With Google’s recent changes to how reCAPTCHA is managed, now is a good time to review what reCAPTCHA is, why it matters, and how to prepare for the upcoming updates.

Recently, Google announced that reCAPTCHA management is transitioning to Google Cloud Platform (GCP). While existing implementations will continue to function for now, new setups and future management will require a GCP account, which introduces changes in how keys are created, managed, and billed.

Why Is reCAPTCHA Used?

Without protection, website forms can be targeted by automated bots that submit:

reCAPTCHA helps prevent these automated submissions by requiring users to verify they are human before submitting a form.

How We Use reCAPTCHA

We implement reCAPTCHA on form submissions, such as:

• Contact Us forms
• Quote request forms
• Appointment scheduling forms
• Any custom lead generation forms

For most websites, we use reCAPTCHA v2, which adds a required checkbox next to the form. Users must verify they are human before submitting.

This method is simple for users and highly effective at reducing spam. As Coty Drake, Associate Web Application Developer at LRS Web Solutions, explains, “Automated bots are constantly scanning websites looking for unprotected forms. Adding reCAPTCHA helps block suspicious submissions before they ever reach your inbox.”

Automated bots are constantly scanning websites looking for unprotected forms. Adding reCAPTCHA helps block suspicious submissions before they ever reach your inbox.

Coty Drake, Associate Web Application Developer

reCAPTCHA Is Moving to Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Google has announced changes to how reCAPTCHA is managed. While existing implementations will continue to function for now, reCAPTCHA management is transitioning to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) accounts.

What is Google Cloud Platform

Google Cloud Platform (GCP) is Google's suite of cloud-based services used to host applications, store data, run infrastructure, and manage online tools. Instead of running software on physical servers, organizations use cloud platforms like GCP to manage services through Google's global network of data centers.

As reCAPTCHA moves into the Google Cloud ecosystem, the creation and management of reCAPTCHA keys will now take place inside a GCP account.

What This Means

• Your reCAPTCHA keys will need to be owned and managed within a Google Cloud Platform account controlled by your organization.
• Without migration, future updates from Google could impact functionality or security.

Why Google Is Making This Change

Google is consolidating reCAPTCHA under its cloud services to provide:

• Enhanced security
• Better integration with other Google tools
• Improved management and reporting

We recommend completing this migration as soon as possible to avoid potential disruptions.

What's the Difference Between reCAPTCHA v2 vs v3?

Google currently offers two common versions of reCAPTCHA used on websites: reCAPTCHA v2 and reCAPTCHA v3. While both help prevent spam and bot submissions, they work in different ways. 

For many business websites with standard contact or quote forms, reCAPTCHA v2 provides a simple and effective layer of protection. Websites that prioritize a seamless user experience or handle higher volumes of traffic may prefer reCAPTCHA v3.

reCAPTCHA v2 is still widely used and is very effective for most websites. Both versions are effective at preventing automated spam. The right choice often depends on your website’s traffic, security needs, and how much user interaction you want during the form submission process.

Not sure which one is best for your site? We can help.

How to Set Up reCAPTCHA (v2)

If you need to create new reCAPTCHA keys, follow the steps below:

1. Go to https://developers.google.com/recaptcha/intro
2. Click the “Get Started” button.
3. Fill out the registration form.
4. In the Label field, create an easily remembered name (your business name is typically best).
5. Select the reCAPTCHA type: reCAPTCHA v2.
6. Add your domain name (without http:// or www). For example: yourdomain.com
7. Click Submit.
8. Copy both the Site Key and the Secret Key.
9. Email both keys to your project manager so they can be properly configured on your website.

These keys allow your website to securely communicate with Google’s reCAPTCHA service.

How to Set Up reCAPTCHA (v3)

1. Go to https://developers.google.com/recaptcha/intro
2. Click the “Get Started” button.
3. Fill out the registration form.
4. In the Label field, create an easily remembered name (your business name is typically best).
5. Select the reCAPTCHA type: reCAPTCHA v3.
6. Add your domain name (without http:// or www). For example: yourdomain.com
7. Accept the terms and click Submit.
8. Copy both the Site Key and the Secret Key.
9. Email both keys to your project manager so they can be properly configured on your website.

Unlike v2, reCAPTCHA v3 assigns a risk score to each interaction based on user behavior. Your website can then decide how to respond, for example, allowing the submission, requiring additional verification, or blocking suspicious activity.

Developers typically configure score thresholds (such as 0.5) to determine when traffic may be suspicious.

Meanwhile, the conversations we were having told a different story.

Instead of asking what was new or flashy, prospects and clients were asking what worked. They asked smarter questions. They cared about usability, accessibility, security, and control. They wanted sites that loaded fast, made sense to users, and did not require a developer on speed dial for every update.

Let’s reflect on the 2025 website trends we actually saw, based on real conversations across web design, development, and digital marketing.

1. AI Became a Practical Question, not a Buzzword

AI was everywhere in 2025, just not in the way people expected. Instead of asking if they should use AI, prospects asked how it would help their website.

That shift became noticeable in the second half of 2025, when the novelty wore off and expectations got sharper.

Common questions include:

• Does AI improve website search results?
  • Yes, when implemented intentionally and paired with clean content and structure.
• What are best practices for AI personalization in websites?
  • Use AI to support UX, not overwhelm it. Less automation and more relevance.
• How do you use AI on a website without hurting user experience?
  • By enhancing navigation and discovery, not replacing human judgment.

The vibe shifted quickly. AI stopped being a headline feature and started becoming infrastructure. It was less about showing it off and more about using it well.

This was a big moment. AI only mattered if it made the experience better. If it slowed things down or made content feel generic, it was a hard pass. Our research found that that overusing AI to generate content was part of the problem. When everything starts to sound the same, standing out suddenly matters a lot more. 

If you’re thinking about how this applies to your own site, we go deeper in our blog on how to prepare your website content for AI searches.

Going into 2026, we’re focused on using AI where it adds real value and pulling back where it starts to dilute clarity, usability, or originality.

The conversation shifted away from just building a website to living with it. Flexibility, scalability, and third-party integrations became top priorities.

(Time for a brief shameless plug) This is where purpose-built CMS platforms like Antilles CMS started to make more sense. Teams wanted real control without turning their website into a patchwork of plugins and workarounds.

In other words, less duct tape, and fewer “why is this broken?” moments.

The mindset shifted. Accessibility became part of good design, not risk management. Clear structure, readable content, and intuitive navigation helped everyone. Accessibility is built into every project we take on at Web Solutions, not tacked on at the end. We also offer ongoing accessibility services, which are becoming more important as standards, expectations, and regulations continue to evolve in 2026.

4. Security and Hosting Became a Peace of Mind

Security was one of the most common concerns we heard in 2025, especially from organizations handling sensitive data.

The questions were practical:

• Where are backups stored?
  • Off-site, encrypted, and regularly tested so recovery is fast and reliable.
• Who handles security updates?
  • Our team manages updates and monitoring to reduce risk and catch issues early.
• How secure is the hosting environment?
  • Built with industry best practices and ongoing oversight.

What people really wanted was peace of mind.

Secure hosting, reliable backups, and clear ownership all became core parts of website planning. Security and uptime continue to be a top priority in how we approach website development at LRS Web Solutions. If you’re curious what that looks like in practice, we break it down in our How Secure Is My Website? blog post.

5. Design Trends Shifted Toward Clarity and Personality

Minimalism did not disappear in 2025, but the reason it stuck around changed.

For a long time, clean design dominated because it was faster to produce, easier to maintain, and safer to scale. Many teams leaned on minimal layouts because they worked, not because they were super exciting.

What changed in 2025 was not the look of websites, but the process behind them.

AI sped up design workflows and lowered the cost of iteration. Designers could explore more ideas, test variations faster, and push concepts further without blowing timelines or budgets.

Prospects asked for:

• Clean, modern layouts that did not feel generic
• Strong use of white space paired with more personality
• Real photos and custom visuals instead of stock imagery

But underneath those requests was a growing appetite for personality. Sites needed to feel intentional, not templated.

"Okay, but if everyone has access to the same AI tools, won’t everything just start to look the same?"

Yes. That’s exactly the risk. AI can help you make more, but it still can’t help you make better ideas. Read more about the human element in AI design.

If there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s pretty simple.

The best website trends are not really trends. They’re expectations. And in 2025, those expectations got louder, clearer, and harder to ignore.

If your website still feels hard to manage, hard to use, or hard to trust, it’s usually a sign that the site hasn’t kept up with how people use the web today. At LRS Web Solutions, we focus on building websites that work today and continue to work long after launch.

Looking ahead to 2026, that focus doesn’t change.

We’re doubling down on the things clients keep telling us matter most: clarity, performance, security, accessibility, and tools that are actually usable day to day. Most importantly, we’ll keep listening closely, because the best improvements usually come straight from the people using the site, not from a trend report.

Want to see how your website stacks up against these 2025 trends? Contact us and let’s talk through what’s working, what’s not, and what could come next.

Tools like Adobe Firefly, Midjourney, and ChatGPT are now part of the creative process, helping designers move faster and explore new artistic directions. But while AI can generate hundreds of ideas in seconds, it can’t decide which one is worth pursuing. That choice still belongs to the human in front of the screen. At LRS Web Solutions, our designers use AI to enhance their creativity, not replace it. The difference between average and exceptional design often comes down to something only humans can offer: intuition, experience, and vision.

To better understand how AI fits into real‑world design work, we asked two of our experienced designers, UX Generalist Eric Enlow and Senior Visual Communications Specialist Tom Zoschke, to share how they use these tools in their daily workflow. Their insights highlight a common theme: AI is most powerful when guided by human experience.

Can AI Replace Human Creativity in Design?

The short answer: no.

While AI can analyze trends, generate ideas, and even produce images in seconds, it doesn’t truly understand creativity. Creativity involves context, emotion, and strategy. It’s about seeing connections that a machine can’t.

AI can generate a hundred ideas in seconds, but only a designer knows which one is worth pursuing. According to the 2024 Canva State of Creativity Report, 75% of designers say AI increases efficiency, but only 29% believe it can replace human creative decision-making.

Eric describes AI as an “interactive idea notebook,” a place to explore directions quickly and spark inspiration. He often uses large language models (LLMs) to bounce around early-stage ideas or to research how others have solved similar challenges.

Usually, the majority of the ideas it offers are trite or bad. But that’s the normal creative process; you explore a bunch of ideas that won’t pan out but eventually that sparks the one that works.

Eric Enlow, UX Generalist

How Do Designers Use AI in Their Work?

At LRS Web Solutions, AI is now integrated into nearly every stage of the creative process.

Our designers at LRS use it to:

• Generate early visual concepts to inspire direction and explore new ideas
• Speed up repetitive editing tasks, like expanding image edges or removing background elements
• Enhance photo realism in composite imagery or layout mockups
• Research visual trends and competitor approaches for inspiration and insight

As Eric explains, “AI tools built right into Photoshop now let me retouch and adjust imagery much more quickly. It makes extensive editing more feasible within the scope of an average project budget,” a shift that allows designers to move through technical adjustments faster and devote more time to the creative decisions that matter most.

The result is, our clients get better creative results in less time, so we can devote more hours to enhancing other creative areas of the project.

These tools make the creative process faster, but not automatic. Professional designers can decipher when and how to use AI to improve the results -- That’s the real value.

What’s the Right Balance Between AI and Traditional Design?

Finding the right balance means knowing when to step away from the screen.

For tasks that require unique, memorable visuals, sometimes the fastest way to create something original is still to grab a pencil and sketch. Senior Visual Communications Specialist Tom Zoschke explains that originality takes time, saying “we need to give our brains time to let ideas develop, taking thoughts and visions from different places and allowing them to form into something different.” His point highlights something AI cannot replicate: the slow, intuitive connections that lead to breakthrough ideas.

AI can spark creativity, but originality still requires patience, exploration, and human refinement.

Does AI Really Save Time on Design Projects?

Not always. AI is great at handling repetitive or technical tasks, but that doesn’t automatically mean a project wraps up faster. Often, it just gives designers more space to explore ideas, refine concepts, and push the creative direction further.

Eric notes that AI hasn’t drastically changed project timelines; instead, it allows him to accomplish more within the same scope. Tom agrees, adding that sometimes AI tools miss the mark entirely, and that getting the right result can feel like “half art and half witchcraft,” a reminder that effective prompting still depends heavily on human skill.

And he's right. Some prompt sessions feel less like design work and more like trying to coax a spell to land exactly the way you pictured it.

AI speeds up execution, but the creative process still requires careful thought and iteration. Efficiency shouldn’t come at the expense of originality.

Sometimes AI algorithms just don’t get it. Writing good prompts and getting the results you want is half art and half witchcraft.

Tom Zoschke, Senior Visual Communications Specialist

What About Ethics and Originality in AI-Generated Content?

Ethical use of AI is a growing concern in the design world, especially when it comes to data sources and copyright. LRS takes a proactive approach by relying on approved AI tools like Adobe Firefly, which are trained on licensed and public domain content to protect clients and their brands.

Eric emphasizes the importance of this approach, noting that “LRS has approved AI tools and guidelines to ensure anything we use is safe and secure.” His insight reflects the team’s commitment to using AI responsibly and transparently.

Responsible use means ensuring that every image or visual asset meets quality, accuracy, and licensing standards before it ever becomes part of a project. According to Salesforce’s 2025 State of the Connected Customer Report, 60% of consumers say they trust brands more when AI usage is transparent, which highlights the importance of clarity and ethical decision‑making in design.

How Is AI Shaping the Future of Design?

AI is already influencing web design, branding, and digital marketing. It’s obvious the impact is growing. But it’s also leading to a flood of generic, lookalike work.

Designers who understand both technology and human emotion will continue to stand out in a crowded digital world. Tom envisions a future where AI helps designers take more control over the interactive elements of websites before coding even begins. AI is turning creative ideas into functional experiences faster than ever before.

AI will drastically improve quality, but it will also enable companies to mass-produce mediocre work. The firms that stand out will be the ones that use it to augment their teams, not replace them.

Eric Enlow, UX Generalist

The Bottom Line: AI Amplifies Human Creativity

It’s evident that AI has redefined what’s possible in design, but it’s the human touch that defines what’s meaningful. Eric reinforces this idea, explaining that “AI has a lot of potential and utility, but the quality of its output depends on what you put into it. That’s where skill and experience come into play.” His perspective underscores the reality that AI can only elevate a project when guided by thoughtful, experienced designers.

At LRS Web Solutions, AI is part of the process, not the product. Our designers use it to work smarter, explore faster, and create bolder, but never to replace the insight and originality that come from human experience.

The best results happen when creativity and technology work together. AI can generate, but only people can create.

Sources

https://www.canva.com/visual-c...

https://www.salesforce.com/res...

No time. No staff. Enter LRS Web Solutions. 

Seeing the benefits of a strong marketing program, a marketing associate has joined the PRS Groupteam to help coordinate the campaigns, freeing up the president and CEO to continue to grow the business. We continue to partner with them to supplement their marketing needs and support continued growth.

But don’t overlook one lesser known, but very vital, area of bank marketing: website accessibility.

Our bank's branches have facilities accessible to people with disabilities because it's legally required and you could lose customers. Your website is no different. With poor website accessibility, you’re not just risking losing customers, you’re risking lawsuits, your reputation, and falling behind your competitors.

Website Accessibility For Banks

At Land of Lincoln Credit Union, we believe every member deserves a seamless digital experience, regardless of ability. Investing in accessibility has strengthened our brand, reduced customer service friction, and shown our community that we’re committed to inclusion. It’s not just the right thing to do—it’s smart business.”

Land of Lincoln Credit Union

The Case for Website Accessibility

While you may be focused on making sure your website is secure, which is also a critical need for bank websites, don’t overlook accessibility issues, which are quietly but quickly gaining prominence as another necessary detail to address and keep current.

We’ve all heard about security breaches, but ADA lawsuits are gaining notoriety. Don’t let your bank get caught with an accessibility issue. Failure to address them can result in lawsuits.

2,014 were lawsuits filed in the first six months of 2025, up 37% year-over-year. Cases in Illinois have soared.

The Bright Side: Benefits to Your Bank

On the bright side, ensuring your bank website’s accessibility doesn’t just protect your website from lawsuits: it also has significant benefits for customer satisfaction, user experience, search engine optimization, and customer growth.  It promotes trust, loyalty and digital growth and sophistication, helping your bank appeal to users young and old.

With an accessible bank website, you’re not just in compliance, you’re serving your entire community and protecting your bank’s reputation. You’ll also cut down on calls from cranky customers.

Studies show that accessible websites see a 20% increase in traffic and user engagement according to Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). For your bank, this can lead to more account openings, loan applications, and long-term loyalty.

Don’t unwittingly exclude people with disabilities from choosing your bank. With a strong digital presence and a strong accessibility your bank will be the one to choose.

“I’ve seen firsthand how small fixes like proper contrast, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support can transform a frustrating experience into an enjoyable one. It’s rewarding to see a site’s accessibility score improve. Plus, by fixing these issues before they become widespread, banks and other companies can avoid calls and emails from frustrated customers.”

Sean Collins, Senior Web Developer, LRS Web Solutions

A Smart Investment

Maintaining website accessibility does come with annual costs, but it's worth the investment.  Here are some of the benefits of budgeting for an inclusive website:

Top Accessibility Priorities for Bank Websites

So what makes a website accessible and how do you check? At LRS Web Solutions, our website accessibility audits cover a multitude of issues to meet WCAG 2.2 AA standards, including these as top priorities:

1. Accessible Website Navigation That Is Compliant With ADA Standards

Customers using screen readers or keyboard-only navigation should be able to access all parts of your website. This demonstrates inclusiveness and can help you build trust with customers and avoid lawsuits.

2. Text Contrast and Text Resizing

Vision-impaired customers need good contrast and the ability to resize text if needed. This shows your bank keeps the users in mind (especially older customers) and builds trust and loyalty.

3. Accessible Online Banking Tools

The best bank websites have online banking tools such as login links, forms, calculators and rate management features. While helpful for many, they may frustrate users if they have a disability if they can’t use them easily. Maintain customer satisfaction by ensuring customers can happily find what they want to access.

4. Mobile Usability

Make sure that the mobile version of the bank is just as accessible as the desktop version, especially if your bank doesn’t have its own app. Your website analytics can tell you how many people use your site via a mobile device, and what pages are viewed most often. More people are prefering mobile banking on-the-go. 

5. Continuous Testing and Feedback

Accessibility is not a one-time effort. We recommend a minimum of annual accessibility testing to ensure ongoing compliance. If your website content changes often, consider scheduling more regular website accessibility audits with LRS Web Solutions. Regular scans and remediation reflect your institution's commitment to accessibility.

How LRS Web Solutions Can Help

Now, you may feel overwhelmed by website accessibility. But don't worry. At LRS Web Solutions, we have years of experience working with bank website accessibility. Working with a leading accessibility vendor, we can review your website and provide reports and guidance on the areas your bank’s website needs to address. We also can apply the fixes for you and monitor it monthly, quarterly, or annually. Learn more about our accessibility services.

Talk with Account Executive Jen Barkus to request a free scan of your bank website’s accessibility. There’s no obligation – our goal is keeping customers – established and new – coming back to your bank.

Sources:

https://shftrs.com/articles/20-essential-trends-and-insights-about-digital-accessibility-testing-in-2024

Aging and Disability Care Factsheet: Illinois Shengwei Sun (National Women’s Law Center) and Yeen Lama (Caring Across Generations), Care Can’t Wait Research/Case-making Committee The U.S. Caregiving Crisis August 28, 2023

ada.gov

developers.google.com

pew research.org

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2025-mid-year-report-ada-website-accessibility-lawsuits-surge-37-as-litigation-expands-nationwide-302541655.html

The .bank domain isn’t a trend. It’s an evolution in digital trust, built exclusively for verified financial institutions. Your domain name now says as much about your credibility as your balance sheet.

What a .bank Domain Is and Why It Matters

Unlike a .com, anyone cannot just buy a .bank domain. Only verified, regulated financial institutions are eligible, and the registration process requires proof of identity, ownership, and ongoing compliance.

That means when customers see yourbank.bank, they can be confident it’s really you.

Think of it like the .gov for banking. Each .bank domain is backed by strict standards for:

• HTTPS encryption and DNSSEC
• Multi-factor authentication for domain management
• Verified email authentication (SPF and DMARC)

Erik Johnson, Senior Application Developer at LRS Web Solutions, explains, “It’s effectively a higher level of trust than a .com domain offers. I would say it’s most directly comparable to a .gov domain, in terms of trust. You have to be a verified financial institution to have one.”

It’s not just a web address. It’s a built-in cybersecurity framework.

How .bank Builds Real-World Trust

Customers may not understand every security measure behind your site, but they do recognize credibility. A .bank domain instantly signals legitimacy to users, regulators, and search engines alike. Johnson stated, "If there’s an email or a link from a .bank domain, it inherently has a higher level of trust because of the requirements around securing a .bank domain."

It also reduces the risk of phishing or spoofed emails. Messages from an address like support@yourbank.bank are harder for criminals to fake and easier for customers to trust.

Trust isn’t invisible anymore. It’s measured in clicks, engagement, and conversions.

If there’s an email or a link from a .bank domain, it inherently has a higher level of trust because of the requirements around securing a .bank domain.

Erik Johnson, Senior Application Developer

What Are You Really Paying For?

Yes, a .bank domain costs more, around $1,000 to $1,500 per year compared to a $15 .com. But that fee funds the rigorous security standards that make .bank so valuable.

You’re not buying a fancier domain. You’re buying peace of mind.

ROI in Real Terms:

• Reduced phishing and fraud exposure
• Stronger consumer trust and retention
• Easier conversations with auditors and regulators

The cost of one phishing breach dwarfs the annual price of protection.

Common Misconceptions

Strategic Benefits

Most blogs stop at security and cost. But the .bank advantage runs deeper:

• Brand Protection: Blocks bad actors from registering lookalike domains.
• Email Authenticity: Strengthens anti-spoofing tools like DMARC.
• Regulatory Confidence: Demonstrates proactive compliance and security.
• Board-Level Optics: Shows investment in long-term digital trust.
• Future-Proofing: Supports evolving standards in identity protection and AI-driven fraud detection.

When communicating these advantages internally, the .bank conversation should focus on trust, visibility, and reputation. For marketing and IT teams, it represents a measurable improvement in customer confidence. For executives and board members, it signals proactive risk management and brand credibility. In short, you don’t switch to .bank for clicks; you do it for confidence.

The Switch to .bank

Migrating to .bank sounds daunting, but it does not have to be. With careful planning, it is no more complex than a rebrand.

Typical steps include:

• Secure the domain through the fTLD Registry
• Configure DNS and SSL certificates
• Redirect traffic and update sitemaps
• Communicate the change across marketing, email, and signage

Some banks even use a hybrid rollout, adopting .bank for emails first, then transitioning their website once infrastructure is ready.

If your CMS, hosting, or ADA compliance are not yet up to standard, focus on those foundations first. Security maturity should guide adoption, not marketing trends. Still, evaluating readiness today ensures you won’t fall behind tomorrow.

Where Bank Domains are Headed Next

In the next few years, .bank will likely become what .gov is to government: a visible symbol of legitimacy. Early adopters will already have the advantage of customer familiarity and digital authority.

The domain you choose tells customers what kind of bank you are.

Choosing .bank says you take their trust seriously.

Why Cyber Security Awareness Matters: The Human Element

Many breaches occur because people underestimate their risk. Scott Brown notes that one of the most dangerous assumptions is believing, “It won’t happen to me.” He explains that smaller organizations often assume attackers target only large corporations. “In reality, small and midsize businesses are prime targets because they typically have weaker defenses,” Brown says.

He emphasizes that security awareness should start with people. “Human error is behind the majority of breaches,” he adds. “You can have the best firewall, but if your staff clicks a phishing link, the door is still open.”

Simple ways to boost employee awareness:

• Offer short, frequent cybersecurity training sessions.
• Conduct phishing simulations to build real-world awareness.
• Reinforce good security behavior through internal recognition.

Brown encourages organizations to make training part of everyday culture, not a once-a-year requirement. Regular, engaging awareness sessions and simulated phishing tests can help employees spot threats and take action before damage occurs.

You can invest in tools, but if your people aren’t trained to spot a phishing email, you’re still vulnerable.

Scott Brown, Manager of LRS Small Business Tech Services

Building a Continuous Cybersecurity Strategy

After more than two decades in cybersecurity, Josh Brandt, Director of Emerging Technologies and Cybersecurity Strategy at LRS, has seen a recurring pattern: organizations treat security as a one-time project instead of an ongoing commitment. “True resilience requires a programmatic approach that evolves alongside your business,” Brandt explains.

He recommends creating a living cybersecurity roadmap that aligns with business goals, includes vulnerability scanning and patch management, and is reviewed quarterly. “Regular assessments help you understand where you stand and where to invest next,” he says. “It’s about continuous improvement, not one-time compliance.”

Brandt also cautions against relying too heavily on technology without assigning clear ownership. Tools enable, but people ensure effectiveness,” he says, especially when aligning technology with SSL certificates and HTTPS encryption across public-facing systems. Each major security domain needs defined accountability and measurable goals.

Cybersecurity maturity isn’t measured by how many tools you deploy. It’s reflected in how consistently you execute the fundamentals.

Josh Brandt, Director of Emerging Technologies and Cybersecurity Strategy at LRS

Cybersecurity Fundamentals Every Business Must Master

Both experts agree that many breaches stem from neglecting the basics. “It’s easy to chase new threats and overlook simple fixes,” Brandt says. He points to issues like weak passwords, missed patches, and unmanaged accounts as common culprits.

Cultivating a Security-First Culture Across Your Organization

Technology alone can’t protect a company without buy-in from leadership and staff; even the best firewall and intrusion detection systems need human support to be effective. “Security should be a daily conversation,” Brandt emphasizes. When executives prioritize cybersecurity, it sends a message that protection is a shared goal, not just an IT task.

Regular communication, cross-department collaboration, and recognition for security-minded behavior all contribute to a stronger culture. “Make cybersecurity part of how people think and work,” Brandt says. “That’s where real progress happens.”

Next Steps for Cybersecurity Awareness

Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a time to reflect, reset, and refocus. As our experts remind us, staying secure isn’t about perfection—it’s about consistency. Build habits that prioritize awareness, ownership, and continuous improvement. Review your roadmap, test your defenses, and engage your team.

The threats may evolve, but so can your defenses. By mastering the fundamentals and empowering your people, you can create a culture of resilience that keeps your organization protected year-round.

You've worked hard for weeks or months, gotten all the approvals, and the new website for your business is now live. Done. So why aren't people visiting? 

A common misconception in website development is, "If I build it, they will come." Thousands of websites are launched every day and click competition is fierce.  It can be challenging to get noticed, especially if you're a new business. If your website isn't generating a lot of user visits, a redesigned website - as beautiful and functional as it is -- isn't a slam dunk to get increase your users. The work has just begun. 

The good news is that there are steps you can take to help your site be found more quickly, raise brand awareness to generate interest in your business services.

Professional web developers may offer services in Search Engine Optimization (SEO). In brief, SEO is a marathon, not a sprint, to increase your website users and conversions. It's a mix of technical details, marketing strategy, and creative effort.  While it takes time to earn SEO "juice:," the slow and steady efforts usually bring loyal users and longtime customers.

Brand-new businesses face a bigger battle. With little to no name recognition or brand awareness, it's a big lift to get noticed on the web.

We've compiled a list of ways for businesses, whether established or new, to promote themselves after a website launch. 

Here are our tips to promote your new website:

1. Claim your Business Profiles on Google, Bing, and Yelp.

This allows you to earn what Google calls its "Knowledge Panel" allowing you to have some control over how your business information is presented online. Same goes for Bing. Yelp tends to favor paid reviews, but it still gives you the opportunity to manage your information.

• Google Business Profile

• Bing Places for Business

• Yelp

2. Claim your location on Google Maps and Bing Maps.

Make sure the location is correct. For good measure, add your business address and phone number is on every page of the website so people can easily find you, especially on a mobile device. 

3. Use Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to submit your sitemap

If you had your website professionally built, you likely have a sitemap. This is the list of urls that you want the search engines to index. Make sure your web team has submitted it to both Google and Bing, which are the two primary players for searches. Smaller browsers like Duck Duck Go and Yahoo use data from Google and Bing. 

If you built the site on your own, sign into your google account and go to https://search.google.com/search-console/welcome. If you're using Google Analytics (and you should) link GSC to your analytics account to more easily see queries. 

4. Review your website keywords and make sure that they are included naturally

What would you type into a search engine to find your site? Make sure they're included on the homepage and other pages in prominent positions like titles, headers, and links. You can also refer to your Google Analytics to see what words your customers are searching for on your website if you have on-site search capabilities. Use Google Search Console to see what queries are bringing up your site to web searchers.

5. If you're not on social media - get there! 

Choose one or two platforms that align with your target audience. Post often and add links to specific pages on your website to get traffic. If you partner with other businesses, ask them to give you a shoutout on their social networks. Be sure to add links. Your friends can post about their great experiences, too.

6. Email existing customers

If you have a customer list, let them know about the new website. Consider offering a promotion or have an upcoming event and provide links to a landing page on your website with the details.

7. Add more content

The website is never "done." Have a plan for adding new content, whether it's services, blog posts, news stories, project summaries, white papers, photo galleries or videos. Then promote the content via other marketing channels.

8. Start a review campaign

Good reviews are a great way to get noticed. And bad reviews give you ways to improve your business. Request customers submit Google reviews. (You can get a link once you claim your Google Business Profile).  

9. Advertise if budget allows

The previous tips are all free. But you also may want to devote some of your marketing budget to advertising. This could be digital ads on Google and/or Bing, social media, or print.

• Advertise on Google and/or Bing.
• Boost social media posts
• Advertise locally in print or radio to raise awareness.

10. Be Patient

According to Forbes, a new website is built every three seconds. So it can take time to be found online. If you're established business, you may lose some SEO but should recover in time. It's still a good idea to review these tips and repeat the actions as they make sense.

If yours is a brand new website, it may take some time for Google to find your site, particularly if it does not have a large amount of content. You also won't have any "domain authority," which is an indicator of how trustworthy and knowledgeable your site is considered. You won't rank for any keywords, which is the key to getting website visitors.

But be patient and diligent about promoting your website. Be skeptical of companies that promise you number one rankings. 

Get your business noticed online

To be found in the internet, get clicks to the site and raise your visibilty. These tips will help you do that. Of course, it takes timeThe more people go to the site, the faster you can start building its reputation.

If you need help with any of these items, contact us.

Already in use by a growing number of Illinois counties, LRS Statement Connect delivers real-world results through:

• Automated workflows that eliminate manual processes
• Remote access for convenient form submission
• Built-in validation to reduce errors and ensure compliance
• Custom branding and scalable pricing tailored to your county
• Secure data protection with audit trails and encryption

Join Our Free Webinar - June 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM CT

In this 45-minute session, you'll

• Learn how to transition from manual to automated filing systems
• Hear success stories from other counties
• Get your questions answered live by our experts

Register now to reserve your spot and discover how easy SEI filing can be.

Whether you're a county clerk, IT leader, or administrative official, this is your chance to explore how automation can save time, reduce manual error, and improve compliance!

Missed the Webinar? Learn More about Statement Connect!

When job searching, one of the most popular pieces of advice is, “Do what you love.” That’s good advice, but when you’re a woman who loves working in the challenging, ever-evolving tech industry, that can be a bigger hill to climb — at some companies.

Women make up 28 percent of today’s global tech workforce, and women have been making an impact at LRS since the first woman joined the team in 1981. Today, as the world commemorates International Women in Tech Day, LRS celebrates it, too.

Historically, women pioneers in tech have included Ada Lovelace, noted as the first computer programmer, and a group of women mathematicians whose work in the mid-20^th century formed the origins of coding. They built what’s considered the first electrical computer, among other technical achievements.

Many more women have contributed to tech, from raw code that evolved into the Internet’s domain naming protocol (Elizabeth Feinler), early video game design, (Carol Shaw), and designing the now-familiar computer icons such as the garbage can and pointer finger (Susan Kare).

Grace Hopper, one of the first female developers, is known as “the mother of computing.” A rear Admiral in the US Navy, she is credited with writing the mainframe language COBOL and asserted that computer code could be considered a language. LRS’ first software product, VPS®, was developed in 1981 on the IBM mainframe platform on which experts estimate more than 200 billion lines of COBOL code are still running today.

LRS’ WOMEN IN TECH

Today, VPS software is used to manage document delivery in many of the world’s largest companies. The VPS suite of products continues to be enhanced and updated by a team of developers overseen by a female product development manager who has been with LRS for more than 30 years.

Like her, women have made significant contributions to all areas of LRS. “We’re proud to be a leader in the information technology space and our community; our female workforce plays a significant part in bringing innovation to all areas of our company,” says Chief Administrative Officer and Senior Vice President Pamela Benad, who has worked for LRS since 1989. Our Legal, Human Resources, Marketing, and Compliance departments are all led by women, as is the IT Solutions division of LRS.

Diane Arnold, Vice President of LRS IT Solutions plays a pivotal role in the company. Diane leads a team of more than 60 technical experts specializing in security, data management, automation, and AI technology solutions.

According to Diane, “My journey into the technology field was shaped by a strong curiosity about how systems work and the potential for technology to solve real-world challenges. I was fascinated by the rapid evolution of computers and their ability to transform industries.”

Within the walls of LRS’ worldwide offices, women have prominent positions as project managers, business analysts, supervisors, and team leaders. Nearly half of our female employees are working in male-dominated fields such as programming, software development, website development, and cybersecurity. Many of them have been working for decades in highly technical fields.

What drew these women to tech and why do they stay at LRS? Read on to find out.

THE CHALLENGE — AND FUN — OF TECH

The women of LRS enjoy the opportunities that careers in IT provide, allowing them to push their boundaries of knowledge and make a noticeable difference while shaping the future. Many note that their tech career has given them a feeling of confidence and strength. A digital marketing specialist says, “Technology gives me the opportunity to be innovative and continuously grow while making an impact.”

One female Product Business Manager acknowledges that it can be intimidating to work when you’re one of the few females in the office. “What was most important for me in forging that path was to find my voice. If you have something important to say, say it. Your perspective is unique and important to share.”

LRS' CULTURE OF SUPPORT

These women of LRS agree that the company has a strong commitment to their growth and career development, particularly in a few key areas:

Mentorship

Supportive environments at LRS give employees confidence to approach their supervisors with concerns, questions or differing views. “Management is very open and willing to listen to everyone's input, ideas and concerns,” notes a female project manager.

Another says, “My managers and mentors have always been willing to help me with any questions that I have or to talk through ideas on the best approach for implementing customizations.”

“The positive, team-oriented culture at LRS has always encouraged us all to help each other and to learn from each other's experiences,” a Senior Software Developer adds.

One of LRS’ younger, newer employees also recognizes this mentorship and notes that LRS values its next generation of talent. “LRS has provided me with the resources, mentorship, and hands-on experience I need to develop my skills. That’s given me confidence to take on new challenges and grow in my career.”

A Senior Project Manager says it well: “LRS doesn't put people on an island to survive alone. There's never a time when you can't ask for help.”

THE FUTURE OF WOMEN IN TECH

What advice would LRS women give to women considering a tech career?

One offers this guidance: “Technology is a male-dominated industry, but that shouldn't hold you back. It should motivate you. Your skills, ideas, and perspectives are valuable, and the industry thrives on innovation that comes from diverse voices. Don't be afraid to take up space, ask questions, and advocate for yourself. Keep learning and remember that you belong in tech!”

“Even if you don't consider yourself a 'techy' type, there are still great roles to be found for women in IT.”

HAPPY WOMEN IN TECH DAY

Although this day is noted as Women in Tech Day, a Senior Software Developer says it best regarding the culture of LRS:

“In the nearly 25 years that I've been working at LRS, I have never been treated differently than the men who work beside me. We're all just "people in tech" here, having a grand time building software we can be proud of.”

Google is always changing search, and they are integrating AI into search results, creating an AI-influenced search result, called Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) or Generative Experience Optimizaton (GEO). It can provide a complete and personalized page in search results that has an answer to your initial question – and to questions you've not even thought of!

For example, a search for things to do in Springfield, Illinois in August might instantly deliver a custom page with local events, hotels, transportation options, restaurants, shopping centers, itineraries, and more.

Google’s goal has always been the same: deliver the best answers to users’ queries. But with SGE/GEO, those answers are becoming deeper, richer, and more dynamic.

That means your website must be a complete, authoritative source on your topic. The stronger and more thorough your content, the better chance it has of appearing in AI-driven results.

The goal is not to get visible, it’s to get recommended by AI. To do this, your page needs to be not just relevant to the user’s search, but contain content that is unique, original, in-depth, specific, emotional, or provide some kind of content that is not seen on other pages. 

Here are four ways to improve your digital presence on Google Search and Google Ads in the era of AI.

WHAT TO DO

Improve Your Content. This never-ending task is more important than ever. A thin service page won’t rank very high. Dive into your website and make it in-depth and valuable enough to deliver the results and answers users are searching for.

Providing thorough content that addresses long-tail keywords and specific questions helps AI pull from your site in its answers. Searchers may even click on your site through citations.

Write naturally. Focus on semantic language, using conversational text. Avoid heavy jargon and acronyms.

Add detail. Don't gloss over important information that you may assume people know or perhaps you want to keep the page easy on the eyes. Add thorough details of your products and services.

Tap into real questions. Talk to your sales or customer support teams. How would people actually search for your product or service? What questions are they asking every day? Build content that addresses those.

Use your data. Look at Google Analytics and Google Search Console to see what’s working. Check demographics, traffic sources, and queries that drive clicks.

Go deeper. Don't just write the facts that AI can provide. Go deeper into thought leadership with interesting and unique perspectives of issues facing your industry, products, or services, and case studies that showcase your success. Get reviews. Show before and after photos. Highlight statistics, what percentage your product improved a process, etc. AI can't write those but that's the content that matter to your customers. 

As Philipp Schindler shared at Google Marketing Live 2024, “The volume of searches with five or more words grew 1.5x as fast as shorter queries.” With AI overviews, precise answers can lead to more clicks and time spent on your site.

Take a holistic view. Is your website complete? Is it updated? Go beyond the basics with your own research, perspectives, and creativity. Use strong copywriting, photos, and videos to make your site the go-to source in your industry.

Guide the journey. After a user reads your page, what’s next? Link to related content, provide visual guides, and answer the follow-up questions they’re likely to have.

Get creative. Don’t just write for search engines — write for your customers. Too many companies stop at the basics. Reflect your brand through words, images, videos, infographics, podcasts, quizzes, and more. Tell stories, educate, inspire, and entertain.

Learn more about our SEO services.

WHAT TO DO

Upgrade your images. High-quality visuals are essential. Outdated, low-resolution photos won’t cut it. Invest in stylized, professional photography (or at least sharpen your mobile skills). Drone photography can add unique, eye-catching perspectives.

Use data visualization. This could be a comparison chart, graphs, workflow charts, tables, and infographics.

For e-commerce. An optimized online store with strong visuals can appear in AI-driven shopping results. Add multiple product photos, different angles, and lifestyle shots to increase clicks and conversions.

Stand out. As Srinivasan said, “You have to make your content stand out.” Invest in visuals that stop people mid-scroll and reflect your brand at its best.

Key Takeaways

In Closing: Evolve With Google

Search isn’t just search anymore. As Google Group Product Manager Sylvanus Bent said, ads will become “an experience” for shoppers.

With GEO, search is becoming an experience too. Customer journeys are more complex, with a variety of searches on a variety of devices and platforms.

AI is here to stay, so make sure your website is optimized the best it can be to provide better results for searchers.

Like Google is evolving ads and search to improve the user experience, so to, your website needs to go to the next level.

