Are You Falling for Font Falsehoods? Why Size Doesn’t Matter, and What Does

Perfect web font sizeThere’s a lot of talk on the web lately about font sizes. Sometimes it’s backed up by studies, and sometimes it’s based on personal experience.

Overall, it’s a great trend. I’m thrilled that we can actually talk about fonts and the web in the same breath.

But while you’re sorting through the font information floating around out there, I’d like to help steer you clear of some pervasive lies. Font users beware!

New-Found Font Freedom

It wasn’t long ago that we had a minuscule list of unremarkable fonts to choose from. Now, the typographic doors have been busted wide open. Google Fonts are available for free, and Adobe — long a powerhouse font resource on designer’s desktops — acquired Typekit, a leading web font provider.

This means good times can be had by all: you are free to move about in font land. But beware … [Read more...]

Why Did You Start a Business, and What Keeps You Going?

In today’s post, I’d like to give the floor over to you. (The last time I did this, there were well over 100 responses. Visit this post and say hello if you haven’t already.)

Take a few moments to answer this question in the comments:

Why did you start a business, and what motivates you to keep going?

You can write a one-sentence answer if you’d like, or elaborate further if you have time.

To start things off, here’s what motivates me:

I believe that even if your business is small, your brand can be BIG.

The Big Brand System shows you how to harness the power of well-designed, strategic marketing materials for your business, with a strong emphasis on empowering you so you can create them yourself.

That’s what keeps me coming back to my keyboard week after week. And it’s the motivating force behind all the products I’ve created, too.

Now it’s your turn. Let’s hear it in the comments:

Why did you start a business, and what motivates you to keep going?

The 13 Minute, 33 Second Website

Last year, I converted the Big Brand System website over to the Prose theme by StudioPress, and wrote a review about it here.

I’ve enjoyed creating my website on the Prose theme so much that I made it the basis of the tool I developed with Wendy Cholbi to help small business owners create their own websites, Site Setup Kit.

But Prose is So … Plain

Prose is plain when you first see it. Let’s face it, when you go to the StudioPress theme showcase, Prose looks like the wallflower theme that never gets a turn on the dance floor because she’s so ordinary looking.

Dress Her Up and She’s Ready to Go in 15 Minutes

I’m here to report that Prose will help you create a gorgeous custom website that’s full of color and images, and is 100% unique … and you will be astounded at how fast it is.

In the video above, I prove it to you: watch as I put together a custom website style in 13 minutes and 33 seconds without knowing a line of code.

Question of the Week

Do you use WordPress and a premium theme? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

I know my readers are WordPress users, but there are also plenty of Drupal, Joomla and HTML websites out there. Let me know what you’re using, and share any questions you may have about the video above.

Branding 101: 7 Business Name Traps to Avoid

Naming your business: tips and tricks It’s one of the most gut-wrenching decisions you’ll make about your business, and you’ve got to make it very early on, sometimes before you’re really ready.

Get it wrong, and you’ll be fighting an uphill marketing battle with an inadequate weapon.

Get it right, and you’ll take a giant step toward a memorable brand that your prospects will grow to recognize, appreciate and trust.

Today’s post is about seven pitfalls to avoid when naming your business. Don’t hinder your progress by painting yourself into a corner with a name that will hold you back. Learn what to avoid and what to do when choosing your business name. [Read more...]

The Shocking Truth About What We Really Think About
Your Brand

Your brand impressionDo you have one of those brands?

You know, the ones people secretly snicker about?

Here’s what they’re saying under their breath:

“I don’t know what this company does!”

“Their website looks like a 12-year-old designed it.”

“Their sales techniques are so slimy I don’t want to deal with them.”

“I can’t remember the name of the company.”

If you’re worried that people are saying these things about your brand, read on. These issues have fixes, and I’m going to share them with you today. [Read more...]