For the last few months, our team has been working with the team at Mendocino to develop new websites for their chain of stores. The goal was to appeal to their two target audiences, make the clothes the most important element of the design and implment an easy to use Content Management System. You can view the new sites that went live last week at www.mendocino.ca and www.mformendocino.ca and check out some before and after pics of one of the sites below. Also, be sure to check out the Lookbook on each site to see the image zoom tool we added to allow site visitors to really see the details of the garments.

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Facebook is changing. Again.

This time it is business and brand pages that are being affected which affect many of our clients so I’ve prepared this high level overview to help you make the transition. So, when we are all done being angry about Facebook changing things and them forcing us to learn new ways to use their site as a marketing tool, check it out and I think you might agree the changes are a great step forward in terms of allowing brands to promote to and communicate with their fans.

Below are some of the changes set to take effect on March 31. As a Page admin, you can preview the new design and prepare in advance – I can’t recommend this enough. Once you are happy with your new setup, you can switch to the new system before the automatic switch is forced upon you at the end of the month.

Change One: The cover photo

Following the visual direction of recent change to personal pages on Facebook, brands will now be able to have a large wide picture at the top of their page. Consider this your Page’s welcome mat. It is great that Facebook gave us this visual space (so much nicer to look at than the Wall view) but, of course, they have also given us some restrictions on what you can include within that graphic. The list of things not to include (as posted by Facebook here) are:

• Price or purchase information, such as “40% off” or “Download it at our website”
• Contact information, such as website address, email, mailing address or other information intended for your Page’s About section
• References to user interface elements, such as Like or Share, or any other Facebook site features
• Calls to action, such as “Get it now” or “Tell your friends”

Optimal Image Size: To avoid Facebook cropping or stretching your image, use one at 851 x 315 pixels.
Suggestion: Be creative but don’t’ draw too much attention away from the countless other things you want people to be engaging with on your Page.

Change Two: Your profile picture

This is now square and sits partially on top of the cover photo in Timeline view. Your current profile picture may already be square in which case this change won’t affect you. However, if your profile picture is taller, you’ll have to revise to fit the new layout.

Image Size: 180 x 180 pixels however you can upload any size and centre using Facebook’s image upload tools.
Suggestion: Keep this simple as it will be reduced to VERY small sizes for other views including profile pics in mobile apps – so imagine what it will look like when its smaller than a dime.

Change Three: Goodbye Wall, hello Timeline

The two serve a similar purpose but the Timeline is so much more than your Wall ever was. It is much more visual (see Ben and Jerry’s Timeline as an example) and you can go back in time to before Facebook existed to get a better feel for a company or Brand’s history (see Ford Motor Car’s Timeline as an example).

You will still be able to post to your Timeline and allow others (optional) to as well.

Suggestion: Before you launch, review your Timeline and add, remove and beef up content where you can. If someone wants to learn more about your brand over the past 20 years, why not let them?

Change Four: Prioritizing content

There are a few option of how you can prioritize content in the new Facebook setup.

1. You can control the order of the Apps that now appear below your cover photo (formerly in the sidebar). The first App, by default, is always Photos but after that you can choose your next three visible Apps and up to 12 in total. If you actively use the video App, then perhaps you’ll make this the second visible App. Or if you have some custom Page Apps, those would most likely be brought to the front.
2. You can PIN content to the top of your Timeline. If you have a story on your Timeline that you don’t want to get pushed down too far, Pin it so it always appear at the top. Facebook limites this to 7 days.
3. You can STAR a post on your Timeline. Facebook suggests using this for milestones in your company or brand’s history. By STARing a post, it will make it appear twice as well (covering both columns of your Timeline and thereby much more visible.

Optimal Image Size: If you are going to STAR content the size of image that works best for this is 845 x 405 pixels. Using images at this size means Facebook won’t crop or shift your photo.
Suggestions: PIN any sort of timely promotion so it doesn’t get lost further down your page and change it weekly; STAR content that is the visually interesting – try STARing video as well.