Keep your website, your products, and your company relevant in today’s evolving world of search and ads. Create a website, ads, social presence that are more than just answers – make your brand an experience that’s worth the click.

Ready to make your website AI-search friendly? Let’s talk about your SEO strategy.

Sources:

https://adsonair.withgoogle.com

https://get.chatmeter.com/

Heartland HOUSED, established in 2022, is a strategic plan implemented by the city of Springfield and Sangamon County to address homelessness. It stem from the Springfield & Sangamon County’s 2022-2028 Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness.

The HH plan is distinctive because it seeks to not just address the immediate need of the homeless, but address the entire system of care for homeless individuals from beginning to end. Its model provides individuals with housing first, and then surrounds them with necessary services to address the issues that led to their homelessness.

The Heartland HOUSED organization, led by Josh Sabo, has been tasked with developing strategy, supporting implementation activities, and facilitating the collaborative work of the Heartland Continuum of Care.
                     

Problem

Heartland Housed needed an improved web presence to draw attention for its noble effort. Outdated design, feebly produced content, old blog posts, and an unreliable provider led to their site being deleted. 

Josh Sabo and his team needed to be spending their valuable time writing grants, attracting donors, and spreading their message to move their plan along.

Why spend time on the website when they can use their indiviudal talents more effectively?

Outdated design, feebly produced content, old blog posts, and an unreliable provider led to their site being deleted. 

LRS got the site online and redesigned it for a beautiful, functional and user-friendly experience. 

                   
Solution

Josh let the experts at LRS Web Solutions produce a beautiful, functional and cohesive content-rich website that is easy to update, secure, and reliable.

Key Improvements

• Easy for staff to make website updates
• Mobile app allows for easy data collection
• Strong calls to action
• Clean, attractive design
• Refreshed logo 

Results

The site launched in 2024. A year later, Josh Sabo says all the goals have been achieved.

• Improved data collection for street outreach efforts.
• Increased adoption rates among volunteers and employees.
• Provides a centralized resource for volunteers, employees, community outreach members, and the public.
• Streamlined data collection connects people quickly to current sources.
• Improved communication and coordination among volunteers and staff.

"I would say all of our goals have been achieved. One thing I have appreciated is how new staff have been able to access training and learn to edit the site through the resources provided without taking a lengthy onboarding process.

Josh Sabo, Executive Director, Heartland Housed

Value to the Organization and Community:

• Increased Efficiency: Streamlines data collection and processing for outreach efforts.
• Better Resource Allocation: Facilitates quick and accurate responses to the needs of homeless individuals.
• Enhanced Coordination: Centralizes key resources and information,
• Community Impact: Supports Heartland HOUSED's mission to address homelessness in Sangamon County, leading to better outcomes for individuals and families in need.
            

The truth? Not every platform is a good match for every business. And that's okay!

Let’s break it down the major social media platforms, who they're actually best for, and how to decide where your time (and budget) will work hardest. 

Facebook: The OG of Social Media

Yes, Facebook is still a big deal. With over 3.07 billion monthly users globally in 2025, it remains a dominant force in social media marketing. If you're a business who is focused on community, local reach, and targeted advertising, it might be a perfect match.

Why choose Facebook?

• Wide Reach: Facebook technically spans multiple generations, but the most consistent engagement typically comes from users ages 35–60. Gen Z might have Facebook accounts, but they're far more likely to engage on Instagram or TikTok. Facebook is where people go to follow local businesses, read reviews, find local events, join groups, and laugh at AI-generated reels of a cat making a sandwich. 
• Advertising: Advanced targeting options let businesses reach users by location, interests, behaviors, and life events. This is where Facebook still shines, especially for local and service-based businesses. The ads can be built around real intent, not just awareness.
• Community Branding: Features like Groups and Events help you create tight-knit communities around your brand. Facebook excels at fostering relationships, which is what it was originally made for. Showing up consistently in the spaces your audience already uses builds the trust and familiarity they are looking for.

Instagram: Visual Storytelling

Instagram thrives on visuals. You need to look relevant, polished, and current. With features like Stories, Reels, and Shopping, it’s a haven for brands that can captivate audiences through images and short videos.

Why choose Instagram?

• Visual Engagement: Perfect for brands that can consistently create strong visuals like photos, graphics, and short-form video. Highly aesthetic content tends to perform best here, which is why Instagram continues to be a top platform for creators, influencers, and visually driven brands.
• Reels = Reach: Reels do most of the discovery work now. If growth is the goal, video can’t be optional.
• Shopping and Product Discovery: Instagram Shopping integrates your store directly into your profile, turning your followers into customers. Instagram Direct product tags and links make it easier to move from “that’s cute” to “I want that.”
• Brand Perception: Instagram acts like a digital first impression. Even when it’s not the final conversion point, it heavily influences how trustworthy and established your business feels. Instagram is also now crawlable, which means profiles, captions, and content can show up in search. This turns your page into a mini‑website that supports discoverability beyond the app.

Why is Instagram Challenging for Us?

Instagram is the platform we see clients struggle with the most. Instagram rewards consistency, creativity, and video-first content. Brands that post occasionally or rely only on static graphics often see limited reach, even with strong visuals.

This is one of the most common friction points for businesses. Instagram success usually requires ongoing content creation, regular Reels, and a willingness to adapt as the platform shifts. And my social media strategists out there know that these shifts happen way more than we want them too. 

LinkedIn: The Professional Network

LinkedIn remains the top platform for B2B marketing, recruiting, and professional credibility. It behaves very differently than consumer platforms.

Why choose LinkedIn?

• Decision-Maker Presence: A majority of LinkedIn users are between ages 30–55 and are actively using the platform in a professional mindset. This is where executives, managers, and decision-makers spend time evaluating ideas, partners, and vendors.
• B2B Lead Generation: LinkedIn consistently delivers higher-quality B2B leads compared to most consumer platforms. Engagement may look quieter, but the intent behind it is stronger.
• Authority: LinkedIn rewards clarity and expertise over polish. Thoughtful posts, insights, and real experience often outperform highly produced visuals.

LinkedIn users are not looking to be entertained. They are looking to learn, evaluate, and vet. That is why content that feels too serious or boring on Instagram can perform very well here. You do not need viral content. You need something useful to say and a reason to say it regularly.

LinkedIn also relies heavily on people. Company pages do not grow in a vacuum. Employees, leadership, and your broader professional community play a major role in reach, visibility, and credibility. If your team is not engaging, sharing, or participating, posting alone will rarely drive growth.

X (Formerly Twitter): Real-Time Conversations

X is fast, opinion‑driven, and built for commentary. It’s less about polish and more about showing up at the right moment with something relevant to say.

Why choose X?

• Thought Leadership: X is a strong platform for sharing industry takes, quick insights, and timely commentary. It works best for brands that already have a point of view.
• Customer Engagement: Conversations happen quickly here. Replies, quotes, and interactions matter more than perfectly crafted posts. 
• Trend Tracking: Hashtags and trending topics make it easier to join industry‑relevant conversations as they happen.

YouTube: The Hub for Long-Form Content

YouTube isn’t just a video-sharing platform; it’s the second largest search engine in the world. But it's one of the most commitment-heavy platforms. 

Why choose YouTube?

• Evergreen Content: Long-form videos don’t disappear after 24 hours. A well-made video can continue driving traffic, leads, and brand awareness long after it’s published. 
• Education: YouTube excels at answering questions in depth. Tutorials, demos, and explainers allow businesses to show—not just tell—why they’re knowledgeable, credible, and worth trusting.
• SEO Benefits: Because YouTube is owned by Google, videos often appear directly in search results. This gives brands another opportunity to show up for high-intent searches, especially for “how-to,” comparison, and educational queries.
• YouTube Shorts: Shorts provide a lower-lift way to experiment with short-form video, repurpose existing content, and increase discoverability. They work best as a complement to long-form content, not a replacement. 

Pinterest: Visual Inspiration Meets Action

Pinterest blends social media and search, making it one of the most misunderstood platforms, but powerful for the right businesses.

Why choose Pinterest?

• High-Intent Users: Pinterest users aren’t scrolling to pass time; they’re planning. Typically for home projects, events, outfit ideas, or lifestyle changes, people come to Pinterest with intent. That makes it a strong platform for influencing decisions earlier in the funnel.
• Long Content Lifespan: Unlike most social platforms, Pins don’t have a short shelf life. A single Pin can drive traffic for months or even years. 
• Website Traffic Driver: Pinterest excels at sending users off-platform. For blogs, ecommerce sites, guides, and resources, it can quietly become a consistent source of referral traffic.

Pinterest doesn’t reward daily posting, trends, or constant engagement. It rewards relevance, timing, and usefulness. Because of that, it’s often undervalued by businesses expecting fast engagement metrics.

TikTok: The Trendsetter’s Playground

TikTok is the platform that makes everyone say, “We should try TikTok,” right before realizing they don't want to be on camera.

TikTok prioritizes creativity, authenticity, and short-form video that feels human. It is also the platform most likely to hold brands accountable in real time.

Why choose TikTok?

• Reach: TikTok has over 1.9 million monthly active users worldwide, with the strongest engagement coming from Gen Z and Millennials. That reach is real, but only if your brand understands how this audience truly consumes and reacts to content.
• Algorithm: TikTok runs on an interest graph, not a social graph, which means content is published based on what people watch and finish, instead of who they follow. If your video keeps attention, TikTok keeps testing it with new audiences. For brands without a massive following, this is one of the few platforms where reach is earned by performance, not popularity.
• Engagement & Authenticity: Anything that feels forced or overly produced gets noticed fast, and not in a good way. Content that feels real, unscripted, and human tends to last longer than content trying too hard to sound on trend.

Authenticity is non-negotiable on TikTok. Users are quick to call out anything that feels forced, overly scripted, or out of touch. Even small details can trigger comments, stitches, or duets pointing out when a brand is trying too hard. Some brands may see short-term traction by leaning heavily into Gen Z language or trends, but inauthenticity tends to catch up quickly.

TikTok also rewards speed, volume, and comfort on camera. Brands that post sporadically, rely on heavy approvals, or need every video to be perfectly polished often struggle here. Many successful accounts post multiple times per week to maintain momentum.

Making the Right Choice

Choosing the right social media platform comes down to knowing your audience, business goals, and the type of content you can realistically create consistently. 

You don't need to be everywhere, but you do need to be in the right places.

At LRS Web Solutions, we specialize in social media management, social media advertising, and crafting high-performing social media campaigns that drive results. If you need help with social media, contact us! 

Google, which still retains more than 80% of online searches, has rolled out Google Search Experiences (GSE), which uses AI to provide more comprehensive and personalized results. It has some marketers trembling in their boots, fearing “zero click searches” where users don’t need to click to your website to find the answer.

Wherever your anxieties, AI is here to stay, and now more than ever, digital marketers need to roll up their sleeves and strengthen their company’s website and marketing strategies.

https://www.searchenginejourna...

What is significant about 256?

For anyone familiar with binary code, 256 is more than just a number. It’s represented by an eight-bit byte, where 256 equals 2 to the eighth power. This makes it the highest power of two that is still less than 365, the number of days in a year. In binary, 256 is written as 1 0000 0000—a number that resonates deeply with programmers, symbolizing the foundation of computing and digital logic.

History of Programmers Day

The official recognition of Programmers Day has its roots in Russia. In 2002, Valentin Balt and Michael Cherviakov, two programmers from Parallel Technologies, led a movement to have the day officially recognized by the Russian government. After gathering signatures and rallying support, their efforts paid off in 2009 when the Ministry of Mass Media and Communications of Russia declared Programmers Day an official holiday. The bill was signed by President Dmitry Medvedev on September 11, 2009.

While Russia celebrates Programmers Day on September 13, other countries have chosen different dates. For instance, China celebrates on October 24th, a date chosen because it can be written as 1024, which equals 2^10, another significant number in the binary world.

The Impact of Programmers on Our Daily Lives

In today’s digital age, programmers are the unsung heroes who keep the world running smoothly. From the apps on our phones to the systems that manage our transportation, healthcare, finance, and education, programming is at the heart of every innovation. The role of programmers extends far beyond just writing code—they are problem-solvers, innovators, and designers who create solutions that make our lives easier.

Every major industry relies on programmers’ skills. The automotive industry uses programming to manage assembly lines and develop the software that powers modern vehicles. Telecommunications companies depend on programmers to maintain and enhance communication networks. Even in sectors like entertainment and security, programmers play a crucial role in ensuring that services are reliable, secure, and innovative.

Join the Team at LRS Web Solutions

At LRS Web Solutions, we understand the value of skilled programmers in driving innovation and maintaining excellent products and services for our customers. We offer exciting career opportunities for talented individuals who are enthusiastic about technology and programming. Whether you’re a Full Stack Developer or a Web Application Developer, LRS Web Solutions provides a dynamic and supportive environment where you can grow your career and make a real impact.

As we celebrate National Programmers Day, we invite you to explore the career opportunities at LRS Web Solutions and become part of a team that values creativity, problem-solving, and technical expertise. Together, we can continue to innovate and shape the future of technology. Check out current job openings here.

Happy National Programmers Day to all the programmers out there—thank you for what you do to make our lives better! The contributions of programmers are the backbone of our digital world, and we appreciate you.

One of the most compelling uses of drones in web design is the creation of cinematic videos captured in stunning 8K resolution. These high-quality visuals provide a dynamic and immersive experience, whether you’re showcasing your facilities, products, or events. Imagine a website with a video banner that features a sweeping aerial view, instantly grabbing the attention of visitors and setting your brand apart. LRS Web Solutions offers flexible video options, ranging from 1080p to 8K, ensuring that your content is tailored to your specific needs. Their professional editing team works efficiently to transform raw drone footage into polished content, seamlessly integrating these videos into your website to create an engaging user experience.

But drone imagery isn’t limited to videos alone. LRS Web Solutions encourages businesses to use aerial photos as dynamic backgrounds for their websites. A captivating drone shot can serve as a hero image on your landing page, creating a memorable first impression. These visuals are also versatile enough to enhance both online and offline marketing materials, adding a layer of sophistication that traditional photography simply cannot match.

Drones also excel in elevating event experiences, providing unique perspectives that traditional cameras cannot achieve. For instance, LRS Web Solutions uses aerial footage to create teasers and trailers for events, giving attendees a sneak peek from above that builds anticipation. On social media, drone shots offer live previews of event setups, generating buzz and engaging your audience in ways that stand out amidst the digital noise. After the event, LRS compiles highlight reels using drone footage, immortalizing key moments and serving as powerful marketing material for future events.

Looking ahead, the future of drone technology in marketing and business is increasingly intertwined with the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). These technologies are poised to revolutionize how drone footage is captured, edited, and utilized in marketing strategies. AI and Machine Learning will enable drones to autonomously capture the most compelling angles and moments, tailoring footage to specific marketing goals. For example, a drone could be programmed to prioritize shots that highlight a brand's core values or product features, ensuring that every frame contributes to a cohesive marketing narrative.

Moreover, AI-powered drones could analyze viewer engagement in real-time, dynamically adjusting the content to maintain interest. Imagine a drone capturing footage at an event and instantly processing which scenes generate the most social media shares or likes, then automatically focusing on similar content. This level of responsiveness would allow businesses to optimize their marketing strategies on the fly, creating highly personalized and effective campaigns.

LRS Web Solutions has seamlessly integrated these advanced drone services into their offerings. They provide flexible video quality options, professional editing services, and the ability to embed drone videos directly into websites. Additionally, they ensure compliance with FAA regulations, prioritizing safety while staying at the forefront of drone technology advancements.

LRS Web Solutions is redefining web design and marketing through the innovative use of drone technology. From creating awe-inspiring visuals to providing practical solutions for event planning and security, they are helping businesses soar above the competition. As we look to the future, the continued evolution of drone technology, powered by AI and Machine Learning, promises even greater possibilities, making it an exciting time for businesses eager to elevate their digital presence. Let your website take flight with LRS, where innovation truly meets the sky.

Contact us today to book your drone photo and video session!

For more information on how we can elevate your online presence, contact us today!

Antilles Live Chat is a powerful, web-based chat tool crafted to enhance customer service and interaction for small businesses. It seamlessly integrates into any website, enabling real-time communication between your team and customers. As a result, your customers will have a better user experience, get the help they need, and will be more likely to complete a conversion.

Do I really need a live chat on my website?

Chats are becoming ubiquitous on business websites. In a change to users' website experiences, website visitors are starting to expect the option to chat.  According to a 2023 Superoffice blog post:

• 41% of consumers prefer live chat support over other channels like phone, email, or social media.
• Live chat software users report a remarkable 85% customer satisfaction rating.
• 73% of customers feel more comfortable communicating with customer service via live chat than email or traditional phone support.
• Customers who prefer live chat believe that it helps them to receive instant answers, multitask during a live session, and is the most efficient form of communication.

How can I use Live Chat?

A Live Chat service improves the experience of your website users. Here are some ways that a chat bot can help your business:

1. Increase conversion rates by engaging with customers while they are actively browsing your website.
2. Collect valuable feedback directly from users that can help you improve your products or services.
3. Provide efficient customer support or handle sales inquiries without the need for phone calls, shortening the lead to sales time.

Need more? Here are some more ways that Live Chat can add sophistication to your website:

• Enhance customer service by easily transferring customers to the right person.
• Increase engagement through real-time website interactions.
• Simplify staff effort with an easy-to-use, embedded application on your business website.

Don't Get Left Behind!

Ready to improve your customer engagement and drive business growth? Take the first step towards success by integrating Antilles Live Chat today. Sign up for a demo to experience the transformative power of real-time communication.

Make sure your website continues to add functionality to meet the needs of ever-changing web users. Whether you use LRS Antilles or not, Antilles Live Chat is a great way to get started in the chat bot era. 

Learn more about Antilles Live Chat and watch a video about how it works.

How Can These New Platforms Work for You?

I can hear you now: “That’s fine for Chipotle and Marvel, but what does that have to do with my business?” The answer is… not a lot if you don’t jump in and use them. But before you do, there are a few things you need to check off your list:

1. Understand your Audience
   Social media can be one of the most effective tools to help you connect with your audience, build your brand, and drive sales. Spending some time researching on these platforms will help you learn what they like, dislike, and share with others. Creating personalized content, boosting engagement, and knowing how to stay relevant will take work, but this effort will pay off over time.
2. Determine whether TikTok or Threads is better for your audience
   The decision to use TikTok or Threads for your company depends on your audience and the types of content you want to put out. TikTok reaches a younger and trendier audience with visually engaging content. Threads is better suited for community building, professional engagement, and more detailed text-based interactions. Give some honest thought to who you are trying to reach and how they’re likely to interact with your brand. When it comes to socials, the medium is the message.
3. Familiarize Yourself with the Trends:
   Staying up to date with the most popular social media trends is crucial for your brand. This enhances engagement, visibility, and relevance, while also providing valuable insights and creativity. By staying up on the latest trends, brands can maintain a competitive edge in the evolving social media world. How do businesses track trends?
4. Collaborate:
   Collaborating with other businesses on social media is a strategic move that offers many benefits when building a brand. By forming partnerships with influencers, other brands, and your audience, you can enhance your social media presence and achieve your marketing goals. Collaboration can help you achieve new opportunities and take your brand’s social media presence to the next level.

Final Step: Optimize Your Website for Social Media

Refining your website for social media is crucial for maximizing its impact and engagement. Focus on creating shareable content that resonates with your audience and encourages them to spread the word across their own social networks. Utilize SEO strategies to increase your website’s visibility. By optimizing your meta tags, using relevant keywords, and ensuring fast loading times, you can make your content more discoverable on search engines and social media platforms, driving more organic traffic to your site. Also, ensuring that your website is mobile-friendly is extremely important because a substantial portion of social media traffic comes from mobile devices. According to Forbes, 99 percent of users access social media on a mobile device or tablet.

Want Help With With Social Media?

Seem like a lot to keep track of? No worries.

The LRS Web Solutions team helps small, medium, and enterprise businesses optimize their websites for SEO and other marketing strategies, including social media. We can help you create high-quality, shareable content that resonates with your audiences and leverage analytics to show you what is working. Our team can also help you with social media strategies to enhance engagement, visibility, and relevance on TikTok, Threads, or other platforms.

Staying updated with social media trends is important for your business. LRS can help you make the most of your online presence. When you’re ready to take that big step, Contact Us and together we’ll make sure every day is Social Media day for your company!

About Prairie State Bank and Trust

Prairie State Bank and Trust is a community bank with more than 150 employees in 18 locations throughout central Illinois.

The bank has a high-performing website with LRS Web Solutions, but they wanted to continue to improve communications with their customers. Understanding their needs, we integrated Antilles Live Chat into their website.

Antilles Live Chat Software to Connect with Customers

Setting up the chat software “was very easy,” according to Hilary Patterson, Chief Marketing Officer at Prairie State Bank & Trust. “It was amazing – the whole team was super quick to get the software setup. There was no downtime other than a few minutes.”

Since adding Antilles Live Chat in 2023, Hilary says the bank’s customers enjoy using the general chat to reach out to the team.

How Prairie State Bank Uses Live Chat

“We have a staff of five who sign-in each morning to ensure they are available between phone calls to assist with that chat. They are notified when a new chat comes in.”

Hilary says the calls are general to help customers find the answer to their questions, such as asking a loan officer to call the customer instead of the customer waiting on hold. “I have noticed that we are capturing more people through Live Chat. We can capture their name and phone number to reach back out or put them in touch with the correct individual.”

She also loves the ability to add additional hours to easily alert customers about holiday hours or other closings.

Live Chat can help preserve their reputation by giving customers an instant and satisfying experience with their bank.

Learn more about Live Chat

You don’t need to be a customer of LRS Web Solutions to use Antilles Live Chat. Contact us for a demo!

See the features of Live Chat

If you're on the support plan and want to upgrade, open a Customer Support ticket to start the process.

A few of the new features include:

Enhanced Image Picker

The image picker has been modernized to support the latest image formats.  Now users can include .webp and .avif images, providing more options to ensure fast page load speeds.

SEO Capabilities

Introducing default sitewide schema for SEO.  Empowering users with enhanced search engine visibility.

Canonical URL Control

Gain control over canonical URLs by using the default sitewide schema field. 

Analytics

Antilles supports Google Analytics 4(GA4), which is the latest version of the industry leading analytics platform.

What's Coming Soon? 

The team is working on a brand-new tool for managing resources and images. The new resource picker will streamline image optimization, sizing and cropping while improving the user experience for adding and maintaining files. 

Visit the Antilles Version History page to see a list of all updates and changes. 
Your website will receive automatic updates. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about the current version of Antilles running on your site.

Township Officials of Illinois is the go-to resource website for state and federal legislative agencies and townships. As a valuable source of information, the TOI website was aging in 2024. It needed a design refresh and a better user experience. The staff’s goal was to improve communication, streamline processes, and empower their communities.

WEBSITE REDESIGN FOR IMPROVED USER EXPERIENCE

The website challenge was to enhance the website design and user experience. Along with enhanced features, we set up our user-friendly content management system, LRS Antilles. As a result, TOI’s new custom website is designed to serve you better and provide an exceptional online experience.

The result is a dynamic platform that caters to the needs of their users. Here are some of the highlights:

Modern Look and Feel: The redesigned website showcases a sleek and contemporary aesthetic, creating a visually appealing environment that is easy on the eyes. The clean and organized layout ensures that you can easily find the information you need.

Feature-Rich Events Calendar: Among their most important and popular content is TOI’s annual conference. Understanding the needs of TOI’s users, the conference and events, as well as board meetings, and training sessions are easy to find. Our new events calendar offers a comprehensive overview of all the activities hosted by Township Officials of Illinois. You can now stay up-to-date with a single glance and never miss an important event again.

Enhanced Content Management System: We have implemented a cutting-edge content management system that simplifies the process of updating and managing our website. Antilles by LRS Web Solutions allows TOI to swiftly publish relevant news, articles, images, and PDFs, ensuring their users always have access to the latest information.

Easy to Navigate: TOI’s website has been designed with the user’s convenience in mind. Township officials, residents, or visitors can easily find what they’re looking for on the website. Working with TOI, the LRS team analyzed the content to ensure that the most sought-after information was readily available. This will empower their users to find needed materials quickly and easily.

E-Commerce Integration: Third-party companies were integrated into the website experience, allowing users to easily move between site content and purchasing handbooks and other materials from the TOI store.

Strong Calls to Action: TOI can show the return on their website investment with stronger calls to action on their website, encouraging users to subscribe to their newsletter and follow their social media channels

The TOI website shows that over time, websites need to be refreshed and reorganized as web design evolves, company offerings advance, and users’ expectations change. Beautiful websites can be functional and fashionable without breaking the budget.

https://www.toi.org/

But does your internal site search give them the results that you want them to see?

LRS Antilles™ offers a module specifically to improve your site’s search results: Taxonomy.

What is Taxonomy?

In the most common definition, taxonomy is a biological term, defined as the naming and systematic biological classification and organization of species in groups. 

In LRS Antilles™, the goal of taxonomy is to match your website content with words and phrases your users would use to search for your content.

In the world of tech and programming, taxonomy is grouping data into hierarchies and groups. For websites, taxonomy helps to group content in your navigation or menu. 

In LRS Antilles™, taxonomy is akin to “tagging.”

Consider LRS Antilles™ taxonomy "advanced search" – helping your users easily find what they are searching for, especially when the word or phrase is not on the page. The more satisified your website viewers are with the content of your site, the more likely they are to come back and reach out to become a customer. 

For example, let's say you manage a website for a health care clinic.  You've written a blog post about tips to prevent heart disease. You want this page to show up in search results when people search for heart attack. Your website users type in "heart attack" in the onsite search bar. But if the words "heart attack" don't appear on the page it won't show up in your on-site search results unless you either write those words into the page copy or "tag" it using the LRS Antilles™ Taxonomy module.  

In another example, a nonprofit organization helps teens avoid abusing drugs and alcohol. Teens might use slang terms for drugs to search for help. Instead of trying to wedge in all the slang terms on each page, the team can match the slang words with the right page to ensure the appropriate pages are delivered in search results. 

Recommended Strategy for LRS Antilles™ Taxonomy Module 

It can be overwhelming to think about what content you need to tag. But over time, you will think often of terms you should add to taxonomy. Here are some strategies to get you started.

KEYWORDS: Use an SEO program like SEM Rush or AHREFs to find your ranking keywords that drive traffic to your site. Find keywords that you want to rank for. Add those as tags (but also think about how to create content with those keywords to get better traffic) Explore related keywords and phrases with which you can tag your content.

SYNONYMS: Brainstorm synonyms of keywords, or generate a list of keywords using an SEO tool like SEM Rush, Google Adwords or an AI platform.  For example, a restaurant could tag "drinks", "libations", "refreshments" to its drink menu; link "brochure", "flyer" and "collateral" to your marketing information. A bank could tag "Home loan", "house loan" to the mortgage page.

SITE SEARCHES: Within your website online search, review what your users are searching for while they're browsing your site using Google Analytics and/or your LRS Antilles Site Health module, which saves site searches and tracks 404s. Run searches on your site for these terms and make sure the appropriate pages are populating in search results. Review your site searches monthly and add terms, including any useful misspellings.

SEARCH QUERIES: Use Google Search Console to see what words and phrases people searched for that resulted in an impression or click of your pages. Make sure those terms are used on the webpage and that a site search will result in those pages being delivered in on-site search results.

If you have a lot of pages, you can just review your most popular ones. Using Google Search Console, see what pages got the most clicks over the past 3 months. Review what search queries led people to the page. Test those queries on site to make sure those terms bring up the desired page.

PEOPLE: If people are your primary "product," review misspellings and alternative spellings your customers/prospects may use. Add those spellings to taxonomy, linking those terms to the person's bio page. 

PRODUCTS/SERVICES: Like people, add alternative spellings/misspellings of your products and make sure a search brings those pages to the results.

FORM SUBMISSIONS: When forms are submitted, take note of frequently misspelled topics, services, people. Add those to taxonomy.

INTERNAL REVIEW: Talk to your staff who deal with your customers and prospects. What common terms do they have to explain or correct? Add those to taxonomy linked to the appropriate page and for extra credit, add detail about those terms. 

TESTING: Run tests of the searches and see how the search results compare with what you think should be included. Update taxonomy accordingly.

Get Tagging!

As you can tell, taxonomy is not a "one and done" effort, but an ongoing task to keep your site relevant and helpful to your users. So review your taxonomy as often as you like. Monthly is ideal, but quarterly or semi-annually may be more feasible. Add it to your to-do list, and it might just become part of your everyday thinking.  The result will be a search experience personalized and customized to your users' needs. .

If you need help, submit a ticket to websupport@lrs.com and we'll get back to you before you can say "Antilles Taxonomy."

Drone photography has taken off as the latest trend for photography. These engaging visuals can add an eye-catching feature to your website, social media post, or other marketing collateral. It might be just the ticket to help you soar above your competitors. 

Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Drone Photographer

1. What experience do you have in drone photography and videography?

Although aerial photography has been around since the 1980s, today's drones are more affordable for anyone to purchase and use. However, you should still seek a professional, experienced photographer who understands how to capture images, the effect of light, composition, and editing using a drone. 

At LRS Web Solutions: Our drone pilot has been flying Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) for more than 6 years and is also a licensed pilot with 13 years of experience flying jets. We also use a dedicated camera operator who has more than 30 years of experience in photo and video production. Together, they ensure every project is captured with professional precision and cinematic quality.

2. Do you have the necessary certifications and licenses?

Safety and legality are paramount in the drone industry. For professional work, drone pilots must have a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA, which is required to fly commercially in the United States. Compliance with federal aviation regulations ensures a responsible and professional operation. 

At LRS Web Solutions: Yep, we have staff with a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA and can fly our drone under the FAA's sUAS Rule, also known as Part 107.

3. What equipment do you use?

If you are hiring drone services, Insist that he or she use professional equipment to get professional quailty video. 

At LRS Web Solutions: We use the DJI Inspire 3, which is a state-of-the-art sUAS, giving us the ability to produce Hollywood-quality video. Our drone is equipped with the X9-8K Air gimbal and we use a variety of lenses with different focal lengths. In addition, we use an RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) system which gives us centimeter level precision when flying the aircraft.

4. Can you provide references or examples of your work?

As with all hires, get references and make sure the quality of the work is up to your standards.

At LRS Web Solutions: To get a sense of our style and capabilities, look at our Drone Service page, which showcases both photo and 8K video we have captured with our drone.

5. What sets you apart from other drone photographers?

Ah the differentiator! This can be a tough question for some businesses. As drone videos increase in popularity, you'll want to be sure you're getting quality service with a unique look, if desired. Your drone photographer should strive to achieve the highest quality, in both equipment, style, and service. 

At LRS Web Solutions: The differentiating factor at LRS is the type of drone we use and the experience we have. The DJI Inspire 3 is touted as being the peak of aerial cinematography and is the only cinema-grade drone on the market. With the ability to capture video in 8K/75fps, we can meet the needs of top-class film and television productions. Additionally, we are equipped and prepared to fly at night, which allows us to showcase your business or organization in a unique way!

6. What safety measures do you have in place?

With multiple obstructions to consider, drone photography has its risks. Operators must consider the environment, including buildings, antennae, and, of course, people. Weather can also affect safety conditions. 

At LRS Web Solutions: Safety is our top priority. Our drone operators have stringent safety protocols, including pre-flight checks, emergency procedures, and insurance coverage. We prioritize the safety of people and property during each flight, while adhering to all FAA regulations. When flying in controlled airspace, we always receive airspace authorization from the FAA before we fly.

7. How do you handle post-production and editing?

Make sure you understand what will happen after the footage is captured. Will extra charges incur during post-production? Will they brand the video, render it and modify it for your desired output or just give you the raw footage?  

At LRS Web Solutions:  Whether you need drone footage for your website or as part of a larger marketing campaign, our professional videographer with decades of experience will edit the video to showcase your brand and vision.

8. Can you provide a detailed cost estimate?

How much does a drone video cost? It can vary. Study the estimate to make sure you're comfortable with the quote and what you will get for the cost. Be sure to ask about possible travel expenses and any additional fees.

At LRS Web Solutions: We offer several options to meet your budget. Check out our Drone Service page or contact us for a custom quote. We won't hide fees. 

9. What is your availability and scheduling flexibility?

Ensure that the photographer's schedule aligns with your project timeline. Discuss their availability for planning, shooting, and potential reshoots, as well as their ability to accommodate changes in the schedule.

At LRS Web Solutions: We will coordinate schedules to complete your project in a timely fashion.  

10. Do you have a backup plan for adverse weather conditions?

Weather can be unpredictable, and it can impact your aerial photography or videography session. To ensure safety, make sure that there is a plan to reschedule in case of bad weather.

At LRS Web Solutions: We will keep you informed of weather changes, clearances, or other factors that could affect fly times.

 The good news is that language translation on websites has evolved and it's much easier to find the right answer for your company.

What's the answer? Like many things in web development, it depends. So keep reading...

A Brief History of Website Translation

In the 1990s, when websites needed multiple languages, developers had to manually create pages for each translation. Automated translation became popular in the 2000s.

Babelfish was the first well-known translation widget that could be added to a website for automatic translation. Google launched its own widget in 2006, and it quickly became the most popular option until 2019. That year, Google discontinued the widget after upgrading its Google Chrome web browser, which now enables translation for any site.

Today, website translation can be separated into two main categories: automated and manual.

Manual Options for Website Language Translator 

Some companies may want to do it the old-fashioned way: create multiple versions of a blog article each with a variant for each language.

This offers a direct translation for each blog post and provides a separate page for SEO purposes to get to those articles.

The benefit is that you have complete control of the content. However, it requires more work to set up and manage, since someone needs to write the content in each language. 

An LRS division, Enterprise Output Management, chose this route, favoring the control that manual translation gives. They translate their English blog posts into four different languages. 

See: https://www.lrsoutputmanagement.com/blog/

Automated Options for Website Language Translator

If you are considering automated language translation of your website content, there are a few things to keep in mind. While it used to be common to see sites using Google Translate (a language selection box on the website), Google discontinued this service in 2019.

Built-in Browser

Language translation is now built into the web browser (Chrome and Edge) and third parties, including Google, provide an extension for FireFox. The browser already detects when you are visiting a site in a different language and offers to translate it for you. So if you are looking for a direct replacement for Google Translate, the good news is that you may not need to do anything at all. 

Weglot Integration

Be careful with fully-automated translation. It may not be completely accurate. For better results, make sure the content on your site is consistent, in plain words, and not culture specific. When translated, some content becomes considerably longer, so the design of your site should reflect that.

For better results, make sure the content on your site is consistent, in plain words, and not culture specific.

LRS can help with content and design to improve translation. For more flexibility with automated content, we recommend adding a service like Weglot. This solution allows you editing control of the translated content and provides features such as image replacement and SEO benefits.

AI for Automatic Translation

One of the challenges with automated translation is understanding the difference when words have multiple meanings or when one language does not directly translate certain concepts to another.

Understanding context is important, and this is why manual translation has been the most accurate.

AI is changing that. It can better understand what the site is about using that context to aid in better translations. Automated translation tools are beginning to use AI to better translate content. Stay tuned to see how AI can improve automatic translation context. 

Which one is right for your business?

So do you need to translate your website's language? The short answer is no - user's browsers can do it automatically. However, If you want full control over the translation, you can invest time into manually translating the site.

Today's tech -- including AI --makes it easier than ever to meet the language demands of your users.

LRS Web Solutions offers both manual and automated options, and we work with clients to find the best solution for their needs. If you're looking for help with website translation, send us a note and we'll get in touch.

According to an article written by Ruth Hawk, a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds. These breaches can target companies of all sizes, ranging from small businesses to multibillion-dollar companies. Cyberattacks can result in significantly debilitating revenue theft, as well as personal security breaches where private data can be shared globally. While unfortunately, many companies remain vulnerable to these attackers, cybersecurity is continuously evolving.  

As data security becomes more imperative, so does the need for web developers. Web developers play a crucial role, pioneering “privacy by design,” and integrating confidential measures into software development processes. Although developers are working as the frontline of defense against data breaches, unsecured files are still a numerous and easy target for data breaches. You can assist developers in protecting your data by installing GDPR complaint plugins on WordPress sites, adding a privacy policy page to your website, and implementing controls for storing customer data.

Managing security concerns is no longer optional. It is necessary to protect and secure all your intellectual property, which is the driving force behind the establishment of National Dapper Your Data Day. This holiday highlights the persisting issue of data safety and educates people on how to fight back.  

How can you observe this holiday? Here are a few suggestions: 

1. Clean out your data regularly, not only on July 18th. This practice allows you to have full control over the information you may have access to. 
2. Read about data protection and cybersecurity! As technology becomes increasingly prominent, so does the importance of cybersecurity. Although this topic may be new to some, there is an abundance of information to keep yourself and your data safe. 
3. Stay informed about current news regarding data privacy and security. This holiday serves as a reminder of the constant significance of data privacy and security in our lives. 

By participating in National Dapper Your Data Day, you help protect important information and make the digital world safer for all users. 

Case Study - TAP from LRS Web Solutions on Vimeo.

LRS Web Solutions listened to the client’s needs and improved an existing website form. It was improved to better represent the deliverables required for the client’s grant funding. The improved form and database connects autistic children with autism providers faster, more efficiently, and more accurately. The client and its stakeholders save time, improve efficiency, and increase satisfaction.

Top 5 Benefits of the New TAP Database

ABOUT TAP

The Autism Program of Illinois at Hope, located in Springfield, Illinois is a grant program funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services. It has served children in Illinois with autism spectrum disorders and their families since 2003.

TAP (The Autism Program) connects children with autism to services throughout the state using a network of 15 network partners that operate 20 service sites. According to the Illinois Respite Coalition, TAP is the largest statewide comprehensive provider in the country serving people with autism. 

The network of providers includes 5 universities and 10 organizations that together provide a wide array of autism services for children in Illinois. Services include screenings and diagnostics, individual and group therapy, family support, training and education, and much more.

About 1 in 44 children in the United States is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, so the services are in high demand to serve the state’s children.

THE PROJECT

Children, families, educators, day care providers, and medical professionals rely on TAP to connect children with the state’s services. Individuals or their family members fill out the website form to request services.

Mary Kelly, Quality Coordinator of The Autism Program, leads a small team that reviews requests and assigns them to an appropriate provider within a 50 miles radius of the child’s home. The provider then contacts the family to begin connecting with the desired services. After the connection is established, the provider might enroll them in services at their site, put them on a waitlist for services, make an in-network referral to another TAP partner, or make an out of network referral to meet their needs for service.

“As a statewide grant with deliverables to serve children throughout Illinois, having the form on our website allows a front door for individuals and their family members seeking services to find us,” Mary says. “I never anticipated the number of inquiries that we would get from the website form. A lot of people find us that way. It just needed to be better.”

TAP built the form and the original vendor connected it to their existing software platform that fit their existing company model -- not customized to what TAP needed. Still, Mary powered through the cumbersome platform to get the job done. “The platform had too many bells and whistles and it didn’t function the way we wanted it to.”

In spring 2022, TAP learned that the vendor was shifting its business model and terminating the TAP contract. TAP needed to find a new provider to create a new database in a short amount of time. “It was a blessing in disguise,” Mary says.

THE CHALLENGE

The earlier system was more focused on a medical model than a not-for-profit model. “It was tedious, redundant, complicated, and required way too many clicks/steps for our TAP network partner users.” The old form also did not entirely align with grant deliverables.

“With the previous system, very few cases were closed; the old form was so cumbersome to use,” Mary says.

With desperate families asking for help with their child, time is critical.

“These parents are confused, scared, and don’t know where to turn. They don’t know what they need or what to ask for. That’s where our form fills the gap. “

Incredibly, the previous system also relied on the vendor to select the right provider for the child. Mary says she spent most of her days correcting errors and sending inquiries to the right people. “We know our TAP providers inside and out. The vendor couldn’t fulfill the requests correctly.”

