Happy Holidays!

Celebrate! Love! and Enjoy!
See you online next year :)

CareGivingHelp.org wins award!

Congratulations go to CJE SeniorLife's Center for Healthy Living and CJE's Leonard Schanfield Research Institute for winning a Silver Medal for the website, CareGivingHelp.org (designed and maintained by YourPlanB.com). Announced on Monday, October 31, the award was given by the Web Health Awards, Mobile Format Division, which honors the best digital health resources.

CareGivingHelp.org was developed as a way to provide caregivers with easy access to information and education about caregiving and related issues, including the use of video clips to demonstrate specific caregiving techniques. If you haven't yet taken a look at the site, please visit it at www.CareGivingHelp.org.

CONGRATS to the entire team at CJESeniorLife and YourPlanB.com!

BOCcentral.org LAUNCH!

Building Operator Certification® (BOC) training helps companies save money by improving the efficiency of HVAC and lighting systems—the biggest energy users—while giving staff the tools to research and pursue more efficient operational methods. BOC participants save an average of $12,000 per facility per year and more than 90% of participants and their supervisors say that BOC training has improved comfort, saved energy, or saved money in their facilities.

With its national accreditation and broad network, the BOC credential is recognized by employers across the country as a sign of the value and contributions certified facilities management personnel can bring to their organizations.

BOC needed a fresh new look and wanted an easy to use CMS. Working together we came up with a user friendly design and developed a Drupal CMS to use as a browser based editor for all their content updates - from training dates to instructor bios to the FAQ. The team at BOC was a pleasure to work with and the site is everything we hoped it would be!

If it is time for a refresh or converting over to a CMS, give JameyB a call to discuss your website wishlist! Call 773.665.2552

Leadership Award - Congrats to JameyB!

JameyB, class of 1992, was honored with a leadership award by the Beloit College Seniors of the Mortar Board Society. Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors and alumni for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Mortar Board recognized JameyB for her dedication to leadership, as President of the alumni board, President of her own company and often giving back to non-profit organizations.

“It was such a treat! And so much fun at the ceremony speaking with Seniors. There is so much energy from this graduating class! So much energy for our future! Thank you!” (JameyB)

View the video of the awards!

CocktailCloister.com LAUNCH!

Welcome to the Cocktail Cloister – Independent spirit ambassador, cocktail enthusiast, and rum fanatic. If you like, I mean LOVE the magic that is a delicious cocktail, then this is the site for you. Follow our friend John as he explores bars (both national and international), attends classes and from time to time works behind the bar!

DavidB created a custom logo that is used on the site as well as all the marketing materials from business cards to corkscrews. Look closely - there are 3 cocktail instruments hidden in there! The site was built using WordPress and a custom web design. WordPress allows our client the ability to update his site from anywhere his laptop can go - even the beach!



If you have a project that needs a standout logo, marketing materials and an easy to update website, give us a call to discuss!

Otrassn.org annual Celebration event!

Over The Rainbow Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable, accessible housing and employment opportunities for adults with physical disabilities. Our mission is to enable adults with disabilities to lead an independent life.

On Sunday, December 4, 2011, Over The Rainbow and world-renowned opera singer, Nancy Gustafson, will host our 22nd annual foot-tapping, heart-stopping CELEBRATION benefit concert to raise money to support our mission. In addition to Nancy, the concert showcases a bevy of world-renowned singers, including Sylvia McNair, Richard Leech, Paul LaRosaand Jonathan Beyers. We are also pleased to announce that our very own resident, Nichole Goodman, whose courageous performance at last year's concert touched everyone's heart, will be joining this year's cast. Over our twenty-two year history, these performers have regaled audience members from across the United States year after year with beautiful contemporary, classical, and holiday music.

This coming holiday season, join us in our CELEBRATION and give the gift of independence.
Venue:
Pick-Staiger Concert Hall
Northwestern University
50 Arts Circle
Evanston, Illinois 60201

What I learned working from home

Recently I had to have surgery, which meant working from home while I recovered. I found some great online tools, tricks and apps that made me productive. Some you may have heard of before and some may be new - all I can say is they did the trick!

Google Docs
LogMeIn
WebEx
Dropbox
Trillian
Chrome Sync (for bookmarks)
my handy dandy address book for passwords (and a pencil)

And some great resources about working from home:
microsoft.com/atwork/remotely/workremotetips.aspx
workathometips.com/
zenhabits.net/top-30-tips-for-staying-productive-and-sane-while-working-from-home/
lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/six-effective-tips-to-work-from-home.html
greenblog.pgi.com/category/telecommuting-tips/

I am now back to my normal routine heading into the office and feel so much better! These tips however, are still very helpful and handy for those days when I need to work from home due to the weather, illness or meeting that upcoming deadline!

