Solutions April 2010 Newsletter - Is Word Of Mouth Advertising Enough?

Monthly Newsletter April 2010 Is Word Of Mouth Advertising Enough?    Is word of mouth advertising enough? Well that is one question that every entrepreneur asks themselves at the beginning. And no matter what the circumstances or results of word of mouth leads – the answer is always very simple. No, it is not enough. Even though word of mouth advertising has been around since the beginning of mankind being able to sell, trade or barter, and it is still the best form of advertising out there – in most circumstances, it is not enough. You need to supplement it. We are not talking commercials and radio broadcasts, we are talking about small changes to help your company thrive and keep word of mouth advertising positive.   Even if word of mouth advertising was enough, as a business owner and entrepreneur you always have the drive and push to make it grow further. Some incredibly busy companies may believe that “no” is an incorrect answer– but even those companies have to ask themselves – how did you get that busy? How did you get to where you are now? One thing we can guarantee - they didn’t get there without business cards!   And to those companies with the hopes that word of mouth advertising would keep them afloat, when the realization comes that you have to do something more, you will ask – what do I do now? Well ask yourself – am I ready for more? Do you have somewhere to direct them to see a quick breakdown of your services? What do I have to give them?   If an individual feels strongly enough about your service to tell another, then the receiving individual is taking notice, even though they don’t realize it – even if the individual is passing on the wrong information. And this is where we come in. Below we will introduce 3 scenarios. Each one is unique, but with the same outcome – negative word of mouth advertising.   Scenario 1 Business Cards. Yes, business cards are a form of advertising – it has your logo and your contact info – isn’t that the most important part of an advertising campaign? So consider this: you are at a function and someone asks you for your card so they can contact you directly at a more convenient time. Do you want to scramble around looking for a pen and paper and then finally end up scribbling your name and number on the back of your door prize ticket or Timmy’s receipt? How professional is that? Is this the image you want to portray? A business not developed enough to have a business card? That would be one big negative blow to your word of mouth advertising campaign. How many blows like this can a company afford to take?   Scenario 2 You have a potential lead who wants information on your products or services. So they call you – do you have information for them at your fingertips? Are you prepared? Perhaps a brochure of your products and services would save you time and would allow you to better explain the highlights of your product/service. Perhaps you get past the initial highlighting and still a brochure would help you give a better in-depth explanation. This would save you from trying to remember every little detail and the information you give out would remain consistent. Now think about what would happen if you have no brochure at all. Do you expect a potential customer to come in with a notepad & pen in order to gather information? You think they will stand there taking a bunch of notes when they are just getting information? You shouldn’t. Most people need to see a brochure or other printed material to easily refer back to after they leave to convince them to go ahead. However, there is the odd time that people do like to take notes, and being very interested in your product they ask a bunch of questions and take those notes. The notes may be wrong, or when they go home a few months down the road, the notes make no sense when they decide to finally move. Or you forget to tell them an important detail. Now you are labeled with “well you didn’t say that the first time” accusation. And no business owner wants that label. Your word of mouth advertising would steadily go downhill. A brochure would make everything as clear as day and they could refer to it at any time to get a keen understanding of what you said earlier. You can pick and choose what points are important and emphasize things that they didn’t even realize should be important! And most crucially– the information you have provided them is correct - no wrong notes or information and no accusations. Scenario 3   Our third scenario is someone who gets your company name from a friend but because you rely solely on word of mouth they can’t find you in the yellow pages or any other phone book to call you. So they turn on their computer and try to Google search for you and who comes up? Not you but possibly YOUR COMPETITORS! You may have just given a potential lead to your competitor on a silver platter! All because they could not find you. Do you think you will get any of these leads back? Maybe, but most likely not, and what do you think they will say next time they are talking about you, your company or their experience to the next guy? Remember word of mouth advertising works on both sides of the fence - negative and positive. A negative statement will be said to 10 more people than a positive statement – that is just human nature. So plainly stated, fact-of-the-matter is - word of mouth advertising IS the best advertising to date – but only if it is positive and you are always prepared to deal with the prospective clients appropriately. Word of mouth advertising can harm you; the last thing any business owner wants is negative word of mouth advertising and a false portrayal of a ‘B’ rate company.   Graphik Solutions' Fast Fact There are more than 7 internet browsers out there, including – Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox and Safari to name a few. However, did you know that only 9.6% of the world’s internet viewing population uses Internet Explorer 6?   Graphik Solutions' News Hey, come on out to see us!!  Graphik Solutions is participating in the: Tri-Municipal Trade Show 2010 Friday, April 16, 5:00 - 9:00 PM Saturday, April 17, 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sunday, April 18, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Located at:   TransAlta Tri-Leisure Centre 221 Campsite Road Spruce Grove, Alberta

Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Graphik Solutions March 2010 Newsletter - Promoting Your Business With Print Material

Monthly Newsletter March 2010 Promoting Your Business With Print Material   We’ve all heard the saying “in order to make money, you have to spend money”.  A successful business does not magically happen – a successful business is built on hard work, long hours, principals, compromise and persistence.  However, there are exceptions to this saying– for example, if your business is a hobby and you don’t really care how much money your company makes, then you can ignore this rule and work on word-of-mouth advertising exclusively.  However, most businesses are established with profit as an eventual goal.   So if the idea is that “in order to make money, you have to spend money”, where would be the wisest place to put your money?  Well, first off your company needs a logo and a business card.  These two things are the most important tools a business will have.  Then to really get out there and promote your business you have to ask yourself some questions – are you trying to keep your current customers happy or are you out to attract new customers?  Or both?   Deciding which is the most important will help you decide exactly what you want to say on your promotional material as well as how you are going to send it and who you are going to send it to.  For example, giving a coupon/flyer to your current customers and putting it with what they just ordered will most likely bring them back.  Printing a coupon/flyer and sending it through Canada Post will bring new customers in.  Each has its purpose and therefore, each would have to be designed differently.  To get new customers you have to keep it simple and make it pop out – an unusual size would work well.  However for your current customers, they are already familiar with your service and product, so you would want to give them a deal or introduce a new service or product to them first to see how well it will be received before you permanently add it to your line.   Making these decisions beforehand will send your money in the right direction as well as help you decide what type of print material you want to make.  You have to be careful about where your money is going in this type of economy and you definitely don’t want to be throwing it away into something that is not appropriate for your purposes.   You also have to evaluate the types of advertising you have done in the past and determine how successful they were.  If there was one type of print material that works consistently well for you, then stick with it.  If the response is starting to decline, then maybe it’s time to re-design your material or try a new type of print material.  If nothing has worked for you, then maybe you are focusing your efforts to target markets with the wrong type of advertising.   So here is a list of questions to help you focus your advertising dollars and decide what type of print material to design and order:   What type of business are you in?  Is it a business that has a specialty or is it a mainstream business?  Do you have a lot of competition or do you stand out from the crowd based on what services/products you supply?   Are your current customers fickle?  Do you have to consistently change up the design of your advertising?  For example, a clothing store vs. an oilfield company or a fast food restaurant vs. a sit down/ specialty restaurant.  Do they go wherever the best deal is or do they consistently come back regardless of whether they’ll save a buck somewhere else?   What types of advertising do you do already?  Are you consistent or do you do once in a while blitz advertising?   Do you have an office/store front or do you work out of your home?  Do you want to bring customers in to your store or would you rather they phone you instead?   What variety of services or products do you have?  For example, Graphik Solutions basically has only two services (print design and website design) but we have many products or plans to choose from.  Is there a service or product that you are willing to discount in order to bring in new customers or bring back current customers?   Do you attend a lot of tradeshows, events, shows or exhibitions? Answering all of these questions will help you focus your advertising efforts and make them more successful.  Even if your advertising is successfully bringing in new customers and bringing back current customers, this is a changing world and sitting on your coat tails means at some point you’ll be left behind.  Being in constant contact with your customers and giving them a high degree of customer service is very important to your company’s success.  One of the ways to do that is by advertising with print material. Graphik Solutions has many plans and packages that are all customizable to your specific needs and we can help you decide which type of print material would be best for your purposes. If you have any questions regarding print material, please do not hesitate to contact our office at 780-963-0278 or visit us online at www.graphiksolutions.ca.   Graphik Solutions Fast Fact In this woodblock printing method from 1568, the printer at left is removing a page from the press while the one at right inks the text-blocks.   A digital printing press will print up to 110 pages per minute depending on its size. *Fast Fact Information has been taken from Wikipedia. Graphik Solutions News   Trish will be going in for a rotator cuff operation sometime in the next month,  so you’ll need a little more patience while Crysta holds down the fort alone. When Gimpy comes back she’ll be in an arm sling for 2-4 weeks - we are all REALLY hoping for a speedy recovery for Trish!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - GS Monthly Newsletter - What In The World Wide Web Is A Domain Name?

