Once in a while we are approached by extremely unique clients to build them a custom website for their niche markets. This past month, we took on a great project for a local DJ who was looking for a unique website design with a fresh and clean look, while also including integrations with various social sharing platforms, particularly a music sharing platform called Soundcloud.

Soundcloud is an online social network where established or aspiring musicians, recording artists, producers, and DJ’s can connect and share their audio files to showcase their unique talents. Sheldon Khan (AKA DJ ShelShock) was looking to showcase some of his featured mixes directly from each page of his new website, so we implemented a Soundcloud plugin to allow his featured mixes to be played by site visitors on each page of the site. This addition creates an engaging audio element for site visitors to enjoy while navigating the site.

To engage site visitors and potential fans even further, Twitter and blog post feeds have been placed on the homepage, a “Like” counter has been placed in the header, and a Twitter “Follow” button can be found next to the Twitter feed so anyone can instantly connect with DJ ShelShock on various social networks.

Another key feature in the DJ ShelShock website design is the “Dates” page and “Upcoming Shows” box on the homepage. These elements were added to provide site visitors information on where and when DJ ShelShock will be in action in the coming months.

Overall, we had a blast working with DJ ShelShock on this project, and we are thrilled with the end result!

We would like to wish DJ ShelShock the best of luck in his DJ career and we look forward to working with him again in the future.

Cheers for now,

Team Klevrkraft

After several weeks working closely with Toronto-based personal and private chef Lauren Mozer of Elle Cuisine, we are proud to announce the launch of her company’s new and improved website: www.ellecuisine.ca

With a heavy focus on social media integration, coupled with a simplified and more engaging user experience, Elle Cuisine’s new website screams creativity and visual appeal. The site has also been search engine optimized via our strategic SEO partners, and we have embedded Elle Cuisine’s latest promotional videos which can be played via PrettyPhoto Video Lightbox directly from the homepage.

To say the least, we are extremely proud to have been part of such a great project, and we are absolutely thrilled with the end result!

We would also like to thank Lauren Mozer and Elle Cuisine for giving us the opportunity to build such a great new website for them, and for providing us with unwavering support and communication from start to finish. It was a true pleasure working with you!

Best wishes and all the best in your future endeavors; We look forward to working with you again real soon!

Team Klevrkraft

Pictures sometimes are worth a thousand words, and this holds true in the world of commercial signage or window displays. We cannot stress enough just how important it is for store or shop owners to take full advantage of all of the advertising space that is available to them, particularly regarding window panels at the front of their stores.

Although most store owners are taking advantage of their window space by having vinyl text installed to outline their core products or services, they are missing out on greater opportunities to really engage passers by and potential customers. Of course, many shops depend on having open windows to allow window shoppers to look into the store from the outside, however, for businesses that do not depend on window shopping to entice customers, then having engaging window graphics is a great way to really showcase what your products and services really represent.

In addition to captivating images, it is also a great opportunity to provide key information in large print that can be seen from afar, simply to grab attention and to provide lucrative calls-to-action that can potentially generate new business. Some examples would be to include a phone number, website URL, email address, business hours, and other key points to help advertise the core products and services offered. By including these elements, along with elegant images or illustrations, your signs will provide a great deal of informative business details to help potential customers acknowledge your existence, learn about your service offerings, get a feel of the environment and atmosphere offered within your store or shop, and get in contact with you from various touchpoints.

If you have an office, store, or boutique with empty windows at the front entrance, then you are a perfect candidate for some affordable, effective, and captivating window signage.

Although most business professionals and organizations have taken that critical step in securing their online presence with a website, there still exists some confusion with the actual purpose that the website will serve, as well as issues regarding branding/styling inconsistencies.

The reality is, just like all other marketing collateral or advertising media, a website (particularly the styling and brand elements) must be consistent with the overall brand in question. One of the most critical questions a company must address when developing a corporate website is whether or not the site is a true reflection of the brand itself. Prior to the design of any brand website, several questions must be asked and answered in order to ensure that the final design will be a true representation of the organization or brand. Here are some key questions to consider when implementing a final website design:

• Do the design elements reflect the nature of the business? (Do you need a web 2.0 style design? or would a corporate-style template fit the bill better?)

• Does your website help define your product/service properly? (Does your website incorporate certain features to make sure?)

• Will visitors to your site be able to search for, find, and research key information on your company, products/services, and contact information?

• Have you done your part to ensure that your customers will have an easy and informative visit to your site?

Actually, the list can go on, but the essentials are all there. When building a website, companies and brands must ensure that the website is consistent with their brand identity and must provide an atmosphere that truly represents the brand as a whole. For example, I have always found the Bell Canada website a perfect representation of their brand, particularly after their massive re-branding initiative a few years back. Visiting Bell’s website is like walking into their retail stores, which are very simple, clean, well organized, colour/brand conscious, and it provides all the information that can be offered by an employee at one of their local retail stores. They even have an interactive customer service section to ensure that Bell customers are given the opportunity to troubleshoot problems, get answers, and gain important information with ease.

Although Bell is just one example, there are many other brand websites that are worthy of mention as well; however, that example alone should get the point across.

So, when you decide to have a website designed for your brand, make sure that you are “brand conscious” throughout the process. Always keep in mind that your website is ultimately a reflection of your brand, so if it is disorganized (or sloppy), inconsistent, difficult to navigate, and does not provide key information for customers, then that will be what (many) visitors to your site think about your brand as a whole. If you currently have a website that is not brand conscious, then you may want to consider a revamp…

Where traditional marketing mediums such as TV, radio, print, and out-of-home attempt to optimize the reach, frequency, impressions, circulation, and exposure of marketing messages to a given market, social media networks offer a more “human” approach to engaging customers.

It is amazing how so many companies today, small and large, still haven’t really grasped the true power of social media to connect with their customers on a much deeper level. Sure, traditional mass marketing techniques are still effective for driving specific calls-to-action or achieving goals such as spreading awareness or offering information on particular products and services, however, there are many things that marketers can do to really connect with their customers via social media that just aren’t possible through traditional mediums. Here are some examples:

• Engage customers directly and communicate with them on a daily basis
• Reach millions of customers and offer engaging ways to interact with them
• Prove your appreciation by offering your customers exclusive discounts and offers
• Engage in dialogue and gain valuable insight on how they truly feel about your brand
• Make your customers feel appreciated and special by talking to them personally
• Provide relevant content instantly from any internet connection around the globe
• Create fun and exciting contests or challenges to really engage your customers

The list can go on and on, but you get the point. Now that you have a better understanding of some of the ways you can engage your customers via social media, let’s take a look at the benefits you can enjoy as the result of such activity:

• Establish online communities for engaging your customers (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
• Collect valuable insight into how to improve on your product or service offerings
• Drive brand affinity and customer loyalty
• Drastically improve your marketing ROI with affordable social media campaigns
• Integrate various social apps to optimize reach to your customers 
• Offer dynamic multimedia content through video, streaming, games, mobile apps, etc.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that social media is continuing to soar and has become an integral part of the daily lives of people of all ages all around the world. That said, you can safely say that the majority of your customers use social networks such as Facebook and Twitter multiple times a day. In fact, people spend more time online these days than they do watching TV or listening to the radio. The facts speak for themselves, and the time is now to start showing your customers the human side of your business by engaging them on a more personal level. The possibilities truly are endless when it comes to social media marketing, and in the unfortunate case that your business still lacks a social media presence, all I can say is: Facebook.