Click on the following images to see a sample of the envelope and letter we have received for some our domain names:

The notices that the Domain Registry of Canada (DROC) sends out makes them look like an official request to renew an expiring domain name.

They look like a government official domain name authority with a Canadian flag on their envelope. They also have the same color envelope that you would expect from Canadian Government.

DROC is basically trying to trick people to fill out the form, provide the necessary information and transfer their domain away.

Please do not send any money to this company before consulting this letter with us.

If you have registered your domains with us, you can safely ignore domain name scams like Domain Registry of Canada.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.
1.866.609.7092

Most websites won’t work on a mobile phone.

They’re slow to load, hard to view and don’t offer the right kind of experience for on-the go customers.

How does a mobile website work?

To see how it works, simply vist our website using your mobile phone, that’s it.

Mobile phones are automatically detected and redirected to our mobile website.

Our mobile website allows us to provide our mobile visitors a fast and easy way to learn about our business and contact us with one click.

Our existing web site is aimed at giving a full and comprehensive picture of our services. Our mobile site allows us to deliver immediate access to what matters most when on the go.

We will soon be offering a new value added service to our customers, called goMobi. It offers you an easy, fast and complete mobile website at an affordable cost.

Imagine the benefits to your customers to quickly find your phone number, call you with one click, see your opening hours or where you are located on Google maps.

What is goMobi?

goMobi is a service that makes your business easily available to mobile users with a fast and easy mobile website. Millions of people are now using their mobile phones to surf the Internet and look for information and services. goMobi ensures customers can easily find your business anywhere, anytime. Thanks to its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, customers get immediate access on their mobile phone to all the key information about your business and are able to contact you with just one click or touch.

Why is the mobile web important?

There are 4 billion mobile phones in active use worldwide: 4 times more than PCs. In 2009, mobile web usage increased 148% globally (Source: Quantcast) and the numbers continue to rise. In fact, by the end of 2013, customers using the mobile web are projected to grow to 1 billion. Your customers are already looking for you on their mobile phones. This is a huge opportunity for your business you don’t want to miss. If your business is not on the mobile web, your customers won’t be able to find you!

How are mobile Web sites different than PC sites?

Mobile websites are built to exploit the special characteristics of mobile phones and mobile users to provide the best possible experience to users. Besides adapting to the smaller screen of a mobile phone, they are also made easier to navigate using touch or a keypad and provide more direct access to the information that a customer is more likely to need while on the go. Even on high-end devices with large touch-screens, a made-for-mobile Website helps your visitors quickly become happy customers with content and a design that’s suited to someone in a mobile context for example, customers can use the unique features of the mobile phone to contact you such as the ‘call us’ feature, where with one touch they call your business and the ‘find us’ feature, which provides access to a Google map showing your business address and allowing the customer to obtain directions from their present location to your business

Do I have to use a .mobi domain name or can I use a different one?

It is recommended to use goMobi with a .mobi domain, to maximize visibility to the user that the site is mobile friendly, but any domain can be used.

How much does it cost?

Please contact us for pricing information.

This article includes some helpful tips, information and tools that can help you successfully use Facebook for your business.

If you decide to use social media tools to communicate with your customers, make sure you have a plan. It will greatly help with your success.

Social media tools like Facebook need regular attention to engage and attract visitors. We included an example of a communication plan, which you can easily set up by using a simple spreadsheet and your calendar application.

Why have a Facebook Page?

Increasingly, Facebook users search for information, organizations and businesses within Facebook, using the built in search tool. You can rank high in Google, but if you don’t have a Facebook Page, how will people find you without leaving the site?

For businesses, having a Facebook Page is becoming more and more a necessity, in addition to operating a regular website.

How to create a Facebook Page?

Getting started is easy. The following links will help to get you started:

Create a Facebook Page | Facebook.com

Information about Facebook Pages

Set up a username (also called vanity URL)

By default, your Facebook Page will get a randomly assigned number and URL (facebook.com/pages/yourbusiness/123456789).