Monthly Newsletter  January 2010 What In The World Wide Web Is A Domain Name?   A Domain Name, or Domain, is the website address you type into your internet browser address line to reach a particular website on the Internet.  They have become the calling cards for websites and are a major part of your company’s identity.  The main purpose of a domain name is to provide an easily recognizable and remembered name that is linked to the numerical IP address where your website files are stored.   Domain Name Registration does not imply any legal ownership of the domain name; it only gives the registrant an exclusive right of use.  Quite simply, domain names are registered for a period of time by individuals or organizations.   Your domain name reflects your identity and is a major part of your brand.  It is such an important part of your company that simple and careful management can protect you from losing this part of your identity.   What is the difference between “.ca” and “.com”?  A domain name comprises of three elements: 1. The prefix which is usually “www.”, but can also be “secure.”, “shop.”, “email.”, etc. 2. The middle portion is the domain name which you register and is used to navigate to online systems such as websites, email and so on. 3. The suffix is the “top level domain” or TLD and is to the right of the dot (.ca, .com, .uk, .net, .org, etc.).  Generally speaking, this portion is associated with specific countries.  For example, “.ca” is Canadian, “.com” is the USA and “.uk” is the United Kingdom.   These domains are sold by Registrars and you would register your domain name through a Registrar or a company such as Graphik Solutions and pay a registration fee for whatever term you decide upon which must be a minimum of one year.   In order to find out if the domain name you want is available, please click on this link to the Graphik Solutions website: http://www.graphiksolutions.ca/Tools/DomainNameSearch/tabid/132/Default.aspx   Important information and recommendations when registering a domain name: Register your company/website name as well as register other similar domain names.  The reason for this is to make sure none of your competitors register your same domain name with a different suffix (i.e., “.com”) because you don’t want people getting your competitor when they type in the wrong web address.  When you register more than one domain name, they can all be forwarded to one website address – the active one and anytime someone goes to any of these other website addresses they still get to your website.  As an example, if your company name is “The Postage Store”, we would recommend that you register the following domain names:  thepostagestore.ca, postagestore.ca, thepostagestore.com, postagestore.com   Registering the mis-spellings of your website name are almost as important as registering the actual website name itself.  This is due to the fact that many people don’t know how to spell and/or they are in a hurry and mis-type your website name.  You want to direct as many of these mis-spellings to your website as possible.  Therefore we would also recommend attempting to register the following additional domain names:  thepostalstore.ca, postalstore.ca, thepostalstore.com, postalstore.com, poststore.ca, poststore.com, etc.   If your company/website name has an unusual spelling it is even more important to register misspellings!  For example, if your company name was “Postage Storz”, then you would not only register that one in .ca and .com, but all of the other ones mentioned above as well.   Domain name confusion.  Domain names are insensitive to upper case letters, so any domain name that you choose will always be registered in lower case letters regardless of how you type it in.  