Color is symbolism. We say someone who is jealous is “green with envy”. Someone who is sad is said to be “blue”. When we are angry, we “see red”.

Colors affect us psychologically. They can stimulate our appetite or suppress it. They can make us happy, excited, angry or sad.

Let’s take a look at colors and what they mean to your visitors. Then we’ll discover the different color combinations and how they apply to your Web site.

Warm Colors

• Red – Red is one of the most powerful and attention-getting colors. Red symbolizes passion and fire, love and lust. It has been proven to raise blood pressure and cause perspiration. Red reflects energy and can motivate an individual to take action. It can also symbolize war, violence, blood, and aggression. Pink, however, is the softer side of red. Pink is romantic, calming and feminine.
• Orange – Vibrant and warm, orange is associated with autumn, pumpkins and Halloween. It inherits many of the traits of red, but is less passionate. Orange has been known to stimulate the appetite. As a citrus color, it can also symbolize health.
• Yellow – Yellow symbolizes sunshine and warmth. It can mean hope, light and energy. On the other hand, it can mean weakness or illness, or symbolize cowardice.

Cool Colors

• Green – Green signifies health and growth (vegetation) and wealth (money). Green symbolizes spring, renewal, and fertility. It can also mean jealousy or inexperience.
• Blue – Blue is one of the most calming colors and is associated with the sky and the sea. It is considered to be a “safe” color and signifies intelligence, reassurance, and trust. Blue has also been known to be an appetite suppressant and can signify depression and sadness.
• Purple – The combination of red and blue, purple is one of the most intriguing colors and symbolizes creativity. Purple is spiritual and mysterious. Deep purple is associated with royalty and richness while lavender is associated with romance and nostalgia.

Neutral Colors

• Black – Black can represent power, elegance, and sophistication, but it can also represent death (Western culture), evil, anger and sadness.
• White – White represents cleanliness, purity, and spirituality. It represents life and marriage in Western cultures, but it represents death in Eastern cultures.
• Grey – Grey is the combination of black and white. It is a conservative color. Grey can symbolize security, maturity and reliability, but it can also signify gloominess and sadness.
• Brown – We like to classify brown as a “special” color. Sometimes brown can be used as a neutral and sometimes as a warm color. Either way, brown represents credibility and stability, the hearth, home and the earth.

A Special Note About Using Colors on the Web

Although modern computers are capable of displaying millions of colors on the screen, Web design is limited to only 216 colors. The reason for this is that Mac computers and PC’s both use completely different color palettes. However, they have 216 colors that are common to both. These 216 colors are considered “Web safe”. Using the 216 Web safe colors means that your Web site colors will look fairly consistent on different computers (Mac or PC), different operating systems (Windows or Mac), as well as different browsers (Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator, to name two).

Choosing a Color Scheme

Once you understand colors and their connotations you are ready to begin choosing a color scheme for your site. But, where do you begin? Let’s look at different types of color combinations.

Monochromatic color schemes use a single color. Differing values of the chosen color can be used to create the feel of different colors. Monochromatic color schemes are harmonious and peaceful. Using a single color creates unity and can help to create or tie things together.

Analogous color combinations use colors that are related, but not the same, to create visually appealing schemes. A selection of blues and purples, or reds and oranges create an analogous color scheme. Two or more colors can be used in an analogous color scheme however, one color is often used as a dominant color while others are used as accents.

Contrasting colors are complimentary and pleasing to the eye. Colors that are opposites create contrasting color schemes. For instance, yellow and purple or red and green are contrasting colors. Contrasting color schemes generally use a warm color and a cool color but it isn’t necessary to use the startling and obvious combinations, like blue and orange. You might try beige and light blue or maroon and forest green to create very pleasing and contrasting combinations.

A word of caution concerning contrasting colors. Generally, the eye has difficulty focusing on contrasting colors at the same time. Orange type in a blue background is very difficult for your viewer to read. Use contrasting colors for your accents and avoid setting strong contrasts as background and type colors or take them down a notch. A light orange, almost cream, dark blue background is much more readable and still a contrasting combination.