After a bidding process, TAP chose LRS to make something better. It was a tall order with a tight deadline. TAP doesn’t host its website with LRS, nor were they a web design customer. Yet, LRS listened carefully and created a custom, integrated solution that fit TAP’s needs.

“At LRS Web Solutions, we want to get to know our clients and learn about their problems,” says Jamie Baird, UX specialist and program manager. “Then we work together to create a solution. For TAP we wanted to make sure Mary and her staff had a better way to connect these kids to the services they need as efficiently as possible.”

Working with the LRS team was such as pleasure...They were able to listen to what our conceptualization of the database might look like and made it quick and easy for everyone to use."  

- Mary Kelly, TAP Quality Coordinator

THE SOLUTION

“We studied how the information was being collected and processed. It was clear that the workflow did not meet TAP’s needs,” says Bill Goldsberry, manager of LRS Web Solutions.

“We knew we could build a custom solution that would make it easier for the public to request needs and improve the workflow of staff and partners.”

Using the LRS Antilles Content Manager, the LRS Web Solutions team created a custom form matching TAP’s branding and linked it to a custom database specific to the statewide program services.

The custom form went live on July 1,2022. The database backend for assigning and processing requests soon followed in October 2022.

Even though TAP does not manage its website with LRS, we were able to integrate the custom form into their website. Administrators can easily manage the form submissions through custom built module in the LRS Antilles Content Manager.

Mary remembers arranging sheets of paper scattered on her living room floor to create a workflow for the database, and the LRS team made it work.

“LRS built the database specifically for our needs, unlike our previous vendor that was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. The LRS team did an excellent job of listening and taking what we had conceptualized to put into action.”

Today, TAP administrators can quickly assign the inquiries to the right partner. The providers can securely detail the next steps for the client, and Mary can efficiently generate detailed reports to satisfy the grant reporting.

Today, using a Content Management System (CMS) to maintain website content is a necessity for every size of business.

Open-source options like WordPress are popular choices due to their flexibility, large community, cost-effectiveness, and the vast number of plugins available with a click of a button.

However, these benefits can also cause problems.

WordPress Problems

Over the years, WordPress has dealt with several hacks that have put millions of business websites at risk for security breaches. It got hit in the spring of 2023 with Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), putting sites at risk of attacks and malicious scripts. As a result, sites may unknowingly give access to sensitive information.

This vulnerability exposed brings to light the inherent risks and potential dangers of using community-based software for something as crucial as your public website. Many of these problems, such as plugin failures, won't be fixed.  

What you save in CMS costs you may pay for later in security remediation. 

In this post, we will review some of the potential issues of security concerns involved with using an open-source Content Management System. 

1. Security Vulnerabilities
   
   The sheer number of websites running on the WordPress platform makes it a prime target for hackers.  Identifying a single vulnerability gives the opportunity to exploit hundreds of millions of websites. Hackers are quick to exploit any weaknesses or vulnerabilities, and these exploits make it around the world wide web very quickly, well before companies are aware there is an issue.
2. Impact on customization and Scalability.
   
   While WordPress and other community-based CMS have a vast array of themes and plugins to quickly update website functionality, you may find they are spending more time struggling with updates, patches, and security changes than scaling the website. It can become a challenge to effectively customize and scale when you are constantly dealing with these issues.
3. Critical Dependency on Third-Party Developers
   
   Open-source projects rely heavily on third-party developers to create themes, plugins, and other add-ons. This helps the ecosystem grow very quickly and offers an ever-expanding list of features. Reliability and support from these external contributors can be a challenge. You may often find a plugin or theme used on your website is no longer maintained or has been completely abandoned. This may leave your team with the responsibility to patch or re-write custom code they are unfamiliar with or find a new solution.
4. Reliable Support
   
   While the open-source community offers many valuable resources there are limitations with relying solely on community-driven support. In times of crisis, website owners need immediate and reliable assistance. The lack of official support can result in delays, frustration, and high costs.

Understand Open Source Software

The recent vulnerability affecting over 3 million WordPress websites serves as a stark reminder about the dangers of relying solely on open-source solutions. While there are benefits to using a solution such as WordPress it is important to understand the risks that inherently come with it.

Is WordPress a security risk? Yes. All CMS have some security risks. Some more than others. As a website owner, you need to plan to minimize the risk.

How to Keep Your Website Secure

It is vital that your development team is regularly doing the following:

• applying updates
• employing security measures
• using best practices for website security
• has a plan in place to address compatibility, security, and plugin issues.

If any of these areas are lacking, or you don't know how to manage these issues, let us know and we can check to see where your site may need more security. 

The LRS Web Solutions Content Management System, LRS Antilles, was designed and built by our team on-site. We built it and maintain it, so we make sure it is reliable and secure. We made our plugins. We do our updates. All in-house. 

How LRS Antilles Keeps Your Website Secure

While no system is 100% protected, LRS Antilles has multiple safeguards in place to help prevent XSS attacks.

Our developers are aware of XSS entry points during the build process and encode user input to prevent malicious code from being exploited through online forms.

Sites built with Antilles also utilize Content-Security-Policy HTTP headers to prevent unauthorized scripts from running. Before each major release, Antilles is also scanned by a 3rd-party auditor to identify any potential vulnerabilities.

If you are in the market for a new website and Content Management System, consider LRS Antilles. Check out our blog post comparing Antilles to Wordpress.

Stay safe out there. 

Email Hosting

This term refers to the physical location of servers that save your email data. LRS generally uses Microsoft’s email servers for email hosting. In some cases, we will use a proxy such as Barracuda for spam filtering and DNS will point to that server instead.

If the DNS is your entry within the phone book, then your mail server is the mailbox outside of your house. Your DNS contains instructions, or an MX record, on where to find your mail server (or mailbox). All email clients, such as Gmail or Outlook, understand how to read these instructions to your mailbox.

Your mailbox may be self-hosted (right outside your house), or it could be hosted in the cloud (maybe a PO Box). Your mail server is responsible for handling all incoming mail that is sent to you on the internet when someone sends an email to you@yourdomain.com.

The largest email hosts in the world are Microsoft and Google, but email can be hosted anywhere that can host an operating system and are easily findable using various online tools like NSLOOKUP, or a web-based GUI lookup like MXToolbox.

The Least You Need to Know

Without DNS and hosting services, your business website couldn't be found on the internet. Website development professionals can give you peace of mind to ensure that these steps are taken properly and securely.

I hope this gives you a basic understanding of the more technical terms used during your website redesign. Contact us if you have more questions. 

When I would take a few precious minutes to bravely login, I was presented with the complex dashboard that made me sigh in frustration.  

I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to know. Just… something helpful.  

I’d click on section after section trying to find out if people were looking at a particular page or blog post. (What’s a “property” and what’s a “view”? What’s a “session” and what’s a “unique pageview”? How can Audiences have an Audience section within itself??)  I needed to know … something. Now.  

Every now and then I’d stumble on a useful metric. I finally found the All-Pages content view and wrote procedures so I could get there again.  

I wondered, “What are the most basic things to monitor for your website analytics, and why they are important?” But no one on my PR team could figure it out or had the time to learn. Analytics receded into the background as a “wouldn’t it be nice” task on our never-ending to-do list. 

Sound familiar in your world?  

A Team to Tame the Beast 

If you’re reading this post, then you’ve got a partner to help you with Google™ Analytics – the team at LRS Web Solutions. 

In PR and marketing, it can be difficult to attribute business revenue to the whirlwind of activities we do. Website analytics makes it easier. And when it comes to redesigning your website, the analytics are the place to start. Analytics shows you how people are using your website.  

Analytics is your secret weapon to persuade the C-Suite to invest in your company’s most important marketing tactic: your business website.  

Now is the time to confront Google™ Analytics 

Google™ Analytics certainly is not the easiest thing in the world to understand. Still, in the past few years, Google™ has tried to create more helpful reports in its data platform, formerly called Universal Analytics or GA3. The search bar is surprisingly useful, and YouTube videos and Google™’s own training is a big help (but who has a day set aside for GA training?) 

If you’ve ever been intimidated by analytics, unclear about how to start or what matters, now is the time to confront the beast, to get friendly with it as Google™ is changing the game of analytics to GA4.  

We’ll have a post coming soon with the basics of GA4, but it will be helpful if you take a couple of minutes to grasp how to use Analytics to improve your business website and digital marketing. 

How does reviewing analytics enhance your website? 

Your business website is the crown jewel of your digital marketing. Without a strong website presence, your business’s bottom line will suffer. Analytics gives data into how your users are using your website. These datapoints can supply strong evidence as you plan other marketing strategies and tactics, from billboards and radio ads to social media and webpages. Google™ dominates the market share of the search engines (92%), and so their analytics platform might be most relevant for you. But there are alternative analytics platforms, such as Adobe™ Analytics and Piwik Pro. Your CMS (Content Management System) may have basic analytics built into the platform. 

What does Google™ Analytics tell me? 

In short, a lot. The best strategy with Google™ Analytics is to go to it with a question in mind: “How many people read our last blog post?” “What age groups are looking at what content?” What are people searching for on my site?” “From what page do people leave my site?” 

10 recommendations for Google™ Analytics:   

1. Have goals for your website 
   Match business goals and marketing goals with an action on your website. This could be downloading a form, registering for an event, or creating an account. Use Google™ Tag Manager to help track things like button clicks and video views and check it using Google Analytics. 
2. Know your popular pages – and which aren’t –
   It’s just as important to know which pages aren’t working and those that are. At both ends of the spectrum are opportunities to review, research, write and enhance.  
3. Know your engagement rate
   “Engagement Rate” is a new metric in Google™ Analytics, found in GA4. Engagement means that people took an action on your site – stayed longer than 10 sections, viewed more than 2 pages, or completed an activity on your site that you deem to be indicative of a conversion. (Clicked a button, watched a video, registered for an event, etc.) Improve pages with a low engagement rate. Monitor those conversions with GA.  
4. Understand how people are getting to your site  
   Are people finding you through organic searches, your latest Google™ or Facebook ad campaign? Are they directly typing in your name to the search bar? Organic search traffic is the goal for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). It’s free traffic to your business! Know what organic keywords are driving that traffic, then you build content around that topic.  If people are using your business name to find you, (branded traffic) you’ve got good brand awareness, but think about how to expand that into service-related or product-specific keywords for broader impact. 
5. Know the demographics of these people and what devices they’re using 
   Should your site have more content more for women or men? For younger or older viewers? Are most people using mobile devices instead of a desktop? Tailor your website to who’s looking and make sure it’s a great user experience on both desktop and mobile. (And yes, Google™ knows everything about website visitors, but they’ll only share certain data.) 
6. 6 Monitor monthly sessions – are they trending up or down? 
    Sessions represent the numbers of visits people make to the site. Keep an eye on it and plan content promotion accordingly.  
7. Review what people are searching for on your site.  
   If you have site search on your website, find out what words people are typing into that search bar. Then you’ll know what content is missing from your site. Also look at the pages people viewed after a search. Did they find the content they were looking for, or did they leave your site from the search page? Add missing content to satisfy users’ on-site searches. 
8. Know what search queries are bringing people to your site. 
   Integrate Google™ Search Console into Analytics to easily see the search queries that led people to your site. Again, this can help with content missing from the site or poor user experience. If the content is there but people can’t find it, review the design, placement, and test changes.  
9. Link Google™ Analytics to other platforms. 
   In addition to integrating Google™ Search Console, integrate Google™ Ads and Google™ Optimize if you’re using those products.  
10. Install Google™ Analytics 4 
    If you haven’t installed GA4 on your business website, stop what you’re doing and do it now! Google™ Analytics 3 (GA3 or UA (Universal Analytics) depreciated on July 1, 2023. So, it’s critical that you get as much data as possible. You can run both GA3 and GA4. More on GA4 in our next post.  

Tame the Beast! 

Taming the beast that is Google™ Analytics can turn it into your secret weapon to prove the ROI on your marketing tactics. 

If you need to have Google™ Analytics installed, or need help understanding the content that’s there, give me a shout.  

Do I have GA4 now? 

Jump into GA4, and find the metrics that will help prove the value of your website. Reach out to us if you need help.

SOURCE: searchengineland.com/google-global-site-tag-386869 

What is the new Google™ Analytics?  

The new Google ™  Analytics (GA4) is a data-driven model with AI and machine learning. Eligible sites can benefit from insights into your unique website and its users. If you have enough traffic, predictive modeling can be implemented to see who your next customers are and who’s ready to drop off. As with all analytics, the more data you can give them over a longer period, the better your results. 

Google™ also touts that GA4 has improved user privacy, with or without “cookies.”   

Do I really need analytics at all? 

Analytics is incredibly useful, in fact, indispensable to understand how people are using your website, what content is working, who your users are, and more. If you’re not already using Google™ Analytics or another platform, get started now. 

Is GA4 a big change?  

Yes. It is a completely new tool from Universal Analytics (UA), which is now sometimes called Google™ Analytics 3. GA4 is a whole new animal.  

Can’t I just use the analytics I have now?  

For now, yes. But Google™ will stop collecting new data on properties on June 30. It’s possible that it could be extended but make plans now to migrate. But if you haven’t started using Google Analytics, now is the time.  

You can run both UA and GA4. But be clear: the data collection methods are different, so if you’re comparing data, don’t expect a 1:1 measurement number. 

What’s different about GA4?  

Pretty much everything. So be open to a new way of thinking about your website’s analytics. 

GA3 focuses on website usage, sessions and time on page, “web metrics”. GA4 focuses on events and audiences and engagement, “audience” metrics. This positions your website as a robust marketing tool, allowing you to show proof to your boss that the website is good investment.  

In GA4, you can still see things like pageviews, location, and gender, but the emphasis is not on how many people came or how many pages were viewed, but what they did when they got there. Were they “engaged” with your site?  

Like with UA, you can integrate Google™ Search Console, Google™ Ads, and other Google™ products to gain a fuller picture of your customer journey.  

The idea of engaged users forces marketers to address something that was included in UA, but often overlooked: goals, events, and conversions. That is, what actions did users take on your site that translates into revenue for your company?  

With GA4, marketers must address something that was included in UA, but often overlooked: goals, events, and conversions. That is, what actions did users take on your site that translates into revenue for your company?

You can also integrate website and app data into the GA4 platform. Previously, apps and websites data were in separate Universal Analytics containers. Consolidation gives you a holistic picture of your media. GA4 also tracks people across devices – including watches and smart TVs when applicable. All this data is integrated. 

GA4 automatically tracks basic actions on your site like pageviews and downloads. The good and the bad is that pretty much everything is customizable. With fewer automatic reports, your analytics will be more tailored to the data you’re interested in.  

The GA3 platform shows a lot of data, while GA4 is more simplistic and visual in its approach to data, using a card-style design. 

With these differences, it’s unwise to compare data between GA3 and GA4. It is nearly impossible to get numbers to match, due to how the platforms collect data. 

What’s missing 

Even though it officially launched in July 2023, GA4 remains a work in progress. You won't find some of he elements you are used to in Universal Analytics. Right now, there’s no way to schedule or email GA4 reports, no annotation capabilities, and no intuitive way to set up report templates. You would need to use Google's™ Looker Studio to build emailable reports.

Get to Know GA4

If you're an LRS Antilles customer, you can relax -- we've migrated your site to GA4 and you're already collecting data. UA is no longer scanning your site, so you need to get comfortable with GA4. There are a lot of tutorials online, but if you need help, reach out to me at LRS Web Solutions. 

We all want to use exciting images and design elements in our work that draw people in and tell a story.

But what if you are working on both print designs and web designs? What are the differences between print graphics and web graphics?

While the underlining visual principles for print and digital are similar, they are distinct mediums that require different considerations for how to effectively use text and imagery.

In this guide, we’ll provide advice on how to use these principles to create stunning visual designs optimized for both.

Print Design

Print design is the art of creating materials for brochures, booklets, flyers, postcards — tactile materials that the audience will hold in their hands. While the production process for print work is more costly and involved (coordinating with a printer, selecting paper, ink, binding style, etc.,) it does come with a substantial benefit: what you design will be exactly what people see.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when designing print materials:

Format

Is this going to be printed on 8.5 x 11 sheet? A tri-fold brochure? A large poster? Think about the content you want to convey, the environment people will view the work in, and how people will use the piece.

• Poster:  will most likely be viewed from farther away and will require large, brief text pared down to the most essential information. People will read it as they pass by.  Visuals should be striking to capture people’s attention.

• Brochure: A brochure can be taken home by the person and read at their leisure. So you can include more information set at a smaller font size, since a person can take those kinds of materials home and read them at their leisure. You can include more smaller visuals than a poster.

Paper Weight

Selecting the right paper weight is also important. Do you want a lighter and less expensive paper or something heavier and solid that will hold up better in someone’s hands? This all plays into the experience a customer will have with the piece.

Print Resolution and Color

Images in print require a higher resolution than the web, typically 300 dots per inch which contributes to print files being much larger than web files. It is also important to check the color profile the image is using. A CMYK color format will produce the most accurate results when printed. 

File Type & Image Size

Print vendors usually prefer .tifs or .jpgs for printed materials, along with a 300 dpi file. If you use a file that is too small, the image will look pixelated and grainy on your final print. Professional printers should catch this for you, but double-check your files before you send them off. 

Web Design

Designing for the web involves a different set of considerations—on what device will the user most likely view this work? A mobile phone, tablet, or large desktop display? Users will have different experiences with your content depending on what they’re using to access it.

File Type & Image Size

Common file types for the web are JPEG and PNG. PNG files tend to be a little larger than JPEGs but allow for a transparent background if your website has a specific style and you want the image to blend in more seamlessly.

Your specific website design will drive the image size requirements, but here are a few rules of thumb:

• Banner Images

Typically, a full-width banner image should be at least 1600px wide. Since these are major design elements on your website, they require a larger file. Users live on the web and are sensitive to quality — you don’t want your credibility undercut because one of the largest images on your site is blurry and pixelated. This is especially important as retina screens (newer displays that have double the pixel density of older devices) become more common.

• Content Images

These smaller images don’t have to be as large as banner images because they will not be displayed at as large a size. For a content image or team member photo, typically a size of 600px wide will be fine.

One thing to keep in mind for all graphics on the web is that in addition to the pixel dimensions you also want to be cognizant of the overall file size. If an image is too large (close to a megabyte or more) it can slow down your site and potentially inhibit a mobile user who is using cellular data from being able to view it. Slow sites frustrate users, and search engines might rank your site lower than a faster competitor. 

Digital Platform and Design

Another thing to think about: where is your image going to live? Will it be on your website or are you going to add it to social media? There are different considerations to make depending on the platform. 

Web is Flexible

Best Images for Your Website

Best Images for Social Media

Each social media site has slightly different recommendations for what size images to upload. Social media platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social have cheat sheets for the most current sizes for social media images. Unlike images for your website, however, you can include words as part of the image for social posts because the user will generally see the complete image as you designed it. Social platforms also typically optimize the image size for you.

Read Our Best Practices for Social Media Images

Several products like Adobe Express and Canva have templates that can help you create graphics for social media at the correct size.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is a difference among images for print design, web design, and social media. Be sure you're using the right image formats for the right platform. 

We hope this overview helps the next time you’re crafting a design or selecting images for print or the web. If it all seems a little complicated (and it can be) feel free to reach out! We do this every day and are always happy to help.

For businesses, do you need to have a cookie consent on your company website?

Cookies are a bit of code placed on your website to collect information. By accepting cookies, you’re allowing the website to add code to your website that collects data from your IP address.

Cookies have pros and cons. On the plus side, sites you visit often may remember your username, location, items in your shopping cart, and other information that makes the website experience a little bit more enjoyable. For businesses, cookies can provide valuable customer data for marketing purposes.

On the negative side, advertisers can track you, and you may see ads you don’t want. If you’re sharing personal information, that could be vulnerable to hackers.

The Cookie Policy is that pop-up banner or other piece of content on websites that informs visitors of what information is being collected, stored and used. 

The need for cookies stems from privacy regulations established in Europe, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act), and the Australian Privacy Act (The Privacy Act 1988). Sites that do business in these areas should consider cookie policies.

Should my business website have a cookie policy?

Businesses are not required to have a cookie policy on their websites. But check with your legal team to make sure. Using a cookie policy can keep your company protected from legal action.

Business website owners must weigh the pros and cons and the risks and benefits of placing cookies and adding a cookie policy on their website. Of course, you must keep the website compliant with privacy standards. But on the other hand, user experience is key to keeping customers happy. Multiple pop-ups and acceptances could annoy users, especially new ones.

At LRS Web Solutions, we generally recommend that business websites include a Privacy Policy or Terms of Use to inform website visitors how the company handles privacy data. Privacy policies can include a section about cookies. Other businesses may prefer to create a separate cookie policy. To be on the safe side, check with your legal department to determine what is right for your company.

To help keep our clients compliant with data privacy, LRS partners with Acquia Optimize, a website accessibility company, which also helps businesses manage cookie consent. Learn more about our partnership with Acquia Optimize.

Got questions about cookie policies? Contact us for more information.

Read more:

https://www.lrswebsolutions.com/Blog/Posts/120/Website-Accessibility/Why-You-Should-Address-Data-Privacy-and-User-Consent-Sooner-Rather-Than-Later/blog-post/

https://us.norton.com/blog/privacy/should-i-accept-cookies

Sound familiar? If you're worried that a redesigned website could hurt your brand, or fear that your customers won't know you if you change, rest easy.

Using a professional website company will give you a team of professionals who will listen to you brand story and preserve the integrity of your brand while modernizing the look and improving your users' experience.

Take a look at LRS Web Solutions' redesign of a small bank in northern Illinois: Blackhawk Bank and Trust.

About Blackhawk Bank and Trust

Blackhawk Bank and Trust is a small bank based in the Quad Cities community, operating since 1961. Today it has 18 branch locations and more than 200 employees. They are heavily focused on the community and committed to local ownership.

The Success

Eighteen months into the redesign, data showed the website is a resounding success. Excluding intranet views, pageviews increased 80% from before the redesign. In addition to increased traffic, Blackhawk Bank has 50% more new users visiting their website.

Those new users are satisfied with the new site, with bounce rate improving a whopping 90%. The improved bounce rate indicates that users enjoy using the new website, interacting more with it than before a redesign. Users also are viewing more pages per internet session than before the redesign. 

Since the new website launched, the number of users 18-34 has grown and users 18-24 has more than doubled. Before the redesign, only about 20% of visitors were in that age group. Now, these youngsters make up almost 1/3 of their website users.

The Takeaway: Keep Your Brand Identity and Improve Your Website

Whether your company is in banking, insurance, or any other industry, your business website reflects your company's brand, your services, and is your first impression for a lifelong relationship with your customers. Blackhawk’s redesign maintains the best of its brand, reflects the quality of their services, and now better attracts customers—including a younger generation of customers -- to its website.

Why should we have downloadable content?

Although downloadable pdfs or powerpoint presentatoins can take more time to create than a simple webpage, the longer form, in-depth content may be better as a downloadable file. This high-quality content will position your company as thought leaders on your industry topics, building expertise, authority and trust (EAT) with your website visitors. When their confidence in you increases, they're more likely to become loyal customers. 

What should we offer as a download?  

To gain traffic and customers, your downloads should include the most helpful content your expertise can provide. Think about what you would need if you were a customer. You can offer:  

• How to guides/e-books  
• White papers on industry topics  
• Membership guides 
• PowerPoints of recent webinars 
• Summaries of trends 
• Best practices 
• How-to procedures 
• Videos 
• Podcasts 

On the flip side, take a look at all your pdfs. If the content is shorter, consider making it a web page for better user experience.

Once you have your content finished, it’s important to make sure that these files are optimized for the best download experience and ensure your great content can be found by search engines and rank for keywords.

How do we optimize our downloadable content?  

It's easy to save your pdf and move on. But make sure it's optimized for the web. Here are some pointers:

1. Have a relevant file name. Treat the pdf, ppt or xls file the same way as a webpage – the file name should be readable, with a keyword, if possible, not the shorthand unique to you. So a file saved as “DBR_262_2018_AH_draft.pdf” is better saved on your website as “marketing-plan-template.pdf”
2. Use your company name as the author of the document.
3. Complete the details - When creating a pdf or other formats, fill out the available fields like keywords, metadata like the summaries with keyword-rich descriptions. These downloads can be indexed by Google and found in search results. Make sure the wording makes sense.
4. Make the document read-only.
5. Link to other website pages in the document.
6. Add these files to your website sitemap for search engines to index.

If you need help creating or optimizing your content for downloading, reach out to us at LRS Web Solutions. 

Illinois Bankers Association is the voice of Illinois banking industry for banking education, advocacy, and Illinois banking resources.

The site is rich in content for bankers looking for professional education, networking events, career resources, and legislative information that affects the financial industry. The IBA website also integrates with a membership vendor.

That’s a lot of content for a website. 

For 22 years, LRS Web Solutions has helped Illinois Bankers with multiple iterations of its website. In 2021, the design was showing its age. “Our existing site was six years old and had run its course. It was time for a facelift and functionality improvements. That’s what drove the project,” says Illinois Bankers’ Vice President, Data & Digital Marketing Tammy Squires. She also was looking for a new content management system that was easier to use. A new IBA president and CEO also helped drive the idea of a website refresh to build a new site that was better and more functional.

WEBSITE VENDOR SELECTION PROCESS

Even though IBA had done many websites with LRS in the past, the IBA staff did due diligence and enlisted a selection committee of 8-10 people to select a web vendor through an in-depth RFP process. “It was not one-person’s decision,” Tammy says. IBA created teams of staff and board members from across the association that reviewed proposals and interviewed teams from other companies.

“Cost wise, all the companies were pretty similar,” she notes. “There wasn’t a huge difference in pricing. LRS is in the same ballpark as other companies.” The big difference came in IBA’s impressions of the website content managers. In the end, the team chose the LRS Web Solutions team and LRS Antilles Content Manager.

ANTILLES CMS

Although this was IBA’s fourth website design with LRS, they had not yet converted to the LRS Antilles CMS. The previous CMS worked reasonably well for IBA. “It was functional but challenging to use for someone with little experience. Once you got used to [the old CMS] it was ok. But other platforms launched were more dynamic.”

After comparing several CMS software options, the website selection group found LRS Antilles to be the cleanest-looking and easiest to use. “Compared with other platforms, people felt like it was user friendly, intuitive, and they liked the ease of it,” Tammy says.

“LRS Antilles doesn’t look overwhelming or challenging. Anyone working with Antilles on the first day could be comfortable quickly. One of the biggest reasons I like Antilles is being able to delegate duties to team.”

Antilles also makes SEO a lot easier, the team says. 

“LRS Antilles doesn’t look overwhelming or challenging. Anyone working with Antilles on the first day could be comfortable quickly.”

-Tammy Squires, IBA Vice President, Data and Digital Marketing

GOALS

In addition to a better content management system, the IBA website team wanted to have the website content integrate with their high-functioning customer relationship management platform. LRS’s task was to integrate the content website and the CRM, including full integration of reciprocal login capabilities, to provide a seamless and intuitive experience for the users.

“I wanted to make the user experience more robust and really increase the functionality of the website. And I wanted the design to match the functionality of upgrades.”

WEBSITE REDESIGN SOLUTIONS

To meet IBA's website redesign goals, LRS Web Solutions analyzed these needs and created a multi-solution approach. The redesigned IBA site launched in October 2022.

The LRS team effectively integrated multiple vendors into Antilles to create a lively, dynamic site that’s easy for users to navigate. The integrations included  the single sign-on option with Microsoft UX 365 CRM, conferences and education events and a vendor search. The RSS App integration pulls in multiple Twitter feeds, as well as feeds from other social media platforms.

The new website can also display copy generated out of CRM system on the public website. “That’s a time saver and helps the accuracy of messaging to our users – It’s a huge plus for us,” says the IBA website team.

"The LRS team effectively integrated multiple third parties to create a lively, dynamic site that’s easy for users to navigate." 

-Tammy Squires, IBA Vice President, Data and Digital Marketing 

CONTENT & NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENTS

IBA also improved its content, with restructured navigation and pages that have calls to action on them, an important part of UX and conversion optimization.

The IBA website team especially loves the top level “eyebrow” navigation that asks people to engage with the site by signing up for the newsletter, volunteering, contacting, or reading news stories.

Post launch, in just a few days the IBA team saw improvements to meeting the website goals, namely, users completing forms. “That was lacking in the previous website.”

WORKFLOW & BRANDING IMPROVEMENTS  

The Antilles CMS has also improved IBA's workflow. Before the redesign, Tammy was the sole person maintaining the website. “With Antilles, we’ve been able to expand the team to be able to do updates – not just relying on one single person.”   

The website redesign is leading the way to more consistent branding for the organization, with redesigned business cards and new publication cover pages. “We love the clean look of the new site and the new elements to style pages with.”

To test the website improvements, the IBA team assembled a member committee to do a “website scavenger hunt.” The results? “The committee loved the site, finding it intuitive, saying that it looked great and was easy to find things,” Tammy says. 

"Thank you, LRS, for making this one of the smoothest launches I have completed!”

-Tammy Squires, IBA Vice President, Data and Digital Marketing

SMOOTH SAILING PARTNERSHIP

The new IBA site launched in late October 2022, and Tammy is “thrilled” with the new look and improved functionality. “Out of all my websites with LRS, this has been the easiest and smoothest build and launch, even though it had so many moving parts with our CRM and website. The partnership with our CRM company and LRS was very smooth.”

“We’ve loved our relationship with LRS over the years. The designers and developers have great talent and capabilities."

WHAT’S NEXT

The IBA website team has more plans to keep on improving her members’ website experience. A digital bank directory is in the works.

“We have a lot more things we want to do down the road, but this is a fantastic start to get this going with the new website," notes Tammy. "Thank you, LRS, for making this one of the smoothest launches I have completed!”

At LRS, we solve website problems. Contact us today to tell us your website problems. We can help. 

I want help with my website problems

However, some companies don’t have any people represented in detail. They say it’s too much work to maintain, they receive spam emails, or that they’re worried other companies will pilfer their best employees. Those are indeed risks, but the bigger risk is leaving your business faceless. The benefits of website employee bios outweigh the risks.

We recommend adding bios to your business website, and here’s why.

Customers Are Getting to Know You

Today’s users want to do more than just purchase from a company. Many consumers – especially younger consumers – want to see who they’re doing business with, to put faces with the names, and to get to know more about who they’ll be meeting. Studies show that younger generations want to do business with a company that aligns with their personal values, such as giving back to the community. They are looking for a company with an easy-to-use website with people that are approachable, friendly, and accessible.

Employee profiles can help achieve all those goals and build trust with your users.

For companies that do have a “Meet the Staff” page with photos, titles and bios, these pages are often among your most popular pages, and can mean that your prospect is looking to do business with you. What does that tell you? People want to know who you are. Whether they’re looking for a job, want to start a project with you or buy your widgets, people want to know the source of their purchases and investments. Help them get to know you.

Bios are Great for Conversions and Good for SEO

These pages are also a prime indicator that people are close to converting on your site – that is, filling out the form, adding to their shopping cart, tapping a phone link, or something else. They want to get to know you before they take the next step.

If a prospective client met a company staff at an event, he or she may look at the online bio before reaching out again. Staff bios put faces with names and titles, so people don’t just know who to contact, but gain a sense of comfort before they even pick up the phone, knowing the face behind the name. What expertise do they have? What certifications and awards have they achieved?

Not only do bios help your users familiarize themselves with your company, but it can help your SEO when you pair industry keywords with your people’s expertise.

How to Write an Employee Bio for a Website

Ready to write some bios? Let’s do this! Having your people’s names, titles and faces is a great start. But adding personal and professional details can help, too. This gives you and your company additional expertise, authority, and trust.

Who should write the bio? Let employees write a first draft of their bio, but make sure your marketing team keeps them brief and consistent. Great employee bio pages align with the company’s brand tone.

What Should I Include in an Employee Bio?

THE BASICS

• Name and Title – These are obvious, but make sure you include the correct names and spellings and the correct titles, which can change. Update them when needed.
• Date of Hire – Use the year they were hired “John joined in 2016” instead of “John has worked here 8 years.” If you put the number of years they’ve been with your company, you will have to update it every year, and who wants to remember that detail for all your employees?
• Portraits – These photos are more important than you think. It could be the first – and lasting -- impression of your company. Don’t just let your employees submit a photo or use old company portrait from 10 years ago. Invest in professional portraits. Think about your company’s style and the image you want to convey. Make sure the photo is of good quality for website and as professional or casual as matches your brand.
• Tone – Again, think of your company culture. Are you ultra-casual? Mega professional? Super friendly? Formal? Bios should be written in the same style as the rest of your website. (Hint: casual but professional is the best, conveying that you are approachable, but know your stuff.)
• Keywords – Staff bios are low-hanging fruit for a little SEO boost. Don’t stuff keywords but think about what keywords you could naturally insert into bios based on the staffer’s skills. For example, if you have an employee with 10 years of grant-writing experience, or certification in Human Resources Management, or expertise in environmentally-sustainable engineering, that can be valuable for SEO and make you attractive to potential clients. They’ll have more confidence in the team when they can see the breadth and depth of skills that match their needs.
• Structure – Avoid long paragraphs of text. Users prefer to “skim” through text. I favor bulleted lists for easy reading. But you may consider a mix of a couple of short paragraphs, followed by bullets.
• Social Media – Be careful about adding links to an employee’s social media accounts. You don’t want to mix personal social media with professional expertise. Your employees’ personal social media pages may not align with your company’s values. And back to personal privacy, they may not want to share it on their workplace page. For SEO purposes, you want your viewers to stay on your site as long as possible. Avoid taking them offsite to read your employees’ opinions on Twitter or see them doing a dance on TikTok. In most cases, it’s best to keep social channels out of your employee bios.

• Internal Links  - While people are interested in who you are, they really want to know what you can do for them. What service or product pages align with the employee? Add internal links to those pages to keep people on your site after they’ve looked at your staff. Also, link to that employee’s blog posts, white papers, projects, speeches, office location, etc.

How Should We Organize Company Bios? 

Should you separate out your leadership, management, and staff or group everyone together in alphabetical order? Really, it’s up to you. Think about your business strategy and brand. What makes the most sense?

Some prefer to only list the leadership, to promote those brand ambassadors. Some companies list everybody in alphabetical order, hiding the hierarchy. Or you might want to break it down by department. Find the right structure for your company. Think about who will be using your page and who they might be looking for. Think of your clients first, and design the page to please them.

Resumes/CVs - Some companies will post pdfs of their experts’ resumes. Avoid this. Resumes can often contain a deluge of personal data that identity thieves love: home addresses, family statistics, birthdays, professional certification numbers, etc. You’re opening your staff to strangers. For example, a doctor might receive calls from patients to his home. If you really want to have resumes available, ask the employee to create an abridged version for the website that omits personal data.

How Personal Should the Bio Be?

Now that you've got the basics and eliminated private info, what should be included in a company bio?

Many companies favor a mix of professional and personal. The percentage depends on how you want to present your company. Consider a 70/30 percentage of business and personal.

Be careful with asking employees for personal details. They may be concerned about their personal privacy for themselves and their families. Don’t force staff to share more than they’re comfortable sharing with the world.

Offer several questions for them to consider when they write their bio. Tell them they don’t have to answer all of them. The top 3-5 answers will be used on the website, and they can change them at any time.

Get Creative With Portraits

Bio pages don’t have to be boring. Depending on your brand style, go casual (or business casual) or get creative with employee photography.    

A lot of collections of “best employee webpages” give kudos to marketing and creative agencies, who may have exceptionally creative portraiture, animations, illustrations or off-beat photos. Fun, but that style may not work for all companies. Financial and other business industries may want to be a little more traditional in their approach. Here’s where hiring a professional photographer is critical to have quality photographs that match the quality of your business. A professional can create engaging visuals with professional, yet unique backgrounds, including office environments or other indoor workspaces. You might show off your building’s exterior and landscaping with outdoor portraits.

Personal details can allow your employees individual personality to shine through without giving specifics. One example I liked asked employees about what they do in their free time. One executive’s response makes me chuckle:

When I’m not working, you will find me: “Doing what my wife tells me.”

Show the lighthearted side of your employees and business. What personal question could align with your company’s business? For example, a landscaping company might list a staff’s favorite flower. A financial firm might ask about the best piece of financial advice. If you sell products, what’s your staffer’s favorite item?

Your bio’s big goal is to show your prospects that they should do business with you. If you were looking for your company’s services, what information would convince you choose your company above the others?

Add Videos

 To really make your staff page stand out, add 1–2-minute videos of your leaders or high-profile staff. This really adds good insight into who the people are, and users love them. It’s especially useful for doctors and lawyers, but can give an edge to bankers, investment professionals, engineers, small business owners – really any industry to show off personality, values, and expertise.  

Invest in Your People Pages

Your users want to get to know your company, and for some companies, they claim that “our best product is our people.” So why not show them who you are? Remember that Meet the Team pages are often one of the most viewed pages. So be sure to invest time and effort in creating a team page that will wow your customers.

Download our checklist of what to include in an employee website bio

Sources

belocallyseo.com/blog/how-to-create-engaging-employee-bios-that-boost-seo/

advisorwebsites.com /blog/how-to/how-to-write-an-engaging-biography-for-your-financial-website

smallbusiness.chron.com/write-bio-work-website-37472.html

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A website tool called "heatmapping" can help you identify how your website is performing and highlight areas of concern to help you identify changes you need to make.

What is Heatmapping?

Heatmapping is akin to visual analytics of your webpage. Through color, it shows how users interact with webpages. Basic color-coded images can show you how far they scrolled, how often links were clicked, and other useful data. Some heatmap platforms offer additional information such as A/B testing and video recordings of real users scrolling and clicking on the webpage.

Heatmapping reports provide insight into how to improve the design of webpages. This could include simple color changes of button, swapping content panels, or adding interaction to design elements. If you can identify at what point in the scroll users leave a page, you can analyze the content and make improvements to test.

The Benefits of Heatmapping Include:

• Enhanced communication with decision makers
• Key insights on your visitors’ behavior
• Simplified, valuable insights from broad data sets

For example, we used heatmapping analysis to study one of our clients' PPC landing pages. We found that users were frantically clicking on static icons, thinking the graphics were actually links. We turned that finding into an opportunity to please the users and give them more information. When users clicked on the modified element, they were rewarded with an animation that opened up a modal with more information about the service being offered. 

The result is improved user experience that can lead to more conversions. 

Interested in Website Heatmapping? Request a Free Scan, courtesy Acquia Optimize and Levi, Ray, & Shoup

WATCH THIS 30-MINUTE WEBINAR TO LEARN:

• The ongoing benefits of using heatmapping
• Process of setting up data collection
• How to improve the user interface for better customer reaction
• How to optimize your site using heatmapping data
• Demo of how to use heatmapping

User Experience Strategist Jamie Baird and Web Development Manager Bill Goldsberry from LRS® Web Solutions, and Adam Horowitz from Acquia Optimize shared the benefits of using heatmaps on websites.

If you want to learn more about adding heatmapping software to your website, contact us at LRS Web Solutions.

Privacy Note: Your name and email address will be shared with Zoom so that you can receive an individual link to the webinar. If you do not consent to the sharing of this data with Zoom, please do not complete the registration.

© 2022 Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. All rights reserved. LRS and the LRS chevron logo are registered trademarks of Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. All other trademarks or service marks are the property of their respective owners.

For many clients, we manage their data backup systems and make sure that backups are performed regularly and the data can be recovered in case of a security breach. We also configure and install firewalls and anti-virus software to protect their systems from attack.