Facebook makes it possible to customize your Facebook Page URL (facebook.com/yourbusiness).

Click on the following link to set up a custom username, after you created your Page and are still logged in to Facebook (important):

https://www.facebook.com/username/

Populate your Facebook Page

Before you start promoting your Page, make it attractive and look complete. Add all necessary information about your company, services, include a profile picture or logo, and some great photos showing your products or services you provide.

Then, add a few posts over the next days. A Facebook Page with a few posts and content will look much better to new visitors when you start promoting your brand new Facebook Page.

Some businesses included custom landing pages (aka Welcome Tab, iFrame App, etc.). This goes beyond the purpose of this post. Contact us if you need more information or help setting this up.

Following are links to Facebook Pages of some of our customers, as examples of how a Facebook Page looks for a business or organization:

Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
https://www.facebook.com/rockyski

Tourism Canmore Kananaskis
http://www.facebook.com/TourismCanmore

Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mad-Dogs-Englishmen-Dogsled-Expeditions-Inc/107442389303434

Promote the Facebook Page on your website

Now, some people may say: Why would I want to add Facebook to my website? Isn’t that sending people away from it?

Social Media is an important aspect in online marketing today. If you are going to use Facebook for your business, make it easy for people to connect and interact with your business, including proving the tools to do so from your own website!

There are many benefits of integrating Facebook with your website, including providing you with an easy to use tool to show new content and make announcements right on your homepage.

Larger websites use Content Management Systems where they can publish and update information in a blog or a news section. Using a Facebook box, somewhat similar capabilities to share information is available to anyone, right on your homepage. This allows you to post to Facebook and keep content on your homepage fresh at the same time.

However, using your own blog or news section is important if want your content to benefit your website in terms of search engine optimization. Typically, smaller websites can be served well with a Facebook like box, where larger websites use social media in conjunction with their own blog. Makes sense? If not, drop us a line.

How does it look?

Following are some examples of a Facebook like box, integrated with a website’s home page.

Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge

Tourism Canmore Kananaskis

Mad Dogs & Englishmen Expeditions

Have a Communication Plan

To use Facebook effectively as a business, have a plan. Planning ahead and setting up a communication schedule will save you time.

To start, look at what other businesses in the area are talking about. This may give you some ideas. Also, read on the documentation provided by Facebook for businesses (links included at the bottom of the article).

Choosing what information to post will depend on your business, your audience and your goals. If your business is in the tourism industry, your audience is probably interested to find out about what’s happening, upcoming events, things to do, new products, special offers, etc.

Think about the frequency of your posts. Find the right rhythm for your audience, and that works with your schedule. Keep the conversation human, authentic. For example, you can share photos of your business, the community and customers.Share new and exclusive content and encourage participation. Also, keep in mind social media is a conversation tool. Therefore, address negative feedback in a courteous, genuine, transparent way. Other people will read it too.

Example of a simple communication plan

One way of building a plan and time saving workflow could be:

• Use a spreadsheet for planning your posts ahead of time.
• Include columns with post topic, content, planned posting date.
• Set aside time on a regular base (1 hour once a month) to prepare all draft posts for the next month. Brainstorm, research and write your posts, decide on an appropriate posting date for each post, spacing them a few days apart.
• Setup a task for each post in your calendar application, using the post content and date, and set up a reminder.
• When you’re alerted by the reminder, simply copy and paste the post content from your calendar application to your Facebook page – a 1 minute job!

This way, you could have a continuous presence on Facebook and new content added regularly, including on your website homepage, for less than a couple hours a month.

Without a clear communication plan, chances are it will take you significantly more time overall, if you add it all up, to produce similar results and getting things done.

Participate

You can raise the profile of your Facebook Page within the community by “liking” other pages. Use the same Like button your customers use for your Page, to like other local businesses and associations. Connect with people and businesses, just like in the real world. Some businesses overlook this simple aspect.