Triadic color combinations are comprised of three opposing colors. Red, yellow, and blue would be a triadic color scheme. Like contrasting color combinations it is not necessary to use full strength, startling combinations to create effective triadic color schemes. Using a more subdued value of one or more color can help to create greater subtlety, harmony and readability for your site.

It can be a lot of fun to choose colors. Color is all around us, from nature to our cars, furnishings and the multitudes of designs we see on the Web and in print. Look around at the colors that other designers have used. Ask yourself what you like about them, or what you don’t like. Nature is an unbeatable resource. Flowers and birds, mountains and deserts all provide fabulous color combinations. When you see a color combination that thrills you jot it down and save it for the future. You never know when you may be in need of a fabulous color scheme for a new site or an update.

Years later I can fondly reflect on those days as being an incredible opportunity for character building. Learning to obey, and honor my fathers requests, directions and rules with precision and [more importantly] a right attitude, were life changing for me.

Teaching me to work hard with a good attitude was the best thing my dad could have ever have done for me. I have taken the concept of hard work and shared it with my friends, coworkers, and other fellow colleagues, and they too have come to understand the character building benefits of working hard.

Whatever work you do, it is absolutely vital to possess a strong work ethic. Being productive and able to produce positive results through your work is a key element of success and satisfaction in this life.

It’s said that you build a backbone two ways. The first way is when you work hard–and it’s true. There aren’t many things more satisfying and character building than knowing you have put in a good day’s work. The second way is when you do something with the right attitude. It’s inevitable that you’ll become a better person.

Now go cut that grass in your life’s front yard. You and I both know it is going to be hard. It will be worth it though. There are so many benefits to working hard. Like my dad’s day would say, “When you work hard, you’ll eat good!”

How important is Your Company to You?

If you’ve invested any decent amount of time to the foundation of your company, then hiring a professional website designer to create your website is the ideal thing to do. You might think you’re actually saving as, let’s be honest, creating a website is easy. You could create one in just a matter of hours on your Mac or with some $20 software; so how much more can an experienced website designer do? However, there are quite a few aspects and features that a professionally developed Gandy Labs website will have that cheaper websites simply won’t.

Design/Layout

Although just about anybody can make a website with templates available, professional web designers like we have at Gandy Labs know how to place each menu, sidebar, advertisement, and other content that will make a potential client purchase your product or click the right button to go to the right page. These professionals will get all the necessary information and messages that you want to convey to your clients before actually launching the site.

Cheaper website designers on the other hand might give you a pre-made template. There is nothing particularly wrong with pre-made template and it’s actually good as you have the basics already installed. However, you’re probably sharing the same template with about 10 or more people who have bought the same template. With Gandy Labs, you can be sure that you won’t see another site with your design! Furthermore, some templates might just not be right for your website.

Content/Ranking

Ranking high increases your online visibility, resulting in potential clients as searchers usually click the first websites that come up in their searches. Cheaper web designers might offer you reasonable SEO services, however it probably will require expensive bundle software that you need to purchase in the long run. Not to mention that some might use “Black Hat SEO”, which typically ends with your site being removed from Google or other search engines.

We, on the other hand, stay up-to-date with the latest trends and produce unique articles that are SEO optimized to increase your site’s ranking. Cheaper website designers won’t spend time researching about the niche that you are in. Let’s face it, with the amount that you’re going to pay, what you see is all you’re going to get.

Technical Support

After all is said and done, it all comes down to the back-end of your website. Companies and small businesses who hire Gandy Labs hire us for a reason – because they don’t know how to do it themselves. Cheaper designers might put up your website and it looks decent. Maybe even good! However, when something comes up, either they’ll tell you that it’s not their fault or they’ll offer to fix it for you–for a price. This usually means expensive maintenance fees and will eventually amount to more than getting a fully-functional, trouble-free site from us.