As well, some names may be misinterpreted when not using capitalization.  For example, “Experts Exchange”, a programmers’ site, for a long time used expertsexchange.com but ultimately changed the name to experts-exchange.com.  Use hyphens only unless absolutely necessary because hyphens are long-winded and are easily forgotten.   What if the domain name I want is already taken?  Well, basically you have to wait for the registration to lapse.  You can put domain names on “back order” which means you have dibs on it after it expires – if they let the registration lapse but basically at this point, you have to choose another domain name – one that has not been registered yet or one that has expired and is up for re-registration by someone else.  Graphik Solutions recommends registering a domain name that has “.ca” and “.com” available.   Domain names are registered on a first-come, first-served basis.  Domain names are usually registered for one year terms and then renewed every year but sometimes they can be registered for up to 10 years (as long as it is not already registered to someone else).   You are ALWAYS notified before your registration expires and are given the chance to renew your registration when the term expires.  If you let your registration lapse, someone else can register the domain name and have the website name you have had for so long.  However, you do have another chance to rectify the lapsed registration of your domain name.  There is a 90 day holding period after lapsing where your website is taken off-line and anything on your website cannot be accessed at all including any email addresses associated with that domain (i.e., info@graphiksolutions.ca).  During this holding period, no one can register it except you.   Protecting yourself is as easy as appointing a responsible Administrative Contact like Graphik Solutions and keep your email address up-to-date AND functional.  Taking these few easy steps to manage your registration will protect the identity you have created for yourself.     Graphik Solutions is very pleased to offer Domain Name Registration as well as handling the renewal of all of your domain names that you currently have.  We ensure that the management of your Domain Name Registrations is taken care of in a prompt, professional and conscientious manner.  For more information on this topic, please contact us at http://www.graphiksolutions.ca/AboutUs/Contact/tabid/88/Default.aspx Information in this article has been compiled from the following websites: www.cira.ca www.icann.org http://www.life123.com/technology/internet/domain-name/eliminate-internet-domain-name-confusion.shtml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_name   New Design Of The Month  Graphik Solutions Fast Fact Did You Know...?   "ICANN", or Internet Corporation For Assigned Names and Numbers, is the governing body for domain names for the entire World Wide Web as well as for all the Domain Name Registries in the world.   "CIRA", or the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, is the Domain Name Registry for all ".ca" domain names Graphik Solutions Phone Number Reminder Please note that in order to contact the Graphik Solutions Office by phone you must call 780-963-0278 instead of the phone number that comes up on your call display.  Please change all of your records, address books and mobile phones to this number.     Thank you. Graphik Solutions Office Hours Monday to Thursday:    8:00 am to 4:00 pm Friday:    8:00 am to 2:00 pm All of us at Graphik Solutions wishes you all the best in 2010!

Wednesday, February 24, 2010 - GS Monthly Newsletter - What You Need To Know About Print Material!