Do you have tips or tricks to share? Head over to our Facebook page and join the conversation.

Social Networks

Have you checked out Google+?
Are you on Facebook? Do you tweet?

Did you know Volkswagon, Google, Old Spice, Ford and Papa John's are considered by Advertising Age to be the top promoted tweets and engagement rates. Twitter reports that the average promoted tweet sees between a 3% and 5% engagement rate, and up to 7% to 10% when combined with a promoted trend.

At the end of 2010: Social media networks and blogs consume nearly 25% of people’s time online. The number of people who are visiting social media sites has increased by 24% over the last year. The average visitor spends 66% more time on these sites than they did a year ago. Facebook is the world’s most visited social media brand with 54% of the worlds internet population visiting the brand. And much more. (thanks jeffbullas.com)

Some great places to keep up to date on what is happening with social media and marketing at Mashable:
mashable.com/social-media
mashable.com/2009/10/28/small-business-marketing
mashable.com/2009/09/30/small-business-strategies

Your Plan B on Twitter
Your Plan B on Facebook
Your Plan B blog!
And you guessed it - soon we will be on Google+

Give us a call and we can discuss what might social network will work for your company's message. Call 773-665-2552

Happy Halloween 2011

Here are 13 Halloween related links to enjoy!

365 Days of Halloween
All year round collection of horror, spooky and Halloween images!

Bath and Body Works
Pumpkin candles, soaps and lotions!
Super spooky hand sanitizer in glow-in-the-dark or bat carriers!

Death and Dementia
Their list of links proves quite entertaining!

GOTHtober
Each year the GOTHtober calendar counts down to Halloween with 31 days of music, video, animation, recipes, crafts and other assorted art goodies.

Grandin Road?s Halloween Haven
If you like Martha Stewart?s Halloween items, this is one of the places to buy them. We tend to wait for the sales though…

Halloween.com
Everything from the history of Halloween to locating haunted houses.

Halloween Peeps
Just love the peeps!

Halloween Website
Good collection of Urban Legends!

Pottery Barn
Another spooky home decorator hot spot at Halloween time!

Victorian Trading Company
Some great items all year round really!

Vintage Halloween
Great collection of images of noise makers, paper mache and more!

Williams-Sonoma
At Halloween they carry one of the BEST Pumpkin Bread mixes. And each year they seem to add more and more items to make your kitchen spooky!

Yankee Candle
Home of the Boney Bunch!

Introducing the new spookyinc.com

Counting down til Halloween!
Something new from the folks who brought you GothicChicago.com!

In the world of Facebook, Google+ and Hot Topic, a more personal project emerged from the SpookyB's (JameyB and DavidB) in the early 2000's – SpookyInc.com (spooky stuff for spooky people.) SpookyInc.com offers a wider, yet more select, resource. The links are being narrowed down to a more focused list (only the spooktacular will be selected) but the reviews and photoshoots of featured artists, bands, talent, events continue strong as ever! In the next month or two, SpookyInc plans to resurrect the much-loved, and sorely missed 13 month October to October calendar!

If you want to see some of what we do when we aren't in the office, hop over to this site. Full of spooky links, videos, photos and coverage of spooky events.

You can follow us at our site: spookyinc.com
On Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Spooky-Inc-Studios/117365494952307
And on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/SpookyInc
And soon Google+

WomanRoadWarrior.com presents...

Where the Sole meets the Road

Join us for an exclusive event at The Standard Club of Chicago.

Where the Sole meets the Road

To celebrate Woman Road Warrior Day, we will be hosting a networking breakfast and travel show on October 28, 2011.

We will present a shoe fashion show, featuring the latest shoe styles and accessories. Come see Marcella Raymond and other Chicago news anchors model this year's must-have fall shoes.

Best-selling author and nationally known fitness expert Andrea Metcalf will tell us how to continue to look and feel our best while on the road.

Come mingle with female executives and share your women road warrior tales.

Space is LIMITED. Register to attend

WHEN: October 28, 2011

7:00 – 9:00 a.m.

WHERE: The Standard Club of Chicago

320 South Plymouth Court

Chicago, IL 60604-3859

Read more at WomanRoadWarrior.com

Reading about Clouds...

So this article got me thinking... The End of Content Ownership, The cloud, along with subscription and on-demand services, will transform our perception of content access and ownership.

Do I want instant access to books, music, movies etc...

What really is a "Cloud"?

