October 2017 – ACS Reduc 2022

Halloween Just Got Spookier

October 30, 2017

Being in the creative world, Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here at ACS. It’s the one day a year we get a free pass to express our inner spirits to the world. We’ve always had fun dressing up in ghoulish costumes around the office but, this year, we wanted to offer a special treat to our loyal followers…

Introducing Spooky Escape – a haunting game of skill, patience and timing. Help the little black cat find his way out of the scary cemetery using your computer, tablet, or smartphone. The controls are simple and the addictiveness is real. Our best score so far is 13. Can you do better?

play now

We hope you enjoy this fun little escape from your workday. Please share with your friends and co-workers and have a very happy Halloween from all of us at ACS Creative!

When the Feds Need You, You Need Us

October 24, 2017

Federal agencies and other government organizations are just like other businesses. They turn to vendors for various products and services. If you’re in the business of providing those services, then we should be in business with YOU! We’ve helped many companies market themselves to government entities. We understand the language and visuals they respond to. By designing your company a strong B to G website, we can help you procure those coveted government contracts.

You may have seen us on the GSA schedule.

For a long time, ACS Creative was on the GSA schedule as an official vendor capable of delivering government marketing orders. Today, we are often asked to partner with larger companies to fulfill a facet of an extensive contract—and we are happy to do so. We’ve lent our expertise to many federal, state and municipal web projects. These contracts often consist of detailed technical requirements, which we are accustomed to meticulously meeting. Our long history of working with the government is a boon to our dozens of clients who seek to work with government agencies as well.

Let us lend you our expertise.

Our agency has a great deal of experience in the government vendor space. Many lessons learned and goals accomplished inspire how we approach new B to G website projects. Here are a few simple ways you can make your website design stand out to government agencies.

Be clear and concise.

When marketing to federal agencies, you want to address the services and benefits your company provides right up front. Splashy landing pages and other visual gimmicks are better left to other industries. This is a time for straightforward information. For example, check out this site we designed and built for Arena Technologies. The tabs on the homepage clearly state the info behind each tab, making it easy for visitors to understand the specific services provided and to learn more. Similarly, this website for ECS offers a slider that lists the company’s specialty areas. Below that are two prominent links: “What we do” and “Where we operate.” Again, these layouts are designed with clarity in mind.

Show off those federal logos.

If your business has been awarded government contracts in the past, you should definitely list the agencies’ logos right on the homepage. This instantly communicates to other agencies that you understand and fulfill government requirements. We’ve followed this rule for many of our B to Gov clients. Note how we highlighted them on the ECS and Arena Technologies websites we mentioned previously, and also on the Loch Harbour website we designed. Those logos serve as stamps of approval—and for companies pitching services to federal, state and municipal sectors, they are marketing gold.

If you work on contracts, list them.

If you are able to do so, it’s important to list the government contracts you currently fulfill on your website. This is not only helpful to other government agencies seeking work under those contracts, but it also shows off your expertise, qualifications and track record. On the Loch Harbour site, we included a tab on the primary navigation bar for “Contract Vehicles.” When visitors click on this menu option, they are taken to a page that lists both primary and sub contracts held by the company. They can further click on each contract to get more information. Furthermore, this tactic proves you’ve been vetted, which increases trust from potential new customers. All details are presented in a clear manner with points of contact designated for each.

Similarly, we listed “Contracts” in the nav bar for Spin Sys, a cyber security company. Here we also called them out in the Footer. This is especially helpful for those scrolling on tablets. If they never click on the Contracts tab, they still see the opportunity again at the bottom of the page.

For any business, a government contract can mean steady, long-term work. No matter which sector you serve, the competition among vendors is intense. A professional B to G website that speaks to those you’re targeting can significantly tip the needle in your favor.

Silicon Valley Start-Up Launches New Website

October 17, 2017

We all know the lore around Silicon Valley. The ambition, the technology, the ultra successful start-ups. But we don’t always think about how companies start in Silicon Valley, before they make it big as household names.

We are fortunate enough to work with one of these emerging start-ups, Eridan Communications. The company is developing transmitter technology to enhance 5G wireless networks. (It’s all pretty complicated, for people like us outside of the industry.)

Getting an inside look at a Silicon Valley tech company, we were excited to help Eridan launch their new website. The site includes miles of information. It guides potential investors through different products and technology, encouraging them to get on the ground floor of Eridan’s journey.

Seeing Double

Eridan’s founders have been in the start-up game for a long time. In fact, their company InnerProduct Partners (IPP) helps new start-up companies raise funds. We developed the IPP website, and we were eager to design Eridan’s website too.