Monthly Newsletter February 2010 What You Need To Know About Print Material!   “Print Material” refers to all types of the printed materials your business uses to promote itself in some way shape or form.  Examples of print material are: • Business cards • Letterhead • Personalized envelopes • Flyers • Postcards • Brochures/pamphlets/event programs • Pre-printed business forms such as quotes, invoices, safety forms. • Posters • Menus • Personalized Calendars • Labels for company products • Pre-printed bags • Gift Certificates • Personalized, bound books We cannot stress enough the importance of consistency.  Advertising consistency will get your logo and company recognized more quickly by your target market.  It is important to take the time and thought for designing all types of print material. The right combination of paper, folding and size translates into a finished product with impact.  The more thought that is put into it, the more appealing it will be and the quicker your message gets across to your target market.  It is also a great help to the designer if you have an idea of what you want or the elements you need.  Graphik Solutions is in touch with the types of marketing ideas that work and is knowledgeable of the design layouts that are successful.  For example, many people don’t realize that ALL of your contact information should be on ALL PRINT materials that you produce. Being consistent in choosing the type of paper for all of your print material is also important.  The more consistent you are in the paper type and format of print material, the better chances you have of people recognizing your company more quickly.  Printing larger items, like brochures, is never cheaper to do at home because by the time you design it, add up all of the paper, ink and then include your time to print and fold it, you might as well have gotten it done professionally.  Professionally designed print materials have more impact and therefore you will get a bigger bang for your buck. Graphik Solutions will provide a consultation on all of your printing material needs.  We will also provide competitive printing quotes on the item you want printed.  You should always get a printing price prior to designing your item, otherwise you may not be able to afford to get it printed the way it was designed.  It’s better to talk to a designer, like Graphik Solutions, to get an idea of the cost before you move ahead with anything. What is the most important factor to you – cost, the appearance of your print material or somewhere in the middle?  The type of paper is directly related to the cost of the item.  Printers usually have a regular paper type that varies with the project type.  The number of items that you order is also directly related to the total cost.  The more quantity that you order, the cheaper it is per item. Do you have your own photographs or artwork?  Printers accept only very specific files for printing purposes.  If your file is not in a specific format, the printer will charge you to change it over to the file type they need it to be in.  The reason for this is that in order to print anything (photos, artwork, etc.) it must be in a 300 dpi resolution.  Graphik Solutions will ensure the printer gets the right type of file to begin with to save you time and money. Print materials are one of the most important advertising and marketing tools any business can have.  You need to be consistent with all of them in regards to design and paper type.  You also need to weigh the cost of them over the potential in sales you can make by distributing them.  Some print materials are an absolute necessity, like business cards and brochures but most others are usually tailored specifically to the type of business you have, like flyers, posters and pre-printed forms. Graphik Solutions has three different Print Material plans available that can be custom tailored to meet your requirements.  Please visit our website at http://www.graphiksolutions.ca/DesignSolutions/PrintSolutions/tabid/90/Default.aspx. If you have any questions or would like more information regarding print materials for your business, please contact Graphik Solutions at 780-963-0278 or info@graphiksolutions.ca.   New Design Of The Month Graphik Solutions' Fast Fact 16 is the magic number!!  It takes the average person 16 times of seeing a logo in order to recognize it and automatically associate it with a company.

Monday, December 14, 2009 - GS Monthly Newsletter - How To Discover Your Brand

Monthly Newsletter  December 2009 How To Discover Your Brand  In order to Discover Your Brand - you must first discover the identity of your company. A company’s brand is as distinctive and unique as its owner.  “Your Brand” is basically all of the combined elements that distinguish your company from all of the rest within your industry. It is made up of many different components and together they make your brand. For example, your company logo, your company slogan, your company colours, your mission, values and promise – right down to the style and type of paper you use for your letterhead and/or forms. All of these things together uniquely identify your company. Your Brand is the all inclusive experience and perception that your customers and vendors have about your company.   Discovering what is NOT important to your company is just as essential and crucial as what IS important to your company. By knowing what you do not want, helps narrow down what you do want. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:   Do you have a specialty service or product? Do you already have a trademark or copyright? Are you thinking about getting one? Do you have a specific colour related to one of your main products you can incorporate into your company colours? Explain and characterize one or two of your main product lines. Use these descriptions to come up with some of your brand including your core values. What is your logo? Does it speak for your company? Does it say what you want it to say? What is your slogan? Name three things that are important elements to your business and to the services you provide – this will help you find your slogan. A slogan should be short and easy to say. Do you have a mission or values you can incorporate? Your mission and values are an important part of your brand because it gives people a general idea of how they will be treated when they contact you. Do you have a promise or guarantee that is meaningful to your customers and venders alike? What is the main message and idea that you want to get across to customers and vendors? What sets you apart from your competition? Do you have future plans and goals that you can incorporate into your brand?   