"Cloud computing refers to the on-demand provision of computational resources (data, software) via a computer network, rather than from a local computer. Users or clients can submit a task, such as word processing, to the service provider, without actually possessing the software or hardware. The consumer's computer may contain very little software or data (perhaps a minimal operating system and web browser only), serving as a basic display terminal connected to the Internet. Since the cloud is the underlying delivery mechanism, cloud-based applications and services may support any type of software application or service in use today." (thanks Wikipedia)

Law firms are considering using it. Read Ethics of Cloud-based Storage

Have you used The Cloud? Do you like it? Dropbox, Netflix and Google Docs are my first taste of The Cloud, and so far so good.

Dummies.com isn't just for Dummies anymore

For years I have enjoyed the light-hearted yet very informative books from Dummies.com. I may have even referred you to one or two depending on the subject at hand.

Dummies books aren't for Dummies - really! You should check them out. If you are a new business, learning to edit your new Drupal site, Photoshop help, video tips and tricks - even how to navigate all the social networks!

And then when you are done reading your book, go visit Dummies.com - Making Everything Easier online!

So there. I said it. Dummies ROCK!

Check out their success story: The For Dummies Success Story

(YourPlanB.com and I am in no way related to Dummies TM, just wanted to share a good thing!)

Feeling a little stressed out?

Stress. It is eating us up inside and as we look forward into the calendar to the upcoming holidays, stress is more than likely growing.

We all seem to understand the importance of healthy behaviors like managing our stress levels, eating right, getting enough sleep and exercise, but reports say we are experiencing challenges practicing these healthy behaviors.

Since 2006, the American Psychological Association has commissioned an annual nationwide survey as part of its Mind/Body Health campaign to examine the state of stress across the country and understand its impact. Check it out!

Some days are more stressful than others! Thanks to the American Heart Association for this great list to manage stress! From positive self-talk to emergency stress stoppers, take a look at how to lower your stress levels.

We wanted to add a couple more to the list that are tried and true, at least in our office:
- random dancing
- blowing bubbles
- spongebob
- making a cup of tea
- using color markers to mark off task lists
- draw circles on the dry erase board
- singing along to favorite songs
- silly dress up (or theme) days at work(for example: last week was Talk Like A Pirate Day in our office)

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Arrrgh! It be one of me favorite days - Talk Like A Pirate Day (September 19th).

What is this you ask?
Well, visit the Original TLAPD site from Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket for all the details.

And then join me in some pirate humor for scurvy sea dogs!

Q: Why is the Jolly Roger grinning?
A: Because they crossed his funny bones! Arrgh!

Q; What happened when Redbeard the Pirate fell into the Blue Sea?
A: He got Marooned!

Q. What's a pirate's favorite socks?
A. Arrrrgyle!

And did you know?
3.14% of Sailors are Pi Rates :)

Arrrgh now go swab the deck you bilge rats!

Marketing/PR/Web Writing Resources

Last week I received the question via Facebook:
"...I'm trying to move into Marketing/PR/Web Writing. So, I need to know basics about building and writing for web sites. Thoughts on books/classes/resources..."

Oooooh! A good question and one that ties into SEO (see this post) as well as better web design: content development!

I believe in good content, great photos and fabulous code to make a successful website - across the board. Mix in consistent updates and add a good marketing plan!

Some people think you should write for a 4th grade reading level across the board. Others say this is too simple, write for your highest audience. Personally, I think there is a middle ground with clear, concise content and more detailed options outlined in downloads like a PDF or a video.

Content is the HARDEST thing to get from our clients! If they write it or if a writer is hired - doesn't matter. Over 14 years and I can bet each project will have issues getting their content to us. But I digress...

Some great resources for Marketing/PR/Web Writing that I give to our clients and to our freelance writers:
useit.com/papers/webwriting
alistapart.com
webwritingthatworks.com/index.htm
inc.com/articles/2001/06/22845.html
macloo.com/webwriting/chunks.htm
mybrc.com.au/Business-Technology/e-Business/Creating-Website/Pages/10_Web_Writing_Tips.aspx
fatdux.com/blog/2009/08/07/20-tips-for-writing-for-the-web
jeroen.com/jeroencom/content/writingweb.html
bloggingprweb.com
web.mit.edu/uaa/www/writing/links

Books:
Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works (Interactive Technologies)
How to Design and Write Web Pages Today (Writing Today)
Above the Fold: Understanding the Principles of Successful Web Site Design
Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, 2nd Edition

If your website needs an update, check out one of our favorite freelance writers here in Chicago: brotine.com

Keep your questions coming by clicking "Like" on Facebook!
THANKS!

Celebrate CJE!

CJE SeniorLife event on September 13, 2011

with the Manhatten Transfer

5:30pm at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers

More information and registration.