We also advise our clients on implementing strong password policies. The more complex you can make your password – at least 8 characters with a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters – the more secure you are. In addition, the more frequently you change your network password, the more secure you are.

But we understand that our clients are dealing with humans, and sometimes humans aren’t willing to do what’s best. One of our clients doesn’t require that users change passwords frequently because their users have too much trouble remembering their new passwords. So in that case, we recommend another layer of authentication besides a password.

After all, the focus has to be on security; don’t get too concerned with creating policy.

Our clients range from a three-person business to an organizations with approximately 800 workstations and everything in between. They all turn to us to monitor and maintain their networks, including their network security.

One of the security actions we urge is keeping up with updates and patches for operating systems and software. Keeping everything up to date can be crucial to keeping your network secure.

But there are special challenges.

We have some clients who need to have a PC running the Windows 7 operating system; one even has Windows XP. Why? Because those clients have special and expensive software running on those workstations, and upgrading the operating system would require the purchase of new, more expensive software.

Small businesses usually can’t afford those purchases.

The problem with both of those operating systems is that Microsoft no longer supports them. That means the company no longer releases updates and patches that can keep them secure from the latest cybersecurity threats.

Instead of taking a firm stance that the clients MUST update their operating systems and software, we looked for solutions that would keep their networks secure.

In both cases, our technicians have done everything possible to lock down both systems and maintain security. Because we manage both networks, we know where those workstations are and we’ve isolated them from the Internet.

We’re keeping those clients secure. That’s our cybersecurity mission all year long.

When we at LRS observe National IT Professionals Day on the third Tuesday of every September, we always think of three particular IT professionals.

Our company’s founders were three IT professionals in the days when information technology meant mainframes and punch cards. They banded together to form a company offering their expertise to clients who needed that special service.

In the 40-plus years since LRS was founded, IT has evolved and grown. In the 80s it began to include servers and personal computers and networks tying all the machines together. In the 90s it began to include a global network called the world wide web and with it a strange phenomenon called the website. And electronic mail.

In the 21^st century, IT began to include mobile computing as cellular phones and tablets became more popular and much more powerful. Offsite storage rose in popularity to the point that many users store files and use applications that are stored in the “cloud.”

Along with the positive growth and evolution of Information Technology came the growth and power of criminals who commit their crimes over the internet, so IT now also includes cyber security.

That’s where we are today. Among the hundreds of LRS employees are programmers like our founders, along with quality assurance analysts, network engineers, web developers, cyber security analysts, cloud architects, and even mainframe specialists who tell us the mainframe is never going away.

These are the IT professionals who develop products for, and provide support to, our customers. They’re also the technology experts who provide crucial services that so many of our customers depend on to keep their businesses operating.

When most of us sit down at our desks to begin our workday, whether we’re in an office or at a remote location (such as a spare bedroom at home), we usually just fire up the computer and log into our email accounts without a thought to the IT behind the scenes and the IT professionals who keep it all running.

That’s why it’s important to set aside one day a year to honor these people. For most of the year, they toil at jobs that most users never think about, so we rarely thank or even acknowledge them for their work. One day a year really isn’t enough, but today we focus on celebrating them and the work they do.

And, as we’ve progressed from mainframes and punch cards to laptops and smartphones, we also recognize IT professionals for the work they do to keep up with the constant evolution of their world. We know they’re often studying to learn the latest changes in programming languages, operating systems, and security standards because LRS employs IT professionals whose job is to teach other IT professionals. And we know how busy our instructors are.

So today, National IT Professionals Day 2022, we recognize, celebrate, and thank all the IT professionals who make today’s world possible. We want to specifically call out every IT professional who has helped make Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc. the company that it is today.

As you sift through the day’s emails and deal with Zoom or Teams calls, you should do the same. Acknowledge and thank the IT professionals who make it all possible.

This is the day when we honor photographers and the images they create. The best images truly tell a story; as the saying goes, one picture is worth a thousand words.

What’s that got to do with your website? Plenty!

We all know that a good website tells the story of a business or organization so potential customers can understand what you offer and why you’re the best option.

There was a time when a website might have a few photos or other images stuck here and there, but most websites today truly integrate imagery. Photos and words work together to deliver your best message to customers and prospects.

We’ve already discussed how to put the words together for your website, so now let’s concentrate on the photos.

Choose High-Quality Images

In one sense, making good use of photos is simple: Use high-quality images that tell your story and are optimized so they don’t impact your page’s loading time. The devil, as always, is in the details.

First, make sure you use your own photos. Don’t use stock photography just because it’s cheap and easy to obtain. ‘Cheap and easy to obtain’ is the reason you’ll see the same image on multiple websites. You want your website to stand out from the crowd.

Besides, stock photos can never really tell your story, can they? Be authentic, and you’ll build trust with your customers.

Cameras capable of producing high-quality images are more than affordable these days, so get one, or learn how to take great pictures using your cell phone’s camera.

Use the Right Format and File Size

Then, be aware of file formats and file sizes. JPG, PNG, and SVG are three of the more popular file formats, and we generally recommend JPG for images that are meant to be loaded quickly.

Whatever format you use, be aware that you probably need to optimize your photos. The goal of image optimization is to keep your page’s load time to a minimum. Optimization can be tricky, so check out our guide to optimizing images.

Make Images Accessible

As you put your words and photos together to create the most compelling message your website can deliver, don’t forget the Alt Text. Alt text is, as the name implies, text that’s an alternative to a photo or image that does two things:

• Describes the image for visually impaired visitors who are using a screen reader
• Improves your Search Engine Optimization so your website is easier to find.

 If this is the first time you’ve heard about alt text, don’t worry. We have a Beginner’s Guide you can read to get a handle on the concept.

Invest in Professional Photography

There are just a couple more details to consider, but your head may already be spinning. So here’s a suggestion: Turn to a professional photographer with extensive website experience. It just so happens that we know a guy.

Our Senior Visual Communications Specialist, Tom Zoschke, has nearly two decades of experience shooting high-quality photos for our web clients. He knows all about file formats and sizes and compression and all that stuff, and he knows how to optimize and integrate your photos into an effective website.

And you can fill out the form at the bottom of that page to request all the assistance you may need with integrated great photos into your website. Make it pretty as a picture – that’s a great way to increase traffic to your site.

Writing content for your website can be one of the toughest pieces to building or rebuilding your website. But it's worth the effort: quality Web content is Google’s number one factor when it comes to ranking signals.

If cleaning grout sounds more appealing to you than writing web content, have no fear, we're here to help. 

As you get ready to write, refer to this web writing cheat sheet for reminders of how to write for the web.

Where to Start

If you already understand your goals, your buyers, and have your content mapped, you’re probably at the point of staring at that unforgiving blank, white screen. You know you need to write to answer the user’s questions and include calls to action and other “best practices”.

Successful, high-quality web content gives answers for a user’s search question. The more your page can meet the needs and expectations of a user’s search inquiry, the more likely you are to rank for that topic.

Understanding who you’re writing the page for, what problems they have, and how your information will solve their problems. Consider writing answers to these 3 questions for the page/article/post:

1. Who is the audience for this page?
2. What information do they need? 
3. What benefit will they get from the content?
4. Do keyword research to get more ideas to write unique, sought-after content. 

Focus Each Webpage

• Each page should have a purpose to meet the buyer’s journey.
• Be USEFUL to the reader – Avoid institutional narcissism
• Address users’ problems and present a useful solutions (Problem/Agitation/Solution)
• Include differentiator – that should be the only “we” statement
• Include "Calls to Action"– what do you want the reader to do next? Guide them to convert.
• Create content for each step in your marketing funnel (Awareness, Consideration, Decision)
• Be true to your brand tone – Conversational? Formal? Funny?
• Avoid beating a topic to death. You don’t have to repeatedly prove your extensive knowledge to the audience. When it’s done, move on. Or build a pillar page to create the best page on the web for that topic.

How to Use Keywords for SEO

• Research keywords and use that list to enhance your content.
• Use keywords naturally in your text– don’t stuff.
  • Use specific terms – that’s how people search – what are their burning problems/questions?
  • Address these problems and present useful solutions.
• Use your keywords and related keywords 2-3 times for every 500 words.
• Use specific terms – that’s how people search – burning problems/questions.
• Use keyword in first paragraph, ideally in the first 100 words
• Include keyword in title, meta description, url
• build your page around using keywords, including synonyms, in your content.
• Keywords are important, but the quality of your content is more important. Write for the user, not for search engines.

Best Length for Website Content

• What's the best length for a webpage? The page should be long enough to give the reader the desired information and cover the topic to the best of your company's ability. For blog posts, experts say 1500+ words. Longer posts tend to rank higher and shared. But write for your audience, not for search engines. Do your customers and prospective customers really want that in-depth content? Or are they looking for quick answers? Something in between?
• For online content, the average paragraph should be between two and four sentences. Include one-sentence paragraphs in between to emphasize a point.
• Make the content easy to read. Keep sentences short and simple – about 20 words (no jargons, spell out acronyms). Use long sentences carefully. People don't read; they skim.
• Short paragraphs are better. (But don’t be monotonous in your structure). Use bullets, numbers, etc.
• Headline or Page Title <h1> should include the target keyphrase. Page Titles and H1 can be the same, but ideally, should be a little different. The title will be seen in the tab of your browser. The H1 is the first headline on the page.
• Only use H1 once – your headline or title
• Use additional headers to highlight topics in a hierarchy and separate blocks of content. Headers also improve readability for the skimmers. Do not use them as a way to style font. Important: Use the headers in numerical order: H2, H3, H4. Don’t skip order. Use keywords when it makes sense.  
• Be thorough in your content. Make sure your page includes valuable, in-depth content that differentiates it from similar content from your competitors. Be the best on the web for that topic!

Grammar Tips 

• Keep language simple – write at a fifth-grade level. Eliminate filler words and phrases to keep it simple (“in order to” becomes “to”) Use ordinary language (“use” instead of “utilize”) – no jargon; spell out acronyms. 
• Use active, not passive verbs
• Check spelling
• The text should sound conversational. Users don’t want language that sounds too formal. Read it out loud and see if it matches the language and tone you would use with your customers

Other Types of Content 

• Break up text with multimedia content (images, charts, videos, illustrations, icons)
• Image – use at least one per “scroll”- should be interesting on its own.
• Avoid using ALL CAPS unless it’s a 2-3 word label. All caps sentences are hard to read. 

More Web Writing Tips

• Link internally to other pages on your website – keep this natural.
• Add external links to sites that will add authority, add weight to your page. Ask those sites to link back to you.
• Got a valuable, content-rich page? Ask your company partners to link to it.
• Don’t use “click here” in your link text (called anchor text). Be more descriptive, such as "Download the Catalog."
• Get conversational - More people are searching online with a “conversational search” query as they speak into their device. Google reports that people are searching with words like “do I need” or “should I” “can I”. Such as “How much do I need to retire”. Google calls this “For Me” searches. So when updating your content, think about how you give advice to your customer and use conversational phrases.
• Offline, ask your employees what customers are saying. Are there questions that can be addressed on your webpages?
• See what people are searching for. Check your website analytics, social media comments, questions; ask your sales reps about conversations they are having with potential clients. This research can help you understand what content needs to be added to the site.
• Type in your keyword in Google. Review the "People Also Ask" questions. Add the answers to your website.
• If you're writing for a blog, check out our Blog Best Practices.

Writing for the web is as unique a writing style as writing for term papers, fundraising, email and social media. Get help with web writing if you need it.   

More Tips for Website Writing and SEO:

https://www.lrswebsolutions.com/Blog/Categories/14/SEOContent-Writing/blog/

https://www.monsterinsights.com/google-ranking-factors/

https://backlinko.com/google-ranking-factors

“Guaranteed First Page Ranking!”

If you’re looking for a digital marketing agency to handle your SEO, you’ve probably come upon a few that make this claim. You might have even seen the question, “Can you guarantee first page rankings?” in lists of questions to ask prospective SEO consultants. When buying a refrigerator, a guarantee is good to have. When a digital marketing agency guarantees first page rankings, it’s a sign that you should steer clear.

No One Can Guarantee First Page Rankings

…but don’t take our word for it. Here’s what Google says:

"No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a 'special relationship' with Google, or advertise a 'priority submit' to Google. There is no priority submit for Google. In fact, the only way to submit a site to Google directly is through our Add URL page or by submitting a Sitemap and you can do this yourself at no cost whatsoever."

We’ll be honest with you: SEO is about 75 percent knowledge and expertise, and 25 percent guesstimating -- and anyone who tells you otherwise isn’t being straight with you. Google is transparent about some aspects of what they’re looking for when ranking sites, but frustratingly opaque in others. Whenever there’s an algorithm update, SEOs spend weeks puzzling over clues to determine the changes that were made. 

No one has insight into what launches a site to the top of the SERPs; we know the best practices that websites need to follow and we know some pro tips to give you a competitive edge, but there’s still some (educated) guessing involved. It’s like hiring a trainer to help your child excel in a sport — the trainer will improve their chances of getting a scholarship, but can they guarantee it? Nope!

To make a long story short, you can’t guarantee something you have no control over. SEO agencies don’t make the rules; Google does.

What Scammy SEO Companies Have in Common

So what’s the deal with SEO companies that promise first page rankings? Are they lying? Well, they might get you on the first page of Google results, but there’s some fine print involved:

• They’re getting your site to rank for obscure keywords. If you’re on the first page of Google for a long-tail keyword that only 10 people search a month, you’re not going to get a big return on your investment.
• They’re really advertising Google Ads. This isn’t the same as SEO. It will get on the first page of Google results, but you’re paying for that spot—and as soon as you stop paying, you won’t be on top anymore. 
• They’re doing hyper-aggressive black or gray hat SEO. This might give you a temporary boost, but then your rankings will tumble. In fact, Google can even de-index your site so it doesn’t show up at all. These companies may outsource their SEO, use artificial link building schemes, or automated SEO programs.
• They’re artificially increasing your traffic. This could be by using spyware, scum ware, or fake search engines.

There’s a reason we often use the term organic search in SEO — it’s because you get the best results when you rise to the top of the SERPs naturally by doing all the right things. Read on to find out what that means.

What Can Help You Rank Higher With Google

First, hire an SEO company that doesn’t make promises they can’t keep. A qualified SEO firm will promise deliverables like:

What Good SEO Agencies have in Common

Transparency

Your SEO agency you use should be open and transparent about what they’re doing every month to improve your rankings and what results you’re getting. 

Responsiveness

When you have a question from your SEO consultant, you should expect to get a reply back within a reasonable timeframe (for example, same-day response or within 1 business day.) 

Training

Finally, your SEO consultant should also be willing to provide you training if you don’t have the budget for ongoing services. You should be able to pick up exactly where they left off, without them leaving you in the dark. 

Kaitlin Smith is an account manager at Main Street ROI, a digital marketing agency with team members across the United States and clients around the world.

Data privacy may (or may not!) be something you are familiar with - but if you have visited any website, then you have encountered it (whether you know it, or not). 

Why do I need data privacy?

In a world of online shopping, digital platforms, and social media, we've all got digital profiles that contain personal data to some degree. In fact, you'd probably be surprised how many businesses and organizations have collected, used, and shared your personal data. Companies collect your data through the use of "cookies."

How can data privacy regulations help me?

Data privacy regulations are designed to protect and help you regain control over your personal data. Data privacy regulations are intended to require organizations to disclose the purpose of data collection and processing, as well as if the personal data is being shared, and if so, with whom. User consent provides individuals with the ability to opt in -- or opt out -- of their data being collected, processed and shared. 

What are cookies?

 Cookies are a bit of code placed on your website to collect information. This allows users to have a more personalized experience on your website, like “remembering” what articles you read or what you had in your shopping cart. But cookies also raise privacy concerns. Cookies are grouped based on type and function, in one of the following four categories:

• Essential cookies are required to enable basic website functionality.
• Marketing cookies are used to provide advertising tailored to you and your particular interests.
• Statistics cookies allow website operators to identify technical issues and site performance.
• Preference cookies allow the website to keep track of your choices (e.g. region,user name, language) in order to provide more personalized features that correspond with them.

What website content do I need to check?

A few common examples of items that need to be addressed on websites: are:

 1) Check Cookies - Now that you know what they are, ask your web developers what cookies are used on your website and how you use cookies. Then you need to have a popup banner to let users choose which cookies to allow. Make sure the notification is accessible. Our experts at Acquia Optimize can also help. 

2) Check for personal data listed in the content of your web pages 

4) Update your privacy policy once a year.

5) Ensure users can opt out of their personal data being sold to third-parties.

Request a Free Accessibility Scan for your Website
A service from our partner, Acquia Optimize. Free for a limited time!

What is being done to improve data privacy?

In June 2018, California legislators enacted the California Consumer Protection Act (CCPA). It took effect in January 2020. It has become the pillar for enhancing data protection for consumers with the intention of protecting personal data, such as individuals names, household data, and banking information. 

How can I tell if my business website is compliant with CCPA? 

Check with your legal and IT team. If you don’t have a large team to help, use CCPA compliance software and ask a professional. Acquia Optimize’s Consent Manager is an example of software that can help you determine if your website complies with the regulations.

Do I really need to worry about data privacy?

You may be asking, does my organization really need to worry about data privacy? If you meet the CCPA's business specifications, then yes - you need to be concerned about data privacy. Especially as failing to address data privacy may result in fines of $2,500-$7,500 per infraction. 

Consumer awareness continues to grow, and high-profile data privacy settlements like the $92 million payout by TikTok shows there are real consequences for businesses that fail to adopt a proactive and consent-driven approach to data privacy. 

Your customers are concerned about data privacy.

But beyond that, more than half of consumers were more concerned about data privacy in 2021 compared to the previous year. So regardless of the size or your business, prioritizing data privacy on your website is important for continued trust and transparency with your website visitors. 

But my business isn’t in California or the EU. Do the regulations apply to me?

In short, if you have customers or website visitors from California or the EU, then yes, you need to comply with the regulations.

Like the European Union’s GDPR, the CCPA does not only apply to businesses physically located in California but also for any business that has customers or website visitors from the state. 

This means businesses need to take CCPA compliance into account as part of their website strategy. 

If your business meets any of these criteria, you need to comply with the CCPA: 

• Have a gross annual revenue of over $25 million
• Buy, receive, or sell the personal information of 50,000 or more California residents, households, or devices; or
• Derive 50% or more of their annual revenue from selling California residents’ personal information.

Data privacy and user consent are hot topics

Today, most websites track and store your data to some degree, and that is why data privacy and user consent are growing topics of discussion not only among marketers, communicators and webmasters, but also among your website visitors. 

From a legal standpoint, its privacy and user consent are big news. Legislation, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States and the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR), have made headlines across the globe, forcing organizations to change the way they collect and store personal data. Individuals have the power to revoke consent. 

These regulations are paving the way for more data privacy regulation. The topic will only grow in relevancy as we continue to move towards a digital-first world. That's why getting ahead in understanding what user consent is – and equipping your organization with the knowledge to address data privacy – is vital in 2022. 

Get started with data privacy and user consent on your website

At Acquia Optimize, we encourage all businesses and organizations to take a proactive approach to data privacy. We offer a dedicated data privacy module to automate data protection on your website, as well as Acquia Optimize Consent Manager for straightforward user consent compliance for both CCPA and GDPR. Want to see it live in action? Request a free data privacy scan of your website. LRS Web Solutions and our Acquia Optimize team will walk you through the results, and help you on a path to better data privacy compliance in 2022.

When it comes to compliance, you don’t want to guess. 

Read more about website accessibility

Acquia Optimize is a SaaS company focused on web governance and accessibility compliance.

LRS Web Solutions has partnered with Acquia Optimize since 2019 to improve web accessibility, and improve website management and redesign processes. 

With so many social media channels, it can be overwhelming and confusing to know which channels to use and what content you should post. 

Before you post, start with a social media strategy. If you don't already have one, read our Business Guide to Social Media Content Strategy to get a plan. This post gives information on what kind of content works best on each platform.

Social Media Round-Up

In this infographic below, we round up what types of content are popular on the most popular social media channels for business. Understand who is on which social media by age and gender. See what types of content are favored on the different channels. Remember, your business doesn't have to be on every social media channel. Choose the one or two that best align with your company's values and target audience. Make sure you have staff capable of producing quality writing, images, and videos for each channel. And don't forget to measure the results! See more tips with our social media strategy planning tips

Understanding how to use social media for your business will heighten your brand awareness and help you build relationships with your customers and prospects. With consistent posting and engagement, you'll grow a vibrant network of loyal brand ambassadors to help your business thrive!

Demystify Social Media With This Content Guide:

Download the graphic 

In this two-part series, we show you how to create a social media strategy and next time, show you what to post.

Stumped by Social Media?

Social media is everywhere these days, coming a long way since the first social platform, "Six Degrees," launched in 1997. If you're old enough, you might remember the popularity of "MySpace" in the early 2000s. In the dawn of the 21st century, businesses struggled to see how these weird new platforms could fit in with a marketing strategy. I admit I remember saying, "How could social media be a full-time job?" 

Boy was I wrong. 

Today, social media is a vital part of reaching your customers. According to Our World in Data, 2.8 billion people used Facebook in 2018. With multiple platforms to choose from, it can be overwhelming to know what to do. Like all marketing channels, successful social media involves strategy, targeting, great content, analysis, and aligning with your business goals.   

But unlike one-way traditional marketing of television, radio, and billboards, social media is about engaging with your customers. 

As a business owner, you know that you should be posting on social media. But you may have questions about how to use it. Which platforms are the best fit for my business? What should I post? When should I post? How will I find time for all the posts? What about the business's website?

If you're confused about social media, you're not alone. Before you leap into the social media waters, create a strategy. Then plan the content of your posts. With some careful and strategic planning, you'll see how social media can become a valuable part of your digital marketing strategy. In this post, we'll show you what to consider when creating a social media strategy and best practices for managing your social media. 

How to Create a Social Media Strategy

Pick Your Platforms

Social media is everywhere. But you don’t have to be on every social platform. Especially if you don’t have a dedicated staffer to manage your accounts, pick one or two platforms that you believe will best meet the goals of your business. Doing well in 1 or 2 platforms is better than being everywhere with haphazard content and poor engagement.

Use a Business Account

If you’re serious about your business, create a business account. Keep your personal account and personal views separate from your business. Link to your business website to help your SEO and convert customers.

Have a Goal

What results do you want to achieve via social media? How will you get your followers to engage with you on social and what will you ask them to do after engaging with our content? Share it? Comment? Visit your site? Subscribe to our newsletter? Write down your goals and integrate in your marketing plan. 

Find Your Audience

Know your customers and figure out where they go on social media. Have no clue? Do an informal survey of your customers or refer to your buyer personas. See our infographic with demographic information. (Coming soon in Part 2!)

Strike the Right Tone

What's the right tone and voice for your brand? Do you want to appear fun and friendly approach or will the audience expect a more serious, professional demeanor? Does the social media conversation style match your brand's voice and values?

Take the Time

Don’t shrug off social media as a “maybe later” task. Take time to plan a strategy and a calendar. How often will you post? Who will write? Who will approve? Who will publish the post and monitor comments? Commit to posting multiple times a week. Respond to every question and comment in a positive, professional way. 

Don’t Post Randomly

Most platforms allow you to schedule a post. Or use an online tool to schedule them. Planning and scheduling posts will save you time. Refer to analytics to see when your followers are on social media and modify your schedule accordingly.

Create a Social Media Calendar

What will you post about? Projects? Services? People? Industry-related news? Use a calendar to plan topics and posts. Track these over time to see what gets the most engagement. There are lots of online social media management tools. Your marketing tool or project management tool may have a social media features. 

Post Regularly 

Social media is a commitment. It takes time and dedication. Plan on posting multiple times a week and/or multiple times a day. Consider sharing the responsibility with a trusted staff member. Make sure you can sustain social media efforts over the long run. Refer to your calendar to keep you on track. 

Set a Budget

Promoted/boosted posts and social media advertising are a great way to expand your reach on social. 

Look for Opportunities for User-Generated Content

Your customers are your best brand ambassadors. When you sell your product or service, ask customers to post pictures and tag you. Listen to their comments and respond to them. Ask partners to tag you in posts. Collaborate when possible to double the impact.

Respond to Negative Comments

It’s inevitable that cranky customers will post on social. Do not ignore these posts or reviews. Respond to them in a positive way. Be professional and not emotional. Do what you can to correct the situation and apologize if you were at fault (nobody’s perfect – and customers will respect your professionalism and integrity.)

Promote Your Stuff, But Not Too Much

Balance product and promotional posts with general information, tips, personal thoughts, fun stuff, etc. Get to know your customers and help them. B2B networking sites like LinkedIn are a way to write longer articles and thought leadership papers.

Don’t Be Too Formal

Especially for smaller businesses, let your brand personality shine through. Show pictures of your office, the office dog or cat, a staffer’s birthday party. Be human and authentic. Let your customers connect with you.  

Repurpose Content for Social Posts

Take your blog posts and turn them into short videos, infographics, quotes, and post on social channels. Link to the corresponding blog post or info page to lead them to your website.

Vary Posts on Different Platforms

Each social media platform has variations in the user base. Try not to just copy and paste the same post verbatim. Think about the users and mix up the language a bit to help engagement. And if your loyal customers follow you on more than one platform, they'll appreciate differing content.

Review Your Analytics

Don’t overlook your analytics. That will show you patterns of who is engaging with your posts, what’s working and what isn’t, and show what days and times your users are looking. If you do advertising, you can get good info on your audiences and create lookalike audiences.

Be Trendy (sometimes)

Jump on the holiday bandwagons and insert yourself naturally into trends and current events (but stay away from politics). For example, National Chocolate Day is a great opportunity for your sales team to deliver chocolates to loyal customers and sweet-toothed prospects. Ask your team to take pictures and post on social with reciprocal tagging and hashtags. Here's another example: If it’s a pandemic lockdown and everybody’s baking and you sell flour – take the opportunity to post a new recipe or tip. If Victory Gardens are trending and you’re a landscaper – show people how to start a garden. 

Be Strategic in Your Content

Find what content best engages with your audience. In general, posts about people get engagement. For companies, pictures of their projects do well, and any posts that include pictures of animals do very well. Find ways to spur engagement, including questions, surveys, and polls. Don't forget about "stories" available on several platforms. Be sure to respond to the comments. Similar to your website content, social media content should be valuable and useful to users to stop their thumbs from scrolling.

Use Images and Video

Don't even think about posting without an image. Videos are great for engagement. And don't forget about hashtags and emojis.  

Social media has become an important marketing strategy. Today it's more complex than ever before, but done well, it is an indispensible way to reach your audiences.

In Part 2 of this series, we’ll review the most popular business social media channels and break them down by gender, age, and give you tips for what content to post in a helpful infographic.

https://ourworldindata.org/rise-of-social-media

But most of us have had that sinking feeling when we start our computer and get a sad face computer icon. “Hard Drive not Found” or … “File Corrupted” or worse – “Your Site has Been Hacked.”  Maybe you drop your laptop or an overturned slushie soaks the hard drive. Perhaps you turn away from your laptop for a second and a thief grabs it.

It’s even more frustrating when the hard drive stops working for no reason. As one IT professional told me years ago, “Sometimes, they just die.”

We all kick ourselves for not backing up our files.

With cyberterrorism on the rise, it’s even more important to back up your files regularly and avoid the pain of hackers holding your data at ransom.

“Performing a regular backup of your website and database files is essential to maintain business continuity,” says Bill Goldsberry, Manager of LRS Web Solutions and Network Support. “Having current backups makes resolving issues much easier in the event of accidental deletions, malware infections, ransomware attacks, or other problems causing data loss.”

How to Backup Your Computer Files

There are three ways to backup your files. They all have advantages and disadvantages.

Back it up to a cloud server.

Windows 10 has a built-in backup tool. Apple has its Cloud and Time Machine. Dropbox and Google Drive are popular free online solutions. The advantage is that automatic tools back up as often as you want to schedule it. The downside is that it’s out there in on the internet, still hackable.

Pay for online backup software.

According to LRS Network Support Senior Consultant Scott Brown, “Something is better than nothing.”  Subscriptions to sites like Carbonite expand on their free versions to give you more space to back up your files. Paid platforms have pros and cons. They're convenient, but these services look at specific locations and may not be a complete backup of entire system.

If you like to have something to hold in your hands and control where it lives, then back up to an external hard drive. Brown says professionals are moving away from this method. If an external hard drive is attached to the PC, it is vulnerable to infections and ransomware attacks. “Attacks that infect your PC can trickle through to the external hard drive,” Brown says. To protect your information, keep your backup external drive unplugged from your computer and store a drive offsite in safe place. Another downside of manual backups is that you must do it yourself. External hard drives can also be stolen, they may not be encrypted, and they may just break.

“As more users consider cloud based backup solutions, they want to ensure that their data is protected. Multi-factor authentication helps with that need,” Brown says.

What to Do on World Backup Day

World Backup Day is March 31 – just before April Fool’s Day – so it’s a good day to backup everything before someone plays an April Fool’s joke on you.

Review your backup policy not only at home but at your business. If you get hit with a ransomware attack, do you know how to restore your data or who to call for help? Have you tested the process? Will you retrieve data you can work with? What’s your business continuity solution if your computers are damaged? Do you have a way to get up and running again?

Brown advises considering an “Office in the Cloud.” "That's essentially what it is," Brown says. "In the event the office was lost due to flood, fire, etc, the user can go to a location and with help from us, we can provide a way for them to connect to that offsite datacenter so they can access their files."  This is in a worst case scenario type event in which the office has been lost. 

So think about and review your backup policies. Update your disaster recovery manual and restoration services.

LRS Network Support has backup solutions with a partner, Axcient.  “If a location goes down, we would pull from cloud to get it back,” Scott says.

At scale, security can require many layers to retrieve data, according to Axcient. But with a professional security company safeguarding your data, “the likelihood of a data loss event for a system in our cloud in any given year is calculated to be about 1 out of 10 billion,” says Nimet Lakhani, National Account Manager at Axcient.

Axcient lists 5 helpful practices for data backups

Axient offers 3 solutions– an agent-based server backs up to an appliance, up to the Cloud. They also offer a file and folder only option that monitors changes (365 sync). A third option, Office 365, – backs it up longer than the standard 15 days.

If you need help with your backup solution, contact LRS Network Support.  “We can find a solution to fit the needs of the business,” Brown says.  Ultimately, having a strong computer backup solution can save you money by keeping your business running and giving you peace of mind.

But don’t computer backup let it be a once-a-year event. Take time to back up your files regularly and keep them safe. So when the inevitable computer reaches its demise, you’ll be back up and running without missing a beat.

Web accessibility might be one of those compliance-type topics that you've heard about but have been hesitant to tackle. But taking a proactive approach to web accessibility will be vital to your company.

But first of all, what is web accessibility? 

 Why should website accessibility matter to my business? 

While web accessibility has often been overlooked as a nice-to-have, rather than a need-to-have — that’s changing, and here’s why.

There's an increased digital reliance in our society

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s also been a sharp rise in the use of digital services. More of us -- including the older generations -- are relying on doing everything digitally. This is something that is likely to continue in the future. In a recent Forbes article, a key point was that “Many of this population segment does not self-identify as being disabled but might instead, live with milder age-related impairments such as reduced visual acuity or cognition.” This is a key example of how web accessibility goes beyond assisting people with disabilities but actually plays into the overall general user experience. 

New web compliance standards are rolling in

Web accessibility standards are still evolving. As of this writing, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) currently mandates compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, despite the latest version being 2.1. But don't get too comfortable: WCAG 2.2 is expected to be released in 2022, and the ADA may require WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 compliance overnight. Disability advocate Sheri Byrne-Haber predicts that WCAG 2.2 will be the new standard for private companies in 2022. Think you can wait? Well, WCAG 3.0 has also been announced, with the expectation of finalization in 2023 or early 2024.

Now is the time to check your website accessibility

So to conclude, web accessibility isn’t any longer something to be overlooked. It’s not only impacting the way visitors interact with our businesses, but also the overall user experience they have when engaging with us (regardless of whether they consider themselves disabled or not). Beyond that, a lack of web accessibility is now beginning to have real consequences for business and organizations, and it doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. Rather, web accessibility is something that is here to stay, and needs to be incorporated for a successful digital experience in the future.

Website development has a lot of jargon, the same as other professions. For non-web developers, website jargon can be confusing. One question we get asked a lot is, what's the difference between terms like "domain registration", "Domain Name Service," "DNS," and "hosting?"

Here's a guide to understanding the technical side of domains:  

Domain Name Registration or Registrar

Like registering your car with the secretary of state, domain registration is a declaration of ownership of your domain or url (the address of your website).

You register the domain with the Registrar, the authority that tells the internet where your domain is located or registered.

For example, you may have heard of a company called GoDaddy. GoDaddy is a domain registrar. GoDaddy offers other technical services, but their primary business is domain name registration. Google also has a DNS service, called Google Domains. These two companies are LRS’s preferred vendors for domain registration. DNS services are usually free to help these companies retain customers.

The DNS Registrars use computers called Name Servers. When registering your domain, we tell the name servers to point to your domain's DNS records, aka your website files. 

Registrars and domain registrations are very regulated and have expiration dates that are strictly followed. It's very important that you register your domain, or you could lose access to your website. 

Registrars and domain registrations are very regulated and have expiration dates that are strictly followed. It's very important that you register your domain, or you could lose access to your website. 

Domain Name Service (DNS)

Remember when everyone's address and phone number was in a huge reference book called the phone book? DNS is essentially a phone book of the internet. Instead of your business name, it takes your website's IP address (which is a long series of numbers) and changes it into characters, known as your domain name or URL. Otherwise, whenever we wanted to visit a website we'd have to remember a mix of numbers (199.96.4.11) instead of words: www.lrswebsolutions.com.

You may have heard of the term 'domain stack' before. Generally, the term 'stack' refers to a group of technology frameworks that an application uses to run (LAMP, MEAN, JAM, etc.) 

The DNS tells everyone and everything on the internet where your website and email (and any other service) are physically hosted. It "plugs in" your website to the internet. Without this service, you couldn't get your site on the information superhighway.

So when someone enters lrswebsolutions.com into their browser or sends an email to someone here at LRS, the DNS identifies the IP address and connects the web browser or email client to that IP address.

Often, a registrar will include DNS as a service for free with a domain name registration. There are other providers for this service as well.

NS1 is currently LRS’s preferred vendor for DNS because it’s reliable and easy to provide our vendors and clients access to this DNS.

The DNS tells everyone and everything on the internet where your website and email (and any other service) are physically hosted. It "plugs in" your website to the internet. Without this service, you couldn't get your site on the information superhighway.

The Least You Need to Know

In our next post, I'll introduce you to web hosting and email hosting and explain the differences. 

Without DNS and hosting services, your business website couldn't be found on the internet. Website development professionals can give you peace of mind to ensure that these steps are taken properly and securely.

I hope this gives you a basic understanding of domain name registration and domain name service, terms and acronyms that may be used during your website redesign. Contact us if you have more questions. 

Your website should be easy to maintain and maybe even an enjoyable task to tackle. You can see immediate updates that give you a sense of accomplishment. So how can you easily maintain your business website? 

Follow these tips and spend less time worrying about your website and more time getting back to other parts of your job.

10 Tips for Easy Website Maintenance

If it’s not already on your calendar, add website optimization to your marketing plan for the new year.

Why Should You Optimize Your Business Website?

Optimizing your website is not only important for your business to be found via search engines, but it also helps your visitors navigate your site with a good user experience and successfully accomplish what they set out to do and what you want them to do (or in marketing lingo - convert!).  

Essentially, the easier you make it for visitors to interact with your content and access your product or service, the greater the chance of conversion.

How Do You Optimize a Business Website?

So what should you do to get started? The best way to start is to take it back-to-basics. Here are three key tips for website optimization to kick off 2022:

Make sure your website performance meets Google Lighthouse standards

If you’re not already familiar with it, Google Lighthouse is an open source tool that can run a report of your website's health based on Google’s Core Web Vitals. Google's Core Web Vitals measure the page experience that you provide to your website visitors based on a variety of metrics.

Website Maintenance Tips - What To Do Now:

To kick off the new year, run a new scan of your website - it only takes a few minutes. You may have had a high score at the start of 2021, but as you’ve added content throughout 2022 and as Google changes their success criteria - your website score could have significantly changed.

Run a website scan at Google's Pagespeed Insights and send the results to your web team.

If you have an internal web team, they can help prioritize the list and plan improvements to your website. No web team? Contact us and we'll help you make a plan. 

Here are 10 tips for easy website maintenance

What to Do Throughout the Year:

Throughout the year, keep an eye on your website performance as part of the Google Lighthouse categories, including accessibility, SEO, and other best practices, such as the file size of images and third-party scripts which are known for slowing down website performance, and ultimately the load time of your website.  

Pagespeed is a vital part of an optimized website.  The slower your website is to load, the more likely people will bounce from the site? The probability of bounce increases 32% as page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds? (Think With Google, 2021).  

How do you do it? You can use Google Search Console for the basics of your website health, or consider investing in a paid service that can send you regular reports. Also, be sure to make time for search engine optimization (SEO). A healthy website means a better user experience - and happy users are more likely to return to your website and become customers. 

here's how to squeeze in time for SEO

Double-check your website for broken links & misspellings

This may seem like a simple one, but it is important to the user experience of your site to make sure that all of your links are working and there are no misspellings on your site. It can be extremely frustrating for someone who is interested in your product or service to click on a link that gives them a 404 error or misdirects them.

In addition, misspellings can alter the context and create misunderstandings amongst your website visitors. And ultimately, repeated misspellings and broken links will make your visitors lose trust in your organization, and negatively impact the credibility of your content. 

How Do You Easily Check a Website for Broken Links and Misspellings?

The Acquia Optimize team’s top tip is to check for these errors regularly (weekly). It can be a daunting task to do this manually. A website performance optimization tool can easily identify and report these content quality errors. That makes it easier to fix existing content or event content or find errors before the content is published!

Ensure your website look is on-brand & up-to-date

Staying true to your brand, style, and content guidelines is important for your digital presence, as a strong brand can enhance everything from brand awareness to customer loyalty. If you have multiple people maintaining your website, it’s easy for brand quality to slip.

An annual review ensures that all your brand assets are aligned. Think logo, colors, font, graphics, even the tone-of-voice of important text. 

Don’t Forget About Your Website Copy!

In addition to checking branding elements, make sure all of your website content is up-to-date and accurate. For example, if you have a new phone number or address for your office, it’s vital that this information be accurate across all pages of your website. Other items that are commonly overlooked when it comes to content updates are employee directories, the formatting of dates, or remembering to remove inactive promotional codes from your website. 

Purge outdated content that you don’t need - Still have pdfs from 2014? Meeting minutes from 2017? Think about what content adds value to your users. Remove what doesn’t. 

Why Should I Spend Time Updating My Website Content?

The risk of leaving incorrect and outdated information on your website could lead to a loss of engagement on your site, lack of trust in your organization and an overall poor website experience. So remember, it's not enough to define website guidelines - you also need to enforce them to ensure an on-brand and fully-updated website.

Strengthen Your Website Content With these 7 Tips

Happy New Year!

I hope these website optimization strategies will help set your organization on the path to success for the new year.  -- Jasmine

At LRS, we partner with Acquia Optimize to provide our clients with superior website accessibility services, website maintenance, SEO, heatmapping and more. Want to see the Acquia Optimize Platform in action? Need help with your website maintenance?  Get a free scan of your website to see how your website performs on web accessibility, broken links, misspellings, performance, and more. Contact us to get your free scan.

This is a guest blog post by Jasmine de Guzman, Manager, Revenue Marketing Manager at Acquia Optimize. Acquia Optimize is a SaaS company focused on web governance and accessibility compliance. LRS Web Solutions has partnered with Acquia Optimize since 2019 to improve web accessibility, and improve website management and redesign processes. 