You must also review your place within your industry. How many other companies in your industry are in your vicinity? In your industry, is being physically close to your customer or vendor important? What is your target market? What types of people and companies do your products and services appeal to? Is the brand you’ve chosen unique enough to distinguish you from your competitors?   Your Brand is what makes you unique and memorable to customers and vendors alike. The best strategy for any company, regardless of industry, is to be consistent in all things and this especially applies to branding a company. Once you’ve found your brand, use it in all forms of advertising, including letterhead/envelopes, business cards, signage, flyers, brochures, etc. If your slogan or a picture is in a certain place relative to your logo then keep it there, it will help customers and venders identify you easily – THAT is what branding is all about.   Narrowing your vision and preferences prior to hiring any professional is beneficial, cost effective and will give you a better experience once you move forward.   For more information on print material branding, please CLICK HERE. New Design Of The Month  Graphik Solutions' Fast Fact That the World Wide Web is about 20 years old but for the first 3 years it was only used in scholar/scientific circles as a way of exchanging information. Graphik Solutions' News We would like everyone to join us in welcoming Agatha Slominski to Graphik Solutions! Agatha is our new Senior Designer on staff. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with honours with a Fine Arts Graphic Design Degree and has been doing graphic design for five years.   Graphik Solutions has just been added to the DNN Website Showcase! Check it out!!  << CLICK HERE >>     Check our website as well at www.graphiksolutions.ca!! Graphik Solutions Change In Phone Number  Please note that in order to contact the Graphik Solutions Office by phone you must call 780-963-0278 instead of the phone number that comes up on your call display.  Please change all of your records, address books and mobile phones to this number.     Thank you. Merry Christmas To All, From Everyone At Graphik Solutions!   Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and best wishes for 2010, From Crysta, Trish and Agatha

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 - GS Monthly Newsletter - Importance of Consistent Branding

Monthly Newsletter  November 2009 The Importance Of Consistent Branding Branding is what a customer or potential customer recognizes immediately and automatically connects to “Your Company”. If you hear, “zoom zoom”, what company do you think of? If you hear, “just do it”, what company do you associate with this slogan? What about “Exclusive. Unique. Yours.”? All of these slogans are automatically associated with a specific company and these companies ensure they are on every type of advertising they do - print material (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, posters, pamphlets, etc.), signage, website and advertising (TV / radio / newsprint). This is what branding a company is all about.  Now the question – why should we do that?  Well, the answer should be obvious now that you’ve seen the above examples – because you want your company to be recognized by more than just your name.  By the same token, you would recognize the above company names by their font as well as their logo, symbol and any associated company colours.  You want people to recognize your logo and to see it everywhere so that when they are in need of your services, they open the phone book and see YOU first. As a business owner, one of the most important things to consider in relation to your brand is to be consistent.  Consistency is required in order to make your company easily recognizable to your customers and potential customers. This should include all forms of advertising, even if it’s just a business card or an invoice.  You can coordinate your company’s public presence by being consistent with all of the materials that you order and design. Another form of branding is word-of-mouth.  This is where one or two things are consistently said about your company by most of the people you deal with.  For example, fair and reliable, quick and easy, easy to work with, full of great ideas, quality work yet affordable, etc.  Think about one or two things you want people to say about you the most and make it a standard practice of your company.  However, if one person were to hear 8 different things about your company, none of them consistent and some even in conflict with each other, they would not be confident in hiring you.  A common goal for all businesses is to try and have no mixed remarks or overly negative opinions because these will have an even bigger impact than a huge marketing campaign.  Negative word-of-mouth branding is something that is very difficult to amend and overcome.  A note to remember is that someone will tell 10 people about a positive experience they’ve had but will tell everyone about a negative experience should they get the chance. The one thing you want people to immediately like about your company is that they feel at ease and already have an idea of what to expect from you - to do that you need to be consistent about all forms of branding. For more information on print material branding, please CLICK HERE. New Design Of The Month       Graphik Solutions' Good News Graphik Solutions has just done a major overhaul on our website!    We have added many solutions, features, information and even tutorials that you can use to your company’s advantage.    Check them all out at www.graphiksolutions.ca!!