blackbox

Integrating Social Media on your website

mike — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 22:24:10 +0000

Just got done launching the new Viva! Consult website. Denise and I made a little video explaining how we tied in all her social media profiles into her website. Check it out:

Writing Posts and Pages in WordPress

mike — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:30:08 +0000

Where to log in?

Once you have your WordPress blog installed, you need to log in to the WordPress administration area where you can write posts and pages. To log in the WP admin panel type /wp-admin at the end of your domain.

http://www.yourdomainname.com/wp-admin

Writing a post in WordPress

Writing posts and pages is the core activity in WP. You can start writing by clicking the Add New button located in the Posts menu:

You can then add text, images and other content. Once you’re ready, the new post can be published just by clicking the Publish button. If you want to see what your posts looks like before you publish just click on the Preview button. You can also save your draft without publishing by clicking on the Save Draft button.

Creating pages in WordPress

Creating individual pages in WordPress is quite similar to writing a post. You should simply click Add New in the Pages menu.

When you are ready with your new page, click Publish to save it.

Simple online store with Big Cartel

mike — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:30:23 +0000

I was working with a couple of different scripts to set up a simple paypal store for a couple of area54 tees I want to be able to sell online. All the ones I tried were either too complicated or just too cumbersome to enter product pictures, item information and price. After a couple of wasted hours of trying different things I just said screw it and went to Big Cartel and signed up for their free service. (if you have less than 5 items it’s free). You can’t do much customization to the layout or add additional pictures but if you just have a couple of tees like I have, then it’s really a dream little program. Check out the store for area54 tees

Increase WordPress memory limit

mike — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:55:35 +0000

If your WordPress installation gets too big a common error message is the “Fatal Error: Allowed memory size…” error.

This error message is a result of WordPress exceeding it’s predetermined memory limit. Too many large plugins or too much content on your blog or website will trigger this error message.

By going into your wp-settings.php file on your sever you can easily fix this.

Wordpress sets its memory limits within the wp-settings.php file. All that has to be done is change the memory limit from “32M” to “64M”.

Here’s what you need to do.:

Open wp-settings.php in a code editor or notepad. This file is in the root directory of your WordPress installation
Change the “32″ to “64″
Save the file and FTP it to your server
If 64 isn’t enough then try 128

Another setting you can change is in the wp-config.php file. Add: define(‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ’64M’); right below

Free Sketching and Wireframing kit

mike — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 19:52:35 +0000

When I’m building a wireframe in illustrator for my customers I’m always creating new elements and forms for specific projects. Not anymore. Now I’m using this wireframing kit that has pretty much everything you need. It consist of form elements, icons, indicators, feedback messages, tooltips, navigation elements, image placeholders, embedded videos, sliders and common ad banners.

Web Design

mike — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:50:52 +0000

Blackbox provides complete web application and site design, development, and hosting solutions for small to mid-sized organizations using web standards, industry best practices, and the highest quality open source software.

Design Services

•    Web application & site wire-framing and mock-ups
•    Standards-compliant XHTML & CSS layout & style
•    Graphic design & logos/logotype
•    User interface design
•    Multimedia & interactive design:
o    Photography
o    Adobe Flash
o    Video
Development Services

•    Web application & site backend development:
.    PHP development, including: WordPress, Drupal & Joomla
•    Front-end development: JavaScript + jQuery & other libraries
•    Relational database administration
•    XML design & development

Social Network Websites

mike — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:44:48 +0000

Blackbox can help your business build a social networking website that will allow you to create your own online network and let your users/customers build social profiles, manage content, build blogs, upload photos and videos, search and connect with other users, message and chat with each other, create groups, leave comments and much more.

The social networks we build are totally custom and unique. Every social networking site is built from the ground-up based on extensive planning/architecture/documentation and for usability and power.

Here’s a general feature sampling for a social network:

•    Custom professional design (including layout, navigation, header/footer, styles, formatting, logo, etc…)
•    Search engine friendly coding
•    Multi-browser compatible
•    Membership sign-up
•    Member admin panel
•    Share text, photos, flash, videos, songs, files
•    Tagging
•    Advertising Module
•    Messaging
•    Message Board
•    Calendars
•    Weather
•    Statistics
•    Blogs
•    Chat
•    Polls
•    Newsletter
•    Events
•    User profiles
•    User awards
•    Commenting
•    Moderation
•    Metrics / Ad Stats
•    Privacy Controls
•    vLogs
•    Groups
•    Friends
•    Photos
•    Dynamic Content
•    Content Management w/WYSIWYG functionalities
•    Ratings
•    RSS
•    Widgets
•    Forums
•    Search
•    Videos
•    Billing
•    Keyword Advanced Search
•    General Search
•    Automatic Notifications & Reminders
•    Facebook Auxillary Application
•    Mobile Version
•    SMS/Text Message Support

Creativity & Design

mike — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:00:19 +0000

Blackbox is an Oregon based agency specializing in website design and development. We create custom, strategic and high-quality web sites that move your audience to action. Our goal is to create distinguished, easy-to-use websites that ensure a top-quality online presence for your business. We understand that a website is more than just creating a visually appealing placeholder for your business. Our designers and web developers use strategic placement, prominent use of colors and images, search engine optimization and marketing to give you a dramatic increase in traffic to your website.

Social Networking

mike — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:56:14 +0000

Social media, social networking, Web 2.0, new media. There are lots of words and terms flying around about social media that are hard to make sense of or understand. Blogging? Twitter? Facebook or my MySpace? Digg or Delicious? Blackbox has extensive experience working with social media forums. We’ll develop and implement a plan that’s appealing to your brand’s target demographic. This strategy may include website optimization, blog interaction, social bookmarking, MySpace and Facebook marketing, blog marketing & search engine promotion campaigns. We work with professional writers to write articles and press releases announcing unique features of your social networking website. Blackbox’s experience is in using the power of social media marketing and creating cost-effective, measurable, and viral campaigns that build your brand and spread ideas in the world of Web 2.0.

Strategy & Marketing

mike — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 08:39:32 +0000

Blackbox’s marketing services integrate knowledge of web culture, social networking, online marketing and consumer generated media marketing to create a strategy that gets your business participating in the social media phenomena. With Social Media Optimization (SMO) we can create an effective social media campaign that will attract and engage your visitors in a way that organic search results and regular advertising can’t. An effective social media strategy is focused on attracting visitors to relevant two-way conversations about your products, services, industry, or brand and increasing the volume and richness of those conversations.

Our social media strategy development consists of:

• Search Engine Reputation Audit
• Social Media Keyword Research
• Blog Audience Development