Printing presses, desktop printers and monitors produce colors in different ways. Screens and presses are NOT made to match each other, even if they sometimes do. Monitors use the RGB (red, green, blue) color model, which usually supports a wider spectrum of colors. Printers use the CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) color model, which can reproduce most—but not all—of the colors in the RGB color model. Depending on the equipment used, CMYK generally matches 85–90% of the colors in the RGB model. When a color is selected from the RGB model that is out of the range of the CMYK model, the application chooses what it thinks is the closest color that will match. Programs like Adobe Photoshop will allow you to choose which color will be replaced. Others may not.

Need help? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design.

KrissArt Marketing Design has had the pleasure of redesigning Project Hospitality's website. The new site provides visually pleasing graphics and easy to navigate pages. Find many ways you could help and how to receive help if needed.

It is the mission of Project Hospitality, Inc. to reach out to community members who are hungry, homeless or otherwise in need in order to work with them to achieve their self-sufficiency — thereby enhancing the quality of life for our community. Project Hospitality seeks to realize its mission both by advocating for those in need and by establishing a comprehensive continuum of care that begins with the provision of food, clothing and shelter and extends to other services which include health care, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse treatment, HIV care, education, vocational training, legal assistance, and transitional and permanent housing.

See the new website at www.projecthospitality.org.

Need to revamp your website? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design, click here.

• You are your own brand. Jobs will come and go but the brand that stays with you forever is you. Today the way you, as a brand, show up online is as important as the way you show up in person.
• Your online footprint is a reflection of who you are, what you've done and what you'd like to do.
• If you don't tell the story you want people to find - Google will.
• 94 percent of recruiters use or plan to use social media in their recruitment efforts.
• Prospective clients, employers and business opportunities are searching for you -- online -- in advance of a meeting just as they do with any major purchase.
• The lack of a digital presence sends a signal you may have something to hide.
• Traditional resumes are a formality. They don't engage -- they bore.
• Sharing is the new currency in a digital world. Your digital presence allows you to share your views and relevant content with like minded people and to position yourself as an expert and influencer. It's an opportunity to grow your business and expand your networks.
• The line is increasingly blurred between professional you and personal you. You may run your company -- but your company's brand presence alone is not enough.
• First impressions still count. The difference is now they happen on line.

The reality is, no matter who you are, business professional to entrepreneur, CEO to salesperson, your digital you opens doors, creates new connections and keeps you marketable and relevant. It deserves your time.



Joanne Tombrakos, Storyteller. Marketing and Sales Consultant. Adjunct Professor at NYU. Huffington Post

If your small business doesn’t have a website, you’re inevitably missing out on potential clients and potential cash.

Already got a site? Good. Now, let’s talk strategy. Because the quality of that site could also be impacting your bottom line.

“Anybody can buy a Web platform and build a down-and-dirty site,” said Buffy McCoy Kelly, partner and creative director of Charlotte, N.C., ad agency Tattoo Projects. “But an (unpolished site) definitely colors the way you look to the world. It colors your value to the consumer. And it can definitely hurt you.”

McCoy Kelly and other experts in marketing, advertising and Web design were polled to compile a list of mistakes small-business owners often make when developing and maintaining their websites.

Here are their tips, and a handy list of what not to do:

Visual mistakes

• Burying contact information: The whole point of the website is to be a point of entry for a customer. So don’t hide your phone number and email address at the bottom of one tab. And make that email address a hyperlink.
• Failing to embrace “white space”: In a layout, it can be as effective as type. If there’s too much vying for a user’s attention on a site, they won’t know where to go for the answer they needed. So simplify the visuals and focus on one or two key images and short paragraphs.
• Dead links: It’s a good idea to log on to your website from a different computer every once in a while and make sure that there aren’t any links that lead to sites that don’t exist anymore.
• Logos that spin or flash: All experts agree: Lose it now.

Content mistakes

• Too many words: In the “About Us” section, you should be able to give a crystal-clear picture of your business in one short paragraph, about four sentences. It’s OK if you need more space to describe complex, industry-specific products or services, but do it strategically in other areas of the site.
• Typos and grammatical errors: This is an easy way to alienate an audience. Have knowledgeable eyes scan your site to check for these potentially costly mistakes. It’s a service worth paying for.
• Failing to focus on search engine optimization: You could have a beautiful site, but without industry buzz words, you won’t land high on a Google search, McCoy Kelly said. Make a list of the top 25 keywords or phrases that define your business and industry, then build a plan for how to best use those keywords consistently.
• Stale content: Some businesses put up a site and never change it, leading to the question: Is the business still around? One way to show fresh content is to maintain a company blog that’s connected to your website. Another is to connect a feed of your social media updates to your site.
• Outdated calendars: Similarly, if you’re going to post a calendar, update it. If not, nix it.

Big-picture mistakes

• A site that doesn’t mirror your company culture: Don’t be afraid to be a little creative if that’s the culture of your business, but if you’re an attorney or run an accounting firm, projecting a playful vibe isn’t your best tactic.
• Failing to mobile-optimize: If you’re not going to develop a mobile app, invest in a site that works the same on mobile devices. Users hate it when tabs disappear, or when they’re forced to scroll left and right.
• Failing to incorporate social media: If you’re active on social media (and you should be), make sure your social media icons are visible and clickable.
• Being stingy: Buying a domain often costs just $12 to $15, but developing a top-notch website can cost thousands of dollars. But consider Web work the same as you consider advertising, experts say. It’s an advertisement of its own. And a well-built website can also be a money-maker

Do you own a small business and need a website? Do you have a website but need updating it? Contact KrissArt Marketing Design for a free consultation.

Posted in Small-business, Metro-business on Sunday, April 13, 2014 • www.timesdispatch.com