LRS® Web Solutions: A “Brief” History

It seemed like a pretty simple business plan – as long as LRS was going to build and host its own website, it might as well provide the service to its customers. That was the corporate rationale that brought LRS® Web Solutions into being in the fall of 1996.

1980s: Levi Ray & Shoup, Inc. Branches Out 

Throughout the 1980’s, LRS (Levi, Ray & Shoup, Inc.) could best be described as an information technology company that specialized in IT consulting projects and mainframe software development. By the end of the decade, the company had branched out into software development for the administration of public pension funds. Despite that expansion, the company stayed true to its core lines of business for most of its first 15 years of existence.

1990s: Tech Boom & the Birth of "LRS Web Site Services"

That all began to change around 1993. The 1990’s were shaping up to be a period of rapid growth for businesses in the technology sector and LRS was no exception.

Along with the addition of an education/training center and a sports game film analysis software division, an idea for an entirely new line of business was being tossed about. The idea was to start a group that would utilize the new web server technology being introduced to the LRS data center to give the company a toehold in a 6-year-old phenomenon known as the World Wide Web. 

And so, it began! With just two employees (a sales representative and a site developer) the Web team at LRS was launched in the fall of 1996. Known at first as Web Site Services and then simply “Web Services”, the group specialized at first in developing static “brochure sites” for a small group of customers within a stone’s throw of the LRS headquarters in Springfield, Illinois. These brochure websites were not much more than a collection of static pages that provided marketing and biographical content to a small but growing audience of web users. Web traffic in those days was driven by everything from traditional media to emerging search engines like Excite, Lycos, AltaVista, and Yahoo to name a few.

By the beginning of 1997, Web Services had added its first graphic designer and was beginning to introduce an increasing level of functionality to its development skillset. By borrowing a programmer from the LRS data center team, Web Services took its first step into the future of Web development. This step was made possible in part by the arrival of client-side scripting in the mid-nineties.

This would represent a shift away from traditional client server models and it proved as monumental as the introduction of the Internet itself. Web sites would be transformed over the next decade from curious new forms of electronic communication to an integral part of every kind of organization. Business was no longer embracing the web; business was now being done on the Web and the web team at LRS was determined to be a part of it.

The Web Services team in late 2000

Over the next 5 years, the team experienced slow but steady growth as it took a conservative path through the tech boom years of the late nineties. A second graphic designer was added in 1998, the team’s first full-time application developer came aboard in 1999 and a second site construction specialist was added in 2000. With the addition of a second sales representative and the acquisition of a competitor firm, the Web Services team grew rapidly in the early months of 2001. By mid-summer 2001, the team had grown to fifteen employees (two account representatives, six site construction specialists, three application developers and four graphic designers).

The rapid growth of the team led LRS Senior Management to appoint a full-time Web Services Manager in August 2001. Leadership for the team would be crucial in the coming years as the web began to mature and would endure a hangover following the euphoria of its early years.

Dot-Com Bubble Burst: But Web Services Prospers! 

The optimism of the nineties was soon replaced with recession and the sobering fact that the dot com bubble was a bust.  Most Internet startups failed to show a profit and when venture capitalist money finally ran out, the bubble burst. At LRS, the story went a little differently. The Web Services team actually prospered through this period by mirroring the solid values of the company it was a part of.

In resisting the lure of rapid expansion, the group managed to avoid the bust that followed the boom. Though the group would grow significantly during the period from 2002 to 2006, the growth was controlled. Rather than following an aggressive business model, the team’s expansion was always driven by the need to ensure quality development and timely delivery. In that 6-year period, Web Services would add a fifth graphic designer, three more application developers and would hire its first dedicated project manager.

The Web Services team in August 2005

The first few years of the 21^st century were full of promise and peril for technology companies. Business models were changing rapidly and the challenge of keeping up with quickly evolving technology proved to be a great one for business of all kinds. 

One of the many reasons the tech bubble burst was that online retailers had failed to prove that they could pull shoppers away from brick-and-mortar retailers.

Over the next few years, a handful of visionary dot-com survivors like Amazon and Zappos would make believers of the biggest skeptics. E-commerce, and the Internet itself, were becoming integral parts of our daily lives. Names like Google and eBay were becoming as synonymous with the services they offered as Coke and Kleenex had become a generation earlier.

As the phenomenon of Web 2.0 emerged, the fundamental idea that “content is king” took on a new meaning. Online communities were developing, individuals were becoming virtual publishers and friends were connecting on social media sites like MySpace.

The people who used the Internet were becoming as interconnected as the technology they were using.

As fast paced as those early years were, the next ten years would see even greater and faster changes. The economic collapse of 2008 and The Great Recession that followed transformed the business landscape. Companies had to do more with less, and they had to rely on technology more than ever. The LRS Web team had to evolve and adapt to this changing environment.

Increasingly, sophisticated customers were no longer content with web developers who reacted to their needs. Rather, they were looking for full-fledged partners who would anticipate those needs. Our group rose to the challenge. Starting in the mid-2000s, we began offering expanded search engine optimization, graphic design for print, and upfront site planning/business analysis. By the end of the decade, we would add audio and video production, photography services, mobile website design, content management-based development, and search engine marketing.

"Customers were looking for full-fledged partners who would anticipate their needs. Our group rose to the challenge."

Social Media Brings New Challenges and New Solutions

The end of the 2000s brought a different set of challenges for web development companies. LinkedIn had already established itself as the top business-oriented social network and, by the start of 2009, Facebook had risen from the pack as the king of social media. Twitter and a whole host of other platforms would soon follow, and their success had business owners wondering if they even needed a stand-alone website. Once again, Web Services would adapt. We began to help our clients utilize these new platforms as part of their overall web strategy rather than ditching their unique web presence. This approach would prove to be the correct one as the social media landscape continues to become more and more fragmented.

Rebranding Ourselves 

With all of these changes, it became apparent that operating under the original Web Services name would no longer suffice. In 2010 we rebranded ourselves as LRS® Web Solutions. This change reflected a completely new mindset. No longer was our group simply fulfilling its customers’ web needs ... we were providing full-fledged business solutions via the web. The change was also necessitated by the addition of network support services to the team. No longer was our team just a web development group. It was a full-fledged division of the companies with an expanding list of service offerings.

No longer was our group simply fulfilling its customers’ web needs ... we were providing full-fledged business solutions via the web.

 The LRS Web Solutions division (Web Services & Network Support) in 2013

We Made Our Own Content Management System!

By the time LRS® Web Solutions celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2016, we had expanded into mobile app development for iPhone and Android. We had also unveiled the name of our growing content management system... LRS® Antilles! The ease of use and extensibility that Antilles offered made the product very popular with our customers. In fact, it would be just a matter of months following its official unveiling that nearly every new website would be built on the platform.

More Expansion into the 2020s

To say that the five years since our 20^th anniversary have flown by would be an understatement! It’s been a busy time for LRS and the Web Solutions group! LRS corporate undertook a complete rebranding in 2016 and, in 2018, the company expanded its Springfield, Illinois headquarters with nearly 62,000 square feet of office space. Web Solutions moved from the space it had occupied since 2005 to the second level of a brand new, state-of-the-art building. We also continued to expand our services – adding a Web Content & SEO Strategist in 2018 and partnering with a variety of companies that expand and enhance our service offerings.

Today, the LRS® Web Solutions division is a 30-person group of talented and dedicated individuals. In addition to our 7 Network Consultants, our web development team is made up of a Director, a Manager, a Program Manager/UX Engineer, a Web Content and SEO Strategist, 2 Project Managers, 3 Account Executives, 2 Graphic Designers, 5 Front End Developers, 4 Application Developers, 2 Full Stack Developers, and a Billing & Contract Specialist.

We’ve come a long way since 1996! It’s been a fun (and sometimes crazy) 25-year journey, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Building custom solutions to meet each customer’s unique needs is rarely without challenges but providing one-of-a-kind solutions and connecting our customers to the world is never without rewards!

 The Web Team - 2021

The team's 7th website (2018-2021)

Update Your Website & Communicate With Email - All Within Your Website Manager 

Wouldn't life seem so much easier if you could log into one place to update your website and send updates to your customers of those updates? And, imagine if you could also send text messages? 

Send Marketing Emails From LRS Antilles

Well, good news...it's not too good to be true! We have partnered with Sendgrid/Twilio to bring you a brand new module for our LRS Antilles Content Management System that allows you to interact with your customers right from your Antilles dashboard via email, text messages, or both!

The Antilles Email Module lets you organize your subscription emails and send messages all within LRS Antilles Content Manager!

Email/Text Module Features 

With this new module, you'll be able to:

• Manage all of your email marketing lists.
• Send marketing emails with the option of sending text notifications.
• Set up text keywords (ie, "alerts") to allow customers to subscribe to a marketing list by texting the keyword to your unique phone number.
• Import a list of existing customers to your marketing lists.
• Create and manage email templates to create a consistent look and feel to all of your correspondence.
• Set up admins that can send notifications to your list by sending a text. For instance, an admin can text the word "alerts" followed by the message and that message will be sent to all of the subscribers to the "alerts" list.
• Create a subscription page for your customers to manage their notifications to all of your lists.
• Drop a "widget" on a specific page so a customer can sign up for a specific list.

Future Features:

• Schedule emails and texts
• View vital analytics on your marketing emails such as: how many emails were opened, how many were marked as spam, and unsubscribes.

Save time | Simplify Marketing Communication

The Antilles Email Module is available now! To add this to your version of Antilles, contact your sales rep at LRS Web Solutions. Learn more about LRS Antilles at our sister site, getantilles.com

LRS Web Solutions has partnered with Acquia Optimize since 2019 to improve web accessibility, and improve website management and redesign processes. </em>

Websites are an ever-changing digital channel that needs continuous updates and optimization to meet user needs and expectations. Redesigns are important for companies to make the most out of their proprietary digital assets. 

Every organization has or will experience a website redesign at some point. A website will reach a stage when mere updates are not enough to keep it functioning well and a complete redesign is the only way to go.

It’s a big task, but website redesigns also bring benefits like improving the user experience of the website, lowering bounce rates, improving SEO, increasing revenue, enhancing accessibility, and strengthening brand identity.

Some companies often fail to take into account the many aspects needed for a successful launch. Website Redesigns should not be taken as a quick fix. Successful website redesigns are the result of a strong redesign strategy that takes brand improvement and user experience into account.

Not Sure Where to Start?
Download The Website Redesign Playbook

We know it can be confusing and frustrating to plan a website redesign. In cooperation with LRS Web Solutions, we’re proud to bring you the Website Redesign Playbook to help you take a holistic look at the website redesign process, including pre-, during, and post-launch website processes. 

Designed specifically for marketing managers, web teams, content contributors, webmasters, and designers, the purpose of the playbook is to provide a template for web, marketing, or brand teams, regardless of the size of the website, to refer to in the redesign process. 

Do You Really Need a Website Design Guide? 

As a web governance platform, we know that every organization's website has or will undergo a redesign. At some point a website will reach a stage when mere updates are not enough to keep it functioning well and a complete redesign is the only way to go.

It’s a big task, but website redesigns also bring benefits like improving the user experience of the website, lowering bounce rates, improving SEO, increasing revenue, enhancing accessibility, and strengthening brand identity.

If website development is out of your skillset, the playbook can give you an overview of the process and be a handy guide as you partner with a website design company.

How to Use the Playbook 

The playbook was created to help web, marketing, and brand teams with:

• Limited resources on what to do pre-, during, and post redesign / or if they have sufficient resources, where best to allocate them
• How to raise internal awareness within their organizations that websites are vital to the success of their business and brand
• A breakdown of the process based on stage, role, and website elements like design, link folders, site architecture, accessibility, mobile-friendliness, etc. 

Whenever you decide to undertake a website redesign, the playbook is your go-to roadmap for success. Download it for free and keep it handy!

Download your free copy of the Redesign Playbook today! (No form to fill out!)

Curious to see the Acquia Optimize Platform in action? Get a free scan of your website to see how your website performs on website accessibility, broken links, misspellings, performance, and more. Contact us to get your free scan.

SEO is not a one-and-done task. SEO experts often say that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint.  It's an ongoing process that needs care and feeding.  

But you’ve got a ton of other things to do, right? I've been there -- it's hard to keep website content updated, let alone worry about things like search engine optimization. 

But if your CEO is asking why your website isn't showing up on an internet search, it's time to make time for SEO. Here's a strategy to maintain SEO on your schedule. 

SEO Maintenance on Your Schedule

5-Minute Checks

• Check for broken links. Broken links are among the lowest-hanging fruit to improve your SEO. 
• Check mobile-friendliness.
• Check for HTTPS – Do you see a small padlock in the URL bar? Do you see “HTTPS” before your website address? If you see “Not Secure” then you need to get secured, ASAP! Ask me how.
• Check PageSpeed. If it's a low score, make a note of what issues need to be addressed and schedule a meeting with your developer. 

Did you pass everything? If so, outstanding! Move on to the lunch hour tasks.  If you need some links fixed, contact your web developer, armed with your evidence.

Lunch Hour Tasks

Working through lunch? These smaller tasks can be broken up and done over your lunch hour:

Page Titles  

Page titles are an important element for SEO. This is sometimes a page's H1 (an equally important element for search engines). Make sure your page title includes a keyword to illustrate what the page is about.

Organize content into headers

Tough truth: People skim rather than thoroughly read web pages. No one wants to read a long block of text. Start with H1 - which is like the headline of your page. It also might be the title of your page. If you don't already have an H1, be sure to add one. Then break up the content into sections using headers and format those in order as H2, H3 or H4. (Read this blog post for an explanation of headers). It really helps people and search engines understand your page, and improves user experience.

Rewrite your link text

Any place it says “Click Here” or “Learn More”– change it. Challenge yourself to come up with more descriptive text to encourage conversions, such as "Let's Do This!" Since people scan most web pages, a descriptive button will let people know exactly what will happen when they click the button, such as “Download the 2024 Annual Report.” 

Review Analytics

If you have Google Analytics recording actions on your website, take a few minutes to look at the Overview sections of the platform to see generally what content is popular, who your visitors are, what pages are getting lower views, bounce rate, etc. This information can help you know what changes to make on the site. If you don’t have GA installed, it’s pretty easy to install on your site. All you need is a google account and access to your website. Start at analytics.google.com.

Setting up analytics reports takes a bit more finesse, but there are plenty of “how-to” guides on the web. If you'd rather stand in line at the DMV than review your analytics, we can help!

Friday Tasks

Working on your website is a good Friday task if you have fewer meetings and more focused time. These tasks will take a little more time but are worth the effort.

Check Images 

Photos, graphics, and videos are an indispensable part of your website design. Don’t overlook the importance of making these as fast as possible. Large photos often slow down a website.  

Check for large images that are slowing down your site. Add alt text for screen readers; Add new pictures, avoiding stock images. Can you add any authentic photographs to replace the stock photos? Stock photos are a necessary evil, but it’s usually better to use “real” photos, even if they aren’t the absolute best quality.  But make sure they’re decent enough resolution to be attractive on larger screens. Read this post to learn how to optimize images for websites.

Freshen the Content

Read through your web pages. What content is outdated? Can you freshen up pages with new details or services? Expand on pages to make them more in-depth and valuable to your customers? Website content should be updated regularly. Especially make sure that your popular pages have the latest and greatest content.  

Cross-reference your content with the searches people are doing on your site and in the search engines. What words or phrases can you add naturally to the content? Updating the content can help with kewyord rankings.

Add Keywords 

Keywords are still the lifeblood of SEO. Do some keyword research to find out what your site ranks for and think about what terms you’d like to rank for. Check metadata and optimize for keywords, including long-tail, and audience intent keywords. 

You can do keyword research for free using search engines, Google Ads and other platforms. Paid solutions like AHREFs and SEM Rush can let you do a deeper dive into keywords and continually track specific keywords and phrases so you can check your status.

Once or Twice a Year

Check Accessibility 

Avoid a potential lawsuit by having your accessibility checked at least once a year by a professional team that can fix issues for you, too. You want to be sure that people with disabilities - whether permanent or temporary - can have a great experience on your site if they're using a screen reader.

Perform a website audit 

Give your website an annual or semi-annual physical. Check issues such as page indexing, errors, 404 pages, and other issues to keep your site accurate and fast. How? There are lots of free tools from Google and Bing, but consider using a professional company to make sure this is thorough. And if they have staff on hand to fix them for you, well, that’s time in your pocket. Note any technical issues that need to be sent to your web developer.

Analytics

Run a 6- or 12-month report on your website performance. Plan a strategy to make website improvements. That leads to…

Plan Website Improvements - and Your Wish List

Your business website should be ever-evolving. Don’t let it sit and get stale. Plan a 6-month, 12-month and 2-year strategy. When will your next big redesign be? Can you do some design tweaks in the next year to keep it looking fresh? What website elements would be helpful to track? Do you need a blog? Do you have a unique need that would add a “wow” factor to your site? Keep in touch with a website design firm so you have experts close at hand to answer questions, brainstorm ideas with you, and make a plan to move forward.

Go SEO!

It is hard to make time for your business website, but this plan should help you carve out time on your calendar as a reminder. But if SEO still seems like as daunting a task as cleaning your basement (I know I should but I just don't want to), LRS Web Solutions is here to help. Contact us for a free consultation.  

If you're on the support plan and want to upgrade, open a ticket with us to start the process.

Check out the highlights of what's new and improved!

LRS Antilles Updates 1.20

Starting in mid-June, Google™ will be using a set of metrics called Page Experience as part of its decision-making process into how they rank websites on the search engine’s results page.

If you’re a marketer, website page speed acronyms like LCP, FID, and CLS, may seem like just a jumbled alphabet soup. It’s easy to overlook these kinds of technical aspects of your website if you’re more focused on content creation, but an upcoming update from Google means that marketers need to take a quick look at the technical details of your business website and do some spring cleaning.

What is the Page Experience Update?

The Page Experience Update, succinctly explained by Search Engine Journal, is focusing more on technical signals to evaluate how good an experience the user will have if they click through to your website. Google™ calls these signals the Core Web Vitals.

What are the Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals can be found in Google’s™ webmaster tools, called Google™ Search Console, which assess the technical health of your website. For an overview, see SEJ’s article on Core Web Vitals.
But in short, the Core Web Vitals report includes:

These technical details are important to get your website a seat at the SEO table. If you’ve ignored them before, now’s the time to address them.

Learn more about Core Web Vitals

How to Prepare for Google's™ Core Web Vitals Update

There are a lot of details to dig into to prepare for the update. You can evaluate Core Web Vitals yourself or request a website audit from your developer. Here are a few free online tools to get you started:

• Check page speed 
• Check mobile-friendliness
• Check Core Web Vitals on Google™ Search Console (or request a report from your website developer). 
• If you use a third-party accessibility or SEO tool, you may be able to find helpful information to improve the technical health of your business website.

But Don't Forget: Content is King

While these technical factors are important for user experience, don't forget that Google™ considers content among the top ranking factors. Straight from Google™: "A good page experience doesn't override having great, relevant content."

Take Action Now

Google’s™ job is to deliver the best search results for the millions of questions asked daily. The Core Web Vitals is the latest way Google™ is working to make sure the search results they deliver to users are the best they can be.

Granted, there are over 200 “signals” that Google™ uses to make those fraction-of-a-second decisions, and any impact won’t happen instantaneously.

This update may not have a big impact on your ranking right now, but if you’ve been ignoring your site’s technical health it could give your competitor an edge on the search engine results page. So why not take preventive action? Maintaining the technical health of your website is an important step in SEO. With this update, it's a great time to dig into the tech.

Check your website’s Core Web Vitals and take proactive steps to keep your website rock-solid to meet Google’s™ – and your user’s – expectations.

Need help with your Core Web Vitals? We can help!

Help Me With My Core Web Vitals

Resources
https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-core-web-vitals-ranking-signals/387142/
https://siteimprove.com/en/blog/getting-ready-for-the-google-page-experience-update/
https://support.google.com/webmasters/thread/104436075/core-web-vitals-page-experience-faqs-updated-march-2021

Alysse Hewell, marketing manager and Troxell agent, knew it was time for a touch-up. “The menu became too much to manage, and we had several ways for people to request a quote. We wanted to simplify it.” They were looking for a small redesign for their website. 

LRS gave the Troxell site a new look and feel to increase usability and make it easy for site visitors to find what they are looking for.

In February 2021, a refreshed website redesign launched with a number of improvements and enhancements. The design keeps what works, such as the cool rollovers on the team page. But the navigation restructures the growing company to make it easier for the user to find people in specific divisions.

• The main menu got a complete overhaul. It is now streamlined to just four choices with a limited number of sub-menu options.
• The homepage layout now has clearer and more succinct messaging.
• Troxell’s agents are among its most popular content, so we made sure the team was front and center, with photos and a key metric of 90% client retention.
• Testimonials and locations provide a nice balance of gaining trust and making it easy to find the content that data shows the users want most. Blockquotes slide into the page, creating a moment of delight that users enjoy.
• The subpages also got a refresh in design and content. For example, Troxell’s most popular blog post is now featured on the personal insurance page.
• New elements added to the style guide makes it easy for the Troxell staff to update and enhance subpages in the future.

Like your insurance premium exemplifies how small investments can protect you from disaster, a modest investment in your business website can ensure your site stays fast, modern, and relevant to your customers.

Troxell’s mini redesign shows how website improvements don’t have to be a huge lift. Analyze what’s working, decide what needs to be improved, and make small investments each year to guard against a website disaster!

Like your insurance premium exemplifies how small investments can protect you from disaster, a modest investment in your business website can ensure your site stays fast, modern, and relevant to your customers.

Check out our portfolio or read more stories of clients' successes with LRS Antilles Content Manager! 

Shopping for a web design company? It’s hard to know where to start when you’re beginning a website redesign. If you’re stuck about what to ask, here are a dozen questions to get the conversation going and make sure you're getting the best ROI for your budget.

12 Questions to Ask a Web Design Company

“Do you offer custom website designs and template website designs? What is the difference?”

If the web design company offers both custom and template designs, make sure to ask for and see both design options. What’s the difference? If you think of web design like you would a room renovation, a template is being able to change the paint color for the wall, ceiling, and trim. The structure is all the same. Make sure you understand the options of the design strategy you choose.

At LRS, template websites are quicker to launch and less expensive for our clients. But they’re less flexible when it comes to design changes. When you make the jump to a custom design, it’s like building a room from the ground up. You start with the foundation, but your imagination is the limit when the building begins!

“What are others saying about your services?”

Like buying any product, you want to hear from real people how well it works. It is nice to hear feedback from someone who has worked previously with the company. Check out the company’s online portfolio and case studies, because they are great examples of the company’s performance. If these resources aren’t online, ask for evidence, and do not hesitate to ask for references. Look at reviews on Google and social media. Reviews on Capterra are another great place to check when you are shopping.

We’ve got 25 years’ worth of customers to tell our tales! Find a sampling of reviews of our content management system, LRS™ Antilles, on Capterra.com!

“Tell me about your team dynamic.”

This is not a piece to overlook when shopping for a web design agency. The team dynamic is very instrumental to keeping your project on time and budget. Are projects completed in-house or are certain parts outsourced? Ask if there is a project manager and know how the group is set up.
Fewer team members may be cheaper, but it could affect meeting deadlines and workflow.

The LRS™ Team is a well-oiled assembly line of experts. We have teams for project management, web design, site construction, application development, and helpdesk. We will walk you through the steps of a website redesign and include you as part of the team!

“Do you offer services besides web design?”

Yes! At LRS, we often call these services “Phase 2,” starting after a website redesign. For example, you could add a virtual tour, an interactive map, or an intranet. Perhaps you need a micro-site for a specific product or marketing campaign. How about ongoing SEO or marketing help? Do you need a new logo or other branding materials? 

It’s wise to think of your website as an evolving part of your marketing that can grow with your company.
As new marketing needs arise in the future (hello AI), it makes sense to partner with a website company that can offer advanced services.

At LRS™, we have a big team because we also offer additional services to complement standard web development, including creative services, website hosting, website accessibility checks, and more. Ask yourself, do you want to have a variety of companies helping you, or do you want one point of contact, a one-stop-shop where you can develop relationships with the team over time?

“What industries do you have experience with, and do you specialize in one? What are some of the past examples you can show me in my industry?”

Having a web designer with diverse industry experience can be very valuable. Some web design companies have really targeted certain industries. While that can be appealing, remember that some great website ideas may come from a different industry! For example, a product component from a B2B agriculture company can be adapted to a retail website, a portfolio from an engineering firm could be implemented for a hospitality website, an enhanced company directory module from a bank could easily move over to a health care website.

At LRS™, we’ll brainstorm the best elements from our 25 years of experience to adapt or create a solution that your company’s website needs. For example, could we adapt Chestnut’s immersive experience to your company?

“How exactly do I make changes to my website? (What Content Management System do you use?)”

Nowadays, software used to manage websites are completely online (no more CD installations!) These website managers are called Content Management Systems (CMS), and this is one of the most important things to ask about when looking for a new web design company. While the free CMS companies are tempting, they’re often difficult to use, demand payments for advanced features, are hard to customize, and easy to “break” once you start adding lots of plugins. CMS options include WordPress, Joomla, and Wix, and no doubt have some attractive qualities. Just be sure to broaden your search to include other options too.

Here at LRS, we designed our own Content Management System, LRS™ Antilles. It’s an all-in-one platform that gives you a set of robust website modules included in the core components. Read our blogpost about how Antilles is better than Wordpress.

“Does your website company also offer hosting? What about DNS or SSL certificates?”

Sometimes you can get more for your money by working with a company that handles your web design and hosting. More importantly, they will make sure you have the correct hosting package for your business too!

Check out the LRS™ Hosting Services.

“When something in my website needs to be fixed, how do I reach you?”

Make sure you know how to contact the company when you need help. Don’t sacrifice personal attention for a cheap website design.

At LRS, we’re renowned for our ongoing support. Our help desk system allows you to work directly with a person, not a bot. Your ticket will be handled in minutes or hours, not days. You can log-in to the system and create a ticket, send an email with your action item, or call and receive assistance. Another thing to ask about is a warranty period for your website, and how the help desk bills you.

LRS Web Solutions has a 90-day warranty period after a site goes live.

“Can you help me make sure my website is accessible for people with disabilities?”

This one is a hot topic now. Because websites are ever-changing with photos, links, and content, it is a good idea to monitor your site and make sure you’re meeting accessibility standards. While no formal ruling has been published on accessibility, that does not mean you should push this to the back burner. Before you sign that contract, be sure to ask about a company’s accessibility standards and how they can help you maintain accessibility.

When we go live with a website, we ensure that website is accessible. In 2020, we partnered with a website governance platform, Acquia Optimize, to provide ongoing accessibility reviews and tools for our clients. 

“Can we build on my site in the future?”

If a web design company says no, that’s your sign to move on. Choose a platform that allows your website to change as your business grows.

At LRS, we are always working on new options for our website content manager, LRS Antilles, and if we do not already offer it, chances are we can, or already have, built it for another client.

See how Conn Hospitality Group grew its website as its business expanded.

"Can you help me with SEO and Analytics?”

Don't overlook the importance of these. Are people finding your website when they type a search into Google? Do you know what website pages are popular and which ones need to be improved? This is where SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and analytics are important to review and understand. We know that it’s hard to make time in your workday to do this, so think about having someone send you reports and meet with you to show you how to keep your website in good health.

At LRS™, SEO is built into our modules for easy maintenance. We even set it up with scoring so you can do it We’ll add SEO to each page and show you how to do it. (Or watch a quick video.) We’ll also set up Google Analytics, teach you how to use it, and email a monthly report directly to you! We can continue to monitor your site and provide technical SEO fixes, ideas, and best practices for your website content. Remember that accessibility tool, Acquia Optimize, I mentioned earlier? It has SEO functionality too! 

“What is the process after I sign the contract?”

Don’t sign a contract unless you’re clear on the timeline, next steps, and what will be expected of your team. Understand the scope of work. 

At LRS™ Web Solutions, our process involves a lot of communication. After a contract is signed, we set up a meeting with you, the Project Manager, and UI/UX Expert to discuss the project and the process. See this infographic to better understand the LRS™ Web Solutions process.

Time for a new website!

Hopefully, these 12 questions give you some solid talking points when you contact a web design company. Check out these blog posts to see how to get started on a website redesign.

How many times have you seen a beautiful website and said, “I want our site to look like that.”

It’s tempting to look at a competitor’s website and try to mimic its design. But just because it’s pretty, doesn’t mean it’s accessible. Beautiful designs are not always accessible, not always fast loading, and not always the best fit for your company.

Would you rather have a website that is beautiful or functional – or both? 

A beautiful website that functions poorly for users with disabilities is like a beautiful skyscraper with only staircases connecting its floors.

Many website redesigns fail to include a large demographic: users with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization, severe vision impairment alone affects 2.2 billion people around the world.

For businesses, an inaccessible website means that a significant portion of potential customers may be cut off from your products and services. 

Why is Accessibility Important?

The Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C), the governing body of the internet, outlined a set of international guidelines called the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2. These guidelines outline three levels of Accessibility: A, AA, and AAA. Our aim is Level AA Compliance.

Accessibility needs can be broken down into three types:

1. Permanent disabilities, such as visual impairment,
2. Temporary Disabilities, such as broken fingers, and
3. Situational Disabilities, where for example, you might be cooking with one hand, holding a toddler in another arm while trying to place an order on a website.

You can see that website accessibility applies to everyone.

Fixing accessibility issues can further optimize your website and help your SEO through improved keyword use, page load time, user experience, and more.

Learn More about the Importance of Web Accessibility 

What Do All These Terms Mean?

Are you trying to fix accessibility problems yourself? Or has your developer sent you a list of things he says need to be corrected? Unless you’re a skilled website developer, content managers may not know what the esoteric terms mean. Still, it's important to understand the problems and learn how to avoid them in the future.

You could save yourself time and money by partnering with a company like LRS Web Solutions. We run each website project through an accessibility checker and fix those issues before the launch of our projects. This with the help of our partner Acquia Optimize, a website governance company. 

After fixing accessibility issues on hundreds of websites, LRS Web Solutions' developers Tyler Winters share the top problems they see in our reports from Acquia Optimize. As an added bonus, Acquia Optimize accessibility specialist Sterling Rose and Alasdair Nolan also lend their expertise.

Below you'll see the top 5 problems we encounter in most website projects. We’ve quoted the common errors in the language used by WCAG. But don't worry, we’re translating them into laymen’s terms, with examples, and showing you how to fix it.

Take a look and ask – does your website have these problems? If the answer is yes, or if you’re not sure, contact us to get help with these five issues, and we'll investigate other website accessibility problems.

Top 5 Website Accessibility Problems

1. Text/Structure
2. Design Contrast
3. Site Functionality
4. Menus/Navigation
5. Image Problems

1. TEXT/STRUCTURE

Written content is the backbone of any website. People want to have a question answered, find directions, or purchase a product or service. If your text doesn’t make this experience easy and pleasurable, you risk losing a sale and some of your reputation.

“SEO is very important here,” Sterling says. “Label everything, including page titles, H1s, H2s, alt tags, etc. Screen readers will tab through the headings and read them so that users can hear the content in order the page.”

Error: “No link description/Link text isn’t meaningful when read out of context."

Error: "Tables aren’t structured correctly."

According to Acquia Optimize, “People with low vision often have difficulty reading text that does not contrast with its background. Providing a minimum luminance contrast ratio between the text and its background can make the text more readable for users who cannot see the full range of colors and also helps those rare users who see no color.”
Professional website designers are experts in the elements of design, including contrast. Blending beauty and creativity with an understanding of how to meet accessibility, you can avoid these common errors related to design contrast:

 
Error: “The luminosity contrast ratio between text and background color in all images is less than 5:1.”

Error: “Link text colors don’t contrast sufficiently with the background color.”

Here are some examples of bad contrast and good contrast in text design.

The architecture of a website supports accessibility when done correctly. This takes a significant amount of skill and professional experience to be all-inclusive. Be sure to consider your page layout and flow,” Sterling points out. “Sometimes less is more.” 

People with disabilities often depend on the keyboard only to browse websites. 

Error: "The content does not function accurately on different display types."

 Error: “User interface for scripts must be accessible”

4. MENUS/NAVIGATION

The main navigation menus must be accessible. This means a user should be able to access any and all menu items in a navigation area whether they are using a mouse or a keyboard. People with disabilities often must use a keyboard to navigate through a web page. Without accessibility coding, users may not be able to access all the items on a page, or it may be cumbersome to get to the content they want.

Error: “Web Page Document May Be Missing a 'Skip to Content' Link.”

5. IMAGE PROBLEMS

No website is complete without beautiful images. Photographs, background images, infographics, charts, all these design elements are critical to a user’s experience. But they’re also a primary source of frustration for those with disabilities.

Error: Labels don’t reflect the text contained in an image (meaningful text)

Get Ahead of the Lawsuits

Fixing website accessibility issues isn’t a “fix and forget it” task to prevent lawsuits. Sterling notes, “There isn't a 'passing grade' written in black and white. It is very grey, unfortunately.”  

So what is the best course of action?

“The best thing people can do is have a proven consistent effort on the website. It's not a 'one and done' project, but requires on-going maintenance. There is really no such thing as a 100% accessible site. But working towards it is the best thing to do.”

That’s where LRS Web Solutions and Acquia Optimize can help you keep your website on track to meet accessibility standards.

If you think your site might be guilty of one of these top 5 accessibility issues, contact us and take advantage of a free website accessibility audit. It’s the smart thing to do for your business success, for your legal peace of mind, and frankly, it’s just the right thing to do.

Modern. Innovative. Fun. That’s the new INB website.

This bank website design soars to a new level of sophistication, designed to exceed the expectations of its customers and push the boundaries of website design.

INB upped its game in early 2021 with a website redesign that would continue to deliver an outstanding banking experience for its customers. It was the first design update since LRS launched INB's website design in summer 2014.

THE GOAL:

INB, based in Springfield, Illinois, wanted a new look-and-feel to enhance their website users’ experiences, especially mobile-first visitors, which account for almost 40% of its website traffic. The previous design, (designed when Jay Leno was still hosting the Tonight Show) had been mushed to fit mobile, rather than designed with mobile-first intent. INB understood that web trends and technology advanced and their web user base has grown and changed with time as well. 

They wanted a cleaner, streamlined site. It also had to include all kinds of information that’s easy for people to get to and meet all accessibility requirements. 

LRS Web Solutions first designed the INB site in 2014. Four years later, INB joined the LRS Antilles family, which made the redesign a lot easier for both LRS Web Solutions and the INB team, led by Marilyn Titone Schaefer, VP, Director of Marketing. 

“I like that the LRS team took our ideas to heart," Schaefer says. "It’s obvious that the team was very deliberate in its proposal and decisions. As we went through testing and we questioned ‘why did you do this,’ the reason we got back more times than not made sense  -- and we stuck with what was proposed.” 

THE STRATEGY

Instead of a huge investment all at once, INB's team used a long-game strategy to build their snazzy new site:

1. A minor, "facelift" redesign
2. Migration to LRS Antilles Content Manager
3. A full, upscale redesign with added moments of delight including animations, personalization, and a social media feed.  

THE PLAN

The LRS team started with an in-depth content analysis and requirements phase to define the site’s goals, structure, and create a custom design.

A Progressive Web App (PWA) was included as part of the solution for a mobile-first site that would meet INB’s expectations as well as LRS standards for usability and accessibility.

Customer-friendly website features enhance their services and reflect their commitment to satisfying their customers. These include custom content, keyword taxonomy search, and a social media feed on the homepage. 

“One of the best things about the site is how seamlessly it seems to be working in Antilles,” Schaefer says. “LRS built some nice modules and gave us tools in Antilles so we can make site changes without needing a programmer’s help down the road. That’s a lot of value.”   

Watch LRS’s UX Strategist and Program Manager Jamie Baird, with web designer Eric Enlow, talk about the project:

Custom Website Features included:

THE RESULT

The redesigned website, published in January 2021, shines with a completely refreshed look, brighter colors that soften its brand, relaxed edges and new fonts that make the banking site more inviting and approachable.

The mobile-first design has improved navigation and better searching, thanks to the keyword taxonomy module. And the distinctive features add that “something special” that help differentiate INB from competitors.

“I appreciate that they took us outside of our comfort zone a bit. The real test will be what clients think.”  

INB surveyed its customers in January 2021 and January 2022. Results were consistent: The customers love the website, with 79% of survey respondents indicating they found the website somewhat easy or extremely easy to use.  

Managed.com is one of the largest providers of web hosting services. In November 2020, it fell victim to a ransomware attack, called “REvil.”

In a ransomware attack, hackers hold your website content hostage until you pay a ransom. Most often, once the ransom is paid, the data is freed. A report by Cyber Insurance Claims showed that cyberattacks have risen sharply in frequency and severity in the last 2 years.

The managed.com attacker demanded $500,000 from managed.com to release the sites, which may have included Hannibal Regional Medical System.

The week before Thanksgiving, Sara Swisher, marketing specialist at Hannibal, sat down at her computer to do her usual website maintenance on the Hannibal Clinic website and had a scary surprise: the website didn’t load.  

“All I saw was a pop-up message that said, ‘the connection has timed out.’” Sara recalls. “I kept trying, but it didn’t work. And then I started to worry.”

About Hannibal Regional Healthcare System

Hannibal staff breathed a small sigh of relief, but they wanted its patients to know that medical services were uninterrupted. The website was still missing, and they understood that the website is an essential tactic to reflect its thriving medical practice. A study by Stanford University showed that 75% of users judge a company’s credibility based on its website’s design.

As fate would have it, Sara and her team already were working with LRS Web Solutions to redesign Hannibal’s websites when the ransomware attack occurred. 

Initially, Managed.com told its customers that they were offline due to an “unscheduled service interruption.” The next day, the company admitted that all its sites, in more than 110 countries, were shut down as a precautionary measure. “They didn’t know how many sites had been affected,” Sara says.

Typical ransomware attacks can take weeks or months to resolve. For Hannibal Regional Health Systems, waiting weeks to get their health care sites back online was not an option. Sara requested help from managed.com, but she wasn’t getting a response. “We were all saying, ‘Well, now what?’ ”

So Sara asked LRS Web Solutions for help. LRS provides hosting services, as well as website design and development.

The Strategic Move That Saved the Day 

“Luckily, we had done a backup of Hannibal’s web files and databases to our LRS servers in September, in preparation for the website redesign,” Josh says. Restoring that backup was one of the solutions offered to Hannibal, says Bill Goldsberry, Manager of LRS Web Solutions, Sales and Development. “We sent them several solutions before noon.” The Hannibal team agreed that using the existing backup would be the quickest course of action.

“Rather than rebuild the site from scratch, we were able to use the backup to get Hannibal back online in hours instead of days or weeks,” Josh says.

“Rather than rebuild the site from scratch, we were able to use the backup to get Hannibal back online in hours instead of days or weeks.”

-Josh Cuzzort, Customer Support Team Lead

With a quick proof of concept and files transferred to a private, dedicated, secure hosting server, the LRS team, including Josh, Bill, and Erik Johnson, had the Hannibal Regional website back online within 6 business hours, with most of the work being done in just 2 hours on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 19.

“It was great to see we had a website again. The whole process happened really fast.”  Sara says. “We were really relieved when it came back online.”

Hannibal’s eight websites are now functioning and secure, and the website redesign is moving forward on schedule.

The source of the REvil attack was still not known at the time of this writing, but Managed.com is working with authorities to determine the origin. “In a shared hosting environment like managed.com, sites may not have been locked down like they should have been,” Josh says.

“A ransomware attack from such a large, trusted company like Managed.com is a profound breach of trust,” says Bill. “We are grateful for the trust Hannibal has shown in us. I’m proud of our team who got the site back up so quickly.”