In hiring professionals to do the job for you, you get free or warranty services. Some companies also offer yearly free upgrades of your plug-ins and software. Another advantage is that professional web designers propose different packages that include free technical support and other back-end maintenance. It might seem expensive today, but would benefit your company tremendously going forward.

You can strengthen your company’s online presence if you want to. We can assist you through our years of expertise in building websites that our clients can rely upon. So why not contact us today to talk about getting started with your site? Trust us–you’ll sleep better at night with a Gandy Labs site.

Have you used a cheap designer before? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!

Visibility is important. Too often, newsletters will leave you wanting for certain topics to be covered. Suddenly stopping means lost subscriptions. Commit to sending out newsletters on your preferred time and make it rich with information. Your readers will thank you for not clogging their inbox.

12. Respect Their Privacy

Readers’ privacy and personal information should never be shared or divulged to the public. They trust you by giving the information you want. The least you can do is return the favor.

13. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Enough said.

14. Balance Your Newsletter

Leave all the boring stuff at school. Balance your newsletter with information and fun and exciting content. This makes your newsletter a welcomed treat.

15. Listen

Take feedback seriously. This helps you improve your newsletter by making you aware of what still needs to get done.

Go Back to Part 1

If you want your newsletters to attract and retain your subscribers, here are 15 ways to help you improve your email newsletter!

1. Attention Please

Engage your customer’s attention at the very start by making your subject lines catchy and interesting. People tend to get lots of email in their inbox and it is easy to delete an email.

2. Long Headings: Big No-No

Subject lines more than the standard 50 words get your email unread. Keep your words to a minimum, as they say “the shorter, the better.”

3. Legitimacy has its Advantages

Make sure your company’s logo and organization name is clearly visible, as it lends to credibility. More often than not, readers open emails first that contain the company name in the subject.

4. Curiosity Kills the Cat

But in this case, it increases subscriptions to your newsletter. People get curious when they see questions and will click on the email to find out the answer. But make sure the links work. Dead links are a big turn off.

5. Don’t Shoot Yourself in the Foot

Why bother reading the rest of the email if you can get all the details just by reading the subject, right?

6. ALL CAPS GET YOU DELETED. FAST.

Bolding your subject or headline is like shouting to the reader to read your email. Most readers will just ignore your message. We know you think it’s important, but that doesn’t make it that important for every visitor. The last word you want your subscribers to think of when they receive your newsletter is “irritating”.

7. Subject Site Relevance

Keep your subject relevant to what your site is promoting. If it isn’t, you may come across as useless and another unsubscribe will be right around corner.

8. Keywords

Readers usually just scan newsletters. Use keywords that are relevant to what people are searching about. Just don’t overdo it. A minimum of three to four keywords is enough to catch your reader’s attention.

9. Trigger Words That Label You as Spam

Opt to use words that will not trigger spam filters to filter you out. People hardly take time to check mails directed to the spam folder.

10. Proper Timing

Don’t forget to send out reminders if there are special events that will take place at least three days before. People appreciate being reminded about important things. Also, keep in mind that most users are more likely to check their email Tuesday through Thursday.

Continue to Part 2

Research has shown that LinkedIn was the least mentioned social media site amongst the big competitors, on ordered business cards among the more popular online printing shops.  However, the company recently launched a series of videos designed to show small businesses how they can utilize the site, create profiles and connect with others to drive business and ultimately sales. For sole proprietors out there, it’s worth a look. Truthfully a LinkedIn profile is a relatively simple one to set up, and can rank highly in organic searches. And you just might find groups that can lend insight and advice on how to run your business, or you could end up with a partner before you know it.

Are you a small or micro business that uses LinkedIn to drive connections and leads that have paid off for your business? Let us know in the comments section below.

As we started to take a closer look at our customer base, what made them tick and how they ran their various enterprises, we found that more than 90% of them fell within the 1-10 employee range. Some run their businesses as a hobby, many do it for a second income and others have a full time job in addition to their business. But just because they are small doesn’t mean they are any less important to the overall economy. For example, did you know that there are roughly 25 million businesses that fit into the “micro” category in the United States alone?