Change Five: Custom designed Tabs

Uh oh. Here is the big change which will leave those of you with custom tabs already feeling a little left behind. But those of you considering to have a custom tab created for you to extend your website’s brand to Facebook even more are in luck – tab designs just got MUCH MUCH bigger. We are moving from 520 to 810 pixels wide to be exact. This is a considerable change and gives us, as designers and information architects, much more options to help you to better engage your fans.

There are two types of Facebook tabs designs out there currently: FBML or iFrame.

• iFrame Tabs: You may have one of these already or I am sure you’ve seen then. They are the custom designed sections of your Facebook Page currently accessed from the left sidebar App list. These, up until now, have been built at 520 pixels wide. Once you switch over to the new design, your 520 pixel wide design will float in the middle of the 810 pixel space. This isn’t the end of the world but it does look a little funny and its such as waste of space!
• FBML Tabs: These pages were an older way to build Facebook pages and less common than their iFrame cousin. They will continue to work once you switch to the new layout of your Page but as of June 1, 2012 they will no longer work at all which means this might be the time to think about redesigning with the larger size in mind.

Other FAQs

I would like to change my custom page so it fills the space better. What do I need to do?
Contact us to discuss options and costs.

How do I add items on my Timeline?
Where you would normally add your status update, you’ll see a link for MILESTONE. Use this to add items form the past. Its best to always check off “hide from news feed” so you don’t anger you followers with every additional update. Consider adding photos to your milestones as well to keep your Timeline visually interesting.

Can I still make my custom tab the default landing page?
Nope. Sorry.

Why does Facebook keep changing things?
It could be this is how Zuckerberg feels like he is in control – by constantly forcing us to learn new systems and layouts. But more likely it’s because of countless amounts of data and research that say the changes will be good for us which will make us use Facebook more which means we’ll interact with ads more which means more ads will be sold which means Facebook makes more money. Now, why didn’t I invent Facebook?

Food for Tots is a leading catering company that provides healthy, delicious, child-friendly meals, and snacks to child care centres and schools.  Their website simply did not convey the quality of their product or service.  It was time for a redesign!

The new website features an overall much improved design and includes featured menu items, customer testimonials, and much more expanded information on the food, staff, philosophy and company.

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With most web browsers now having auto updates to force users to use the most updated software, many web developers feel there is very little reason to continue to support older browsers. Due to this increasingly popular train of thought, Internet Explorer 7 may soon follow in the footsteps of its predecessor IE6.

Facebook’s Timeline is the most notable signpost that IE7 is on its way out as IE7 users cannot view the new layout and are offered a buggy version of the old layout (check out this Mashable article for more details). With Facebook on board with ousting this antiquated browser, others are sure to follow suit.

StatCounter which aggregates data collected through a sample of 15 billion+ pageviews per month across over 3 million websites, shows that IE7 usage is down to 4% in December 2011.

We’ll be weighing the pros and cons of continuing support for IE7 but I have a feeling its days are numbered.

IMAGES ARE POWERFUL. Look around your world and see for yourself. Good photos do matter. In an age of information overload, the images you use on your website, in your brochures, fliers and ad campaigns or even on your business cards do three critical things:

• Photos brand you fast and deep. Because photos are dynamic, colorful and personal, many customers remember images in a visceral, almost emotional way. Yet many businesses trust a generic stock photo to represent who they are rather than hire someone to capture the most important aspects of their brand-their visual image. Weigh the pros and cons carefully before you do the same.
• Photos grab and hold the attention of potential clients and customers. In a world of thousands of businesses all clamoring for attention, the photographs that stand out, that are unique, unusual and special are the ones that catch a consumer’s attention. In a field of dairy cows, it’s the purple cow that makes us stop and take a second look. Unless you’re a purple cow all you’ve got are photos to catch people’s eye. Are people taking a second look at your photos?
• Photos can create an emotional anchor people remember and refer to forever. If you don’t believe it, think about some of the most memorable images of your lifetime. Most will be news photos because they are unique, memorable and powerful images, but there will images from friends, movies, vacations, other brand campaigns and advertising that you will carry forever.

Photography Sources:
There are two main sources of photographs licensed for business use: stock photos and hired photographers. Stock photos are generic photos of people, places and things licensed for commercial use and available to anyone who wants to use them. Hired photographers shoot unique photos that personalize a client’s brand, business and projects.