Example like buttons on websites:

Ask for help

If you need help getting started or making improvements to your social media efforts, send us an email with your questions.

Click here to contact us

Resources

Following are some links to useful documents:

Building your Business with Facebook Pages (PDF)

Best Practice Guide to Marketing on Facebook (PDF)

• Using an email client (Outlook, Windows Mail, etc.)
• Using the Gmail interface in a web browser
• Adding a signature to your messages
• Setting up a Vacation responder
• Properly using To, Cc and Bcc
• How is spam handled?
• Security

Using an email client (Outlook, Windows Mail, etc.)

If you use email using an email client, following are the links to properly configure your email. We generally recommend using POP for your email client on your computer and IMAP for mobile devices.

What is POP and IMAP?

1. Set up your email client to use POP, and set Gmail to Archive messages when accessed via POP.

Configuration instructions for POP

2. Set up your mobile devices to use IMAP.

Configuration instructions for IMAP

Using the Gmail interface in a web browser

More and more people use the Gmail interface as the main way to read, write and organize emails. The Gmail interface offers nearly all tools that will even satisfy power users, like:

• labels to organize messages
• filters for incoming mail
• search messages
• managing contacts
• outstanding spam filtering
• ample storage

To access the Gmail interface, use the link set up on your domain (generally http://mail.yourdomain.ca) or log in directly at http://gmail.com, using your business email address.

Adding a signature to your messages

An email signature can be added at the bottom of messages sent from the Gmail interface. For setting up signatures in an email client, look up the respective help files.

To add a signature in Gmail, click on the Settings icon at the top right, then Mail Settings. On the General tab, scroll down to find the Signature settings. Click to Save Changes when you’re done.

Gmail help: Adding a signature

Following are some tips for creating an effective email signature:

• Keep it as short as you can (4 lines is the accepted standard)
• Condense information into fewer lines using pipes ( | ) or colons ( :: ) to separate text
• Simple plain text is better. Avoid colors, special fonts and graphics
• Use the accepted signature delimiter (– ) to help your signature get recognized as such by email clients.
• Skip your mailing address - not every recipient wants or should have access to that information.
• Avoid including a legal disclaimer unless required to do so.

Examples:

Dany Stadtmuller
Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.

http://www.webmarks.ca

phone: 1.866.609.7092

or

Dany Stadtmuller
Creative & Technical Director  |  Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.
1.866.609.7092  |  http://www.webmarks.ca
Twitter: http://twitter.com/webmarksdesign  |  LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/danystadtmuller

Setting up a Vacation responder

Going on vacation? No access to the Internet? No problem! Use Gmail’s vacation responder to let people know you won’t be able to get back to them right away. Click on the following link for instructions.

Setting an automatic vacation response

Properly using To, Cc and Bcc

To:

The To field is for people that the message directly affects, and that you require action from.

Cc (or Carbon Copy):

The CC field can be used for a number of reasons.

• It keeps other people “in the loop” on certain issues (often used to keep managers up to date on issues).
• It lets people know if they are expected to take action, or if they are just being informed.
• It allows you to make the receiver aware that other people know what is going on (in case you want them to take the content more seriously, or treat it as more important or urgent).

Bcc (or Blind Carbon Copy):

When people get an e-mail, they will also see all the people in the To and Cc lines – but not Bcc.

One good use of Bcc is for larger mailings, when you don’t want to show other people’s email addresses to all recipients.

Gmail Help: Hiding addresses when sending to multiple recipients

How is spam handled?

Note that your client may have its own junk mail filtering technology, which is separate from Gmail’s spam filtering.

We recommend using only Gmail’s spam filtering and turning off any additional anti-spam or junk mail filters within your client.

To remove spam from your inbox:

1. Select the unwanted messages.
2. Click Report Spam.

If you find a message wrongly classified as spam, you can unmark the message.