CJE SeniorLife, a comprehensive network of housing, healthca, community services, education and applied research, since 1972 has enhanced the lives of older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago.

CJE SeniorLife is one of our amazing clients!

Check our their site and CareGivingHelp.org

SEO and AdWords tips

Last week I received the question via Facebook:
"Any referrals or tips on Google AdWords management and SEO???"

And that got me to thinking... I should write up a clear list of resources for this instead of my ongoing notes. So here it is!

- SEO resources
Let me warn you that I am a bit old school where I feel keywords and descriptions in the code are still important. And then using a healthy does of these in your content on the site. Mix that up with a good use of title tags, alt tags and headlines. This is a good base for your site's SEO.

And then, depending on your industry, try a few tips mentioned here:
webdesign.about.com/od/seo/a/seo_basics.htm
google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=35291
businessinsider.com/10-basic-seo-tips-everyone-should-know-2010-1
styleguide.yahoo.com/resources/optimize-search-engines/seo-basics
searchengineguide.com/jim-hedger/seo-101-basic.php
searchenginewatch.com
googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2010/01/google-seo-resources-for-beginners.html

Personally, I am not a big fan of places that claim you can be on top or that it is "easy" to maintain a higher listing in the searches. It is work. Plain and simple. Be consistent. You can do it! Just make sure you get started and have a plan.

NOTE: In case you have no idea what I am talking about regarding SEO, thanks to wikipedia here is a quick look: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Search_engine_optimization


- Google Adwords resources

We have heard the good and the bad with using Google Adwords. And honestly not many of our clients use this Google service. So my experience is more limited, but I do read and network with other web heads alot!

Some resources:
adwords.blogspot.com
adwords.google.com/support/aw/bin/static.py?hl=en&topic=21904&guide=21899&page=guide.cs
seoptimise.com/blog/2008/09/top-10-resources-to-pass-the-google-adwords-exam-in-a-week.html
marketinghackz.com/a-beginners-guide-to-achieving-success-on-google-adwords
webmasterworld.com/forum81/2839.htm
squidoo.com/google-adwords-tips-and-tricks

And if you are new to all this, let me suggest my favorite line of books - The Dummies series. They offer a quick read, easy to follow guide of whatever it is you are curious about. Google Adwords via the Dummies books: dummies.com/how-to/content/free-google-adwords-resources0.html

Keep your questions coming by clicking "Like" on Facebook!
THANKS!

Working with C4 Chicago

Your Plan B Company has been working with C4 Chicago to help them keep their Drupal site current, teach the team how to edit using the CMS and help out when the task lists get too long!

C4 helps people overcome mental health problems, substance use disorders and the trauma of sexual assault and abuse. They provide services at five locations in Chicago. C4 also offers parenting classes, education about mental health and advocacy for people with mental health problems. Check them out!

And if you are a runner, visit their C4miles.org site to register for the 2012 run.

If your website needs upgrades, remodel or content edits, give us a call today to help! Call JameyB 773-665-2552

OTR Rainbow Challenge Tour Sunday September, 18, 2011

Over the Rainbow Association (OTR) will be one of the many groups riding with the Evanston Bicycle Club in The North Shore Century Ride.

Please consider joining OTR this year!
Again, you only need to contact the office at 847.424.5604 to register and/or RSVP for the BBQ.

For more details

Your Plan B Company and OTR have been working together since 1995. The crew at OTR is fabulous and so are the residents. This is a great event!

The web has come a long way!

Web Design Evolution: Two Decades of Innovation

(from Mashable April 17, 2011 by Charlie White)

The web has come a long way since Tim Berners-Lee created the first website way back in 1991. Here’s an infographic that takes you on a tour of web design, starting with those humble beginnings, and bringing you all the way up to the present day.

It’s like getting into a time machine, where the tremendous progress design has made on the World Wide Web over the past two decades is all laid out in front of you.

Continue reading (and to see the cool graphics!)

Link your Facebook Page to Twitter

Now share anything with fans and followers, all from one place.

If you are updating content in both places, this is definitly a cool tool to consider!

More details here.

Wordle.net and our Testimonials

Check out this cool wordle Cat made of our client testimonials!

A GIANT thank you to our clients - we love you guys!
Read all our testimonials online.

You can make your own at http://www.wordle.net/
See how creative you can be!

add this! Give Multiple Users Access to Your Analytics

(from AddThis email announcement, thought you all should know!)

Do you have more than one person who’d like to get access to your AddThis account?

Well, today's your day! We’ve recently overhauled our account system...

Within your account settings, you can easily grant access to as many users as you desire.

Want to reduce your login experience to just one click? Now you can login with your Facebook ID, Google ID, or Open ID. Logging in has never been easier.

