Blog | Graphic & Web Design Tips | Custom Web Design | Tingalls

Do You Need a Logo?

A quick search on Google and you’ll find a number of graphic design and marketing companies give you lists of reasons why you need a company logo. BUT not everyone needs a logo. Having a little mark that symbolizes your company is sort of cool and a lot of people just simply want one, but how do you decide if you actually need one or not. The first thing you need to do is ask yourself why do you need a logo. There are no set rules to determine if you need a logo but a basic review of your company, your customers, your competition and your market may help […]

Posted in Advertising, Logo Design, Marketing

Branding vs. Logo

Before comparing branding and logos let’s take a step back and define what each element is. A logo is a symbol that consumers can quickly recognize as belonging to a business, product(s) or service(s). A brand is an idea or an impression that consumers have, branding is attaching that idea to your business. Branding also consists of the overall image you portray via your business cards, website and additional marketing materials. For example the “golden arches” of McDonald’s is iconic and just the sight of that big rounded yellow M makes you think of the restaurant. But the company’s brand is the impression it brings to mind, which for most […]

Posted in About Tingalls, Advertising, Branding, Logo Design

Separating the Amateurs from the Professionals in Graphic Design

Sometimes too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. This can happen in a lot of places, but we’re particularly sensitive to it when it comes to graphic design. At one point everyone held a crayon in their hand and realized that they could color and draw. It was exciting, rewarding and you needed more. Eventually, you packed as many crayons as you could into your pudgy little hand and tried coloring with all of them at once, with varying degrees of success. This is basically what happens when some people discover graphic design, and we’re all for it. We want people to experiment and learn how […]

Posted in About Tingalls, Website Design

Why Isn’t My Website #1 on Google?

This is a question that haunts many companies, the all important Google page rank, the standard by which all is measured in your industry. Or is it? Let’s first clear up one misconception. Having a high ranking website isn’t the end-all-be-all-crowning-accomplishment of a website. Higher ranking websites on Google can bring you additional traffic, but if you have a bad website that doesn’t offer a good user experience you won’t get conversions anyway. The lesson here – focus on creating a great website with a good user experience that converts those viewers into customers. That said – you still want that #1 Google position. So why does your competition rank […]

Posted in Search Engine Optimization

Brochure vs. Palmcard: Picking the Right Print Advertising

Once upon a time every company believed they needed to have a brochure so they rushed out to have one printed that included a ton of information about their company and possibly a few pictures. Quite often not a lot of thought went into the creation of a company brochure, it was just something you had to have. Today that’s changed and many businesses are trying to be more streamlined in their marketing approach and gathering clients. For some companies a trifold brochure still makes the most sense but for other companies a smaller palmcard with only two sides is the better choice. And, in some cases, a company may […]

Posted in About Tingalls, Print & Package Design

Why Hire a Professional to Design Your Logo?

Too many companies design their own company logos and then end up with a product that is unreadable, confusing and doesn’t portray them in the best light possible. Your logo should stand on its own and provide an instant mental link to your company. This is a big task and not something that should be taken lightly. Professional logo designers know what logo colors are best suited for specific industries, which fonts people respond to, when and how to use negative space and how to space characters and images. But most importantly, professional logo designers have an artistic flair that sets your logo apart from the masses. Unlike clip art […]

Posted in About Tingalls, Branding, Logo Design, Print & Package Design

Changes to Google Analytics: i.e. Organic Keywords

Sometimes it seems as if Google changes more often than the weather in Wisconsin and all we can do is bring an umbrella and prepare for the downfall. Many of our clients like using the Google Analytics tool because it’s a free analysis of their website, providing them with detailed information on how many people are visiting their pages, which pages are most popular, what days attract more customers, how many more customers came during a promotional event, what keywords people are using to find the website – oh wait! Google Analytics will no longer be providing keyword information. For avid fans of analytics this will come as a big […]

Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Tips

New Google Changes to Search Algorithm

Google has done it again, they’ve just announced another change to their algorithm but this one is expected to have a very significant impact, possibly affecting up to 35% of all searches. The new focus of the algorithm is on getting fresher and more-timely results for queries. Many Google searches are time sensitive and the people searching want the most recent news or cutting edge information and Google is now attempting to respond with up to the minute fresh information. What does this mean to website owners? It means that keeping current on your website and adding news or blogs will help your website appear fresh and packed with news. […]

Posted in Advertising, Search Engine Optimization, Tips, Website Design

5 Reasons to Continue with Print Marketing

Social media is growing daily with more and more outlets for businesses as well as individuals and more people embracing the technology as a way of life. But will electronic media ever swallow up print marketing? We don’t think so and here are our top 5 reasons why. There’s Credibility in Print Anyone can publish anything online, accuracy and reliability aren’t necessarily inherent in information found on the internet. But print carries a sense of credibility which boosts the reliability of a company. It’s Tangible There is something to be said about a piece of advertising that is tangible, one that you can hold in your hands, tuck in your […]

Posted in About Tingalls, Advertising, Print & Package Design

Play by Search Engine Rules

Almost every website is hoping for that coveted #1 position on Google and there are a variety of ways to get there, legitimate and not-so-honest methods. The important thing to remember is legitimate search engine optimization (SEO) is an integral part of your website and will help you throughout the site’s lifespan. Spammy or SEO trickery will harm your website in the long run and can even get you booted off of a search engine. Tingalls Graphic Design always plays by search engine rules and would love to help you with your SEO strategy. No Keyword Stuffing Keywords and keyphrases are very important to your website, using them frequently and […]

Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Tips

Beware of SEO Scams

You’ll notice that Tingalls Graphic Design has added some Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services to our roster and we’re proud to announce that our clients have seen results in the placement of their website on search engines, especially the coveted Google. But we’ll never guarantee that you’ll get a first place placement on Google or even that you’ll reach the first page because this is something no one can ensure. That’s right, whether you’re using good, legitimate SEO techniques or if you’re trying every dirty trick in the book you still cannot guarantee placement on the search engines. We felt it was important to point out this fact because lately […]

Posted in Search Engine Optimization, Tips

Negative Space in Logo Design

Negative space is the area around and between the subject of an image. It’s often an overlooked principle of design but it’s almost as important as the subject itself as it gives the eye a place to rest and can increase the overall effectiveness of the composition. Sometimes negative space is referred to as white space, but this can be confusing as it’s often not white. Using negative space in your logo design is important as it creates aesthetic composition and a general feel to the logo itself. A very busy logo with little negative space may be perceived as active, exciting or cluttered. A logo that features a lot […]

Posted in Logo Design, Print & Package Design

What is Google +1

Google +1 is different than Google Plus, although they both were rolled out at roughly the same time. The +1 is a way to “like” or recommend a website or business to others while Google Plus is a new social media outlet that is designed to function in a manner similar to Facebook. If you have a Google account, typically this is an email or Gmail account, then you can begin recommending your favorite websites and businesses. Do a simple Google search, of the results that appear you’ll see a small box with a +1 in it to the right of the company name. This is where you click to […]

Posted in Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, Tips

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