Almost on a daily basis we are faced with the question “how do I optimize my website for search engine performance“.  The truth is there are so many factors that have a direct impact on your results there is really not one “correct” answer.  It is only based on a combination of SEO tactics that a company can obtain the exposure they are looking for.  With that said, here are some tips that we have compiled that hopefully will help.
read the full story...

1. Be sure you have a unique, keyword focused Title tag on every page of your site. And, if you MUST have the name of your company in it, put it at the end. Unless you are a major brand name that is a household name, your business name will probably get few searches.

Well, it was probably only a matter of time that Twitter would pick a big time suitor. And Twitter couldn’t just pick one, so they decided to go with two.

Both Google and Bing will start indexing “tweets” from public Twitter profiles in their search results. To date, tweets were not indexed by either search engine. But given the micro-blogging site’s current popularity, it was time for Twitter to test the dating pool.

If you have been following Twitter’s rise of success (50 billion tweets and counting), what it gained in popularity it lacked in revenue generation. While Twitter has received millions in venture capital, it has not been able to monetize its business model. The current partnership with Bing and Google looks to be the start, even though Twitter’s CEO Evan Williams denies this as the driver.
read the full story...

The other day I read a post by a designer who posed the question: “Should we be including mailing addresses on business cards?” He stated that out of 38 cards he viewed on a design site, only 6 included mailing addresses. I didn’t want to take this guys word for it. So I went online and looked through some of the sites that I use for inspiration. Sure enough, only 6 of the first 30 samples in the gallery had a mailing address. Has this total stranger lifted the vail from my eyes?

I’ve designed my fair share of business cards. Historically, clients supply address, phone, fax etc. — you choose type, font size and design away. Done and done. But I’ve never found myself stopping to consider that maybe by not including a mailing address we can increase communication for ourselves, and for our clients.
read the full story...

A long-time client of ours, Howl at the Moon, has opened its doors in Scottsdale, Arizona! Howl at the Moon is the nation’s original dueling piano bar chain.

Located in the heart of the nightlife hub of Old Town Scottsdale, Howl at the Moon’s 14th location opened Friday, October 16th.  The pianos are now playing in what was formerly club Lyte, bringing a new concept to the area.

Jimmy Bernstein, owner and CEO of Howl at the Moon, is very excited about this new location: “We have always been interested in the Scottsdale and Phoenix area, and we thought it would be a perfect fit for their vibrant community.”

If you’re in the Phoenix area make sure to stop by and request a song!  If you’re not, check out Howl’s other locations! Also, for the latest news and specials, make sure to read their new blog.
read the full story...

Lifelink, a charitable organization devoted to serving those less fortunate in the Chicagoland area, hosted their annual fundraising gala last Friday in Oak Brook, IL. What a wonderful evening – and a great chance to get insight into the amazing stories that speak volumes about all that Lifelink staff does to provide better lives for the 25,000 people they touch each year.

The evening began with a silent auction and cocktail hour (is it just me – or is this everyone’s favorite hour?). We chatted and mingled it up, bid on prizes that we knew we wouldn’t win – and then did actually win one. Luckily, Lifelink takes Visa…
read the full story...

We’ve had the privilege to work with the renowned and ever-charismatic Chef Joho on…count ‘em…three websites. (Check them out, and then treat yourself to a meal at one of his restaurants, you will not be sorry: Brasserie Jo, Everest Restaurant, Eiffel Tower Restaurant.) So I was thrilled to learn a few weeks ago that he was making an appearance as a guest judge on a French-centric episode of Top Chef, Las Vegas. Watch a clip of the episode.

But wait! There’s more…Eiffel Tower and Everest were both recently recognized by MSN City Guides as having 2 of the best restaurant views in the United States. Read the full article.

So, Chef, on behalf of the envisionit media team: félicitations!

(Yes, I used an online English to French dictionary for that.)

For any of you that have not heard, Google has just launched a new technology called Google Voice. It is currently invitation only, so I have provided a link for anyone interested in obtaining an invite. https://services.google.com/fb/forms/googlevoiceinvite/

Google Voice is a free services that offers the following features:

One number for all your calls and SMS

* Call screening – Announce and screen callers
* Listen in – Listen before taking a call
* Block calls – Keep unwanted callers at bay
* SMS – Send, receive, and store SMS
* Place calls – Call free within the continental US and to Canada
* Taking calls – Answer on any of your phones
* Phone routing – Phones ring based on who calls
* Forwarding phones – Add phones and decide which ring

One number for all your calls and SMS
Voicemail as easy as email, with transcripts
read the full story...

The scores are in and it is the creative team that seemed to dominate the bowling match this year.  On Friday, October 2nd, envisionit media treated its agency to a half day off after a month full of process and strategy training meetings to an afternoon of bowling.

While the account team held their own (well…gave it their best) and the interactive team lobbed their balls at the pins (it almost worked) it was Zeke and Rob of the creative team that came home with the highest scores.  So, as much as we hate to do it, we must give this round to them.