Posted On August 23rd, 2011 Author Amy Wheaton
Filed Under Headspace News, Design,
Over the spring and summer we’ve been busy working on a new Headspace site, which we’re pleased to unveil today. One of the biggest changes is that our new site utilizes responsive design – it’s accessible from smartphones, tablets, computers, wherever users happen to be. We also placed more emphasis on showcasing our work, our team, our process and our tools of choice.
The old saying when it comes to agency and studio websites is “the cobbler’s children have no shoes” – typically, paying client work comes first (and it should!) Our new site has been a work in progress for some time, and everyone on the team has played a role in getting it ready for launch, from design and programming to copywriting and testing. The site was built in ExpressionEngine 2.0. It also makes use of HTML5 elements, CSS3 (that's where most of those fancy shadows, transitions, rounded corners and gradients are coming from) and JQuery for sliders and modal dialogue windows.
Some of the design elements will look familiar from the old headspacedesign.ca, but we’ve implemented a fresh take on our branding and it figures prominently on the new site. Big thanks to Laura Cosham of Cosham Illustration for her help making us look good and to Kyle, Ricky, and Amy for their work getting everything ready for launch.
We have more features planned to roll out over the next couple of months, so check back often for updates!
Posted On April 15th, 2011 Author Amy Wheaton
Filed Under Headspace News,
At Headspace, we’ve had a busy 2011 so far, with lots of new projects keeping us running full-tilt. We’re about to undertake a big project of our own – we’re moving from our Portland Street location in Dartmouth to an as yet undetermined destination.
Our office lease is up at the end of April, and after lots of deliberation and discussion, we’ve decided not to renew. There are a few reasons for this. As anyone who does business or spends a lot of time in downtown Dartmouth knows, free parking is not a luxury we enjoy, and running around the block to move our cars every two hours to avoid the ever-so-diligent meter maids isn’t the best use of anybody’s time – staff or clients. Plus, our office space is small and our team has grown out of our current digs.
So what’s next? Well, if you’re a client, no need to worry about any interruptions in service or productivity. We’ll still be working seamlessly as a team, using regular meetings and constant communication through Skype and good old-fashioned phone calls to keep up-to-date and keep work flowing. We will be able to meet with clients at their offices, coffeeshops, restaurants, shared work spaces – whatever is easiest for them. Our phone number will stay the same and we’ll continue to be accessible and responsive to clients. You shouldn’t notice a difference in the way we work, other than not needing to make any more trips to Portland Street to see us!
We’re currently looking for a new office space that will house our team comfortably, with adequate meeting areas for us to host clients and ideally, free parking. If you know of any office spaces available in HRM that would suit our team of five full-time staff plus the occasional contractor or intern, please give us a shout. In the meantime, you can find us at our temporary home - 37 Mount Pleasant Avenue in Dartmouth.
Posted On November 3rd, 2010 Author Kyle Racki
Filed Under Headspace News, External Articles, Marketing,
Most business owners know that the internet opens up a lot of marketing potential, and that harnessing the power of the web, and specifically social media, is important to staying relevant. However, many entrepreneurs fail in a few key areas of managing their online presence — particularly when it comes to online communities.
NOTE: This article was published in the October 2010 issue of Business Voice.
It can be very tempting to want a blog or forum on your corporate website. After all, getting customers engaged with your brand is the holy grail of all forms of marketing. Some companies opt to use Facebook or Twitter for their online business communications, avoiding the upfront development fees associated with a custom blog. There’s nothing wrong with either approach, provided you keep the following points in mind:
Commit
Too many business owners begin an online community, thinking that simply getting a site built or starting a Facebook page will be all that’s needed. At the beginning they are fired up and excited about it, so they emphatically post their first couple of entries (Usually something akin to “We now have a blog” or “Welcome to our Facebook Page!”) But then life happens, and the posts slow down and eventually cease, much to the embarrassment of the website owner.
There are a few reasons this might happen:
- You may be expecting too much of yourself and your audience. Too many owners feel they need a post or article that is lengthy and detailed. The bar is set so high for themselves that they opt to not post at all.
- You feel that you don’t want posts to be too personal or transparent; that you will appear unprofessional, or even worse (gasp!) your competitors will see what you write!
- You don’t see immediate results. Users are not commenting, and your inbox is not getting flooded with requests for work and flattering reviews of your latest post.
The latter point happens because of the former; users are not engaged because the posts are not regular, or they are not interesting. But abandoning your community is not the answer. I always tell our clients when they want to start an online community that it is akin to starting a fire with wet wood - it takes time up front, and a few failed starts, but once you commit to it and keep adding fuel, it will eventually sustain itself with comparatively less work. So what to do then?
Engage
Don’t be afraid to post brief posts with a personal viewpoint. Users prefer these types of posts because it demonstrates you. No one wants to engage online with a faceless corporation, and the big brands who have successfully started an online community have shared their personal viewpoints and helpful, interesting content that has resonated with their customers. Don’t post press releases on your site. Unless they are media contacts, most users just don’t care!
Don’t make the mistake of trying to directly market or promote yourself with your blog or social community. It will seem self-serving. But if your content is good, it will market you by default because you will stay fresh in the minds of potential customers.
Your staff represents your brand, so get them involved. If they are posting their own thoughts and ideas, or even helping customers through blog comments or Twitter posts, it can only reflect well on your company.
Don’t be afraid of your competition — they are going to see what you write — get over it!
Post regularly but make sure that even if your posts aren’t lengthy and extravagant, they are quality. It’s better to have one great post every week than one boring post every day.
Keep a notepad handy and write down post ideas as they come to you, in the shower, in the car, wherever ideas happen. You can always sit down and compile several posts when the inspiration has hit you, and then stagger when you actually release them online. This will make it appear as if you’re regularly posting, but in reality you’re cheating!
Don’t be too disheartened if no one seems to be commenting. It takes time for an online community to build momentum (remember the wet fire concept?) but you can encourage people to comment by asking questions, linking to your posts in other similar online discussions, and most importantly, responding to the occasional individual who does comment.
Don’t try to control the message. If you delete negative posts on your blog, they will only appear on someone else’s. Instead respond in a positive, humble, but truthful and genuine manner. Even better, if your community is engaged with your brand, they may even come to your defense — you may not have to say anything. You couldn’t ask for better marketing than this.
Posted On July 13th, 2010 Author Kyle Racki
Filed Under Headspace News,
Wow, it’s hard to believe we’re mid-way through the year! 2010 has so far been a great year for Headspace as we continue to grow.
It’s been a while since the last post - way too long - so I just wanted to mention to those who still check for updates, that the blog will continue to be updated. The summer is unusually busy, with new project coming in all the time. Part of that has been our newest team member, Amy Wheaton.
Amy joined us from Colour about a month ago as our first official Account Director and has been shining in this role, helping keep our projects on track and help Kevin and me with new business opportunities. We hope our frat house of immature humour and Lord of the Rings references do not drive her away, but so far she seems to be putting up with it fine.
There’s been some new clients on board who we’re really excited about, but I’ll wait until we actually have some work to show in the projects section before I announce who they are. As always, there is some great tourism website’s and marketing initiatives we are working on, but we’ve also got a diverse group of new clients and projects that are keeping us on our toes. We also continue work on our web application, of which more details will surface as we get nearer to finishing and launching it.
I realize this is a bit of a general, self-serving post - but I wanted to give an update on where Headspace is in July of 2010, and let you know there will be some new content arriving shortly. Enjoy your summer!
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