Worried about your website security? Ask us for a website security consultation.

TIPS TO AVOID A RANSOMWARE ATTACK

1. Backup your website files

Regularly download your entire web files to a dedicated backup system or hard drive. Your web developer or hosting provider may be able to do this for you.

At LRS, we perform regular backups of databases and site files. maintain offsite backups of the websites we host for an added layer of security.

Our backup routine includes nightly, weekly, and monthly backups for clients.

To strengthen security, for clients serving primarily US customers, we lock down our hosted website access to the U.S. only. The restriction can be lifted upon request.

“We are also investigating, a way for clients to do this themselves manually when they choose within our CMS, LRS Antilles,” Josh says. “With our shared hosting plans, security and permissions are in place to isolate websites. That way, if there are issues, the attack wouldn’t affect every site we manage.”

2. Ask your Hosting Provider About Security Patches

Not all hosting providers give the same level of service.  If you don’t have an in-house IT team capable of managing a hosted environment, be sure you’re using a hosting company with a fully managed solution.

At LRS we offer a fully managed hosting solution that includes server updates, security scans, and stringent firewall rules. “We apply security patches, and we isolate our websites so it doesn’t affect other sites in the shared hosting environment,” Josh says. “We make sure our web servers are not vulnerable.”

3. Watch for Untrusted Emails and Email Phishing

Be wary of emails from unknown sources and never download a file if you don’t know what it is and who it is from.  If an email looks suspicious, don’t hesitate to question it even if it appears to be from a co-worker, supervisor or company executive.  Email phishing scams can appear to be very real so it’s important to have your guard up.

4. Scan and Protect Your Email

Make sure your email provider is using tools to protect your inbox. E-mail scanning and filtering can stop an attack by blocking emails before they ever make it to an employee mailbox.

5. Stay up to Date

It’s important for all devices on your network to be up to date with the latest software updates. Have a policy in place for your company devices to automatically install updates.

Contact our team at LRS Web Solutions; we can help make sure your site is protected.

Help Me Avoid a Ransomware Attack

In January, we posted a blog called “what to be ready for in 2020.” Well, the joke was on us; We sure weren’t ready for 2020, were we?

I re-read the post this week with a cynical eye, just waiting to smirk and scoff at its blissful naivete, thinking that the list wasn’t at all relevant for the insane year we had.  

But I was wrong.

As I looked over the list, I didn’t smirk; I didn’t tap my pinky on the delete button. As it turned out, I was surprised:

That list is still incredibly relevant.

So what does that mean?

Websites are your indestructible powerhouse.

Your business website can survive a global pandemic, civil unrest, remote working, remote learning, an insane election, murder hornets, asteroids, and whatever else this crazy thing called 2020 threw at us.

In fact, your website may have been a welcome relief for home-bound searchers looking for your business's products and services. You may have found new niches, e-commerce for continuity, and explored new tactics to bring customers to your digital doorstep.

So you can’t kill your business website – but you can make it better, and that pre-pandemic list still matters to ensure a great website. This year was an opportunity for your website to get healthier.

Did your website get stronger in 2020? If yes, then congratulations! Treat yourself to an extra helping of whatever makes you happy. (I’ll take that extra slice of pizza, thank you.)

If not, don’t fret. The internet isn’t going anywhere -- it’s only going to get stronger, more relevant, and more critical to the lifeblood of nearly every business.

Will your website help your business get stronger in 2021?

There were more searches online than ever before last year. Did searchers find your website? (Hint: review your analytics.) Is it the best it can be as we enter a new year filled with uncertainty? 

Check out our list again. The “how to improve your website” tips are still relevant at the end of 2020, if not more so than they were a year ago. If you’re struggling with any of them, let us know. Make this your go-to checklist to improve your website in 2021.

So we won’t make any predictions or to-do lists for 2021. We’re all just trying to get our lives back to normal. But let’s make your website better than normal.

So while you may want to delete 2020 altogether, celebrate that we made it through. We’re here. You’re here. Let’s talk. Here’s to better days ahead.

Check out the list and tell us which one you need most.

"How Secure is My Website?"

This is a question you may be asking if your website is getting older, or perhaps if you are evaluating your options to build a new website. 

Building an interactive website is much more common today than it was even a decade ago. Most customers expect functionality when they visit your site. Functions include:

• a contact form
• placing an online order
• signing in to their online banking experience.

One of our goals with LRS Antilles is to not only provide a secure platform to build a website but to provide the technical expertise and resources to make sure these experiences are safe and secure for your customers. 

Over our 25+ years in website development, we've seen a lot of websites, and secured a lot of hackable sites.

Here are our tried and true tips for website security:

You Need Website Security Before You Launch, Not Plugged In After

Building a secure website is something that requires a ground-up approach.

All too often, we hear about issues with security that are directly related to "bolting on security" to keep things going. Older websites are especially vulnerable. 

One very popular platform available today is WordPress. While WordPress is great for individuals creating a quick, brochure-style site, expanding these sites often require plugins.

For example, if you want a contact form, you might grab a free one online from an unknown developer. Later, you install a photo gallery, or perhaps a full online store from different developers from different companies.

Plugins Can Be Dangerous

Often it's unknown who originally developed website plugins. Some may not be designed to work with the version of WordPress you are using. Old plugins often exist for years without updates and companies become reliant on their functionality and cannot switch or upgrade them.

One of the important fundamentals of website security is understanding what approach to take and how to start out right from the beginning.

At LRS Web Solutions, website security is one of our most important tasks. This means when we develop a solution for a customer, it's already based on a platform that has been built by us, tested on a regular basis and scanned by a third-party company to search for any new vulnerabilities each time we provide a new release of our content management system.

This progressive approach is fundamental to having a secure website and maintaining a trusting relationship with our clients.

Website privacy and website security go hand in hand

When we talk about security, it's also common to intermix this conversation with privacy. While the two topics are both extensive on their own, they come hand in hand.

Many business owners know that privacy laws are getting stricter. If you store information about your customers, even if it’s just a contact form with their name and e-mail, that data should be encrypted in both transit and encrypted at rest.

All sites need the SSL certificate

In the past, it was common to see only the checkout page of an online store be protected by SSL (the little lock in your browser's address bar). Today, however, business owners should make sure that every page is protected by an SSL certificate. (And as a consumer, if you don't see the lock on your browser, visit a different site.)

All information your customers are providing to you should always be encrypted for today's standards. SSL encryption is available on all modern web servers. Purchasing a certificate is now free from many providers, or is a reasonably low cost, which has the benefit of providing insurance in the event a data breach occurs.

Certificates themselves are an important part of the equation. Transmitting data securely is the job of making the communication secure. The certificate itself verifies who you "the website owner" is. When your customers send information to you, they need to know you are who you say you are.

Security and convenience can work together

Security and convenience are often considered to be at odds with one another. To be more secure, something will always be less convenient. While this certainly holds true, a well-thought-out web site can go a long way toward blending these two rivals. Here are some ways we do this at LRS Web Solutions.

Multi-Factor authentication is a good idea

Are You Who You Say You Are?

One method of greatly increasing security is to implement multi-factor authentication. If you've ever been required to enter a code sent to your phone when logging in to a website, you’ve experienced multi-factor authentication.

Multi-factor authentication, often referred to as a second-factor (passwords being the first), means that you are proving to the website that you are who you say you are. This is critical because as the operator of a website, you don't want to provide confidential information to a hacker. Hackers often take advantage of the fact that many people will use the same password on multiple websites.

There are publicly available databases that show a list of websites that have been hacked, who the users are and what their passwords are. If your customer is using the same password they used on another site that has been compromised, you need a way to help mitigate that issue. Multi-factor works because you can sign in as a user based on more than one factor (the password + a code sent to a cell phone).

A third, and commonly growing, factor is using biometrics, such as scanning a fingerprint or using a FaceID app on a cell phone.

With more options available, users are finding it less cumbersome, for instance, to look at their phone, than to sign in with a code. As technology continues to progress and becomes widely available across devices and on websites, website developers like us are always exploring the latest options for both increased security and convenience for platforms like LRS Antilles.

Online forms need security solutions

Online forms are a common way to collect information from your users. often you expect to receive information for a specific purpose, like an inquiry about a quote, or a simple contact us submission.

Forms present specific challenges to security, because forms can be a target for malicious users or hackers to send out spam to potentially millions of users using your resources if your form is coded incorrectly.

An incorrectly coded form can create many problems on your website and could even lead to suspension of your web hosting, or Google de-listing you. Even worse, if your IP address gets blacklisted, it could become much more difficult to send emails out to your customers because of a problem on your website.

Step 1: Code Your Form Correctly

The most important first line of defense in creating a secure form is to make sure it is coded properly. Have a professional developer review the forms on your website to determine if the underlying technologies are still being supported and if the coding of the form itself is secure.

Step 2: Use Captcha

Once that has been done, there are additional measures to help ensure forms do not get exploited. A very common feature is called a captcha ("Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart"). Invented by Alan Touring in the 1950s, it was a way to determine if a computer could think.

Today, we make use of this very concept to help distinguish if an actual human is filling out your form, or if someone has written an automated script that is trying to exploit your form or automate it to send spam to you through your own website.

These tests, luckily, have gotten more streamlined thanks to Google. Now, users either don't have to do anything at all if they are also signed into Google, or they may only need to check a box before clicking submit.

If you ever had to solve a complex puzzle to submit a form, you have seen how a captcha works, but it's time to upgrade. Those types of captchas are no longer necessary. Adding a modern captcha now makes it, at most, only a minor inconvenience for a user to fill out a form but causes a great deal of programming work for someone trying to hack your form. Our approach with LRS Antilles Form Builder has been to implement Google's Re-Captcha as an option for all forms built on Antilles.

Ongoing maintenance and updates are needed

Website security requires ongoing maintenance and updates. We’ve already mentioned avoiding plug-ins, using SSL, and multi-factor authentication. As technology advances, there are even more solutions that work together to keep your site running:

1. Web Hosting: You very likely pay for a web hosting provider that is running a web server. If you have what's called "shared hosting" then you may be leasing space on this webserver alongside several other websites. Dedicated servers means you may have the whole server to yourself. Either way, this server needs to be kept up to date with the latest security updates and patches. Just like your home PC or Mac, web servers are usually running Windows or Linux and need to be patched to ensure no vulnerabilities are left open. A website cannot be fully secure unless the underlying technologies are also secure. We at LRS Web Solutions discuss with our clients when addressing their hosting needs.
2. Firewall: a firewall is an important piece of hardware that sits between your web server and the Internet. When someone goes to your website, they need to pass through the firewall to access the content you make available. A firewall helps to make sure traffic can only get to the website and nothing else, like e-mail, file sharing, or other services on your web server.
3. Packet Inspection: The firewall can also optionally do packet inspection. This means it is looking at the traffic coming into your web server and blocking it if it appears to be someone trying to do something malicious.
4. Data Backup: In addition to having a properly managed, securely-coded website, we recommend talking you’re your provider about backing up your data. We built LRS Antilles so that the coding of the website is separate from the content. While this has great benefits when upgrading your site or changing your design, it also helps with security and peace of mind. Our database backups are performed nightly so in the event of an emergency, we can restore data quickly. Off-site encrypted backups also provide protection in the event of a fire, flood or another emergency.

Arm Your Business Website With Rock-Solid Security

Once your visitor connects to your website, they should be able to access content securely. In Antilles, we recommend an SSL certificate for the entire website and employ both password protection and multi-factor authentication to help secure different areas of the site. We also manage and monitor our Antilles modules for any security vulnerabilities.

Clients who have the LRS website maintenance package will get security updates as they become available. That proactive approach mitigates security issues with your site typically before they ever become an issue.

With the right combination of technology, resources, and knowledge, you can have a well-managed secure website that will serve your business well. Having a good infrastructure in place, a dependable website platform, and on-call support is something we take very seriously in protecting our customers and would be happy to help evaluate your website security needs.

Contact Us to Test & Tighten Your Website Security

When building a website, it’s tempting to simply copy and paste your brochure material and be done. But if your goal is to rank high on Google and other search engines, you’ll need to care for and feed your website like you nurture the rest of your business.

WIth an estimated 600 million blogs in the world, it can be tough to stand out.

One way to help your ranking is to consistently provide well-written, useful content. This valuable information helps to verify your company’s Expertise, confirm its Authority, and builds Trust with your users. This concept is usually abbreviated to EAT. Blogging is one way to accomplish EAT, and an estimated 90% of marketing professionals use blogs, Hubspot reported in 2024.

Why keep blogging?

 A great blog will provide consistant helpful information, luring your readers back each week or each month, keeping your company top of mind the next time they need your product or service.

Most blogs are considered useful for brand awareness, the top of the marketing funnel. Your enticing prose and insightful analysis will draw prospects into your site and wow them so they’ll move on to your service pages, your lead generation content, and ultimately convert and become a customer.

Blogs give you a platform to share your knowledge, showcase your products, provide in-depth answers to your users’ questions, address current topics, and more. The possibilities are endless! Like high-quality food and good service brings people back to a restaurant, fresh, engaging, and entertaining content like blog posts will keep people coming back to your website. When your readers share the post on social media, that engagement further builds your network of influence and your EAT factors.

That all may sound great, you say, but I’m not a writer. How do you do it well? Creating a blog is much more than hastily jotting down a few thoughts. Here’s our primer on blog best practices.

Have a Strategy for Your Blog and Know Your Audience

Before you write your first blog post, be sure you have a target audience or audiences in mind. Who are you writing for? This might correlate with your buyer personas. Create categories to keep your posts organized and searchable. Have a spreadsheet so you can plan and track the posts. This also helps you remember to update posts over time.

Research Blog Topics

Not sure what topics to write about? Start with your website navigation. These are topics you can write about. Research those navigation categories as broad keywords and funnel down to more specific, long-tail keywords. Armed with a list, you can have the right words and phrases to add to posts. 

In 2024, internet searches doubled to more than 8.5 million searches daily. So you need to know what keywords people are searching for that leads them to your site. Use an online like Google Search Console to see what queries are leading to impressions and clicks to your site. 

An SEO tool like SEM Rush lets you research your site's rankings. Know what keywords you have potential to rank higher for (where you rank 11-20 in the SERP). What keywords does your site rank for in Google’s top 10? Use those keywords to write more posts about those topics.

I always like to use Google Analytics to review what words and phrases people are searching for when they are visiting the website. That's where we can provide valuable information, improve user experience, and keep our customers happy. Google Search Console and Google Trends can also be a great resource for topic ideas. Of course, an AI platform like Chat GPT, Bard, Perplexity or others can be a never-ending source of ideas, especially if you tell the AI about your business, what keywords you're striving for, your products and services, and what goals you want to achieve.  

If you don't want to use an online tool, then talk to your customers. What do they want to know about? What search terms are being used to find your site (or your competitors)? 

Talk to your sales reps. What questions do they get asked? What are customers confused about? What do they have trouble explaining?

This just scratches the surface of the potential topics, phrases, and words you can use to write blogs and improve the content of your site.

Have a Purpose for Your Blogpost

Why are you writing this post? What problem are you solving for your readers? Which feature of your product or service are you writing about? Which stage of the marketing funnel is the post? What do you want readers to do after they read it?

Be sure you have at least one call to action. It could be as simple as reading another post, requesting more info, downloading a white paper, getting a free trial, etc.

A common and successful structure is abbreviated PAS: Problem, Agitation, Solution. Think about how your product or service will improve the lives of those who use it.

Research The Best Keywords

Once you have a blog post topic in mind, do keyword research on that topic.

There are an overwhelming number of ways to do keyword research, and it can be very time consuming, but it’s worth it. Start with a simple Google search for the topic. What are the top results? How can you expand or be better than those? Think about how you can take a unique angle on the topic. What long-tail keywords can you aim for? Ask an SEO strategist for help.

Once you have a list of keywords and phrases, use those naturally when writing the post.

There are lots of websites that can help you do keyword research. Keywords Everywhere, keywordtool.io, Ubersuggest, Answer the Public, and search engines like Google and Bing. Use the "auto-complete" option to see what the most popular topics are that people are searching for. 

Decide on a Word Count

One question we get asked a lot is, How long should blog posts be? That depends on your goals.

Studies show that longer blog posts get shared more often than shorter. And if SEO is your goal, then you need to craft an epic post that answers every question about the topic.

Think about your blog readers and their attention spans. Do they like quick hits or are they in the mood to settle back and read more? Do you want to go in-depth with a topic and create an evergreen article? Or are you just providing a quick comment about a current event? People read about 250 words per minute.

Will they sacrifice 8-10 minutes to read a 1,000-word post?

If you have been writing posts for a while, check your analytics to see which ones are performing better. That can give you a clue as to what your audience wants to read.

If you can’t think of how to expand the post, go back to keyword research for ideas. Consider hiring a content writer or editor. Don’t write just to add words. Be sure your words are adding value, present a unique spin on the topic, and make sure that the post is well-crafted.

We recommend that you make your posts at least 300 words -- short enough for a quick read, but not so short that people will regret taking the time to click on it. If your post is shorter than 300 words, it may work better as a social media post.

If your goal is getting featured in AI overviews, then you definitely need to dig deep and write in-depth about the topic. Superficial answers and explanations won't cut it. You need to provide your unique perspective on topics and create thorough, thoughtful posts with quotes and details that won't be found anywhere else.  This also helps your site earn a reputation as an expert and authority in the topic.

Writing the Post

Write to Your Reader

Remember back in high school when your teacher drilled into you the 5-paragraph essay, filled with 50-cent words, compound sentences, and 3-5 sentences per paragraph? Forget it. Long-winded documents, overblown language, and yawn-inducing sentence structure doesn’t work for the web.

Remember the press releases that read, “The company president is proud to be presenting this product.”? Guess what – no one cares that you are proud, honored, excited. Remember “Welcome to our website!” Guess what? The web is 30 years old. There’s no need to welcome users anymore. They are here for a reason. There’s one question for the reader that you need to answer:

“What’s in it for me?”

Write for your reader. Use reader-friendly words and write at a fifth-grade level. Successful web writing is all about being helpful and adding value to the reader’s knowledge.
STYLE: Don’t write a blog like a salesperson. Blogs are meant to educate, entertain, and inspire. They position you as an expert in the field. Write like you are helping a friend solve a problem. Empathize with the problem and illustrate how your company or product can be the solution.

It’s OK to add a few remarks about your services and links to more information. Just be sure that overall, you’re more helpful like a friendly librarian and less like a used-car salesman.

At the same time, don’t sound like a corporate robot. Write to please your reader, not your CEO. Simple language is always better.

Include One Image – At Least

You probably already know that images make for more engaging content – for social media, emails, webpages, and blog posts too. To keep your readers interested, aim for one visual for every scroll of a webpage. A visual could be:

• Photos
• Illustrations
• Videos
• Pull quotes
• Testimonial
• Infographics

Don’t forget to add alt text to your images for accessibility compliance. Don’t know what alt text is? Read this blog post about alt text.

How to Structure Your Blog Post 

Here’s the crushing truth: most readers won’t read your words. Most website visitors are skimmers. Long pages of text are like sleeping pills to your users, and a surefire way to lose readers. But didn't I just say that long content is needed? It's all about the structure of the content. Appearance matters. Present it in a way that’s easy to read, and it is more likely to be read (or skimmed).

Don’t use more than a few sentences for each paragraph. Even one sentence is OK if it makes your point. Remember that most internet users will only skim your copy, reading the headline and subheads (called “headers” in the world of the internet). Here are more tips for structuring your content for readers and for SEO. 

Use Headers (the Correct Way)

Headers are an important way to structure your blog posts and web pages. Headers not only helps guide your readers through your post but also help search engines like Google understand what your page is about. Then, they’ll offer it to searchers on the results page when users search for a term related to your website/blog post. To that end, if you can naturally include a keyword in your header, do it.

Think of your posts in terms of an outline. Be sure to use the headers in numerical order. H1 should be your Page’s Title or Headline. Next, use H2 for the next most important items and nest H3 after that. For the best SEO, don’t skip headers to get the size/style you want. Headers are used to structure, not style your text. If you need different font options, talk to your developer.

On a product page, your headers might look like this:

H1 = Shoes

• H2 = Athletic Shoes
  
  • H3=Running Shoes
    
    • H4=Asics
    • H4=Reebok
  • H3=Soccer Shoes
    
    • H4=Adidas
  • H3=Basketball Shoes
    
    • H4=Nike
• H2= Dress Shoes
  
  • H3 High-Heeled Shoes
    
    • H4 Jimmy Choo

Get the idea?

In this blog post for example, headers are constructed this way:

Page Title: Blog Post Best Practices: LRS Web Solutions

Meta Description: Stuck on how to write a blog? Here's our guide to the 3-part blog writing process. Contact LRS Web Solutions to get help with your blog strategy.

H1: Blog Post Best Practices

H2: Before You Write

• H3=Have a Strategy in Place
• H3= Have a Purpose
• H3= Research & Use Keywords
• H3= Decide on a Word Count

H2 Writing the Post

• H3=Write to your Reader
• H3=Word Count
• H3=Include One Image
  
  • H4=photography
  • H4=illustrations
  • H4=Videos
  • H4=Pull Quotes

Link Internally

Now that your readers are mesmerized by your eloquent and inspirational writing and friendly structure, think of the blogpost as the guiding hand at the backs of your website visitors to lead them to the next phase of their customer journey. Include links to other pages further down the marketing funnel. This could be sales pages, contact pages, or another blog post. Linking internally to other pages and products on your site helps the reader’s user experience. The happier the reader is, the more likely he or she will return to the site and become a customer. Make it easy for them to find stuff.

Add Calls to Action

Along with internal links, be sure you tell your readers to do something during and after they read your blog post. The blog subscriber page is an obvious call to action. But beyond that, think about the logical next step in the buyer journey. Where should they go next? Use the blog to drive users to other pages that are your “money” pages that drive conversions. It could be a service page, another blog post, an upcoming event, or a video. Design these links as buttons so they'll really pop on the page. 

Use the Date (or Not)

Dates are a controversial topic among blog writers. Some advocate for it, and some don’t. If your blog reads more like a press release, an event, or is linked to a nationally trending topic, date it. If your topics are more evergreen, consider not using the date. Old articles can appear to be outdated and less relevant to users. Just be sure to review them every now and then and update with a fresh quote or picture.

On the other hand, if you’re looking to learn about a topic and see that a post was just published a month ago, you might be more likely to select that post among the list of pages in the search engine results page.

After You Write

Add SEO to Blog Posts

Blog posts should be treated as indexable content with their own metadata. This helps search engines understand what your post is about and deliver them in search results. Then, you could rank for these blog posts when people search for information about that topic. Check your Content Management System to see how to add SEO to blog posts.

Promote the Post on Social Media (Several Times)

If you build it, will they come? Check analytics and be sure you post on days and times when your audience is most likely to see it and make time to read it. Take time to craft social media posts with the tone appropriate to the channel (a LinkedIn post’s tone is different than Instagram).

Social media promotion is more than just providing a link. Get creative and promote it more than once. You could tweet a quote from the blog on Twitter. Use an image on Instagram. Pull out a section and make it a short video. Take a numbered list and make it an infographic to promote on Pinterest. Find a related question on Reddit or Quora and answer it with a link to your post.

If you hit the jackpot with a popular blog post, make it a featured part of your website. Update often and promote it.

Show the post to appropriate companies and ask them to add a backlink to the post from their website to help your SEO.

Update Blog Posts Regularly

Like all website content, your blog posts should be reviewed and updated regularly. Schedule some time to review blogs every few months. Tighten the language, review headers for keywords. Add new internal and external links. Can you take a section and make it an infographic? Create a short video? Once it’s updated, you may find a new angle to use to promote it on social media.

Be aware of trending topics or updated information that can add additional relevance to your blogs and new opportunities for promotion.

Keep It Easy for Readers

Most blogs are considered content for users at the top of the marketing funnel – here is where you draw them into your site and wow them so they’ll move on to your service pages, your money pages, and ultimately become a customer. Make your site and your blog a refreshing change from other tedious and confusing sites. Like all your web content, write for the reader, and make information easy to find on your site. Make your blog one that subscribers will look forward to seeing in their inbox.

A Blogger’s Work is Never Done

Blogs take a lot of work, but they’re worth the effort to build up your EAT. Remember these best practice for blogs tips, and you’ll make your blog one that subscribers will look forward to seeing in their inbox.

Contact us for help with your blogging strategy.

At least one of these situations probably sounds familiar:

• You have lost your way while navigating an unfamiliar city.
• That elusive coffee is waiting for you off some vague interstate exit, but you’re not sure which one.
• You are planning a trip and want to find the most efficient route to your destination.

Empowering Drivers With Internet Navigation Services

Drivers are no longer frustrated by unwieldy paper maps or losing time by driving around aimlessly. Navigation services and apps now guide you with your choice of a button click or a simple voice command.

The navigation app of choice for most users (by a wide margin) is Google™ Maps. It dominates in the arena of navigation apps, dwarfing other services in popularity by nearly a tenfold margin. Even iPhone users prefer Google™ Maps over the native Apple Maps service that comes pre-installed on their devices.

Empowering Web Developers With API

This impressive popularity has allowed Google™ to develop a robust API platform (Application Programming Interface) that offers many different types of solutions for a variety of organizations.

Not only has the Google™ Maps API helped tourists, but it also has helped us web developers build web applications for our clients. At LRS Web Solutions, we’ve been doing it for years, and we can apply this experience to meet your business needs.

People often choose the business or service that is most convenient and easiest to get to. It’s vital for your website or mobile app to include a user interface that can lead existing and potential customers to your products and services.

The Geocoding API

The Google™ Maps API offerings include a plethora of tools, but perhaps the most frequently used of these is the Geocoding API.

This service provides a direct way to convert an address into latitude and longitude coordinate values.

Reverse geocoding (converting latitude and longitude coordinates into a human-readable address) is also possible via the Google™ Maps Geocoding API. This is a baseline feature of the Google™ Maps API and the backbone of location-based web applications. The geocoding of a standard address is what can give a location an actual visual place on a map canvas. This feature is extremely flexible and can parse mistyped addresses and even partial addresses and still return a location with surprisingly high degrees of accuracy.

The Directions API:
Help Your Customers Find You

The Google™ Maps Directions API service calculates driving distances and renders both text and visual turn-by-turn directions between two points. Starting locations can be specified by user input or a geolocation service that returns the user’s location as latitude and longitude coordinate values. Geolocation is now supported by all contemporary web browsers and is most accurate when sourced by a device with GPS, such as a smartphone or tablet. Of course, the user must consent to your application using their location, but the prompt and handling of this is built into the web browser. Digging much deeper, it is also possible to render a point-to-point trip and display informational location pins within X distance from the route.

Multi-Location Directories:
Showcase Your Expanded Business With Maps

Directories are useful for your customers to quickly and easily find your locations or services offered near them. For business owners who have two or more locations, this is essential. Just as with the Directions API, you have the flexibility to input a specific location or your location can be determined using geolocation services. Based on the specified location, a distance radius can be used to place a pin for each entity that is within specified mileage from the location.

Branding is an important piece of any multi-location directory. Styling the pins and the map to reflect your brand is a simple task that will help your users have a better experience using your website.   

Map Layers: 
What Is Layering And How Do You Use It?

Layering can be applied to a map to enhance its functionality by identifying districts, regions, service areas or other areas of interest for your business. This can be achieved using KML layers that are essentially image layers referenced in your map as a file. Alternatively, a better way of accomplishing this is using GeoJson feature collections to generate a polygon overlay.

Layers are a great way to organize groups of locations or to indicate a geographical outreach from a specific point location on a map.

Let’s say your business has several locations that service surrounding municipalities or counties. That’s easy to convey on a map using layers. Or, imagine you have a set of districts or regions that each contain a number of specified locations that are tied to those areas. The use of map layers to designate and distinctly display various areas on a map is not only extremely useful but is aesthetically pleasing as well.

The Bottom Line:
Choose Google™ Maps API

Whether your application needs to organize hundreds of locations or just a handful, the LRS Web Development team recommends using the Google™ Maps API over any other map service APIs for its vast array of abilities and features.

Google™ Maps is the way to go due to its easy-to-navigate programming interface. Extremely complex, feature-rich maps can be built relatively quickly and painlessly.

The service also offers a simple pay-as-you-go billing option, which allows you to customize the feature to suit your needs and the number of service calls you use. 

Where’s Our Destination Now?
Ready To Add a Custom Map To Your Business Website?

LRS Web Solutions can help you succeed with creatively robust map applications that make guiding your customers an easy trip. We can create solutions to fit every need and any budget. 

Contact us with your questions about this service or find out how we can easily add this to your website.

“So, how long will this take anyway?”

“When will my website launch if I sign today?”

“What is the timeframe?”

These are all questions that new customers ask when we’re working through a proposal, or even moving through the early stages of the development process.

Even in the absence of a hard deadline (such as a scheduled marketing initiative, a major conference, or a mandated delivery date set by investors or a board of directors), a customer will still want to know how long it will take us to complete their website. Well, we’re about to let you in on a little industry secret.

Are you ready?

It kinda’ depends.

OK, we kid ... but there is some truth to that very simple statement.

There are a LOT of moving parts to a large website build and each can factor into the final timeline.

So how can I make it go faster?

What you might not know is you, the customer, can have a huge impact on the length of time it takes someone to build your site. You see, a website isn't something that you just hire someone to build and then they go away and make it happen.

Like the construction of your brick and mortar location, or even your own home, the building of a website requires a close working relationship between the customer and the builder.

As we always tell our clients ... we know web development, you know your audience ... let’s work together to build something great. And when we say great, we mean a great representation of your brand, a great user experience for your customers and prospects,  and a great tool for growing your business!

1. Start With a Plan ... and an Outline!

Remember “The Holt Handbook”? It was a great college textbook about grammar and mechanics, especially for those of us who actually didn’t mind writing term papers. And, unlike that ill-advised Latin class I took freshman year, it actually taught me a few lessons that I still use today. Lessons like how to collect and organize information and create the structure of a story.

You don’t need “Web Content for Dummies” to write effective content, you just need to remember the time-tested lessons from your best English teacher. But keep in mind ... you don’t get extra points for padding web content! Keep it short and simple. Respecting the viewer’s time is always a winning strategy for effective communication.

Need help with your strategy? Contact me to get your free Website Strategy Discovery document to help you start planning your next website.  Ask for "The Enlow Handbook." 

2. Don’t go it alone

Be sure to designate someone (or a small team of people) within your organization to act as the primary stakeholder(s). And if you’re a small business owner, then that someone might have to be you. Whoever it is, just remember to make sure that the designated stakeholder has the power, authority, and time to devote to the project.

We at LRS have seen plenty of website projects go off the rails when our customer’s daily workload didn’t allow them time to devote to the site.

Even worse is when someone is designated as the stakeholder but still has to run every decision up the chain. That can really compound the delays because some decision-makers never seem to have time to you know ... make decisions.

Empower these people! If they need dozens of PDF forms from multiple department heads to place on the site's "Downloads" page, then make sure those department heads know that their cooperation is required.

A stakeholder who has to spend all their time corralling coworkers to provide content is going to burn out quickly. Help them out by holding employees (and yourself if you’re the business owner) to account for getting stakeholders what they need.

And always remember, we’re here to help! See below!*

3. Make Friends With Your Content

No one wants to talk about website content as a project begins. Heck, no one really even wants to think about it. 

As a result, we often find that customers don't really know what they're getting into as the build begins. Have you ever talked to someone who just worked with a general contractor to build their first house? 

Even if they worked with a great builder, they’re likely to tell you that they were overwhelmed with the number of decisions they had to make. But, just like that dream entryway, you want the look and the feel of your homepage to make a great first impression, and builders like us need your help to make that happen.

Read why your company's website is more important than your brick and mortar location.

When it comes to writing the content, you and your designated stakeholder should keep in mind that less really is more. You don’t have to write a thousand-word essay for every service you offer, and no one needs a hundred bullet points for every product you sell. Keep it simple ... and think mobile first! If it’s the amount of information you’d be comfortable reading on your phone, then it’s the right amount for your desktop computer as well. Content is king but, for the poor staff member in your office who’s tasked with writing it, there are plenty of other four-letter words that can apply as well.

4. Overwhelmed? Get Help from Professionals

All of that might start you thinking  -- “So, wait ... I provide the photos, the product descriptions, the staff bios, the company history, the company news, items for the calendar of events, schedule staffers to write blog posts, and ... and ... and?”.

That’s where the hyperventilating might start, but relax! We’ve been through this before and can give you all the guidance you’ll need.

Sure, a lot of content is required to build a really useful site, and yes, you’re responsible for providing it, but the experience doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Consider it to be like “your homework” on this fun group project.

5. Don’t Get Discouraged

Every customer has high hopes at the beginning of a website project. Then reality sets in ...
“No one’s emailing me back with approval to use their survey comments as testimonials!”
“Organizing this big group photo of the staff has been like herding cats!”
“Legal says the wording on my calls to action will get us sued!!!”

If those don’t sound familiar, then consider yourself lucky. But also remember that overseeing a web site build from the customer side doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Again ... there’s help when you need it. *

6. Stick to the Schedule

Be sure that your website design firm uses a project manager to keep the project on track. Chances are, you and your team will have responsibilities and to-do tasks. Be sure to hit those deadlines so the project can stay on schedule.

7. Communicate with the Website Project Manager

We understand that you have waaay more on your to-do list than redesigning your website. It’s easy to ignore the emails from your web developer. In a word, please don’t. (OK, that’s two words). A good web company will try to make it as easy on you as possible. We can all get through this together if we talk to each other.

How Much Time Will I Save?

We compared a few projects similar in scope and estimated hours. The big difference was that they had two different kinds of stakeholders: those who were attentive and helpful, and those who tended to tuck the website redesign at the bottom of their to-do list. 

Based on this comparison and our years of experience, a responsive and motivated stakeholder can decrease the amount of time required for a website build by anywhere from 35% to 75%. 

Again, it depends. But following these guidelines can make your website go faster, be more efficient, and a more enjoyable project.

A responsive and motivated stakeholder can decrease the amount of time required for a website build by anywhere from 35% to 75%. 

Finis!

(Maybe that Latin class was useful after all.)

There's obviously a lot to consider when you take on a website for your business, even when you hire someone to do it. Be realistic about your goals, set priorities, and remember that experienced companies like LRS can show you the ropes. We’ll be honest about what you're getting yourself into, but we’ll also make the experience a lot less painful. 

*With decades of web development experience working with hundreds of customers, our team of graphic designers, front-end developers, application developers, a UI-UX specialist, a web content & SEO strategist, an in-house photographer & videographer are all here to help! (See the intrepid team.)

LRS Web Solutions was built to make the process of putting your business online as seamless as possible. Let us help!

Staring at a blank page can be intimidating, especially if you don’t have templates in place to give you some direction on how to bring your content to life.

So if you're wondering how to design a web page, here are some basic design principles to consider.

Set a Hierarchy

What is the most important information you want to convey? Users generally scan over pages more than carefully read them, so structure your content in such a way that they can quickly zero in on the information that interests them.

An enticing headline and large photo at the top of the page can set the tone so the user has an immediate, high-level understanding of what to expect from the page. From there, use smaller headings (H2, H3, and H4), bold type, and more images to make your content easier to digest and guide your users to the specific calls-to-action you want them to take.

Use the Rule of Thirds

Just as important as writing good content is choosing high-quality, visually interesting images. A good rule of thumb to follow when choosing or editing images is to follow the rule of thirds. This rule recommends that you look at your photo and break it into thirds horizontally and vertically. Imagine a 9x9 grid over your image -- the points where the gridlines intersect are the points of interest that provide a good guideline for where the focal point of your photos should be.

We can illustrate this using the currency of the internet—cat photos. In the image on the left, the focal point of the picture is placed in the center box leaving a lot of clunky dead space around the cat. Contrast that with the more tightly cropped version on the right. The cat’s eyeline hits right on one of those four points of interest (highlighted by the blue circles) and helps give the photo a more dynamic, interesting layout.

White Space is Good

Putting too much content on a single page adds clutter and results in a poor user experience. Simple is good. White space (also called negative space) is good. It gives the readers’ eyes a break to take in what they have just read, seen or watched. Don’t be afraid of white space. Modern design is clean, fresh, simple, and beautiful.

Don't feel pressured to create a complicated design. Simple is better. If you find a design you'd like to emulate, contact your developer to create it for you.  

Look at the example above. Lots going on there on the left.  What should you pay attention to? It's easy to get overwhelmed with too much information. The simplified version on the right, with ample white space, simple text and a high-contrast call-to-action button, helps the reader focus on what's important - learning more about the product. 

Keep it Visual

Images throughout the page can help separate your content and keep it from looking like a giant, daunting block of text. Users who feel intimidated by your page content might decide to try another website, so you want to make sure your page looks both attractive and digestible. Be sure you either own the photographs or have credited the photographer appropriately. Here are some other tips:

Put a Lead Image at the Top

This should be the largest image and also meaningful to the content of the page. Avoid putting something there just for decoration. People will want to read your page and take action.

Add Multiple Images

Images can help separate your content and stop users from scrolling, enticing website visitors to stay awhile. Think about 1 visual every 200 words or so. 

Be Consistent

Establish a style guide for your site with specific aspect ratios to use for images. You don’t want your page to look like a hodgepodge of different image sizes. You want every element of the page to feel intentional and consistent. Paying attention to the little details on your site will help subtly reinforce your company’s commitment to quality in the eyes of your users. Ask your web designer to create two or three options for images on your subpage templates.

 

Dos and Don'ts for Basic Website Design

Use the Built-In Features of Your Website Design 

Your CMS likely came with pre-designed templates for webpages and design elements or custom-designed elements for your company's website. Use them! Check your website style guide and be sure you understand what the design elements are and how to use them. Ask your website designer if you have questions. These templates will make webpage design a lot easier and faster for you.  

Get Inspired

Take a fresh look at websites you visit often. What do you like? Dissect the design of the page and think about why it appealed to you. Did it match some of the tips we've mentioned? Incorporate some of those qualities into your site. And if you feel like you need a little more direction, the LRS Web Solutions team is always more than happy to lend a hand. 

Source: Cxl.com

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues, businesses are reopening - and then reclosing -- as infections rise in various states. As you work to keep up with the shifting tides of the economy, be sure to keep your customers updated on the status of your business.

Your website is a key marketing channel your customers will use to confirm if your business is open, temporary closed, partly open, etc. Here is a 7-step checklist to help you keep your website current and trustworthy.  

1. Let ’Em Know You’re Open -- Or Not

Update your website’s COVID-19 statement if you have one. If you don’t, add a brief statement about how your company is operating as the pandemic lingers.

2. Double-Check Website Accessibility

Be all-inclusive & avoid a lawsuit. With more internet users than ever before, be sure everyone has equal access to your site to become customers. This is an important process, so it’s best to leave this to website professionals. Ask for a website accessibility check.

3. Revive Dead Links

Like accessibility, you can avoid frustrated users by checking links. Run your site through a link checker program to find them. You also can decipher this information from Google Analytics or ask a professional to do it for you.

4. Energize Website Content

Remove outdated information. Update your service pages with positive messaging. Make sure your hours and contact information are accurate, add new photos and videos. This helps your SEO and shows you’re attentive to your website.

5. Update Google My Business Account

Like your website content, make sure your GMB account has current info, particularly if your business was temporarily closed and is now open. If you want to claim your business, ask a professional for help.

6. Spruce Up the Design

Take a fresh look at your website’s design. Does it look dated? Are the photos low-res or stretched? Is your logo looking tired? Ask a website developer for budget-friendly options to spruce up your design. Small touchups can breathe new life into your brand.

7. Supercharge Your CMS

Are there fixes or upgrades available for your Content Management System (CMS)? Make sure you’ve got all the bells and whistles your CMS provides. And make sure your site hosting is secure and reliable to make your website the best it can be.