Benefits of Stock Photography:
There’s no doubt about it, stock photos are appealing to many small businesses because they fit tight budgets, are available fast if you’re on a tight timeline, and they’re great for references. But they have a dark side and some serious cons.

Cons of Stock Photography:

• REPUTATIONS AND BRAND RUINED
  Stock photos aren’t such a great option when your competitor is using the same photos. If you’re searching for stock photos using key words like “happy customer,” or “satisfied clients,” chances are your competitor is too. Dell and Gateway computers found out the hard way that looking like your competitors was a bad thing. They bought the same stock image to brand their ad campaign and ended up being ridiculed and humiliated in public. The photos may change, but the article stays online making them a case study in what not to do, forever. See full article here: http://www.brianbehrend.com/archives/2004/09/more_stock_foot.php 

  

• FALSE VALUE
  You save money by using stock photography; but then you end up spending those savings on having your designer spend hours in front of a computer trying to design around available stock photos that don’t fit the vision, the message or the brand. You can save money and lose value when you only look at the bottom line or the dollar sign. True value is the value your customers see because you’ve invested your money wisely, and where it shows to the world.
• COMPROMISED CREATIVITY
  When you hire a designer based on their portfolio, style and vision, you hire them because you trust them to visually interpret your message and brand. They can’t do that if they’re limited by using stock photography. 

  

• SENDING MIXED MESSAGES
  Does any of your marketing copy say ‘customized’, ‘unique’, ‘trustworthy, ‘relationship’? These are some of the power words businesses use to describe their relationship with their clients. How then will these values be translated when you pepper your website with canned stock photography? If you give your clients customized service with unique products, why not treat yourself as well?
• STOCK PHOTOS ARE GENERIC
  Professional stock photographers try to reach the greatest number of buyers, not to create the best or most unique photo for any given individual.
  Stock photographers: 
  • Make their money by creating and shooting photos that appeal to the greatest number of buyers. The more popular their photo, the more people buy it and the greater the saturation of that photo in the market.
  • Want to ensure their designs are not unique or one-of-a-kind. One-of-a-kind photos don’t sell. By being as generic and non-descript as possible they appeal to the most business because they “fit” a cliché, mood or message those businesses with tight budgets and no concern about branding want.

  If you want your message to your customers to be, “We’re just like everybody else,” then stock photos will send that message.

Customized photography is an investment and a reflection of how strongly you believe in your company. Some of the most compelling reasons for choosing customized photography over stock photos:

Custom-Pros

 
• BRAND CONSISTENCY
  Your brand is the face of your business. Anything you attach to your brand, employees, design, photography and language creates a message about who you are and what you stand for. Customized photography will allow you to embody your message with visual images that are consistent with your values and something that you can truly say ‘that is soooo us! When it comes to your brand, there should be no compromises.
• ONE OF A KIND
  Exclusivity is guaranteed. By hiring a photographer you’ll not only be the only company with your unique image, with the proper usage agreement with the photographer you can get exclusive perpetual license to use the image in various ways at a very reasonable cost.
• TRANSPARENCY
  Clients and customers are smarter than you think. When your small company hides behind a stock photo of a large team, they wonder what you’re hiding. If your company can boast about business, that’s all the more reason to photograph your staff, plant, office, personnel and show your clients what you’ve really got. 
  • A photo of one-to-three real customers talking about, using or demonstrating your product tells a better story than all the stock photos in the world ever could.
  • Real people, places and situations in photos create more powerful word-of-mouth referrals than stock photos can.
• LASTING FIRST IMPRESSION
  You gain or lose potential clients in 1-3 clicks of a mouse. New clients always check out your website first. If the website photos and visuals on your homepage don’t invite them to stay and get comfortable, they won’t. 
  • Customized photos hook your client visually; the same way great copywriting hooks them when they read about you. If their interest and curiosity isn’t aroused within those first few seconds, they leave.
  • First impressions are a crucial time to visually engage them and to show them you share a common emotional connection. By the time they make that call, they will feel that they already know you and have connected with you.
• MEDIA ATTENTION
  Most businesses don’t realize it, but by using unique photos of your company, personnel and products your photos are more likely to be used in a news or feature article about your company. Magazines and newspapers won’t use stock photos when they write about you. They want real photos. They can’t always send a photographer out to take a news photo, so they will often ask if you have photos they can use instead. 
  • When you can provide additional photos to help illustrate an article for a newsletter, news article or other publicity use you’re more likely to be selected or included in the media, including blogs, newspapers, business journals, magazines and even television.
  • By having a variety of photos of personnel, staff and officers, as well as production photos or photos of your operation or staff in action, you also increase public interest in your presentations, talks and speeches about your company.

