Web Design Mistakes »

The Internet has plenty of examples of bad web design. I think most honest webmasters will admit that they have some sites out there that are, shall we say, “less than perfect.” I have created some sites that make me cringe.

But, the Internet is always moving forward and that means designers have to keep up and get better.

So we are going to post some tips and tricks as part of a series on our web design blog. Check it out and let us know what you think – feedback is always welcome.

Manipulate Google Results »

Every SEO out there would love to be able to control Google’s SERPs. Can you imagine being able to move your site above your competitors or even being able to delete them completely? Oh, the power!

Well, you can do just that – sort of. Our web design blog posted about the Google Ranking Experiment after we ran across it on the Googlified blog – great job, Haochi .

New Project Completed »

We are proud to announce that we have put the finishing touches on the new web site for the Carteret County Chamber of Commerce. This was one of the larger projects that we have undertaken and we are pretty proud of it.

When they approached us, their main goal was to have a site that they could update on their own, and that is right up our alley. Their new site is under their control and they usually update it several times a week – with no help from us.

Additionally, during one of our initial project meetings, I recommended that we look at ways to improve the web site as a revenue stream for the Chamber. We tackled that task by creating the ability for advertisers to place their ad on an interior page that is more geared to their target audience. We also added some third-party advertising to each page that will bring in a little revenue as well.

Nowadays, Search Engine rankings are vital to the success of any website. The Chamber’s site gets traffic from people looking for information on North Carolina beach vacations, Morehead City or Emerald Isle golf courses. So, when people are getting ready to vacation on the NC Coast, we want them to check out the Chamber’s site to see what there is to do in our area.

Now that the site is up and live, we are in the process of improving the Search Engine rankings. This is an ongoing process, but we have already seen a big improvement in just a few weeks.

Anyway, I wanted to invite everyone to take a look at their new site. And, if you ever want to take a break from the rat-race, you really should consider visiting because there is plenty to do at the North Carolina coast – fishing, surfing, boating, golfing or beach-bumming – it is all right here.

Web Design Articles »

We have compiled a list of our web design articles and posted them on the corporate web site.

If you are in the market for a web site, you might benefit from the article “Choosing a Professional Web Design Company” or if you are going to try your hand at designing your own site, check out the articles on “Web Design Basics” and “Common Web Design Mistakes“.

I hope they are helpful so let me know what you think. If you have an article that you would like to share or publish on the blog, drop us a line: info@crystalcoasttech.com

South Carolina License Plates Feature Web Site »

After 10 years of the “Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places” slogan, South Carolina is changing up their license plate design.

I know, I know. License plates are not exactly “technology news”. But I am mentioning North Carolina’s neighbor to the, er, south because their new license plate is going to feature South Carolina’s tourism website: TRAVEL2SC.COM. So, this post IS somewhat related to web design .

Both the new plate and the web site look very nice. I think they did a very nice job. But I am a little disappointed that South Carolina chose a web design firm from Arkansas. I find it hard to believe that they could not find a South Carolina web design company to create the new web site to represent South Carolina tourism.

I am sure that they sent out RFPs and did everything by the book, but I would have thought that a SC company would have almost done that site at cost just to have the feather in their cap.