1. Select the message.
2. Click the Not Spam button that appears at the top and bottom of your current view.

For more information, visit the following links:

Gmail help: How is spam handled

Gmail help: Legitimate mail is marked as spam

Security

Following are some useful links regarding passwords,

Tips for choosing a password and security question

Gmail security checklist

FAQ about Gmail, Security & Privacy

Your email will be getting a new look. You can view a screenshot of the look or you can decide to switch to the new look right away using the “Switch to the new look” link.

Following is a preview of the new Email interface:

The interface feels much lighter, and includes customization options. You can change settings, like the density of your inbox. In the Settings gear menu in the upper right of your Gmail Inbox, choose a density for your Inbox: Comfortable (most white space), Cozy (less white space), or Compact (least white space).

You can even change the entire theme, with inspiring imagery. A number of other improvements to search and navigation have been made.

For a while, you will still be able to switch to the old look. To switch back to the old look, click the Settings gear menu, and then choose Revert to the old look temporarily.

For more information about Gmail’s new look, visit:

Gmail’s new look | Official Gmail Blog

Bridging the Gap website

We have just completed one of our larger projects for this year. Bridging the Gap is a website developed for Growing Families Society for East Rural Counties in Strathmore, Alberta, to develop volunteerism for mature adults in Strathmore and Wheatland County.

The goal was to provide the Growing Families Society for East Rural Counties in Strathmore, Alberta with an attractive and engaging community website for posting volunteer and employment opportunities and building a pool of community volunteers.

The website homepage has been carefully designed to summarize the website’s offering to the various target audiences, with clear calls to action and links to pages deeper in the site. The homepage also highlights features and services that are unique to the website: a summary of upcoming events and most recently posted volunteer and job opportunities. Content for events and volunteer opportunities on the homepage changes in real time as new events or opportunities are posted.

Database-driven Volunteer & Job Board

Volunteer & Job Board

The website features a Volunteer & Job Board, powered by specialty web based software that has been customized to meet the needs of Bridging the Gap.

Visitors of the website can browse local volunteer and employment opportunities. Registered users can post their volunteer or work preferences, skills, knowledge and experience. They can also get notifications of volunteer opportunities and apply online.

Regional agencies and local member employers are able to post volunteer and job opportunities as well as browse the pool of community volunteers and submit local event information for inclusion in the website’s events calendar.

Following are some of the features of the Bridging the Gap Volunteer & Job Board:

• Browse volunteer and job opportunities by type or location.
• Volunteer/job seeker area allowing to post skills, volunteer and work preferences.
• Email notifications of opportunities get sent to volunteers as they are posted.
• Volunteers can apply directly online.
• Organization area to manage volunteer and job posts, browse resumes and submit events
• Email alerts for organizations when new resumes are posted

Events Calendar with Google Maps integration, Multiple Views and Events Administration

Events Management

An Events Calendar has been built into the new website and allows local agencies and organizations to submit events, which can be later reviewed and published to the website.

The Events Calendar includes multiple views (list and calendar view), as well as integration with Google Maps for event venue location and tools to easily manage events, venues and organizers.

Due to the dynamic nature of the (database-driven) website, events that have passed are automatically removed from the homepage and upcoming events page, making administration of the calendar that much easier (set it and forget it).

User-Friendly Website

During the development of the website, we decided to look beyond our own experience, skills and knowledge of design and usability. Several types of user testing allowed us to get important feedback and insights. Local testers included 55+ volunteers and local organizations and businesses. The testing also resulted in a positive response and interest from local community groups prior to the official website launch.

For more information about the Bridging the Gap program, please visit the newly launched website at http://www.bridgingthegapalberta.ca

About Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.

Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd. is a Lethbridge, Alberta based web design & development and online marketing agency. We have been providing professional website services to clients in Alberta and around the world since 1995.

Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.
Phone: 1-866-609-7092
Contact us

In addition to your website giving a good impression and being up-to-date, you should take the time to look at the bigger picture. Following are some areas that can help you take your website to the next level.

Evaluate your website’s goals and objectives

Most small business won’t necessarily have a full Internet marketing strategy. However, having clearly stated goals and objectives, which can be measured, are key to every website’s success.

Take a look at your website’s current design and layout

Does your homepage present your business or organization in the best possible way? Can visitors find key information quickly and follow clear calls to action?

Tone / Style of writing

Take a look at your content, particularly spelling and grammar. You should also look at your tone. Make sure your content is engaging, clear and scannable. Good content keeps visitors longer on your website and also helps with search engines.

Integrate Social Media

Chances are you already have a Facebook page and Twitter account. If you haven’t yet integrated them with your website, it is time to look into it. Providing tools on your websites for visitors to share and interact with your organization is invaluable. Today’s Internet users have come to expect sharing functionalities on websites.

Have a mobile-friendly version

Mobile browsing is one of the fastest growing segments of the Web. Browsers, screen sizes, connection speeds – everything is different. Creating a mobile-friendly website is becoming increasingly crucial for any website. If your website is using a Content Management System like WordPress, making your site mobile-friendly is fairly easy and affordable to set up. If you’re not ready to invest in a mobile-friendly website, take at least the time to test your existing website on different devices. Can your visitors navigate your website easily? Can they find your contact information and phone number?

Measure your advertising efforts

Google Analytics can do more than just giving you information about your website visitors. Properly set up, it can help you track conversions and measure advertising ROI including links from other website, cost-per-click advertising, banners, social networking sites and more. Measuring the effectiveness of your marketing efforts will help evaluate where you get the best results and adjust your marketing budgets accordingly to get more customers.

Contact us today for a free one hour consultation.

ChrisDebienne.com

We just completed the website design & development of ChrisDebienne.com

The website features a clean, simple and professional look, making use of a white and gray color scheme with blue accents.

The goal was to provide an attractive and engaging website to promote the speaking, training and consulting services of Chris Debienne.

Best of Canmore website

Another new web design & development project launch from Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd. BestofCanmore.com is the new website for the Canmore Destination Marketing Fund – Best of Canmore Kananaskis Accommodation Group.

The website’s objectives were to showcase current member accommodation with Google Maps location, photos, description and links to website, rates and reservations, as well as promote the organization’s goals, programs and initiatives.

Like many of our recent projects, WordPress was chosen as the platform of choice to provide a robust framework and ease of use to update content.

Webmarks Design & Marketing is a Lethbridge website design agency, providing professional website services for customers in the Canmore / Banff area, Red Deer, Lethbridge and elsewhere.

If your website needs a visual refresh and/or a performance boost, send us an email. We would be happy to discuss the benefits of having a professionally built website.

Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.
Phone: 1-866-609-7092

Westwind Insurance new website Canmore, AB

Westwind Insurance of Canmore, Alberta unveiled their newly-designed website. The new site provides information about insurance solutions for small businesses and individuals.

You can visit their website at http://www.westwindinsurance.ca

Webmarks Design & Marketing was pleased to develop an attractive and engaging website to promote health, life, mortgage and travel insurance products to potential customers and capture sales leads.

The website uses WordPress, a leading open source Content Management System, to provide an easy interface to update and maintain content.

The new website follows web standards for accessibility and HTML/CSS compliance. It has also been set up to track visitors with Google Analytics, in order to gain insights into website traffic and marketing effectiveness.

Webmarks Design & Marketing is a Lethbridge website design agency, providing professional website services for customers in the Canmore / Banff area, Red Deer, Lethbridge and elsewhere.

If your website needs a visual refresh and/or a performance boost, send us an email. We would be happy to discuss the benefits of having a professionally built website.

Webmarks Design & Marketing Ltd.
Phone: 1-866-609-7092
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