  

• PHOTOS TELL YOUR STORY
  Photos tell your story, not everyone else’s story. Years ago, several of the most popular big-box retailers (Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target) began using their own employees in their product ads. They found that customers liked recognizing the staff, or knowing that the company showcased people who actually used and wore their products. 
  • Your story is unique, shouldn’t the illustrations be too?
  • If you hit a hole-in-one, scored the winning goal or achieved some goal would you be happy with a stock photo illustrating your achievement? How is your business any less important?
  • We remember movies, stories and events through photos. If the photos are not unique, they’re not worth remembering or paying attention to.

There are many ways to place customized photography on your website or your next marketing brochure for maximum impact. To see what we can do for you, schedule a free consultation by contacting Mouth Media.

After designing the Lamport-Sheppard Entertainment website in early 2010, we were asked to recreate the online home for Rescue Mediums – a half hour television show currently airing its 7th season.

Stop by their Facebook Page as well and give them some LIKE love.

Check out the dramatic changes in the website in these Before and After shots.

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Recently Facebook made some pretty hefty changes in how brands and businesses use their Facebook Pages. At Mouth Media, we are loving the new changes! Here is a quick list of how the changes affect current Page owners and admins.

1. You are now able to LIKE other pages AS your page instead of through your personal account (as was required previously). You can also comment on posts AS your page.
2. You can let everyone know who your Page admins are. If you have a handful of recognized people acting as admins for your Page, you can show them off and gain some industry cred.
3. You can now be notified by email when someone posts to your wall or comments. No need to routinely scan for ‘inappropriate’ content as it will be waiting for you in your email inbox (yeahhhh more inappropriate emails). More importantly, having notifications lets you know when you need to login to contribute to the conversation.
4. FBML pages are being discontinued. They still work for now – but for how long, its hard to tell. Facebook has moved to iFrames which can support much more content including XFBML code and plugins. With the new way we create Facebook Pages, we can include:

• HTML content (basically anything you can put on your website can now be added to your Facebook Page)
• Internal or external links
• CSS (site styles)
• Javascript
• Flash (keeping in mind that Flash is not viewable on mobile)
• Other social media feeds and content (blogs, youtube, twitter, flickr…)
• Dynamic content (content from your database)
• Facebook Like buttons, Facebook Comments, Facebook Live Event Chat…

If you are looking to update or add to your Facebook Page, we would love to discuss how Mouth Media can help.

LINKS TO RECENT FACEBOOK DESIGNS BY MOUTH MEDIA

• Starport Marina
• Greenlane Estate Winery
• Kelly Jack Real Estate
• Luminato Festival – 1001 Nights
• Sears Home Alarms

And lots more launching soon for a television show, a daycare centre, a museum, a personal trainer… – apparently everyone wants (and needs) a custom Facebook in 2011. it’s no wonder considering that Facebook is the second most popular website in the world after Google.

You wouldn’t consider using a bad photo for your online dating profile, so why use substandard imagery on your website? Like an online dating profile, your website should be considered an introduction and similarly people will make a quick decision whether they are interested in making contact with you based on many factors, including the visual. Make sure your first impression is a strong one through the use of quality photography.

Certainly there is a wealth of great stock photography out there, most notably www.istockphoto.com and www.veer.com, but there is really something to be said about professional custom photography as well.

