“General Motors (GM), for one, appears to no longer believe in the power of Facebook — the automaker plans to stop advertising on the site because it said its paid ads had “little impact on consumers’ car purchases…”

WOW! I saw that one coming.

We do a lot of work in the construction and remodeling industries and often get those kinds of questions from clients of whether Facebook is worth investing advertising dollars in. Especially for those industries I don’t think it is. The social media sphere is so much more geared towards consumer products, stuff you use all the time. You remodel your home maybe once every 10 years.

Well, it appears it doesn’t make sense for GM to continue this campaign either and most people will buy a new car every 6 years or so. Is this the end of Facebook? Will it slip away like MySpace and Friendster or will it continue to stay strong and become the next Apple or Google?

Screen Printing: This is the most common imprint type for apparel.  It involves printing your design on the apparel using ink forced through a mesh (screen) stencil.  This method is the most practical for larger quantities of garments and is quite durable (think about how long you’ve had that favorite concert t-shirt).

Heat Transfer: This method is commonly used for apparel that is personalized per garment or ordered in small quantities.  You see it most often on the back of jerseys for sports teams (names and numbers).  With heat transfers, a special type of vinyl material is cut out using a vinyl cutter and then applied to the garment using a heat press.  Designs using this material can either be single color or printed full color on a large format inkjet printer.  This is the most economical option when you only need a very small quantity of garments printed.

Embroidery: This method is most common on polos, hats and bags.  It is probably the most durable type of apparel imprint we offer because it involves stitching your logo to the garment using different colored thread.  This will last as long as the garment does.  Because of the time involved, embroidery is typically used for small graphics, such as logos placed on the upper left chest and sleeves of shirts or the front of hats.

Century Marketing can offer a wide range of decoration for your apparel.  Each method has it’s positives and negatives, but in the end, it all depends on what you are looking for.  Give us a call to find out which method is best for you.

Not sure how to write the code so the backgrounds go the full width of the window but the content stays centered in the middle? Let me show you.

The CSS
<style>
.wrap {
position:relative;
margin:0 auto;
/*replace 990px with your width*/
width:990px;
}

#CMHeader, #CMFooter {
width:100%;
background:#243448;
}
#CMHeader {
/*change or remove as necessary*/
height:510px;
}
#CMFooter {
/*change or remove as necessary*/
height:200px;
}
</style>

The Header code:
<div id=”CMHeader”>
<p>Content Here</p>
</div><!– end CMHeader –>

The Footer code:
<div id=”CMFooter” >
<p>Content Here</p>
</div><!– end CMFooter –>

Now your header and footer will span the entire width and your content will stay centered in the middle of the page. If you want the center body of the website where all your content is to have a background the same way, just follow the same procedure with another ID.

CSS code has come a long ways since the early 2000s and is really the foundation to coding a great looking site. If you aren’t proficient in CSS, look for more tutorials online or purchase a beginners book as CSS is extremely powerful and will make your life a lot easier in the future and others who work on the same site.

Icon: The icon is the actual visual symbol or mark. The icon should be appealing and stand out. A great example is the swoosh in Nike’s brand.

Logotype: The logotype is how your company’s name is viewed. What font you use and how it is arranged and spaced out.

Slogan: A slogan is a short description, motto or phrase that is catchy & represents the company.

One Of A Kind Design Jewelry is a logo that I designed for a client. Terri wanted something that reflected what she did by just looking at the logo. We used a Swarovski Crystal to be the main representation, because she uses it in almost every piece of jewelry she designs. She customizes all of her designs to tailor to the needs of her client. Therefore, her slogan “Made Especially For You” is suggesting that her jewelry is customized. Terri has received many compliments about her new logo design from existing clients and new clients. We were glad to help her with the process.

It is very important to stand out with your first impression with clients.  Having an impressive logo is very crucial for your company. Take the time to brand your company’s image and you will have great success.

Well, we can give you an idea on return but don’t think it’s a magic button that sends leads to your way and causes your phone to ring off the hook. Even spending $100+ each DAY won’t ensure you get all those leads you wish you had. But it does work.

Having your name out there and having those paid ads will help over time and a lot sooner than organic SEO. It will cause your phone to ring if your product or service is in demand and your ads are setup properly. Are you selling a retail product? Something really popular right now? A service? A remodel? Roof repair?

High demand services or products and your ads will cost more but you will also have more people see those ads. Buy ads for a low demand service and you’ll pay less but don’t be surprised if you only get a couple clicks a day.

Adwords is all part of the bigger picture. It’s one more small thing you should be doing to drive business to your website/company. If you don’t have a good website then the ads may do nothing for you.