Get Better Access to Your Data with New APIs!

We pushed a new API and updated another that'll give you even better access to your Analytics data ...

* Content Feed API - Use this API to create a feed of your top shared or trending content on your site. This is great for a sidebar widget to circulate traffic across your site by pointing your users to additional interesting content.

* Analytics API - This API was updated to allow you to access to all the data that’s available via our Analytics Dashboard.

Download the New Version of AddThis for WordPress

We’ve recently launched version 2.0 of AddThis for WordPress. It’s a complete overhaul of the plug-in. Easily point and click to add the newest sharing widgets to your site - now with even more great customization. Download it now!


YPBCo Note: AddThis is a great web tool! Take a look and see if it is a good fit for your website. You will love the analytics it provides!

Happy Anniversary Cat - 10 years with YPBCO!

(caption: Cat 2010)

DavidB and I met Cat 10 years ago at a Chicago History Museum meeting where she was an intern while finishing her degree at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. We knew right away we liked her and her design style! And asked her to come work for us when her internship was completed.

Lucky for us she said YES! She walked into our office in July 2001. And now, 10 years later, we can't imagine Your Plan B Company without her! Our succes is hers!

Her hand has been in award winning websites, fun flash games, office antics and not least of all, our friendship!

Not too mention all the fabulous art she creates when she is not in our office - from kinetic sculpture to woodworking to print making she has shown locally and nationally. And now she is working on her Masters degree! Go Cat! Go!



What wonderful things will we see in the next 10 years?

Happy Anniversay Cat!

Web Design Sketchbook

We are committed to sharing cool web design tools with you!
And here is another one: Web Design Sketchbook

While we use our own type of storyboard here at Your Plan B Company, we have to admit to liking the spiral bound and covered version here.
Everything you need to convey your ideas to your clients!

Good design begins with pre-development.
Plan as much as you can out before you begin building and you avoid headaches all around!

Are you ready to get your business online? Or is it time for a web site refresh?
Give JameyB a call to discuss options 77.665.2552

charmboutiquesalon.com

Announcing Charm Boutique Salon! Love Who You Are!!

Carrie's charming new hair salon located at
4919 N. Clark
Chicago, IL 60625

Follow her on Facebook, Twitter and at CharmBoutiqueSalon.com

Give her a call today to look Fabulous!
773-275-7665

Hours:
Sunday 11-3
Monday closed
Tue-Thur 12-8
Friday 12-6
Saturday 10-4

We were lucky enough to get to design her logo, website and business cards for her new business. And are so excited to have appointments in the new space very soon :)

Catherine Larson receives Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant

CONGRATS to CAT!

Direct from the ALANews website:

"University of Illinois student to attend 2011 ALA Annual Conference

Cape Coral, Fla. – The board of directors of the Robert F. Asleson Memorial ALA Conference Grant has announced this year’s award recipient. The winning essay was submitted by Catherine Larson, a student in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She will receive a $1,500 grant to help defray the cost of attending ALA’s 2011 Annual Conference in New Orleans in June."

Read More from ALA!

More information about the Grant.

We are so proud of you!
Go CAT! GO!

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance has a new address!

Which, as you all know, means they needed new print pieces.
With a move comes updating your business cards, folders, notepads, etc.
And DavidB did just that! Working closely with the folks at MEEA and Digital Hub all the print pieces were completed right in time for their move.

Learn more about MEEA!

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
20 N Wacker Drive Ste 1301
Chicago, IL 60606

Are you relocating? Is it time to refresh your print pieces?
Give DavidB a call to discuss options 773.665.2552

Happy Birthday Cat!

Have a superwonderfulfantastic birthday!
And many many more! Let there be cupcakes :)

Cool CSS tool!

From time to time we like to share some great web developer tools!
And this is definitely one of them.... check this out!

The CSS3 Generator was proudly designed by Eric Hoffman and coded by Peter Funk. High fives provided by Anthony Lagoon.

CONGRATS DAVIDB!

Best Beloit College Alumni Photo 2011 Contest

"The alumni pick award was given to alumnus David Birdwell’94 for his photo of Eaton Chapel at night, taken with a fisheye lens."
Read more!


sometime in the early 1990's

Happy Birthday DavidB!

sometime in early 1970's


Happy Birthday to our very own DavidB!

He is also the Creator of OfficialDaveDay.com (you should check it out!)

Join in the celebration of Dave :)

Easter Eggs

Happy Easter!



Your Plan B Company celebrated Easter at the office with peeps, chocolate bunnies and egg dying! You just never know what we might do at a meeting! Much fun and brainstorming (and work) was completed.