Custom photography, which can be more affordable than you think, adds a real quality to your marketing materials that often stock photography does not.  This is especially evident in photos of people like bio and team photos. Certainly you can’t use a stock photo for your bio photo (though I have a sneaking suspicion this happens a lot in online dating!) and unprofessional vacation snapshots don’t make the cut so why not invest in a quality headshot for yourself and your senior management team? Often the images are fully edited images-color corrected with blemishes and undereye circles removed. Choosing a stock photo for your About Us or Team page always feels staged and impersonal whereas a professional group shot lends a much more personal quality.  If you have high staff turnover, however, you may wish to rethink the group shot or plan to update it frequently.

If you are a spa, clinic or other business where your customers come to your space, having professional photography of both the exterior (if applicable) and interior of your space really serves to show potential customers (and referring existing customers!) the atmosphere and feel of your location.  Having photos of your waiting area, treatment rooms or office space could mean the difference between someone choosing you or one of your competitors.

If you are a business with products, strong photos is essential for marketing purposes. Often product photography is more costly than photography of people (especially for products like jewelry and chocolate due to shine) so you may wish to  initially concentrate on your primary few products to cut down on costs.

In additional to the obvious things like lighting, a good photographer will also offer hair and makeup services to help you and your team look your best. Often they will also offer staging services to ensure your space looks its best for the photo shoot.

Be sure all photos provided to you by the photographer are high resolution so you can use them for print and so that they can be compressed for online use. High resolution can be easily compressed for web but low resolution is not suitable for print and cannot be upgraded.

People really do choose a book by its cover.  If you are interested in custom photography, Mouth Media would be pleased to refer you to one of our network of photographers. Simply email info@mouthmedia.com.

Below is a sampling of recent Mouth Media projects where custom photography was used:

• Desired Smiles: www.desiredsmiles.com/about-us.php, www.desiredsmiles.com/contact.php
• Mouth Media: www.mouthmedia.com/about.php
• Hotel Gelato: www.hotelgelato.com (custom combined with stock)
• Vesnivka Ukrainian Choir: www.vesnivka.com
• Palazzo Terranova: www.palazzoterranova.com (custom combined with stock)
• Greenlane Winery: www.greenlanewinery.com
• Starport Marina: www.starportmarina.com (custom combined with stock)
• Ambiente Candles & Soaps: www.mouthmedia.com/portfolio/ambiente.html

We were very excited to be approached by the Gardiner Museum when they were embarking on their new website project. If you have had the chance to visit the Gardiner Museum in person, you would realize that their previous website was not overly representative of the space, their collections or the overall experience offered at the Gardiner. Check out the new designs in our Before and After gallery.

Soon we’ll be launching an eNews piece, their Twitter page and a custom Facebook Page as well a full ecommerce solution for donations, memberships, events and products from the shop.

See below for Before and After shots.

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With a television, car or countless other things, eventually it becomes time to upgrade to a newer model.  A website is no different!  As the Internet continues to evolve, even a well-designed website can still eventually become out of date from a design, content and technological perspective thus reducing the effectiveness of this important marketing tool.

In 2006, Mouth Media designed a website for King West Chiropractic in Toronto.  The site was a very clean and simple design, smallish in scale and very easy to navigate.  Overtime, as the standard size of computer monitors increased, the site began to feel small in comparison to contemporary websites.  From a design perspective, the site began to feel dark as airy, crisp site design began to increase in popularity over the propensity for the darker palettes of 5 years ago.  Understanding the importance of maintaining a good online presence, King West once again contracted us to design a new website.

The resulting relaunch of www.kingwestchiropractic.com is much more contemporary with an inviting colour scheme and  greatly improved design and layout.

What the client, Dr. Cynthia Chan, Chiropractor & Co-clinic Owner of King West Chiropractic Health Centre, had to say about the result:

“We used Mouth Media originally in 2006 to design our website and recently again to freshen up the site. We are very happy with the redesign which included making the site wider to match current standard, adding a blog to help with search-engine optimization and a totally new design. Since our new site launched two weeks ago we are already noticing an increase in email inquires and appointments. Dealing with Jason and his team is always a pleasure – their customer service is second-to-none! I highly recommend Mouth Media for your website design needs.”

See below for Before and After shots.

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