Every little bit helps and if you pick up another good job once a month by advertising then depending on your margins it’s well worth it. Give it a try and experiment. You won’t know until you try it and there’s a reason Google is as valuable and successful as they are.

Compton Ridge will be using their mobile website along with a QR code campaign. The QR codes will be placed on print materials, signs, and advertisements and will direct the user to their new mobile website.

A lot of people still get confused between an app and a mobile website. An app is native to a specific platform (Apple, Android, Blackberry, etc). The app would be purchased or downloaded through that platforms app store and installed.

Most apps do not require an internet connection to work but take a lot more time to and expense to create.

Mobile websites work on all platforms, you only have to make it once, and there are no issues with having to download an app. The only drawback is you must have an internet connection for them to work.

If you’re interested in a mobile website, let us know!

What color of paper stock will best fit your project? By using a lighter colored paper, you are able to use more colors in the printing process. But what color of light paper to use? They can range from white, off white, beige, ivory, the list goes on and on. Bright colored papers will require a certain ink for them to show up.

The texture of your paper is very important. Most of the time a smooth finish stock is used in print design. However, touch is one of the strongest ways to really make an impression with your audience. It can grab their attention & interest. There are so many textures as well with paper, linen, laid, glossy, etc. that choosing the correct paper texture is a process in itself.

The weight of the paper. Paper is measured in pounds. Most business paper is 20 to 24 pound. Most card stock papers are 60 to 65 pounds. The thicker the piece, the harder it is to fold, the thinner the piece, the easier it is to rip.

What finish should you use for your project? Matte, glossy, satin, semi- gloss? Take a look at a photograph, people usually like the finish to be high-gloss finish for the color of the photo. While using a matte finish can allow people to write on a paper, which gloss makes it hard to do.

There are so many choices when considering what type of paper to use for print media. The decision on what you use is just as important as what is printed on the print piece. Take the time to see what is going to best suit your design, there are so many great choices you can use for your project.

There are companies that sell groceries online and deliver them to your house. Others that actually make your meals and bring them to you. We all know about Amazon.com and other online retailers who have the best deals around and most of the time free shipping and in some instances no tax! Traditional storefronts have to charge more than these massive online retailers because they don’t do the same volume and because they have to pay for a storefront which demands a higher rent fee and higher fee to maintain each month.

I thought about this when shopping in Town Center over the weekend. Stuff is pricey there just compared to driving 2 miles west for the same thing. And those prices are high compared to what I can pay online.

Storefronts I believe will always be around because people do want to touch and feel what they are buying and will want to be able to just run down to the store and pickup something, not wait a day or two for shipping. But, the more we buy online the more we are taking away from these stores and giving more to the large online retailer.

Business is booming on the web especially in this kind of economy where the online retailers can have lower prices and can save on areas that the storefronts cannot. We are already much further ahead in technology than most people’s parents or grandparents thought we would be. Is it all that crazy of an idea to think that 90% of all our purchases will be made online in the future and we will no longer have storefronts?

With today’s forms of communication, it is so easy to market and communicate with people all over the world. This can expand your company’s growth & really make a difference, so take advantage of a lot of these free forms of marketing such as Facebook & Twitter. However, you are also going to have to get out there and market in other ways, such as print material. Putting a product or information in a customer’s hand, offering a coupon is a great way to get customers in the door, is always a great way to market. By making personal appearances, the customer will feel more at ease knowing who they are working with. They can trust you working for them, once that bond has been made. Marketing is a great advertising tool if done correct and can make the world of difference.

There are so many forms of marketing to consider. Century Marketing, Inc can help you find the best marketing strategies for your company & make them happen. Contact us for your next print order.

April 17th is the deadline and it’s coming quick. 10 years ago, if you waited until the last minute you were likely up all night the day before and pulling your hair out trying to figure out how all the forms go together, did you fill out the right ones, get all the credits you should, etc. Stressful times trying to do it yourself.

I’m not really sure how companies like H&R Block, Liberty Tax, and others are still in business. With technological advancements, many people turn to TurboTax online or even the other tax companies online. Fill in your information, go step by step, and the website generates all your forms and calculations for you. Even checks for errors and audit flags!!

There have been years that I waited until the last minute and stayed up all night. Then I waited until the last minute but TurboTax saved my life…or at least a penalty for filing late. Now, I always do my taxes right when I get my W-2 and if I owe, TurboTax can hold and not file until I decide at a later time to file and submit my payment. This way I can hold onto my money longer. But, I can rest easy knowing that it’s done, it’s online, it’s safe, secure, and all I need to do is hop online a couple days before the tax deadline, and press a button and I’m done!