Expand Shortened Links With Little Effort

You know them, those tiny URLs people use in their social media posts. And you click them - sometimes taking you where you thought you should go and other times - SURPRISE - not safe for work or worse!

LinkPeelr and LongUrl are your solution to safely accessing shortened sites when they crop up anywhere from your emails to your Twitter feeds. By simply pasting the shortened link into their search bar, either site will tell you if you’re headed for a virus-laden disaster or that adorable new kitten picture your friend promised.

LinkPeelr has an add-on for Google Chrome and LongUrl concocted an add-on for Mozilla Firefox, showing you the true location every time you hover your mouse over a shortened link. Save yourself the link surprises and use these tools!

Can Your Clients Find You on a Social Network?

We ask you - can your clients find you on a social network? There are hundreds of soc nets out there that focus on everything from tweens to movies to crafts (and more!). We focused our Top 5 on a wide net for most businesses...

Top 5 social networks to consider for your website marketing:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. Meetup
5. Foursquare

Now that you know where you should be, setup your account and are ready to be more social, here is a quick reminder about Social Media Etiquette from Chris Brogan.

See you online!

Top 5 SEO DON'TS

So last week we told you our Top 5 SEO Tips. This week we narrowed down our list of bad SEO behavior...

Try to avoid the following (and if you do you will be rewarded with your site floating up the search responses!)


1. Flash!
Full flash websites can actually be amazing to look at — their own bit of interactive artwork. But unfortunately the search engines don’t get along well with Flash. Although there is talk of possible advancement in this area, for the most part the rule of thumb is that search engines cannot read Flash.

2. Splash!
Equally as SEO “pointless” are splash pages. Once very popular, the splash page should no longer be an important feature of any site. While splash pages used to serve as an introduction into a website (often with a flash animation), it is no longer seen as helpful, and often times might actually annoy visitors. Nowadays "skip to content" can mean close window and move on to a different website!

3. Don't try to fool the search engines
There are many SEO outfits out there selling various 'black hat' and 'grey hat’ SEO techniques. They will use a range of spammy and dodgy techniques to build your ranking up in a short space of time. These techniques might work for a while - for a week or a month - but the search engines quickly wise up to them. At best, you'll be knocked off your perch at the top of the search rankings; at worst you'll get banned for a period of time by the search engine. Don't be tempted!

4. Hiring Someone Who Promises a #1 Search Engine Ranking
There is no guarantee that you’ll be #1. While you can control certain variables to help you get ranked, such as keywords, some inbound links and optimizing your website for crawlers, there’s a lot you cannot control. For instance, inbound links of competing websites and pages, and the strength and popularity of a competitor’s site are just a few variables that you (or anyone you hire) cannot manipulate. There are countless variables used to determine page rankings that we just don’t know about, so no one can guarantee or promise high rankings.

5. Bait and Switch
You’ve probably heard of the old “bait and switch” routine used in the auto sales business. Well there’s a similar method being used online to drive traffic to websites. Some site owners think they can lure visitors in with keywords that are totally unrelated to their website, and then convert the visitors over to buyers or ad clickers once they arrive. Avoid this method like the plague. It will eventually cause the search engines to kick your site off for good, and visitors will dislike your site as well once they realize it’s not what they’re seeking. Use only those keywords and phrases that are relevant to your website’s theme for the best long-term results.

As always we are here to help. Give us a call to brainstorm your SEO goals and put together an online marketing plan that meets goals!

Top 5 SEO Tricks

There are many hints, tips and tricks out there, so the team here at Your Plan B Company narrowed the long list down to our Top 5 SEO tricks:

1. Content content content - add fresh content!
Even if your site is a lead generation site or an e-commerce site that doesn’t seem like there’s a need for regularly added content, you should always be adding as much fresh content as possible. In order to rank well for a given set of keywords, you must write about the topics relating to these keywords. The more often content is added, the more likely search spiders will increase the frequency at which they crawl your site. Being crawled more often can help a page rank higher for its targeted set of keywords.

2. Good Code - alt attributes on ALL images
Putting alt attributes on your images actually serves two purposes. In terms of SEO, putting a brief yet descriptive alt attribute along with your image, places additional relevant text to your source code that the search engines can see when indexing your site. The more relevant text on your page the better chance you have of achieving higher search engine rankings.

In addition, including image alt attributes help the visually impaired who access web sites using a screen reader. They can’t see the image, but with a descriptive alt attribute, they will be able to know what your image is and hopefully why it is there on the page.

3. Keywords really do help - check the keyword density
It is also important for you to use the important keywords in your content. Then you should also calculate the keyword density of each of the articles and it should be approximately close to 3%. Keywords help search engines to get an idea about what your website is about. You should make sure that the keyword density doesn’t exceed 8%. Otherwise your webpage may be regarded as spam by the search engines.