Whereas IPP had a fairly straightforward website, Eridan’s site needed to show the depth of their technology to potential investors. That means there was a lot of information to show off. Unfortunately, website navigation bars only stretch so long.

It would be impossible to cram all of the sections and topics into one, easy-to-read navigation menu. To solve this problem, we decided to add a second navigation bar. Two navigation menus is a little outside of the box. It’s also a great solution to information overload.

The top horizontal bar has standard information about the company. A second navigation bar runs down the left side of the page, and it links to detailed information about Eridan’s products, markets and technology.

There Be Dragons

Once we had the navigation menus set up, we had to organize the rest of Eridan’s detailed information. We applied the strategy we use for most websites — glance, scan, read, study. People absorb information differently and at different times. Some people just want to skim past pages (glance, scan). Others want to dive in deep (read, study).

We structured information on Eridan’s website to accommodate all types of information seekers, the scanners and the studiers alike. For each of the sidebar sections, we started with an initial summary page. People can scan these pages for a quick overview of what’s in store, before diving into specific markets or technology details. These smaller chunks of information help prevent visitors from feeling overwhelmed by walls of text.

Some technicians or investors will want more information, of course. They have the option to click through to more detailed internal pages on the website. For the most technically minded visitors, they can even read in-depth reports on physics and amplification. As the site notes, this content is complicated. The page even warns, “there be dragons in there.”

Customer Connections

With the information neatly organized, we also had to focus on how customers can connect with the company. These connections are important for any website. We especially wanted to make sure interested buyers and investors had a way to get in touch with Eridan.

Throughout the website, customers have opportunities to contact Eridan. In the site’s footer, there is a “Contact” button, so interested investors can easily connect with company representatives.

We also developed a custom contact form for each of Eridan’s core products. This way, Eridan can collect key customer data, including email addresses, company names, and phone numbers. All of this information can be used later for marketing messages.

Overall, we’re proud of how Eridan’s website turned out. We can’t wait to see what’s next for the Silicon Valley start-up!

The App is Dead

October 12, 2017

Our team attended DC’s An Event Apart this summer, a conference about the latest web design and development trends. We’ve been writing about our takeaways, including accessibility, measuring engagement, and image optimization. In this post, we dive into the world of progressive web apps.

Apps, as we know them, may be dead. The mobile landscape is changing, and traditional apps are being replaced by better, faster, slicker mobile websites known as progressive web apps.

Jason Grigsby filled us in on the rise of this technology during his presentation, “The Case for Progressive Web Apps,” at An Event Apart. Our Creative Director Rob Smelik also wrote about this topic on his website. Here’s an introductory look at this emerging trend.

Why are native apps going away?

Whenever you download a game like Candy Crush from the app store, you are adding a native app to your smartphone. These apps are developed by specialists who know the ins and outs of Apple and other native app hosts.

The time, effort and costs of native app development are some of the reasons progressive web apps are becoming more popular. As Rob puts it, “With the growing number of mobile OS platforms and the cost associated with developing apps for each, it comes as no surprise that mainstream companies are jumping ship to more cost effective web-based alternatives that rely on the flexibility of responsive website design.”

Responsive websites have improved over the last few years. In 2015, Google changed its infamous algorithm to favor responsive websites, which perform well on any desktop, mobile or tablet device.

Rob explained that Google’s change led to many companies to invest in mobile-friendly sites, rather than native apps. “Why pour money into the development of multiple apps for iOS, Android and even Google’s newest platform Fuchsia, when you can develop one web app to cover all bases?” he wrote.

What are Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)?

You may be asking, “So are these really apps, or just regular mobile websites?” According to Jason Grigsby, it doesn’t really matter. Whether you call them progressive web apps or responsive websites or any other name, the technology is changing the way many companies operate online.

Like native apps, PWAs also deliver push notifications. You can add a PWA to your smartphone home screen, which is not a feature of typical mobile websites. Then, you can opt in to receive regular updates from the site, the way you would from a weather or news app. It’s important to note that this PWA option isn’t available on iPhones. In fact, iOS doesn’t support many PWA features, at least not yet.

Based on Jason’s presentation, here are some other reasons PWAs stand out from other websites.

Speed: With better caching technology, PWAs load faster than other mobile sites. Users also have a smoother experience as they navigate the PWA.
Security: PWAs have SSL certificates, which encrypt user information. You can read more about HTTPS websites in our recent blog post.
Responsiveness: PWAs work well on any desktop or mobile device.

According to Jason (@grigs), PWAs are showing promising results, even in their early stages. Companies are seeing improved SEO, website traffic, and engagement from their progressive web apps.