In days like these, you've got a lot to manage. Don't be afraid to ask for help with your website. We're all in this together. 

You’ve worked for hours, days, or weeks crafting copy for a great blog post in LRS® Antilles Content Manager. It’s got a snazzy headline, great information, and a call to action at the end. You’ve naturally flowed keywords into the copy, added headings and photos, and done a spell check. You've added images with alternative text. 

Think you’re ready to make it live? Hold up, partner.

LRS® Antilles has a few technical details you need to polish before you publish your post. If you need help creating a blog post, watch this video:

The Left Column: Post Details 

You’ve probably been working mostly within the left column of the blog post module, which contains your post’s headline and text. Before you publish it, take a minute to review a few details to ensure the post is optimized:

1. Posted Date: This is the date you started the draft of the blog in LRS Antilles. The date and time are changeable. You may want to change the date to reflect the day you clicked the “Published” button, not the day you started the blogpost. If you select a future date, note that your post will not be live until that date, even if you click "Publish."
2. Posted By: Make sure this is the correct name to give the writer credit for his or her great wordsmithing. You can create authors in the "Authors" section of the blog module.
3. Title: Does this include at least one of your target keywords? Think of your audience and write an appealing headline that will make them want to read more.
4. Subtitle Lead Text: This is the subheading. Again, use at least one keyword naturally if you can. Keep this brief and intriguing. These will be specially designed for your website, most likely on your blog's homepage.
5. Teaser: This is the snippet of text seen on your blog's homepage. Get creative and use emotion to entice your readers to click and read. 

Details: The details section contains the body of your blog post. You can write your blog post directly in the text editor, or copy and paste it from another document. To make your text more readable and to improve your SEO, use short paragraphs, easy-to-read sentences, and properly-ordered headers (H2-H6). Readers like to see images, so be sure you are using photos, illustrations, blockquotes with each scroll. Don’t forget about internal and external links, and end with a call to action. 

Now you've created a basic blog post! But don't forget to address the extra options in LRS Antilles to supercharge it.

The Right Column: Options & More

6. Options: If your blog is structured with categories, use the dropdown list to choose what category best suits your post. Note that the post will be published by default. (Uncheck if desired.) Click “Allow Comments” if you want feedback on your post. (Comments must be approved before they are published.) If your post isn't time-sensitive, you may want to hide the date.

7. Multi-Site: Your primary domain will be selected. If you manage more than one website, select the appropriate domains where you want the blog to be published. 

8. Tags: Add “tags” to help search engines understand what the post is about. Stumped about what kind of words? Think about how your readers would search for this blog post. What terms would they use? (These are your keywords and should be included naturally in the body of the blog post.) Add as many as needed to reflect the content. Select the trash can icon to delete any tags.

The SEO Tab

In 2019, we added SEO features to the Blog Module. This helps search engines recognize your blog post as valuable content to searchers. As a result, your blog posts can more easily rank in search engines to help drive traffic to your site. If you're having trouble writing a post, the SEO section can help you focus your thoughts and goals for the post.

The trick is, you need to craft the title and meta description to entice people to click on your link using keywords and good marketing copywriting. Think of the SEO tab/search results preview like the back cover synopsis of a book. Would you want to read this post? 

The SEO section looks and functions much like the SEO tab in the Pages module, including a Keyword Analysis Score. 

Focus Keyword: Put in a keyword that you hope this post will rank for.

SEO Title: The SEO title might be the same as your blog post title, but you could tweak it if you want it to look different on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP), such as including your company name. Note that these titles should be around 60 characters.

Description: This is the meta description that likely will be included on a search engine results page. Write an engaging summary of your post, use a keyword, and a call to action. Restrict this to around 160 characters. 

Keyword Analysis: The LRS Antilles score gives you helpful hints about how to improve your post. 

Search Results Preview: Here you can see the title you just wrote, the meta description and the URL. This should be (but not always) how your post might appear on a SERP. Read it again -- does this post or page meet the user's need or interest? Does it include a keyword that your user might have searched for?  

Open Graph Preview: This is a preview of how the post will look when shared on social media. 

It's worth taking a few minutes to add these details to give your most popular posts a chance to shine on the SERPs. 

Save, View & Publish

All set? Click "Save" and then you will see the eyeball icon appear. Like the pages module, you can click this to preview the post while it is still unpublished. When you’re ready to publish, click the "published" checkbox found in the Options section.

Back at the blog menu page, your post will be listed in the blog status column. Don’t forget to share your great post on your social media channels!  

These steps only take a few minutes and will help you publish better blog content. For more help with your blog content (or any other website need), start a new HelpDesk ticket.

Note: These instructions were created specifically for LRS Antilles Version 1908. Be sure to update your blog module to take advantage of the latest features. Contact Helpdesk to upgrade to your existing LRS Antilles installation.

LRS Antilles CMS - How To Create a Blogpost.

Photos, videos, illustrations, infographics – these visuals are a critical part of your social media, particularly in popular platforms like Instagram.

Stunning, creative content attracts younger customers and increases your brand awareness and brand image. Sprout Social reported that images and videos are the most popular types of content that consumers want to engage with.

The level of creativity is what makes a brand stand out on social. Strong, creative content is memorable, compelling and gives your brand a distinct personality. It helps you stay relevant, keep your followers, attract new ones, and helps you stay true to your brand. But how do you do it?

First, you need high-quality images. Make sure your social media images are sized correctly for the platform. Online platforms like Canva will give you free templates already sized for various social media channels.

High-quality images mean the images are an appropriate size for the web, the image is well lit and is in focus. The subject matter and composition should match up to the message you want to send. 

How do you know what’s good?

Here are some of my DO's and DON’Ts when using images in social media posts.

DOs for Social Media Images

Be authentic, on-brand, and have a little fun.

Look at your own social media feeds, and you’ll see many images shared by big companies. Some are relevant and tied to their products and services. Some just show that the companies are trying to be what people think they should be on Instagram. That’s a ticket to failure. The most important rule is to be true to your company’s brand image. 

But remember that social media is a place people go to be entertained; so engage with your audience (it is social media after all). For example, Target’s Twitter feed does a great job of using fun images, gifs, and videos of its own people, customers, and products!

Cleverly present the quality of your product. 

Promote your business with nice-looking photos of actual employees!

Showcase your company’s commitment to giving back to the community
(while staying on-brand)

Avoid Cliches

Evoke a Reaction

Go off-brand – every now and then.

Use short videos

Videos are a must-have on just about every social media platform. Videos get about 59% more engagement than any other type of post. Make sure you have an image of voiceover to grab viewer's attention within the first 3 seconds.

Think you can’t do video? If you have a smartphone, then it’s as simple as clicking “record” and then “upload”. If you want to get a little fancy, there are lots of free or low-cost online video editors like Adobe Spark where you can add your logo, a little music, and transitions. Again, authenticity doesn't mean that users need a hyper-produced video to feel good about your company. A simple, heartfelt message from your CEO, a story from your customer, or a quick product overview can quickly increase engagement.

DON’Ts for Social Media Images

Don't Post Random Stock Photos With No Caption.

Don't Post About “National Whatever Days” That Have Nothing to Do With Your Business.

Remember the Ultimate Goal

What's social meda for? It's to build a community of people to partner with your company as customers, clients, and supporters. Social media is a place where people want to belong to a group and community. Make your brand one that they are proud to join.

The ultimate goal of social media photos is engagement. Post something that is so incredibly funny, happy, sad, interesting, extraordinary, that your users will want to respond to it: like, comment, or the best thing: Share it. 

Of course, not every post can do that. Chalk up most to window dressing. But have a goal in mind to create at least one extraordinary post a week or a month. Be sure to link to a product page, signup sheet, a form or some other engaging content on your website -- your most important online marketing channel.

https://hbr.org/magazine;https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/;https://media.sproutsocial.com/uploads/2020-Sprout-Social-Index-Above-and-Beyond.pdf;https://corp.wishpond.com/facebook-marketing-resources/types-of-content-you-can-post-on-facebook/;https://www.socialpilot.co/blog/social-media-statistics

This month, LRS Antilles Content Manager^® will turn 6 years old, and as the Director of LRS Web Solutions, I could not be prouder as I’ve watched it grow! Here's a little bit about where we've been, where we are and where we're headed.

The Inspiration

It’s worth noting, as we look back on the last six years, that the Web Solutions team didn't set out to build a content management system. In fact, eight years ago, the seed that would blossom into LRS Antilles was a basic content editing and management tool that was part of a subscription-based web hosting service we offered. The service, which was designed for the real estate industry, was built around a powerful property search tool that we had developed. With an initial setup fee and monthly subscription, agents, brokers and their teams would get a personalized website (set up in a matter of days or even hours) and they would have administrative controls for managing their site’s content once it was live. Though the service ultimately failed to gain traction, the team and I realized that the content managing tool they had created could be version 1.0 of something much bigger. 

That something would empower customers to maintain their websites largely independently, saving time and money by not having to rely on developers to make small changes. 

How it Works

Built from the ground up using Microsoft’s ASP.NET framework by the Web Solutions team at LRS, Antilles is a web-based platform and content management system for building and maintaining websites. LRS Antilles provides tools for developers, marketers and business professionals to rapidly deploy line-of-business solutions to customers by utilizing the included modules for managing content, forms, workflow, blogs, and much, much more.

But what makes us especially proud is that LRS Antilles empowers our customers by providing them with easy-to-use, web-based tools to manage their websites largely on their own. (Of course, we're always here to help.)

We took the name Antilles from the group of Caribbean islands. LRS Antilles is built as modules that work together and separately. You can see what I mean in the image above of the dashboard.

Using LRS Antilles, we've built simple websites for small businesses, complex sites for corporations, intranets, customized photo galleries, job banks, e-commerce product feeds,... the list goes on! 

Many releases later, LRS Antilles is the backbone of nearly 150 websites covering a variety of industries: banks, health care organizations, industry, government, not-for-profits and more. See our portfolio for a small sampling.

"So Easy to Use!"

But do people like it? You bet they do. The difference is, we wanted to make LRS Antilles easy for anyone to use. We didn't want users to have to know computer coding to use it -- and enjoy using it.

LRS Antilles features an easy-to-use interface that is the result of countless hours of research and development. The team knew that to compete in a crowded market, the platform had to offer intuitive controls and work on any web browser on any device so that anyone could use it.

The hard work paid off. "It's so easy to use!"  said Susan Gleason, Vice President of Marketing at Heartland Credit Union. "It's a huge improvement over anything we've used before."

"It's a huge improvement over anything we've used before."

- Susan G., Heartland Credit Union
capterra.com

Product Development Team Lead Beau Ford notes that the "responsive and modern interface available to end-users is a key component of LRS Antilles." He adds that "LRS Antilles provides a world-class foundation, that allows you to run multiple sites, sharing themes and modules all from one installation."

Unlike many content management systems, the major advantage of Antilles (for customers), is the ability to work independently and also directly with the team of web developers who built the CMS that will be running your site. I constantly get emails and calls from our clients saying how helpful our team is with any problem they have, big or small. It makes me proud. 

Read our amazing user reviews on Capterra.com

LRS Antilles is Growing Up Fast 

Ford and the rest of the development team see much more on the horizon for LRS Antilles. Just as every parent raises their child to make it on their own, Antilles will someday have a life of its own apart from the Web Solutions team. The Antilles road map envisions a day when developers from all over will be using this platform to build websites. To that end, LRS launched a stand-alone website for LRS Antilles in 2017 (www.getantilles.com). The site has its own unique look and feel and, according to the web team manager, Bill Goldsberry, “That’s by design.” Like Ford, Goldsberry envisions a day when "LRS Antilles will be open source and have a community of developers creating an entire LRS Antilles eco-system". To lay the groundwork for that growth, the Antilles website highlights the platform's many features and offers a library of how-to videos and blog posts, and product documentation.

We also count on feedback from our users to help us make the product even better. For example, we've added a blog module, improved photo management, tweaked the interface for better user experience. A lot of these changes stemmed from talking to our users about how we could better assist them with their website management.

Mandy Bekoin, an LRS Antilles "Power User" from an engineering firm put it this way: "Compared to our old system, which involved using a separate icon on my desktop and a lot of time-consuming back-and-forths to publish content, this system [is] organized so much better and so much more conducive to fast and easy content additions and changes."

"Compared to our old system, which involved using a separate icon on my desktop and a lot of time-consuming back-and-forths to publish content, this system [is] organized so much better and so much more conducive to fast and easy content additions and changes."

Mandy Bekoin, Hanson Engineering
capterra.com

The Future is Bright

LRS Antilles is still a labor of love for the team that built it. For now, however, the focus is on building and improving the platform as well as expanding the LRS Antilles customer base. The future is wide open for this product. Prospective customers love LRS Antilles when we demo it for them, and our team loves it too. For all the feedback we've gotten about it being easy to use, we also hear that it's easy to develop for and build with. That's just as important for us and a key to making LRS Antilles really take off.

This year, we will release version 1.20, and we couldn’t be prouder of supporting so many businesses in Illinois and throughout the United States with an easy-to-use, secure and flexible way to manage their websites. 

Happy Birthday, Antilles ... oh the places you will go! 

If you're a business owner, you've experienced unprecedented change in 2020 as the global pandemic shifts customers' buying from in=person to online.

Your website, already a vital part of your success, just got a LOT more important -- especially if you’re a brick and mortar business whose doors may be closed.

WordStream reported that store visits fell a mind-numbing 90 percent in February and March of 2020. Your website is now your customers' primary point of purchase. Although stores attempted to reopen in June, the data are showing that online shopping is here to stay.  

If you haven't adopted e-commerce for your business, you may be struggling. We understand it can be difficult to know what to do next. 

At LRS Web Solutions, we're want to help businesses not just survive -- but thrive -- in this uncertain economic environment with e-commerce. 

If you're a small business owner, you may not know how to get started or have the time right now to learn. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions. 

Why Should I Add E-Commerce?

Just a few weeks ago, it was fine to have your website have your business hours, location, and a few descriptions of your products. 

But today, foot traffic has come to a halt, and you need to get your products into your customers' hands via delivery - quickly and safely. 

E-commerce can:

• Give you an additional revenue stream
• Maintain branding with minimal third-party intervention
• Keep customers on your site as they make a purchase
• Keep customers coming back to your site
• Give your customers a seamless website experience

If you now need a way to sell your products online, you don’t need the hassle of trying to learn a third-party e-commerce platform, set up an account, add your products, and manage back-end frameworks like configuring DNS and setting up Point of Sale. Our experts can do this for you very easily. 

(There are enough other things to worry about.) Let LRS manage the setup for you with our own e-commerce platform within our content management system, LRS Antilles.

But I’m Not a B2C Retailer.

If you’re a B2B, government, or non-profit, you probably have even less desire to try to learn a third-party, consumer-focused platform. At LRS, we have experience in adding e-commerce platforms for businesses that aren’t traditional retail sellers. Health care and government organizations are just a couple of examples of clients who have benefited from our LRS Antilles e-commerce module. This digital platform is customizable to your business, your products, documents, and your goals. 

Many businesses sell “non-product” services and goods online. Some examples:

• Rentals
• Installations (and quotes)
• Appointment Scheduling
• Donations
• Event Tickets
• Digital Gift Cards
• Videos
• e-books and Research Reports 
• Service Memberships
• Subscriptions and E-Learning Materials
• Consultations/Coaching Sessions

What Are the Steps to Add E-Commerce?

1. Develop Your Strategy.
2. Choose a Domain, Subdomain, or URL Utilizing Your Current Domain
3. Choose a Platform for Your Ecommerce Website.
4. Decide on Pricing and Set Up Payments.
5. Set up Your Store and Add Products (It doesn't have to be a custom design. Many e-commerce solutions like Shopify come with a large selection of themes ... some free and some available for a fee.)
6. Make Sure to Offer Customers a Great Checkout Experience.
7. Market Your Growing Business.
8. Look after SEO and analytics.
9. Decide What Shipping platform You will Be Using.
10.   Make Sure You Have packaging Material to Ship Orders.
11.   Some products Have Shipping Restrictions, Ensure You Follow All Applicable Rules.
12.   Do you Have Marketing Material You Can Add to Your Packages?

How Can I Make Sure My Customer's Information is Safe?

• Partner with a reputable hosting service (ask them for stats on their "uptime")
• Select a payment processor who can manage online payments
• Use HTTPS. If it Begins With “https” Instead of “http” it means the site is secured using an SSL Certificate (the s stands for secure). SSL Certificates secure all of your data as it is passed from your browser to the website's server.
• Choose a secure e-commerce platform.
• Secure user-level information.
• Secure your admin area.
• Don't store sensitive customer data.
• Run vulnerability tests on your website.
• Ensure your website is PCI DSS compliant.
• Keep your website updated with the latest security updates and patches.
• Backup your data regularly.

How Fast Can I Get add E-Commerce to an Existing Website?

To flatten the learning curve, work with a professional to install e-commerce on your business website. Professionals can get you up and running faster than you can on your own. Make sure you get trained on using whatever platform they have so that you will have control over your e-commerce module to maintain your inventory independently. LRS Antilles CMS users can benefit from an e-commerce module designed to work with your website.  

How Does the LRS Antilles E-Commerce Module Work?

LRS Antilles Content Manager’s e-commerce module easily allows you to display products and publications, allow ordering, accept payments, and fulfill orders. We have experts on staff to help integrate and automate your existing inventory with your Antilles Store saving you time and money.

What’s more, we will match your branding to the e-commerce store so it blends with your existing website. This will create a beautiful, seamless, and enjoyable experience for your users (so they’ll be more likely to purchase your product). It’s also a secure platform to put your mind at ease.

Can I See Some E-Commerce Examples?

Check out how we've helped a few clients provide online products and resources to their constituents.

You've probably heard that around the office when you say that it's time for a website redesign.   

Experts say the lifespan of a website is about two-and-half years. That doesn’t seem like a long time, especially considering the time it takes to plan, design, execute and promote a website. After you complete a website redesign, you probably just want to be done with the site and move on to your next project. It’s tempting to ignore your website and let it be.

But that’s like having your teeth cleaned and then not brushing until your next checkup (yuck!).  

Like a healthy smile can enhance your personal image, your digital presence has a measurable effect on your business's success.

Not sure if your customers are online? Studies show that more than 85 percent of shoppers research products online. Google reports more than 3.5 billion searches a day. Your customers are online -- and so are your competitors. 

So how can you keep your website relevant as long as possible?

Keep your website updated.

The good news is that unlike brushing your teeth, you don’t have to update your website twice a day. But maintaining your company’s website with optimized technical details and user-focused content should be a planned part of your workweek. 

Why spend the time now? It could turn into cost savings later.

Websites: Part of a Healthy Business

A healthy website will give your business the best chance to be in the mix of the top search engine results. And give your customers a good user experience once they get there so they’ll stay (and come back).

With website design and algorithms changing often, it’s imperative that your website stays competitive. And that means a continual cycle of improvements. This can include these 6 strategies:

If you can make website maintenance a regular part of your workweek, then when it does come time to redesign, your site will be stronger than most - and that will save you money.

By implementing these 6 strategies, you might be able to keep your website relevant for a bit longer than the 30-month mark. But after your site's third birthday, its design will look dated. And anyway, you'll be envious of the latest and greatest designs and technologies that you could use to enhance your user's experience and generate more user engagement.

Then it's time to sink your teeth into a redesign. The good news is you’ll save time, money and hassle when you can proudly say the following:

• “Our content is updated regularly and provides value to our users.”
• “We have many photos and graphics and they are of good quality.”
• “We’re meeting accessibility standards to help users with disabilities use our website.”
• “We know what our goals are when it comes to the website.”
• “The website navigation reflects both our goals and how our customers use the site.”

If you can confidently say these things, then your next website redesign will be easier and faster, and that will save your company time and money. You will be prepared and that will make the project go smoother. 

A website that is content-rich, modern, responsive, fast and accessible builds trust, authority, and confidence so website users become website customers.

 Get Help & Get Your Website Ready

Need help with these website strategies? 

Contact us to get a free estimate for these services:

• Content and Goal Strategy/Creation
• Accessibility Checkup
• Custom Photography and Videography
• Website Audit
• Ongoing SEO 

Sources: orbitmedia; internetlivestats.com; retaildive.com

Here’s How Insider Roles Work in LRS Antilles CMS

In LRS Antilles Content Manager, users with “admin” rights can control which users have access to what sections of a site and can additionally setup contributor and editor roles so that certain users can’t push content to the site live within an interim speedbump review.

Only users with publishing rights will be able to push the content live on the internet.

From the LRS Antilles Dashboard:

1. Click on Users > All Users 

From the Users Dashboard, you can add users, limit their roles and delete users. You can even restrict their access to the different modules of your website.  

2. Modify Page Access:

Once you have assigned roles to your employees, you can modify access to each individual page as needed. In the page, select the security tab and click on the security role you want to have for the page. So if you only want administrators to have access to financial reports, choose that security level for that page. 

Users will only be able to view pages that include their role.

3. Delete Users if Necessary:

If a user is terminated from a company, the admin must delete that user’s account.

Tip: Integrate Your Employee Directory

LRS Antilles can also integrate with your company’s employee directory. If an employee is terminated or leaves, and they are removed from the integrated directory, they would no longer be able to login to the website. This integration avoids the additional step to remove the employee from the CMS. Centralized, integrated systems can make life easier – especially during stressful times.

BONUS: The Audit Log

For added security, administrators can refer to the Audit Log to monitor which users log in, what date and time and details about their actions. You can even download this report.

Assign user roles to help you maintain control of your website content. 

We’ve all read horror stories about cyber attacks on websites and social media accounts. Chances are your information has probably been compromised on social media or another place.

In our era of social media and the internet, it can take a big team to successfully manage website content, social media channels, and traditional media. With so many avenues to watch, it’s easy to let something slip past your notice. The consequences could spell trouble for your company. 

Your company's website is one easy target. As the gatekeeper of your website, you likely have cybersecurity measures in place to prevent outside hackers from attacking your website. You may have caught a story here and there about websites that have gotten hacked [Read Macon County’s story of a Guy Fawkes scare].

But what if the threat came from inside your company?

3 Threats That Put Your Website At Risk 

These security incidents can cost your company money, reputation damage, and even make it liable for legal action.

Really? Should I Be Worried About an Insider Threat?

Even though you probably trust your employees, your company is still at risk. Insider threats are a growing problem. The Verizon 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report found that about a third of breaches in 2018 involved internal actors. Understandably, many companies don’t want to share data about insider attacks. Some studies say more than 70 percent of insider attacks are not reported.

Whether intentional or unintentional, employees within your company could use their access to website content in a way that hurts the company. It could stem from abusing or misusing their privileges to access valuable company information. Sometimes the insider seeks financial gain, sometimes it is retaliatory, and sometimes the user doesn’t know that they have misused the information.

Regardless, they all are considered insider threats.

How Can I Protect Our Website From an Insider Threat?

Whether it's a minor infraction, a disgruntled employee retaliating, or an honest (but huge) mistake like a data breach, there’s a way to begin to protect your website content:

If you have many staffers who have responsibility for managing your website, it makes sense to take some time to protect the company assets. 

First, create a workflow that outlines how website content will be written, edited, approved and published. Make sure the employees understand their roles and responsibilities related to the website. Also, make sure those employees know your brand standards and best practices of website writing. 

Secondly, use a robust content management system that allows various user roles. 

LRS Antilles CMS, for example, allows administrators to give access to different staff members and give more authority to a few trusted individuals to push content to a publicly-viewed website. 

You can restrict certain pages to certain users. For example, if only certain people can see the financial statements, you can restrict the page to be viewable to only users with certain rights.  

To help prevent insider threats to your website information, make sure your content management system allows an administrator to grant specific roles and permissions to the regular employees on your website team.

Taking these kinds of precautionary steps can make sure your website’s content and structure remain protected.

Take steps to safeguard your company’s website by creating procedures and using roles and permissions in your CMS.

The Takeaway: Proactive Protection is Key

Whether your concern is quality control, data privacy or mischievous employees, safeguard your website content by assigning user roles and permissions.

Sources:

www.ekransystem.com/en/blog/insider-threat-statistics-facts-and-figures

enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/2019-data-breach-investigations-report.pdf

What do websites need to be ready for in 2020?

Here at LRS Web Solutions, we’re on a daily website watch – always looking to improve our methods in website development. With the new year and new decade, website development is changing faster than we’ve ever seen in our nearly 25 years in the website development industry.

The essence of our strategy is to craft a rewarding experience for your users and customers and guide them to become your customers. We call this UX or “User Experience.” All elements of the overall presentation to the end-user should be considered.

So how can you keep your website at the forefront of amazing UX? Here’s a roundup of 10 things on our watchlist as our vision for 2020 – and the decade ahead. 

Our 2020 Watchlist

Cybersecurity. Security is an evergreen web development topic. Make sure your site is locked down with SSL and strong, secure hosting. Otherwise, you could get hacked like Macon County Circuit Clerk.

Mobile-First Design. Mobile usage will continue to gain popularity, as it should. The Pew Research Center found that 81% of Americans own smartphones. With more people using their handheld devices over industry laptops, website architecture is built with a mobile-first mindset, and designers follow suit in their visual concepts for mobile and desktop. Google considers a website's mobile usability as one of its ranking factors. You can check your website's mobile usability with various checkers. Read our blog post to review 6 easy questions to check if your website is mobile-friendly.

Page Load Times. Load time is a big part of giving visitors a great experience. How long will they wait for content to load? 3 seconds, 5 seconds? More progressive page-load development, as opposed to loading spinners, is being implemented. Our developers understand the importance of fast loading content and queuing the important/above the fold info first. Always be looking to see how you can make your website faster. Check your Google Analytics to see page loading times and identify which pages are the top offenders.

Page Speed. Working in tandem with a mobile-first approach and page load times, page speed is one of Google’s 200+ ranking signals. In 2020, Google watchers say it may even label slow-loading sites with a “badge of shame.” How fast is your website? Ask Google Page Speed Insights. If it’s above 3 seconds on mobile, it needs some help.

AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). Building on items 3 and 4, AMP is a growing trend that is going to set a lot of business websites apart from the pack. More than 30 million domains had adopted AMP in 2018.

High-Quality Imagery. We’re continuing to see a backlash against cheesy stock images. Users are starting to understand that stock photos just aren’t genuine and don’t help tell their story. Similarly, rethink the formerly-trendy carousel of images – Do you wait for the fifth or sixth image to roll by a website’s homepage screen? We didn’t think so. One or maybe two featured “hero” images with a strong call to action is all you need. Change it often if you like.

Accessibility. If you’ve been ignoring your website’s accessibility, now is the time to start paying attention. 

Not only are you potentially losing customers, but lawsuits in this area are gaining traction. 

Make sure your website is compatible with screen readers and other assistive technologies. Web professionals can make sure your site is accessible at launch time, but as you add content, images, PDFs, and other extras, make sure that you maintain the WCAG 2.1 standards. Run your site through an accessibility checker or ask your web developer for help at least once a year.

Push Notifications. These are not for apps only now. This is an extremely powerful way to engage people with PWA (Progressive Web Apps). Push notifications will pop up when the user is not engaged with your site. They will get alerts for new content, discounts, promotions, blog posts or upcoming events. It’s even better when you can personalize them.

More Negative Space. Another way to put this is to understand how your web designer uses white space on your site. White space/negative space - gives your eyes a rest from an overload of content and advertising. White space can help focus users on the content you want them to absorb. Web firms are helping drive home the point that less is more, and people don’t read -- they scan on the web. Short, scannable content wins.

Optimize Content for Voice Search. More people are getting voice-activated devices for their homes (like Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomePod and more on the way) and using other voice-activated devices like Siri. That means that people are talking to devices instead of typing. Make sure your content is written in a way that lends itself to answering voice searches (i.e., limit jargon and keep the verbiage simple). As always, content is king, according to Google. Make sure that your content is fresh, relevant, and answers users’ questions.

Whew! That’s a lot to keep track of when you’ve got other tasks on your professional plate. If your head is swimming, ask LRS Web Solutions to help. We’re keeping pace with the change and we’re just a Helpdesk ticket away from helping you!

Not a current client? Submit a ticket anyway. We'll try to help you if we can.

Ready for a new website in 2020? 

Contact us to receive our Vision 2020 licensing discount!

Sources: searchenginejournal.com/top-3-google-factors/308147/amp/
globalme.net/blog/top-8-voice-apps
pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
talkbusiness.net/2018/01/pew-survey-almost-half-of-americans-use-voice-controlled-ai/
searchengineland.com/accelerated-mobile-pages-are-they-worth-it-310834

For some, going to the doctor can be a scary experience. If you’re going to a new and unfamiliar facility, perhaps in a new town, it can be even more nerve-wracking. Where do I go? How will I know I'm in the right place? What does it look like?

Chestnut Family Health Center understands these fears of their patients, and they wanted to make going to the doctor a little bit easier.

The idea? An immersive photographic tour of their facility to give patients the opportunity to get comfortable with the facilities and completely understand the services that Chestnut offers, according to Celeste Brennan, Marketing and Communications Coordinator at Chestnut Health Systems.

But it had to be more than just typical photos to convey the feeling that the Chestnut leadership wanted. They wanted an extra special feature for their patients, many of whom come from rural areas around central and southern Illinois.

Chestnut Family Health Virtual Tour

Chestnut Family Health enlisted the help of LRS® Web Solutions to build a "virtual tour" of its Bloomington, Illinois, medical facility.

The result is a package of interactive photos that allows the user to see a 360-degree image of 14 rooms. “We wanted our patients to have the ability to have a look around before they come in,” Brennan says. “It gives them a good idea of what to expect when they arrive, and it helps our patients feel important and that they will be well taken care of.”

“The LRS staff is top-notch. They listen to the needs of the customer. They get to know the business and understand what the result should be." 

--Celeste Brennan, Chestnut Health Systems

The "Cherry on Top" of a Website Redesign

The virtual tour is just one part of a comprehensive website redesign for Chestnut Family Health and Chestnut Health Systems (chestnut.org). The two sites tie together in branding, website styling and content.

Since the site launched, the virtual tour has been the second-highest webpage experience for the family health site.

“The Health Center patients and staff love the new site,” says Brennan. “It’s bright, cheery, and welcoming!”

Brennan appreciates the work of the LRS Web Solutions team. “The LRS staff is top-notch. They listen to the needs of the customer. They get to know the business and understand what the result should be. I’m very happy to consider LRS as part of my team.  I cannot say enough good things about the LRS web team.”

Check out Chestnut Family Health’s virtual tour of its Bloomington facility.

Would your company and customers benefit from a virtual tour or some other extra feature to make your business website stand out? Reach out to LRS Web Solutions. Let’s brainstorm to get you something spectacular that will meet the needs of your customers, your business and your brand.

“It was horrifying.”

So says Robert Bellah, Court Technology Administrator for Macon County Circuit Clerk.
He arrived at work on a Monday morning in August 2019 to find a terrible surprise:
the homepage for Macon County Circuit Clerk had been hacked.

The webpage was stripped and replaced with an image of a Guy Fawkes mask
and an Iranian flag and disturbing text.

“My heart sunk, and I panicked,” Robert says.

Website Security Threats

Website security is easy to overlook or postpone. So many other things warrant your attention: website design and development, navigation, content and imagery, the list goes on.

But without website security measures to protect your website, you are leaving your information -- and possibly personal and financial data -- at risk to hackers. 

It's difficult to keep up with the ever-changing threats to your computer systems. LRS Web Solutions makes website security a priority for our website design clients and certainly for our clients who host their website with us through LRS® Network Support.   

LRS® Web Solutions makes website security a priority for our website design clients and certainly for our clients who host their website with us through LRS Network Support.   

Stuck in Panic Mode? Help is On the Way

Robert's first call was to the company that provided hosting services to the Macon County Circuit Clerk website, but that call just added to his stress and frustration. “They were little to no help,” Robert recalls. “They basically said, ‘It’s your problem.’ ”

To “host” the site means the company stores the website files and makes sure that the files are visible on the internet. If the hosting company doesn’t maintain strong security measures, the files could get hacked like Macon County.

With no help from their hosting company, Robert’s next call was to LRS Web Solutions. LRS had designed and built the site 8 or 10 years ago but handed off the files to the hosting company.

LRS Web Solutions’ Helpdesk team immediately investigated the problem. Thankfully, all the critical information like personal data or sensitive records was secure.  

“I was in panic mode," Robert says. "I knew calling LRS would give me the most gains. The LRS team was fantastic. They basically took reins. When I called asking for a status update, they answered the phone and were on it quickly. I was happy and confident leaving it up to them.”

As it turned out, unpatched software from the hosting vendor made Macon County vulnerable to hackers. Other websites in Tennessee and Oregon, Texas and 2 others in Illinois were also hacked with the same message, according to a report in the Decatur Herald & Review.  Robert says that they were all built on the same widely used content management system, Dot Net Nuke (DNN).

"I knew calling LRS would give me the most gains. The LRS team was fantastic." 

-Robert Bellah

The LRS team assigned to the project ran the scans, found the vulnerabilities, ran the patches, and restored the site.

“Still, I had a few sleepless nights pacing the halls at home,” Robert admits.

With LRS’s great service, the Macon County website was up and running by the end of the same day.

“The incident was more scary than dangerous,” Robert says, adding that he is grateful for LRS’s work.  “I’ve worked with LRS for years. They are always professional and efficient.”

New Website Hosting and Content Management System

To prevent future hacks and sleepless nights, LRS now hosts the Macon County website, and the site has also moved over to the secure LRS Antilles Content Manager.

“LRS Antilles is great. It’s simple to work with and WYSIWYG [What You See Is What You Get],” Robert says. “Editing pages is simple, and it’s what we’re all used to seeing as far as content editing window. It’s pretty sleek. I want to be more active on the website and this will help me.”

Using his previous website editor, Robert says he had to learn HTML “and learn everything else” and that was problematic. He likes that LRS Antilles is built by LRS and as such, “It’s a smaller target” for hackers and has a great Helpdesk team to quickly address problems.

Having a secure website is vital to the Macon County citizens visiting the circuit clerk’s website for information, according to Robert. “Nobody comes to the courthouse happy except for the people who work here. Any chink in the armor and people freak out. We need our website to be stable.”

With the LRS team providing content management and secure hosting, the Macon County Circuit Clerk’s website is more stable and stronger than ever ‑‑ and Robert is sleeping much better.

For help with your website security, including website hosting, contact LRS Web Solutions.

Before You Start:

Assemble the Team

Remember that old saying about too many cooks in the kitchen? Assemble a project team -- not a 20-person team -- but a small, tightly-knit group that works well together and completes tasks on time. Having one or two people with the authority to make decisions is critical to keeping the project moving on time and within budget, say Scott and Joe, LRS Web Solutions project managers. 

Thanks to the great teamwork between ACEC Illinois and LRS Web Solutions, the ACEC Illinois site was built in just 2 weeks.

Know Your Goals

This is a crucial step. “Start with customer-focused business goals in mind and build your site around them,” says Jedd Jones, one of LRS’ web developers. Know what you want to do with your site before the web team starts. Here are some questions to get you thinking:

• Do you want more traffic? More revenue? Leads? Brand awareness?
• Are you more focused on content or are you selling a product/solution?
• Has your business model changed?
• Will you use existing content or do you need to write new content?
• Do you need new photography? Illustrations?
• Do you need an app or other custom-built features?

Understanding your goals helps the web team build effective navigation, good user experience and quality website design. The web company can help you understand how to shape content to help you reach your goals.

Do Some Research

Make a list of problems and issues with your current website. Know who your competitors are and review their websites. Pick out your likes and dislikes. Think about what those sites do well, and what they don’t do well.

Show your findings to the web company project managers. (Go ahead and vent: they’ll keep it on the down-low.) 

Be Flexible

Website development can be flexible. However, you need to figure out what is most important to you: scope, cost or timeline. Following these variables and understanding how tightly integrated they are will help keep your project within scope, budget and get it done on time.

“Expect the unexpected,” says Joe, LRS Web Solutions project manager. “Delays will come up and changes will be inevitable; the direction will change course from time to time.”

Understand the big-picture goal of the redesign and that some smaller, non-critical things may have to shift to a post-launch or phase two.

During a Website Redesign:

Communicate With Us – and Be Accountable

“Hello? Is this on?” Be sure to keep in touch with the web development team (We’re nice. Really, we are!).

Website companies have the website design process planned out to the Nth degree like architects plan the building of a house. Project managers make sure the web development team follows through on tasks on time. As part of the web design project, regular communication and task completion helps keep the project on schedule -- and within your budget.

Remember: It’s Not About You

We know, that statement hurts. But the reality is, a website is no longer supposed to be a copy of your company brochure. “The website isn’t for YOU; It’s for your prospective clients and customers,” says AJ, one of LRS Web Solutions’ developers. Know who your customers are and plan your site with them in mind. If you don’t have your web user/customer in mind, your website will fall flatter than a pancake under a steam roller. This was a common point among the LRS Web Solutions team.

A web company with a User Experience expert (UX) can make sure your website is laser-focused on the user experience. And don’t be afraid to ask your customers/clients what they think of your website. 

Content – The #1 Issue

It all boils down to content: Text. Forms. Documents. Photographs. Illustrations. Events. These are the heart and soul of your website. All of our developers, project managers and account reps agree: content is the number one issue that can bring a website redesign to a screeching halt. They all said the same thing: “Prepare your content ASAP and provide it to us as early as possible." “Inventory content.” “Waiting for content holds us up.”

I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right: Great content takes time. A content strategist can work with your company to craft keyword-rich, readable, and relevant content.  

Post-Launch:

Celebrate! And Then…

It’s finally done! The website is live. Take some time to kick back and pat yourself on the back for a job well done. But then … keep going. A website isn’t “one-and-done” like a product assembly line. A website is part of a marketing strategy that is a growing, evolving thing. Our UX expert, Jamie, says organizations should think of its website as an ongoing cycle. “Make sure you have a good relationship with your web vendor and their team to keep the conversations going.”

Continue to Update and Analyze Content

Fresh content is critical to keep your brand relevant and search engines noticing. This includes new text, updated photos and other content added as often as makes sense for your company. Here’s the bonus: maintaining the website content over time will make the next iteration of your website even smoother than this one. Make sure you’re receiving regular reports to check your site’s technical performance and rankings.

Add the Extras

New content management system features and web trends pop up all the time. Make sure your company’s website stays current with today’s trends. Your CMS may offer new and updated features to keep your site relevant. Keep the conversation going. Keep a “wish list” for your website’s next phase and talk to your web company about how to get that list in the queue when the time is right. Little improvements along the way keep your site competitive.

Sacred Heart-Griffin High School quickly and easily added an Events module after its initial site launch with LRS Antilles CMS. 

Think Cyclically and Budget for the Next Evolution

How often should you redesign your website? Mid- to large organizations should redesign a website approximately every 3 years. Smaller organizations should refresh every 5-6 years.

Once you get in the mindset and mark your calendars for updates and redesigns, stick with it. It’s a lot easier to set aside a website budget when it’s included in the strategic plan. Include website funds in the budget every year, even if it is just a little so you can always stay ahead of your competition. Plus, if you’re already making website maintenance part of your job, the next redesign will be oh so much easier – for all of us.

Hassle-Free Website Redesigns Start Here.

You’re sitting at your desk, faced with a monumental task and a blank computer screen – the glow of the monitor illuminating your face like a suspect under police interrogation.

Your face begins to sweat… Your skin begins to crawl… the room’s silence is scarier than a scream.

What could be this monstrous task that sparks terror in the hearts and minds of marketers, IT and business professionals everywhere? What is it? it’s coming … from inside … the computer... 

It’s writing your website’s content. How do you create content for your business website?

Website writing may be the scariest monster to tame in a website redesign.