4. Site Maps are your friends - add a sitemap to your website
This makes it easier for the various search engine spiders to read and then index your web pages. As indexed web pages appear in the search engines, more people visit your website. And the higher you will float up in the searches.

5. Get more social - add your social media links!
Although technically not SEO, Social Media is such a growing factor in getting your web site noticed, that it’s an important element to include in your plan. Social media ranges from social networks like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn — to social bookmarking sites such as Delicious, Digg, StumbleUpon and many more. There is a lot of relationship building involved, but as you build your own networks and build quality content on your web site or blog, you’ll see traffic to your website increasing, as well.

And remember, SEO is a contiued task on your website maintenance checklist. Don't stop learning about searches and techniques because there is always something new on the technology horizon!

How the H*** Do You Pronounce GIF Anyway?

A friend sent us this link from Gizmodo by Rosa Golijan on 2/1/11

He claims to have always called it "JIF". I however am old skol and still say "GIF" because that's what my professor called it back in 1990. Maybe I will change? Maybe not? DavidB says "GIF" and Cat says it both ways.

How about you?

Choosy programmers choose "gif" or "jif"?

Hex codes for all the Crayola crayon colors!

This submission made us all scream in happiness!
Who doesn't LOVE crayons?
And now we can be all geeky with hex codes and crayons. Check it out!

Now you may be asking yourself, what are "Hex Codes"?
Hex codes are the values of a color for a website that a browser understands. A very reliable way to make sure the color you chose remained that color when you tested on multiple browsers and operating systems and monitors! Way back in the day there were only 256 colors you could use. Now the spectrum has expanded.

WebMonkey has a useful page of the color chart - take a peek.

w3schools explains:

Color Values

HTML colors are defined using a hexadecimal notation (HEX) for the combination of Red, Green, and Blue color values (RGB).

The lowest value that can be given to one of the light sources is 0 (in HEX: 00). The highest value is 255 (in HEX: FF).

HEX values are specified as 3 pairs of two-digit numbers, starting with a # sign."

So now you can see why web designers think the crayon box version of hex colors is so darn cute :)

Email Marketing Tips

A friend passed this link to me "You should marry me…now! What to tweak and test in your call to action" from an article posted in September 2010 by Email Marketing Reports.

And I think there are some very useful points made about reviewing your call to action in emails. While not everyone can be Google, there are some useful examples that we can all remember when writing emails or email newsletters.

Consider:
1. wording
2. location
3. coding and format
4. shape, size, colors and highlighting

Read more resources for copywriting.

Do you use Instant Messaging? (Or IM for short)

Instant Messaging

Do you use Instant Messaging? (Or IM for short)
We sure do!

Definition: IM falls under the umbrella term online chat, as it is a real-time text-based networked communication system, but is distinct in that it is based on clients that facilitate connections between specified known users (often using "Buddy List", "Friend List" or "Contact List"), whereas online 'chat' also includes web-based applications that allow communication between (often anonymous) users in a multi-user environment. (read more at wikipedia)

Our favorite tool is Trillian because it allows us to manage multiple accounts on multiple types of services like Google, Facebook and Yahoo on both Mac and Win machines (your cell phone too!).
Download Trillian here!

You can chat with me a variety of ways:
jameybypbco (yahoo)
jbrumfield@gmail.com (google)
JameyBrumfield (facebook)

Instant Messaging is like a quick phone call that you do not have to pick up a phone and dial. Just check to see if I am online and send a quick text note. I can then respond using Instant Message or if more conversation is needed, I can call you! It is a great way to check in, ask a quick question or schedule a meeting. Faster than email and less intrusive than a phone call. Check it out! See you on IM :)

More fun than "Lorem ipsum"

Lorem ipsum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In publishing and graphic design, lorem ipsum is placeholder text (filler text) commonly used to demonstrate the graphic elements of a document or visual presentation, such as font, typography, and layout. The lorem ipsum text is typically a section of a Latin text by Cicero with words altered, added and removed that make it nonsensical in meaning and not proper Latin. A close English translation of the words lorem ipsum might be "pain itself" (dolorem = pain, grief, misery, suffering; ipsum = itself).

Even though "lorem ipsum" often arouses curiosity because of its resemblance to classical Latin, it is not intended to have meaning. Where text is comprehensible in a document, people tend to focus on the textual content rather than upon overall presentation, so publishers use lorem ipsum when displaying a typeface or design elements and page layout in order to direct the focus to the publication style and not the meaning of the text. In spite of its basis in Latin, use of lorem ipsum is often referred to as greeking, from the phrase "it's all greek to me" which indicates that this is not meant to be readable text

Recently a client sent us this note:
More fun than “lorem ipsum” http://www.fillerati.com/

Now you have a quick way to pour some content into a layout and keep your clients entertained while they finalize their web content! Enjoy!

