Tingalls

Tingalls Blog - Marketing Tips & Tricks

What is SSL and Does My Website Need One?

Lately, some of our clients have been asking about purchasing an SSL for their website. Usually, it’s because they’ve heard it’s a big trend in web design and Internet marketing, but might not know exactly what it is or how it can help them. And, there are also scams selling fake SSLs, taking your money and never touching your site. So, let’s get to the bottom of things by answering a few questions that might be on your mind… What is SSL? SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer, and it basically means that a website that’s hosted in this way forms a secure, encrypted connection with each visitor. You might […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

Why Your Website Images Shouldn’t Come From Google

The visuals on your website are important. Not only do they help tell a story and enhance your credibility, but they make an instant impression. In fact, researchers estimate the human mind can process images one thousand times faster than text. That means potential customers notice the photos you use on your web pages, at least subconsciously, before they ever process any of your actual messaging. Understanding the power of images isn’t just about knowing which ones to use, however. It’s also about knowing where to find them. In particular, to realize you should be purchasing royalty-free images from sites like istockphoto.com instead of snatching them off of Google. From […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

5 Extra Touches That Make a Web Design Special

Usually, when business owners talk to us about web design, they are particularly interested in layouts, logos, and colors. However, as important as these elements are, it’s often the “extra touches” that separate good websites from great ones. It’s the smaller details that bring everything together and make your pages stand out. What are these extra touches that make such a difference? Here are five should pay particular attention to… #1 Photos and Images Because the human mind picks out images faster than text and other webpage ingredients, we are naturally drawn to photos, drawings, and charts. The visual elements your web designer chooses for your website shouldn’t be random, […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

Two Hidden Details that Make or Break SEO

For most business owners and marketers, success in search engine optimization comes down to a simple equation: use more keywords and get more links, then watch as traffic flows to your website and new customers show up day after day. It’s a simple strategy, but a winning one… right? In theory, that’s the way things should work. However, this narrow approach to SEO overlooks something important. Namely, that more search traffic doesn’t necessarily mean more sales. In fact, it could even mean fewer, if you are bringing the wrong visitors to your website or letting an over-emphasis on search optimization ruin your message. To see why this is so important […]

Read More
Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Website Design

Best of Design Blogs

Continuing our end-of-year blog round-up, this week’s topic is design. We’ve pulled together our most popular blogs about design. These blogs cover topics from package design to logo colors. Check ‘em out and see if we haven’t answered your design questions. Packaging Design If you manufacture any sort of product, you know how important packaging design is. Regardless of your industry, there is a bevy of competing products. So how do you get your product recognized and ahead of the competition? Read more… Love Your Logo The history of logos is long and varied and somewhat out of the scope of this piece, but take just a moment to think […]

Read More
Posted in Copywriting & Blogging, Logo Design, Print & Package Design, Website Design

Tingalls Graphic Design takes First Place for Website Development

InBusiness Magazine honors Tingalls Graphic Design with First Place in 2015 Executive Choice Awards Recognition by the InBusiness Magazine’s Executive Choice Awards is an honor highly sought after. Winners in a variety of categories are chosen by majority vote of 1000 Madison business executives. In an industry with a great deal of competition, the award for best Website Development Company is a difficult one to attain. “It is an absolute honor to be acknowledged with this award. Since 2000, my team and I have worked very hard to streamline our website design process for our clients so they feel engaged, excited and empowered from the initial meeting to the website […]

Read More
Posted in About Tingalls, Website Design

Web Design by Design

Websites – by now it’s a staple of any successful marketing mix. But there are shades of grey between the black and white of a good or bad website. The difference between “a website” and “the website” is more than just cosmetic. A good website offers simple, positive user experiences (UX) and turns visitors into customers. The criteria for good UX changes from day to day. Which is why you should select your website designer and developer carefully. Web Design Trends Using the word trends makes the art and science of a website seem flippant or seasonal. It’s not. The ideal website not only incorporates the latest best practices for […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

Tingalls Culture

At Tingalls Graphic Design, we work really hard. Taking ideas from our clients’ minds and turning them into a visual reality is challenging at times. We work just as hard to keep our creative work fresh and innovative. To do this, we embrace some non-traditional methods. Spoons By now, if you’re a client or a fan, you’ve heard about our Spoons competitions. We value the importance of working with a clear mind and sometimes a little game of competitive Spoons at the pub table in our office does the trick. Work Environment Tara Ingalls, the owner and creative director of Tingalls Graphic Design has taken major steps to make sure […]

Read More
Posted in Color, Graphic Design, Website Design

Web Design Part II – Tools, Terms and More

Web Design 2016 and Beyond Part II – Tools, Terms and More Last week (link) we talked about the history of the Internet. Websites are inherently dated products, as much as any print collateral you might generate. Trends in design and technology wash across the web as surely as they do in fashion, film, and any other form of technical art. Anybody can spot an “old” website – and even though they still work, websites should be thought of as software – something you invest in and continually update. Language of Web Design Perhaps the hardest part of the web design process for clients is the nearly foreign language that […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

Web Design: 2016 and Beyond

It seems hard to believe, but web design has been a “thing” for more than 20 years. In those two short decades business as we once knew it changed more than it had in the previous 200 years. The Internet revolutionized small business – and continues to evolve at lightning speed. The Internet came with a few caveats, however. It was the great leveler, allowing small business to compete with their larger, slower moving cousins. Suddenly, Small Local Business was just as viable as a Large Corporation. But small business had to adapt their offerings as well – small business was suddenly competing (if indirectly) on the global stage. Enter […]

Read More
Posted in Website Design

Content that Counts: The Golden Nugget

Content that counts comes in many forms. This isn’t your first day on the Internet – odds are you have a Facebook account, Twitter feed or even more. Have you noticed any patterns? Everything happens at light speed, in short tiny bursts of concentrated information. This is counter intuitive – the assumption is that audiences want detailed and elaborate explanations of services and products, events and everything else.

Read More
Posted in Copywriting & Blogging, Marketing, Tips, Website Design

6 Things You Can Do to Turbocharge Your Website in 2015

Thinking it would be great to get more customers from your website in 2015, or that you haven’t been making the most of Internet marketing opportunities? You certainly aren’t alone – this is the time of year when we receive a particularly high volume of calls from business owners, managers, and executives who are looking forward to bigger things. In the course of our initial consultations, there is usually a handful of common recommendations we are able to make and get started with. Here are six things you can do to turbocharge your website and turn it into a marketing machine in 2015 and beyond: 1. Give your website a […]

Read More
Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Website Design