What the above infographic shows is a number of common behaviors, trends and statistics that better define the micro business audience as a whole. This includes how they spend their time, how much money they make and whether or not they want to expand their business beyond 10 employees, breaking free from the “micro” tag.

But what we want to know is are YOU a micro business? If so, how do you fit into the infographic? Are there behaviors or statistics that you agree with? Or even disagree with? We’d love to hear how you fit it and if you feel like you are a micro business. Please feel free to comment below.

1. Bad Design

It’s possible that you may not have hired a good graphic designer for the design aspect of your website. From a aesthetic point of view, your website is simply not attractive enough. Cluttered graphics, confusing layouts, graphics laid out in such a way that it hides the real content, and many more irregularities with your website are just a few reasons why your design is keeping visitors away from your site. Contact us to find out how Gandy Labs can help you redesign your site!

2. Bad Code

Good coding makes website attractive and speedy. Unusual page breaks and paragraph formatting can deter any visitor who’s big on formatting.

3. Content

On the World Wide Web, content is king; so even if your website is attractive and user-friendly, without great content, nobody will stay to read it. It must include what the visitors want, and more importantly, expect. Content must be rich with information and keywords so spiders can visit your web pages. Also, make sure it’s written towards your target audience.

4. Boring Titles

Titles of the pages play an important role in attracting the visitors. Your title must be informative and catchy so it can give the visitor an idea about the page and its content. No one wants to visit a homepage with the title ‘index’. If you use the titles ‘Service 1′ and ‘Service 2′ for your services pages, how could a visitor decide that it has useful content? They can’t. Along those same lines, don’t stuff your title with keywords. Use them judiciously.

5. Navigation

Your website might not have proper navigation. If  it lacks intuitive navigation buttons and links, your site design may confuse visitors and make it hard to find what they’re looking for. Bad links to missing pages and a lack of alternate navigation like bread crumbs can also make navigation through your website more of a headache than people are willing to put up with.

6. Black Hat SEO

If you use black hat SEO techniques like invisible links, keywords, keywords stuffing, and auto-generated doorway pages, your website will not look natural and visitors will never come back. On the other side, search engines these days are way too smart and your site will become blacklisted, which is very hard to undo.

7. Too Much Flash

Admittedly, Flash can be used to attract the visitor. However, many times the overuse of Flash leads to loading problems. Your website will not load within a reasonable time and consequently, you’ll likely have lost the visitor. Another thing is that web spiders don’t like Flash, as they can not read it. The content in Flash is not readable by bots so they will never show that content in search engines. If Flash is unavoidable, then be sure to create HTML version of those pages as well. Contact us to find out Gandy Labs can make your site “pop” without using Flash!

8. Been there, Read that. (Plagiarism)

Nobody wants to start reading an article only to realize that they read it yesterday on its original site. Not only is this irritating, but you’ve likely lost a visitor forever. Your credibility is gone and your reputation as a good source of information and content is gone with it.

9. Not With the Times

Sure, that Yahoo Site Builder and GeoCities/MySpace page may have worked for you 10 years ago, but times have changed and so has web technology! The most common term for this new era is “Web 2.0″. In this new age of media and communication, you cannot afford to avoid social media tools and connections. Add buttons and icons to allow your visitors to share some of your interesting content to their own individual networks of friends and colleagues. Contact us to find out how Gandy Labs could help you redesign your site!

10. Fresh Content

Even if you have good content, if your website hasn’t been updated in over a year, there’s no real need for a visitor to keep coming back. You need information that will be relevant to the latest trends. Update your website frequently and you’ll be sure to start retaining visitors.

11. Loading Time

If your website is taking too long to load, you shouldn’t be surprised at your low number of visitors. It’s widely held that your website should be completely loaded within 7 seconds. If you’re not close to that, you should reevaluate what you have on your homepage. Excessive use of images, unoptimized images, large JavaScript files, and external links to outside assets (eg. API’s) are the typical suspects. Contact us to find out how Gandy Labs could help improve your website’s speed!