Save your eyes! Suggestions to preserve your eyesight while working on computers...

We are guilty of working at our office computers for hours at a time, forgetting to take short breaks to move around and now, more importantly, LOOK around. A recent article in Women's Health magazine reminded me to remind DavidB and Cat to look away and blink more often when working at their computers... and now I am reminding you!

The Truth Behind Computer Vision
by BRIGID SWEENEY
"Will your beloved time with your computer, smartphone, and tablets come back to bite you in blurred vision? Learn how to preserve your eyesight in an increasingly digital world..."

Read More!

And some extra hints and tips to Preserve Your Eyesight

Happy Valentine's Day!

Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day)[1][2][3] is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.[1][3] The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. - wikipedia

Back in 2004 we made a fun flash game, thought you might enjoy a little blast from the past!


Other fun site for Valentine's Day:
History of the day
Valentine statistics
TLC How Valentine's Day works
Hallmark cards
Valentine concentration game
Online games

Have a sweet one however you celebrate :)

AVOID Email Scams

How do you know?

Recently, a client forwarded us a message that sounded pretty good but yet too good to be true. Her question was "Is this a scam?"

Our response: Usually if you have to ask, it is a scam.

If there are strange characters, page breaks, indentations and other incorrect or choppy english, it is usally a scam.

Here is an article about this particular scam our client received:
http://www.seony.com/20090922-marc-schneider-phd-spam-under-www-mplw-net/

Another good way to test if something is a scam is just to type the URL, EMAIL and SCAM into Google and see what shows up. For this one we searched for "mplw" and "scam". And got our answer.

Some helpful articles about avoiding email scams:
1. How to recognize a phishing scam email
2. How Not to Get Hooked by a ‘Phishing’ Scam
3. How to Avoid Email Scams to Prevent Identity Theft
4. How To Avoid Email Scams
5. Email Scams

Happy Birthday JameyB!

caption: very young JameyB with her Dad (early '70s)
"I must confess, I was born at a very early age."
Groucho Marx

February 2 not only is JameyB's birthday, it is also GROUNDHOG's DAY!

What will Punxsutawney Phil predict this year? And will it match JameyB's prediction?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAMEYB!

Happy 14th Anniversary Your Plan B Company!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

On January 27, 1997 DavidB and JameyB left the lawyers office with the official papers making Your Plan B Company a reality! 14 years later we are still as in awe of the internet and all that it can accomplish as we were back then.

THANK YOU for your continued support as we work together to make art, programming, marketing and entertainment come together online for you and your audience!



THANK YOU from the creative crew at Your Plan B Company!
JameyB, DavidB and Cat

An interesting article about HTML 5 in the New York Times...

New Web Code Draws Concern Over Privacy Risks
By TANZINA VEGA
Published: October 10, 2010

"Worries over Internet privacy have spurred lawsuits, conspiracy theories and consumer anxiety as marketers and others invent new ways to track computer users on the Internet. But the alarmists have not seen anything yet." Read more...


Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Another great article about how helpful Google can be!

What can Google do for you? posted by Alex.Kaylan

How Google Became My Butler
"So Google isn’t going to hide out in my secret lair and tune up my batmobile…but it sure can do a heck of a lot more than most of us are probably aware. Check out some of the awesome things Google is capable of that you most likely didn’t know about."

Everything from Calculations to Flight Tracking to Itineraries and more!

What do you make Google do for you?

We like the calendar, email, groups, analytics, chat and link reporting.
And of course their SEARCH :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year!

We hope you all enjoyed your holidays and ringing in the new year!

Tis the season for website tune-ups and conversions to CMS like Drupal or WordPress. If you have been thinking about updating your site, now is the time to do it! Give us a call to review your site and make recommendations.

Some of our Drupal sites:
caregivinghelp.org
kruzinusa.com
mwalliance.org

Some of our WordPress sites:
fieldofgreens.biz
ridelawrence.org
officialdaveday.com

Your Plan B Company
web design with a twist of lime

Our hours are Monday - Thursday, 10am-6pm CST. You can view our work calendar through your project site (if you are a current client). A friendly reminder that Your Plan B Company is closed on Fridays all year long. If you need to reach us please leave a voicemail at 773-665-2552 or email jameyb@yourplanb.com - thanks :)


(psssst.....did you notice our zesty design this season? we change it every few months)