web development | Aqua Vita

10.04.2010
Industry News, Serious Stuff

Google SEO Secrets

Published by Jessica Cox under Industry News, Serious Stuff

Gayle Laakmann

Want the inside scoop on Google’s most closely-guarded search engine secrets?

Would you like to know what really works to boost your search engine rankings?

Why not ask Google?

Straight form the Google Developer Vault:
Google’s Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

Let’s see what’s inside:

SEO Basics

Create unique, accurate page titles
Make use of the “description” meta tag

Improving Site Structure

Improve the structure of your URLs
Make your site easier to navigate

Optimizing Content

Offer quality content and services
Write better anchor text
Optimize your use of images
Use heading tags appropriately

Dealing with Crawlers

Make effective use of robots.txt
Be aware of rel=”nofollow” for links

SEO for Mobile Phones

Notify Google of mobile sites
Guide mobile users accurately

Promotions and Analysis

Promote your website in the right ways
Make use of free webmaster tools

8.16.2010
Aqua Vita News, Serious Stuff

Racing Limos Rolls Out New Site

Published by Jessica Cox under Aqua Vita News, Serious Stuff

Racing Limos just rolled out a new website, thanks to Aqua Vita.

As the most-requested limo company for rock bands traveling the area, Racing Limos wanted to showcase their VIP experience on the web.

“I like to see the enjoyment people get out of renting our cars,” said Tracy Whyburn, Racing Limos owner. “We’re professional but not stuffy. With the website, I wanted a sophisticated renegade look.”

Visitors can meet the drivers, scope out custom limos, read testimonials, and catch a glimpse of their VIP customers at RacingLimosTulsa.com.

“I had a good experience working with Aqua Vita,” said Whyburn. “Everyone likes the site. They say it’s not your typical limo company website. That’s good; we’re not your typical limo company. We’re adding new cars every day. Coming soon: a stretch Jaguar, and a 50-foot Excursion with a private fog machine and a laser light show.

So what did Racing Limos website look like before the redesign?

Happy to help.

8.09.2010
Aqua Vita News, Serious Stuff

Web Design for the Nicest Businessman in Tulsa

Published by Jessica Cox under Aqua Vita News, Serious Stuff

We have the pleasure of working with some really class acts.

Today’s client spotlight: Ben Gorrell

As the vice president of one of the largest independent insurance agencies in Tulsa, Ben Gorrell has spent more than 30 years in the insurance industry. Like Rich & Cartmill, he’s built his reputation on integrity and helping people minimize their risk for businesses and homes alike. As an independent agent, he can shop around to make sure you get the policy that best fits your needs and your budget.

Dear Aqua Vita Creative team,

I am excited to let you all know I have received a strong Business to Business lead from my new Webpage. The gentleman looked at the WebPages of the Independent Insurance Agents in Oklahoma and chose ours as being the “Best”.

A second accolade goes to you from our IT staff. He personally complimented the attractive work you had done.

I am very pleased with the work that went into my site and the quality of the final product. I complement each of you on a job well done – the concept, the interviewing, the writing, the layout, the color, the links all go together to make for an attractive final product that conveys my philosophy and willingness to help.

Thank You!

Ben F. Gorrell, Jr. MBA, CPCU, CIC
President, Gorrell Insurance Agency, Inc.

4.26.2010
Development Journals

The Sign Maker: Project Journal

Published by Jonathan Cox under Development Journals

We’re down to refinement on this project, now, and as simple as that statement may seem, this is really the portion of the project that matters most, and is the most time consuming.

Here’s a shot of the home page as it stands now:

Here’s today’s task list:

Create custom “Ballpark Weiner” text headlines in JPG format for all main pages and sidebar items
Add drop down navigation
Inside page template refinement
Create Testimonials page
Edit testimonials to “rock star” length for sidebar
Create rotating testimonials JavaScript app for the sidebar to add a little curb-appeal to that section
Install breadcrumb navigation plugin & format it for the site header
Create custom slideshow for front page
General de-bugging

Estimated hours for today: 8

I’m pretty excited to see this site coming together. We’ve put a lot of work into it, and Sean did a great job of honoring and building upon their existing brand.

1.06.2010
Aqua Vita News, Marketing Alchemy

Aqua Vita Creative Featured on Web Design Ledger

Published by Jessica Cox under Aqua Vita News, Marketing Alchemy

Hope you get a chance to read our article at Web Design Ledger today.

I’ve put together a personal cross-browser optimization cheat sheet/tool list we use at Aqua Vita Creative in our web development projects. This is the perfect starting place for a savvy business owner, or marketing director to engage customers or prospects on their website.

Nothing says “I care” like a website optimized for your customer’s viewing pleasure. Of course you can’t please everyone, but you can make sure 80% of the website visitors have a pleasant experience with your company online.

Everyone needs to be aware of this. If you don’t know how your web page looks in multiple browsers, odds are you’re turning away potential customers.

Keep an ear to the ground, there’s more to come too! I found so many great tools, they wouldn’t fit in one post.

Matt found an alternative to the W3Schools statistics tool: W3Counter Browser Share

Questions? Comments? Brilliant statements? I’d love to hear your thoughts.