We know what you're facing: a website with dozens of outdated service pages, antiquated project reports, never-ending pdfs, Powerpoint presentations that include a long-dead logo, pdfs of meeting minutes and lots of other obsolete information.

Your task: to clean up endless pages of detailed services, staff bios, events, news and more. The updated content must be easy to read and SEO-friendly.

It’s a project more daunting than spending the night in a haunted house.

Rewriting website content is an easy task to delay, assign to an intern, or just put it on the bottom of the “to do” pile.

But adding longer, thorough, up-to-date, expert, relevant content (including visuals and videos) is the most important part of your website. Your website visitors come to your site with a question. Your content should provide a great answer and add additional value -- giving them additional information that makes them want to learn more about you, return to the site later, and become a customer.  

But have no fear. A trustworthy website design company will have on-staff a content expert who can help you wade through your content. Some can companies can help you create a website content strategy, teach you best practices, and address your website content needs.

7 Tips for Writing Website Content:

1. Write for your customers

Your web pages should not be a replica of your printed brochure. It needs to be focused on your customers/website users: who they are and what they want – and then you can feed them the content they actually want and need while moving them toward the content that results in a purchase. 

Essentially, your website content strategy should be mapped for the stages of the customer lifecycle: Brand Awareness, Consideration and Decision, and Loyalty. Each piece of content needs to have a purpose to guide your user/customer through their journey with your business. Relevant, useful and enjoyable content will convert visitors into repeat visitors who will become leads and who then will purchase your product or service.  

2. Start with the core content.

The "core content" is the content that is absolutely necessary to your site – about, contact, services/products. This content is essentially your brochure. But this is just the starting point, the familiar information people expect on a site. It’s the bare bones of your website. Once that's in place and easy to find, you can delve into your deeper pages. 

3. Check your analytics.

Analytics is an indispensable tool to guide your website content strategy.

Work with an SEO analytics analyst who can help you make sense of how people are using your website. (Ideally, one who already knows your website.) What are the most popular pages? Do those pages match your business goals? Add those in and make sure they are optimized with keywords, headers, meta information and a call to action. Review your users' time on site, pages visited, and referral sources. What are people searching for on your site? Are they finding answers? Monthly and/or quarterly reports can show you what content you need to add, edit or delete to improve your site's value and trustworthiness.

Understanding what people are reading on your site will help you develop your website content strategy. 

4. Slash outdated and least popular content.

What are the fewest views pages? Do you really need them? Can they be improved, or can the content fold into another page? Don't clutter your website with decades of press releases and annual reports. Cut the old content and keep your website fresh and current. (Caveat - if you have older content that ranks well, keep it.) Google has a limited "crawl budget" for your site. Don't spend it crawling worthless content.

5. Keep a list of keywords to optimize website content.

Keywords are the words or phrases your customers type into a search engine to find you. These are the lifeblood of your website's relevance in the digital world. Use these words to enrich your website content and draw people to your website. Don't use esoteric, overly complicated language. Keep it simple, using words and phrases that can help you rank on the search engines.

Write these naturally into your site’s content. (No keyword stuffing). When you're writing for your website, take time to do some keyword research, even if it's just a simple Google search and looking at Google Search Console and Bing webmaster tools. Ask a professional SEO marketer for help. 

6. Write for your user, not your CEO.

I know – your company loves industry jargon, company acronyms, and self-aggrandizing press releases. But here’s a secret: Your customers don’t understand them. Don’t use jargon or heavy, 50-cent words in your content. Customers are annoyed when you lavish praise on yourselves. They don't care that you're "proud to announce a new partnership." They want to know you care about their problems. Write as if you are talking to your customers. Write simply and briefly. Keep the content relevant, useful and readable. Short paragraphs and simple language are good for short attention spans.

7. Create customer personas.

Maybe you think you can shrug off this step, saying you know who they are. But trust me — you will forget as you write. Understanding your ideal customer is key to creating content that matches their needs.

Not So Scared Any More?

Now that you have some ideas to optimize your website content, That glow from the computer screen isn’t so scary anymore. You can face that website content like a powerful ghostbuster.  Schedule time each month – or even each week - to tackle content improvements.

Need Help With Your Content?

Ask LRS Web Solutions’ Content Strategist to lend a helping hand on analytics, strategy, content writing, editing or basic wordsmithing.

Check out the updates to version 1.19 of LRS Antilles Content Management System:

Site-Wide Search: One search will bring integrated results from all content, modules, and pages. Content within the modules is integrated into an interface that delivers comprehensive search researches. This includes pages, resources, and other core components.

Plugins: You can now edit a plugin within a content area. Previously, you had to go within each plugin to make changes and then re-insert the plugin on your page. You can also add a plugin without clicking the "Validate" button. 

Blog: Lots of updates to improve usability. A new SEO tab to help you optimize the posts for search engine results, just like the pages module.

Canonical Tags: These tags are now automatically included for all pages in all modules. This will clarify for search engines how to index pages so they won't be considered duplicates.

Indexing: Your pages will now default to "Index" and "Follow" for the robots file.

Antilles Data Share:  This interface allows you to share data across modules.

Alt Text: You now get a reminder to add alt text with an image. (What is alt text and why is it important? Read this blog.)

• Added the ability to preview a blog post
• Added Blog SEO review for blog posts.
• Updated how captions are paired with photos.
• Author Management added - you can now leave it blank if you like
• Author Image and job title added
• Added Sub Title lead-in.
• Allow publishing date to be optional.
• Flexibility to schedule blog posts for the future.
• Fixed Dashboard widget to show the correct number of posts.
• Save and save and return buttons updated to be consistent with pages.
• Removed the multi-site checkbox.

• Removed additional unwanted characters from page stubs
• Removed unnecessary divs around plugins
• Single sign-on capabilities added
• Image picker updated in Tiny MCE

• Allow sending an email to a value from the form.
• Updated radio buttons to pass accessibility checks.

Get Updated to the latest version of LRS Antilles. Request an upgrade via Helpdesk.

“I missed leads because of this buggy plugin.” That’s an actual quote from a review of Wordpress.

Other plugin reviews: “Stopped working.” “Does not work with Recaptcha.” “Doesn’t work.” “Broken.” 

Wordpress may be the most popular Content Management System on the market. Certainly, it’s a tempting product, like a late-night infomercial. “It’s Free!” “It’s Easy!”

And in one sense, that’s true. I’ve built sites in less than an hour with free online website builders. Simple, easy, pretty – and free. But be careful — you get what you pay for.

These freebies can be clunky on some mobile phones. Sites act weird on certain web browsers. And while a site can be reasonably intuitive to put together, the pieces can be difficult to bend to your will if you’re not a web developer.

You get hacked. Over one weekend, I got 100 red alerts from Wordpress, flagging the site for security issues. Ugh.

Plugin Overload?

At LRS, we hear this all the time: businesses have a love/hate relationship with their content management systems. “It was easy at first,” they say, “But then, we had to pay for plug-ins.” And later, “Their customer support is bad. When I have a problem, it takes a long time to get it fixed.”

AJ, one of our developers put it this way: “Plugins are a huge target for vulnerabilities. They can’t be updated, due to lack of technical support. Updating plugins could break the whole site.  More plugins can make your site less secure.”

The LRS Antilles Content Manager Solution

That’s why the group of web developers at LRS Web Solutions wanted to build our own content management system. The result: LRS Antilles Content Manager.

What’s better with LRS Antilles? Here’s the short answer: It’s easier to use, it’s more flexible, and delivers better experiences for you and your website visitors.

LRS Antilles CMS is our baby. We care and feed it every day so it continues to evolve. And we’re always making sure the performance is flawless.

Beau, the “father” of LRS Antilles, puts it this way: “LRS Antilles was created because other website solutions were difficult to use and not customizable. Every aspect of Antilles was built from the ground up with ease of use as a requirement.”

A CMS Faceoff

If you’re not convinced that you should try LRS Antilles, take a look at the chart below to see how well LRS Antilles stacks up against Wordpress in the battle for the best content management system:

Whew! That’s a lot to take in. To simplify, remember how Beau sums up the benefits of LRS Antilles CMS: “We not only developed LRS Antilles, but we provide the website integration, ongoing guidance, and training. It’s better to have the same company build, maintain and deliver your CMS. You’ll have a better experience.”

“We not only developed LRS Antilles, but we provide the website integration, ongoing guidance, and training. It’s better to have the same company build, maintain and deliver your CMS. You’ll have a better experience.”

You Might Also Like: 

Source: capterra.com

Leaving for vacation? Ready to unwind and check out from the day-to-day grind? Since you’re such a dedicated employee, you might be taking your laptop with you and get an itch to do something constructive.

Here’s an easy way to return to your office with some insightful analysis: Take a fresh look at your website on your mobile device.  

“But I look at the website all the time!” you might say.

So why now? Because you’re a different person away from the office. At your desk, you may not be able to objectively evaluate your user's experience.

Use your vacation as an opportunity to clearly look at the mobile-friendliness of your website with rested, vacation eyes. It’s your chance to stop being your company’s marketer or IT specialist and put yourself in your customer’s sandals.

Plus, Google is now looking at the mobile version of websites first. Back in April 2019, Google confirmed what most web developers believed: Google’s algorithm would place a higher value on the mobile-friendliness of websites as a ranking signal. That means that if your site isn’t optimized for mobile, search engines may favor a competitor over your website.

What does “optimize for mobile" mean? It’s also called “responsive” web design, meaning the site will “respond” and resize for different-sized screens. There are other factors, but design elements are the biggies.

So kick back, grab a frosty daiquiri and take a quick look at the questions below and see if your website is mobile-friendly. (We recommend performing this test while you’re lying on the beach.)

6 Easy Questions to Check if Your Website is Mobile-Friendly:

1. Did the site fully load in 1-3 seconds?

This one’s non-negotiable.
If your site takes longer than a few seconds to load on mobile:

• Users get impatient
• Bounce rates go up
• Conversions go down

Ask yourself a couple of questions: Did you feel like you were waiting? Did images load in slowly? Did you consider closing the page?
If you answered yes to any of those, your load speed likely needs attention.

2. Do the photos look like you expect?

Images should help your site, not hurt it. Let’s quickly check your photos. Are they blurry, overlapping, or just plain broken? There's probably a technical reason behind it. 

If something looks “off,” your users notice it too. 

3. Do you have to scroll left and right to see all the content?

In other words, does your website actually fit on the screen?

Your website should:

• Fit within the width of the screen
• Not require horizontal scrolling
• Adjust naturally to different screen sizes

If you’re pinching, zooming, or sliding left to right to read content, that’s a red flag.

4. Is the text large enough to read without pinch and zoom?

No one, and I mean no one, wants to zoom in just to read your website. Does reading feel like work? Well, if it does, users won’t stick around long enough to learn what you do.

5. Can you click the buttons and links easily?

Let’s try an exercise. Try navigating your website just using your thumb.

Pay attention to:

• Buttons that are too small
• Links that are too close together
• Menus that are hard to open or close

If you keep tapping the wrong thing, your users probably are too. That frustration adds up fast.

6. Was the experience...pleasant? 

Ask yourself:

• Would I want to browse this site if I weren’t connected to it?
• Does it feel smooth, or does it feel like work?
• Am I enjoying this, or am I just tolerating this?

If your site feels clunky, confusing, or just a little irritating, users won’t stick around long enough to figure out why.

If you answered “no” to any of these questions, your site may be in need of some technical tweaks. Your website should be so easy to use and such an enjoyable experience, your customers won’t mind looking at it, even when they’re on vacation.

LRS Web Solutions can help get your site mobile-friendly. Here’s what to do next.

Two Clicks and Help is on the Way

Just fill out the quick form to send us an alert. We’ll get in touch when you’re back in the office and talk about how we can turn your website into a mobile-friendly site. 

When you get back to the office, you’ll have valuable information and an action plan for the boss.

What a good employee you are! You deserve a vacation. 😉

Around the dinner table during a Sunday cookout, my daughter asked a group of her 11-year-old friends, “Do you like math or reading more? That tells you if you are left-brained or right-brained.”

My first thought was, “How does an 11-year-old know the difference between left- and right-brained thinking?” :-)

As a digital marketer, my second thought was, “I want to think like Google’s Rank Brain instead.”

What is Rank Brain?

Google’s Rank Brain is essentially the language of Google. It’s Google’s ever-evolving artificial intelligence that sorts through millions of user searches and presents a list of websites that match the user’s search.

Google uses more than 200 factors in its algorithm to rank websites. The technical goal of websites is to meet as many of those factors as possible -- while matching user’s intent -- to give the site the best chance to rank at the top of search results.

That’s a tall order, so let’s narrow that down a bit. How about the top 3 ranking factors?

Google’s Top 3 Ranking Signals

Google recently prioritized the 200 into the top 3 ranking signals. Number 3 was site speed, #2 was meta information, and the number one ranking signal? Content.  

If you’re right-brained, (you love reading and the creative arts) that’s music to your ears. But if you’re like most of the youth who were around my dinner table on that Sunday, you like math and science more (left-brained), and so writing web content may be the last (or dreaded) thing on your to-do list. But managing web content is a critical piece of web design and development.

You might say, “Heck, we’ve got content on our site, so we’re good.” If the company has no competition and great brand recognition, then yes, you probably are OK. But if competitors are peeking over your shoulder, then you have some work to do.

Managing web content is a never-ending task, but hopefully, one that excites you as you sit down to tell the world how your company can solve their problems.

“Just the Facts, Ma’am” (Not anymore)

When the internet was born, most websites simply took their printed materials: brochures, catalogs, reports, and copy/pasted them into a webpage. Done.  “Just the Facts” was good enough.  

That was then. This is now, and your content must go further.  

Facts are faceless. Everyone has facts. And for large industries like health care and banking, the most dangerous thing can be to make the sites too similar. Competition for customers' eyes gets more intense by the minute. You can’t just post the mission statement and services and expect clients to come flooding in.

You’ve got to do this: Make people’s lives better. Be extraordinary.

So….What’s the Difference Between Content and Good Content?

Think about what makes your company different and special. Delight customers and develop your brand. Make people want to do business with you. Don’t be afraid to showcase the company’s personality.  And write about it.

Use emotion. Personalize. Be useful; Be quick; Be enjoyable. Draw people in and make them want to return.

Blog content is a great place to let your brand personality shine. Fresh content like blogging builds your company’s brand and its authority and will bring customers back to the website to do business with you.

Ready to get started? Here are some best practices:

4 Tips to Create “Rank Brain” Content.

1. Put the User First

The number one thing for great website writing? Write for your audience.

Think people are dying to download the dry, 136-page annual report? Are they clamoring to read the details about the latest inside-baseball award the company won? Are they excited that the new hire is “honored to join the company”?

Not likely.

Don’t write copy that only the boss or CEO will want to read. Write to please your website visitors – they are your potential customers, and they have one question: “How can you help me?”

Answer that question –- quickly, easily, and delightfully -- and you will rank, get clicks, and keep customers. 

Think of website content like clothing. It’s not “one-size fits all” any more. To get listed in search results, your content must fit the user like a tailored suit.

Unsure who your customer is exactly? Check Google Analytics to find out who is coming to your website and write the copy with them in mind. What terms are they using to search for a company like yours?  

Don’t use “our” “we” – use “you” and speak to the customer. Think about where they are in the sales funnel. 

2. Follow the 10 pm Rule

Especially when writing web content, manage words carefully. Write short and simple sentences with minimal jargon and acronyms. Follow the 10 pm rule: would you be happy to read this at 10 pm? (Or would it put you to sleep?)  

Here’s a sentence from a bank’s page about the funds available for community projects:

“Requests for assistance must quantify the benefits the contributions will provide to the recipient(s) and the community in general.”

Fun to read? Or did you doze off? Most likely this sentence was copied directly from a corporate philanthropy report for the Board of Directors, not written for an event coordinator who actually wants to know how to get a fundraising grant.

How could this sentence be improved? Find out in the next section.

3. Get Conversational

More people are searching online with a “conversational search” query. Google reports that people are searching with words like “do I need” or “should I” “can I”. Such as “How much do I need to retire”. Google calls this “For Me” searches. So, when updating website content, think about how you give advice to customers one-on-one and use conversational phrases.

This is more and more critical as mobile use skyrockets and more people are verbally asking Siri, Alexa or another AI technology a question while they make dinner, repair a household item, drive to a meeting or just have tired thumbs. Optimizing your content for voice search is going to be critical in the months and years ahead

So how would you improve the “Request for Assistance” sentence in the previous section?

How about, “If you’d like XYZ Bank to sponsor your community event, let us know how the event will help people and improve our community.”

Use concise, everyday language – long sentences, jargon, and acronyms won’t impress your readers, it will only frustrate them. Imagine you are talking directly to your customer when writing. What words would you use face to face?

4. Optimize for Search Engines

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complex mix of art and science, a mix of technical checks and creative wordsmithing. It means researching industry-specific keywords and using them in the page headlines, title tag, meta information, and alt text. Check the content to make sure you are using headers (H2-H6) in order to structure the pages to help the algorithms understand the content. Advanced specs like schema further helps search engines understand the content of the page.

Whether you’re left-brained or right-brained, you now have some tips to think like Google’s Rank Brain.

Partner with Karen at LRS Web Solutions to power up your content to match Google's Rank Brain.

Websites: Your Business's Virtual Home

If you’ve ever tackled the project of building a house from the ground up, you know how complex the process is. Building a house is a huge undertaking but is a memorable milestone in your life. This is where you and your loved ones will live. You’ll make memories there (hopefully more good than bad).

Think of your business’s website as the company's virtual, digital home. It’s just as – if not more important – as your physical location. In fact, in this digital world, it may even be more important than brick and mortar or business cards.

Your business's website development deserves the same quality care construction that your house does.

Avoid the #1 Danger in Building Your Company's Virtual Home 

Some companies believe building a website is a simple project that a one-person marketing department can get online in a few days.

Imagine building a website like you would build your family home. Would you build a house by yourself? Would you hire newbies who build houses in their spare time? Or would you hire a team of expert professionals with years of skill in their respective fields to ensure quality care was taken with your home?

Consider This Home-Building Story (Recipe for Disaster):

Say that you saw free house plans online. You’ll get access to the materials to build your house. So you create an account, watch a 3-minute “how-to” video, and figure you can build it in your spare time.

You start to build, and you thought the online content management system was free, but now the free site is pushing you to keep adding on services at additional costs. Hidden fees are adding up.

Or maybe your cousin’s friend’s husband says he builds houses on the weekends. He and his buddy are self-taught. He’d do it super cheap. He can get to it sometime in the next month or so. (This may be your #1 danger in building your website.)

So you say OK, but he drags his feet getting the house done. He’s tough to get a hold of and takes forever to get back to you. Suddenly, letting a buddy build your home isn’t panning out like you thought.

Once the house is built, it’s okay. Not great, not beautiful. But it’ll do for now. You guess. The plumbing isn’t perfect. The doors don’t open every time. And there’s already a crack in the wall.

But it’ll do, right?

Of course not! You’d never accept workmanship like that. Your family home deserves better. And so does your business’ website.

Why I'm Telling You This

We often use the “building a house” analogy when talking to clients about the process of building websites with LRS Web Solutions. 

The website is your company’s virtual “home.” Here is where your customers will make memories of your company – they’ll definitely remember an outdated, clunky, poorly designed website where they couldn’t find anything. But they’ll also remember great experiences – like beautiful photographs, useful content, and easy-to-navigate design.

Your company’s website is where your customers meet you, learn about you, hang out and read your news, features, blog, and hopefully, come back and have a great experience as they become a customer or member. Then they’ll tell their friends about what a great company you are.

Doesn’t your business deserve the same care and quality?

The website is your company’s virtual “home.” Here is where your customers will make memories of your company.

Free Web Builders - You Get What You Pay For

Sure, you can get access to a free, online content management system. But when you’re staring at the screen and realize it’s all down to you to get the website done (added to your hundreds of other job duties), a free web builder seems about as good an idea as buying a Commodore Vic20.

Or maybe you get a website up – and then you forget about it. The design ages, the pictures are outdated, the content is archaic, and the site is just not coming up on Google search results. You know you need a few forms, you’d like to add some special features, you want e-commerce, you want to add a video, but the “free” software requires that you purchase a package to get access to those features. You’re tired, confused and frustrated – and you have your day job to do.

The LRS team understands, and we’re here to help.

Expert Web Solutions

At LRS Web Solutions, we have a slew of experts with decades of experience in their fields of expertise. We take care and consideration with your business. When you build a house, you want your construction team to have all the experienced professionals, with years of experience. Similarly, at LRS our web solutions experts include:

• UI/UX Experts who create the blueprints for your website.
  
• Web Developers who build the “walls” of your website, the windows, and doors.
  
• Application Developers – who can give your site the “extras” that make it stand apart from your competitors (the Porsche or Tesla in the driveway that makes the neighbors jealous!)
  
• Designers, Photographers, and Writers who make sure the design and layout of the home look great have a good “feel”, and that your visitors can find what they need when they need it.
  
• Photographers/Videographers to make sure your website's visuals are modern, stylish and attractive to the visitors to your home (no '80s hairstyles or clip art!)
  
• SEO Experts – to make sure website visitors and search engines can easily find your site.
  
• Account Representatives and Customer Support – Real people available for your ongoing problems and questions.
  
• Project Managers – to keep your project on track and on budge

You wouldn’t take shortcuts and freebies to build your family home. Why do that with your company’s virtual “home?” Isn’t your business – like your home -- worth the investment? Get some business web solutions from LRS.

Send me a quick note to get started building your dream home – err, website.  😊 

Want to know what makes a website stand out more than any other? Imagery — eye-catching imagery — that is optimized. Beautiful images can really add some pop to your website and keep people on your site a lot longer. Most of us are visual learners, so photos give context to your information.

You can see how big of a role images play in your website. They're not just window dressing. They are a powerful tool to keep users interested in your website — and make your site more attractive to show in search engine results. They should be used with care and purpose. 

But before you add those perfect images to your website, you'll need to be sure the images are optimized.

What Does Image Optimization Mean?

Shopify explains this in the most basic way: "Image optimization is about reducing the file size of your images as much as possible without sacrificing quality so that your page load times remain low."  

Why Should I Care?

You want your site to load fast, and so do your customers. Photos are the #1 problem that slows down a site. While photos are your greatest asset, they can also be a daunting enemy when it comes to site speed, user experience, and ultimately, your SEO.

Slow loads, broken images, cluttered design -- these all lead to poor website user experiences. And that’s not who you are, is it?

That's really the goal of image optimization: decreasing page load times. A slimmed-down image file equals faster loading time. Lower page load times greatly improve user experience. A good user experience increases the likelihood that the user sticks around on your website much, much longer — and that is the ultimate goal, right? 

According to Google, images are usually the largest files being downloaded on any webpage, which increases how long it takes for a web browser to launch your page. Optimized website images are critical for your website's page speed. Large photos can slow down your site. 

And clunky images don't just slow down your site; they can impact your SEO. In 2019, Google's State of the Union address confirmed that it is looking at images when listing search results. Google also offers image-heavy advertising options such as Gallery Ads. Images are critical. Image ads have higher click-through rates than text ads.

Optimized images can greatly improve website performance, give users a better experience, and help your advertising campaigns. But how exactly do you do it? 

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about website image optimization.

What Image File Types Should I Use On My Website?

This doesn't mean you are locked into using one type for the web. Every file type can serve a specific purpose and sometimes offer a better solution, so you'll just want to make sure you use them appropriately.

Let's take a look at a few different image file types. These include .jpg, .png, .gif and .svg.

So what file types should you use and when?

Generally speaking, JPG should be used for photos. JPGs tend to load the quickest and will and should be used most of the time.

Erik J., a web developer here at LRS Web Solutions, notes that we generally advise using JPG for images that are meant to be loaded quickly. And don't forget to keep the image size within normal dimensions.

PNG images sometimes contain transparent backgrounds and are usually used for custom graphics, screenshots, and logos.

SVG files are also used for custom graphics, icons, and logos, but these file types scale to a variety of sizes without losing quality.

GIF file types are typically used for animated or moving graphics. We generally advise clients to substitute MP4 for GIFs for the best page speed.  

How Do I Optimize my Images?

Now, let's get to the heart of the matter: how to make your photos work for the web.

First, decide how you want to use the image.

Is it good enough to be the lead (the biggest) picture? Or will you use it as a supporting picture within the text? 

• Large Images: Typically, if you're using a background image, the keep the max size about  1920 x 1080 pixels. This will make sure the image scales nicely across all screen sizes.
• Smaller Images: If you are inserting images as content within the copy of your website, a good rule of thumb is somewhere around 500-650 pixels wide.

Second, resize Your image to make sure your image is the right size for the job.

Once you've decided how big you want the photo, resize it and consider other touch-ups using an image editor.

Adobe Photoshop has always been the preferred image editor professionals use to create and modify photographs and images. However, if you don’t have access to this (or don't know how to use this complex software,) numerous free, online alternatives exist to help you quickly and easily modify your images. Some of our go-to image optimizer sites include:

• Pixlr.com
• SumoPaint.com
• TinyPNG.com
• Kraken.io

These are all very simple to use. Once complete, you can download your newly-optimized images. You might not notice much of a difference, but the new file size has been greatly compressed and is now ready for the web. 

Then you ready to easily upload them to your website in LRS Antilles Content Manager.

Watch how easy it is to upload images using LRS Antilles Content Manager:

Take the Time to Optimize Website Images

So while it’s tempting to start designing your page, take some time and collect all the photos and images you want, and size them appropriately for a professionally designed webpage.  

In LRS Antilles, we strongly recommend to our clients that they optimize their photos before they upload them to their webpages. And don't forget to add alt text. 

Optimize your images and your website will load faster, look just as good, and your users will thank you - by becoming frequent customers.

A Brief History of Website Accessibility

Act 1: The Internet is Good: Simple and Sweet

Once upon the birth of the internet, most websites were fairly accessible. 

Back then (in the early 1990s), the internet was much simpler. The majority of websites were mostly filled with text, with maybe an image or two and some links sprinkled in.

Then, in the early 2000s, website design and development blossomed. This made the web a visually beautiful place, like the land of Oz. But drawbacks loomed like wicked witches hiding behind bushes.

For some, this new era of the web was visually stunning with its buttons, tabs, colors, animations and more.

But for disabled users, the beauty and fancy functions came with a price: they couldn’t use the websites because their screen readers couldn't interpret all the bells and whistles of images, decorative elements, flash elements, etc. These were inaccessible websites. In other words, all of the neat things that could be done when making websites cool and creative actually created an accessibility nightmare.

Ensuring websites are accessible to all people is the moral and legal responsibility of business owners. You wouldn’t turn away customers with disabilities at your business’s front door, would you? Websites are legally required to be accessible by as many individuals as possible.

If you are a government, financial, or social services organization, this is especially important. Legal action can, and has been taken, against organizations because of their lack of accessibility.

Legal action can, and has been taken, against organizations because of their lack of accessibility.

Act 3: Never Fear: Help is on the way

Although the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) led by web inventor Tim Berners Lee wrote digital accessibility guidelines early on in the world wide web’s life, it was ignored just like Dr. Malcom’s warnings about cloning dinosaurs.

But over time, organizations, companies, and individuals came together like the Avengers to develop web content accessibility guidelines and emphasize their importance in good website development practices for websites and mobile apps. 

The entirety of the web isn’t there yet, but we can all strive for the goal of being compliant with the current guidelines, WCAG 2.2, which was released in October 2023.

5 Tips to Hit the Target of Website Accessibility

Epilogue: The Accessible Conclusion

Ready to take action? Contact Us!

Pro Com Services is a debt collection agency. Its numerous services help clients focus on their business goals while Pro Com focuses on their debt collection.

Similarly, LRS Web Solutions’ focus is on helping businesses refine their websites so that they can spend less time worrying about their website and devote more time focused on meeting their business goals.

The Old PRO COM Services

Pro Com Services’ site was created more than six years ago. The average lifespan of a website is just shy of 3 years, and as you can see from the former homepage (right), the site was showing its age.

In addition to an outdated design overall, the homepage used Adobe Flash Player, a tool that had its zenith 10 years ago but now has gone the way of the cassette tape. Flash and similar technologies have two strikes against them: they aren’t mobile-friendly, and they don’t meet accessibility standards. So while a design reboot was important for general aesthetics and mobile usability, it also was imperative to meet accessibility regulations.

Website Reboot

As a result of outdated technology, Pro Com’s website didn’t function properly and appeared more dated than it was. Pro Com owner Connie Matrisch agreed that the site needed to be modernized and mobile-friendly while retaining the functionality of key sections, showcasing its services, and educating its clients. “The LRS team did an outstanding job assisting and guiding us through the redesign of our website.,” Matrisch says. “The site is fresh, modern, mobile-friendly, and meets accessibility requirements.  We are very happy with the site and enjoy working with the staff at LRS.”

LRS Web Solutions got to work migrating pro-comsevices.com to our content management system, LRS Antilles Content Manager.

“The site is fresh, modern, mobile friendly and meets accessibility requirements. We are very happy with the site and enjoy working with the staff at LRS.” 

Connie Matrisch, Pro Com Services

Pro Com's Face Lift

LRS Antilles Content Manager’s easy to use, web-based interface tackled all of Pro Com’s needs. A clean, modern design made more effective use of Pro Com’s brand identity colors. So, when clients go to the new and improved homepage, it still feels familiar. The uncluttered homepage simplifies the mission and vision of Pro Com. Prominent testimonials give the nearly 100-year-old company even more authority. 

The FAQ section took advantage of LRS Antilles’ List Builder module, making this an easy-to-use and easy-to-update piece of content.

By far, Pro Com’s most popular page is its File Exchange system, which allows Matrisch and her staff to share documents with their clients safely and securely. Custom built by LRS Web Solutions, the File Exchange system was further customized to make the process of uploading documents through the file transfer protocol (FTP) easier.

121% More Time On-Site

Launched in early 2019, the site has some impressive stats just a few weeks after going live:

• The average time people spend on the site is already up 121%.
• Clicks from search are up 20%.
• Search appearances are up 37%.
• The number of pages crawled is up 92%.
• Crawl errors are down 43%.

• In the Springfield, Illinois area, Pro Com also shows up on Google’s local pack for the search query “debt collection.”

• For accessibility, Pro Com exhibits no errors from the web accessibility evaluation tool.

An LRS custom website design along with retargeting popular pages and features can help you emphasize the best content that will help your business meet its goals.

You'll see results, and your website will be a key component to help you achieve your business goals. 

Modals can be effective but must be used carefully. It certainly allows you to showcase creativity to capture attention. and spur them to action. This is content that needs to be noticed, such as a “Save 15% off your next purchase!"  

or “Don't forget your shopping cart", consider a web design feature called “modals,” known to most of us as the pop-up boxes that are automatically seen at certain points of a user’s experience. 

What is a Modal?

Also known as "pop ups" on your website, these are seen automatically when a user loads a webpage. They sometimes will pop up when a user scrolls a certain percentage of the page. Or they may be visible automatically. They’re a great way to add a level of sophistication to your site and give your audience a direct call to do something. 

Modal dialogs, when used properly, can free up valuable webpage real estate. Modals can also provide some great interactions between your users and your content.

Note: You need to be running LRS Antilles Content Manager version 17.3 or above to use modals. (Contact Customer Support to upgrade.)

Modals are fun, but they also need to be used carefully. Users should always be able to remove the modal from view so as not to annoy them. Here’s a chart to help you decide if a modal is right for you.

When Should I Use A Modal?

Before you create a modal, think about what specific action you want the user to take. Then see if this action matches the guidelines on this chart.

Here's how to generate a modal in LRS Antilles

Watch this 2-minute video or read our handy-dandy 3-step guide!

1. Create the modal

• Open a page in the LRS Antilles Page Editor. Click the double window icon (Insert Modal Popup). You will be prompted for a unique ID and title for this specific modal.
• The ID must be unique to that individual modal and contain no spaces or special characters. For example, “myUniqueModalID”. The title of the modal is used for accessibility purposes. When the modal is opened, a screen reader will announce the title and/or purpose of a modal to the user.
• Click “OK” to insert the modal markup into the rich text editor. You'll see a box like the one here:

2. Add Text & Images

You can add the text for the pop-up directly in this box, where it reads "Modal Content." Include a call to action in the title. The content should have the information needed such as email, phone number, or link.

3. Trigger the Modal. 

Now that you have the modal, decide where you want it to pop up. To trigger the modal, select the text or image you want to become the trigger and click the link button. In the insert link box (see below) include the ID of your modal as the Url - don't forget the "#" symbol Set the Class to “Open Modal”. Voila. You're done.

Advanced Modal Options

You have two options with modals: you can use a link to trigger a modal or the modal can fire when the page is loaded.

You can even include the modal as part of the url for linking. 

Go Modal!

Modal dialogs, when used properly to provide information to users in a clean and efficient manner, can be extremely useful and create a better user experience.

Be sure to contact our Customer Support to learn more or to request a modal stylized for your company’s website – and give your users the direction you’ve been wanting.

Newsrooms are shrinking faster than ever, including the number of reporters who cover political news at the state Capitol. Illinois is no exception, leaving readers with dwindling options for credible, unbiased coverage of state news.

About Capitol News

Since 1865, The Illinois Press Association has represented daily and weekly newspapers in the state. Its Board of Directors pondered how to keep political news available to Illinois newspapers. The Illinois Press Foundation created Capitol News Illinois to be a resource to more than 400 media outlets.

Capitol News’ goal includes to “increase news consumers’ awareness, interest, and participation in state government.”

To make life easier for political reporters, a new website publishes news from the statehouse for reporters to use for daily or weekly newspapers.

LRS-Designed Website Theme Saves Time Cost 

For this site, Capitol News Illinois opted to use an LRS-designed website theme. Using one of our customized website design themes, we were able to get this site up and running more quickly than if we had created a design from scratch. Not only did this save time during site construction, but it also allowed the Illinois Press Association to preserve its budget.

Unveiled in February 2019, the new site, available to members of the Illinois Press Association, includes blog posts from Capitol News Illinois reporters. It also includes news specific to the Statehouse and a schedule of upcoming stories. Also included are portraits of Illinois lawmakers and action photos that members can download for use in their publications.

Members can also easily submit a story idea and include a photo.

Benefits of LRS Antilles Content Manager 

In just a few weeks, the blog already accounted for 15% of their website traffic. The site is easy to read on mobile devices – good for reporters on-the-go. Indeed, mobile devices account for 63% of Capitol News’ website traffic.

Capitol News, although a relatively simple site, now has a clear web presence – an important and valuable resource to help journalists keep Illinois citizens informed of what’s going on at the Capitol.

As you include photos and other images on your web pages, it is important that you include "alt" text. This is alternative text that will display for users with disabilities, who may use a screen reader application. It is important for web accessibility compliance and is a good habit to get into for effective SEO -- and a task that is easy to overlook. Including alt text is part of a healthy website and a successful SEO strategy.

However, this is trickier than it sounds and should be carefully done.

ALT TEXT: THE BASICS - How to Write Alt Text

The good news: not every image should have a value set for its alt attribute. But each image should have the alt text code (alt="").

When you are using alt text, a good rule of thumb is to keep it at fewer than 125 characters. If you write longer, the text will likely be cut off by screen-reading tools.

WHEN TO WRITE ALT TEXT

For a quick learning map about alt text, go to www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/.

HOW TO WRITE ALT TEXT for SEO

When you determine that your image needs alt text, keep in mind the content and context of the image. Here's how to add alt text. In most cases, the alt attribute should:

• Describe the content and purpose of the image. Use both the image's subject and context to guide you. Also, be representative of the topic of the webpage it's supporting. Be as specific as possible.
  • OK alt text: alt="Woman leading a meeting in a conference room."
  • Better alt text: alt="CEO Susan Smith leading the marketing staff at the Smith-Marketing Headquarters in Springfield."
• Be short. A few words are fine (<125 characters).
• Don’t be redundant or provide the same information as the text around the image.
• Don’t use the phrases like "image of ..." "picture of" or "graphic of ..." The HTML source code indicates to screen-reading tools that the object is an image.
• Include keywords carefully. Use natural words and synonyms. Don’t stuff the keywords – make sure they make sense with the picture.
• For multiple, yet similar images: Include a core keyword in the lead image.
• Use the target keyword in your image file name.

What's the difference between an image description and alt text? 

Alt text is written for screen readers. It usually provides basic information. Imagine if you couldn't see the image. How would you describe it to other people? Descriptions give more detail.

Why Do You Need Alt Text? 

Yes, adding alt text is an extra step when you're working on your website. It's easy to overlook or skip to save time. But alt text is a must for compliance with website accessibility standards (WCAG). 

Including alt text, when done carefully and purposefully, can improve your SEO, giving you an extra place to add keywords for search engines to see. However, make sure that the alt text is natural - don't ever "stuff" keywords. 

These alt text basics should help give you an understanding of alt text and why it is important. Although it takes an extra step, it is worth it to create a top-notch business website. 

In the wake of our global pandemic, reports suggest that more teachers are considering leaving the teaching profession. That means that many more jobs will be available. Applicants and employers need an easy-to-use site to apply for jobs and post new ones. The Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) has met that need.

When you’re looking for a job or you need workers fast, the last thing you want is a smothering, confusing website design where you struggle to find the information you need. Mapping content to meet the needs of the users and presenting it in simple, straightforward designs are appreciated -- maybe more than ever.

To meet the needs of its two primary audiences, the Illinois Association of School Administrators redesigned its job bank website in 2019, and the updated site beautifully simplifies the hiring and application process.

The IASA job bank homepage offers two paths for users, segmented by who they are and what they are looking for. 

Once a path is chosen, a clean and easy-to-read format allows filtered searches by a variety of criteria, including interest, grade level, and county location. From there, users can sort the results even further. Users can easily register and subscribe to job postings.

The job bank isn’t just a list of jobs. It’s a robust, searchable database that can get pretty granular to meet the user’s detailed request for an education position - including teaching and administrative positions. Within the job description are direct links to the school district, a contact email, and even the city’s website and district report card. You can also share the job description on social media channels and upload your resume.

The improved IASA job bank is a much-needed tool to thwart the current teacher shortage in Illinois.  Since its launch in February 2019, views of the jobs-search-results page have increased by 254%. Job posters are viewing their dashboard 349% more than before the redesign. (June 2020). From March-June 2020, the job seekers section views are up 30%. Job posting sections are down slightly (as of June) perhaps because school districts may be re-evaluating what a teaching job looks like in a pandemic environment. 

Since its launch in February 2019, views of the jobs-search-results webpage have increased by 254%. Job posters are viewing their dashboard 349% more than before the redesign. 

Check out the IASA Job Bank. With such a simplified and flexible online employment process, you might just consider a new career in Illinois education.

Amid our flurry of web site design, application development, photography, videography and digital services in 2018, we at LRS Web Solutions still found time to squeeze in a redesign of our own website, lrswebsolutions.com.

With a fresh site launched, we thought it was a good time for a retrospective to see how far we’ve come. (Since I was just the third Web Solutions employee, I’m now also the team’s unofficial archivist. So please join me for a walk down memory lane.)

Looking back at the early days, our site may seem a little primitive, but hey – it was the late ’90s and a new century was dawning. Web design was skyrocketing as a valuable new industry, and our group was evolving right along with it.

Take a look at our past sites – and see how, despite appearing dated now, our site has always reflected the latest and greatest web design of its time.

After 22 years, you can see how far LRS Web Solutions has come. And yet, we’ve stayed the same, too. While our web site has changed, what hasn’t veered is our focus on the ever-changing needs of our clients. That keeps us at the forefront of web design and development. What’s more, we have a great group of talented professionals, and we love what we do.

Our business model has evolved, too; We’re more than just websites. We’ve expanded our vision to include Network Support, Data Backup Services (DBS), app development, photography, videography, and digital marketing.

For more trips down memory lane, watch our history via our YouTube videos.