What should I do?

As PWAs become more popular, you may want to consider how this affects your digital strategy. For instance, maybe developing a native app doesn’t make sense for your company. As Jason pointed out, almost half of U.S. smartphone users don’t download any new native apps on a regular basis.

You may also want to upgrade your website to include PWA features. However, you don’t have to make a lot of changes all at once. You can take small steps to move your site into the new age of progressive web apps.

First and foremost, you can make sure your website is responsive. That way, it will look great on any desktop or mobile device, even if you don’t leverage all of the tools PWAs have to offer just yet.

Why Every Business Needs a Blog

October 3, 2017

The modern “weblog” began its life as a virtual corkboard for topical connections—mostly between coders, tech enthusiasts and geeks in general. Coinciding with the advent of web publishing tools, its evolution took shape quickly. Open Diary launched in 1998, followed by LiveJournal and Blogger in 1999. Until 2009, blogs were primarily utilized for personal publishing, offering commentary on a wide range of topics from sports to politics and everything in between. Today, nearly 30% of all websites run on WordPress—which, at its core, is a blogging platform. Aside from a mildly-interesting history lesson, why is this relevant to you? Glad you asked!

Benefits of a Blog

The modern blog in the age of Web 2.0 has become so much more than a digital journal. Businesses, large and small, are realizing the benefits of utilizing a blog in their marketing game plan. If you already have a website that serves its purpose, why would you take on the extra labor and effort of adding a blog? Let’s have a look at some of the many benefits…

Search Engine Optimization

SEO is perhaps the most important (and measurable) benefit of hosting a blog. As a company, your website displays the information necessary to inform, educate and convert visitors into customers. This isn’t always enough for search engines to grasp onto. A blog offers the opportunity to introduce secondary keywords and topics into the repertoire of your domain.

People aren’t always searching for products and services the way you expect them to. Blog posts allow you to expand your reach into more specific search terms with relevant content. The more you discuss a particular topic, the more authority you build in the search engine’s results. We’ve all heard the popular adage Content is King—which is one cliché that will always be true. By limiting your crawl-able content to the static pages of your website, you are missing a tremendous opportunity.

Although search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo don’t divulge the finer details of their results algorithm, it is apparent that they all favor fresh content. There is no better way to accomplish this than by publishing blog posts often.

Audience Engagement

Any business that puts effort into their social media presence understands the importance of engagement. Likes, clicks, views, and shares are primary objectives across the major social networks. However, those precious actions don’t belong to you. They exist within an entity outside of your control. By allowing comments, reactions and discussion on your blog posts, you are inviting the conversation to your home turf. Now, visitors are engaged with your BRAND—not Facebook or Twitter. In conjunction with the (ever important) social signals mentioned above, audience engagement on your own website will also benefit your SEO tremendously.

Lead Capture & List-Building

Launching a blog creates a whole new dimension of capturing leads and email subscribers. If executed properly, many new organic visitors will arrive on your site via a blog post. With quality content, relevant to your business and industry, it just makes sense for people to engage with any forms attached to your blog. For this reason, your blog becomes somewhat of a landing page library—optimized to attract and capture potential customers.

Demonstrating Authority

We discussed building authority briefly above from a search engine perspective. However, conveying expertise on a given topic or field can also increase trust and boost brand association among your visitors. A blog is the ideal place to offer your unique insights and vast knowledge to the world. Blog posts that truly speak to and educate your audience will only help close the customer acquisition loop.

Ways to Use a Blog

Again, the diary-themed origin of blogs has evolved drastically over the past decade. They can now be used in a multitude of ways and serve many purposes. Whether you run a local pizzeria or a global e-commerce store, your blog is a stage and the world is your audience. It’s a flexible yet powerful tool in nearly all of the major CMS platforms. Remember, you don’t necessarily have to refer to your blog section as a “blog.” Many popular sites around the web have had great success in branding their blog as a standalone industry resource—subtly funneling readers to their own products and services. Below are just a few of the seemingly endless functions a blog can serve.

- Company News and Announcements
- Press Release Publication
- Cultural / Industry Insights
- Short and Long Term Promotions
- Case Studies and Use Cases
- Product Tutorials
- Media Archive
- White Papers
- Brand or Customer Stories

We would be hard-pressed to conceive of a business that couldn’t benefit from a blog feature on their website. This is an opportunity to get creative, supplement your cornerstone content, and expand your message. Those who take advantage will only benefit from the fruits of this labor. What makes for a good blog post? Well, that’s a conversation for another day—but remember: content is king and quality rules.