In today’s globally-flat, interwoven, small market world you need a strong brand. Most companies have identified basic guidelines for how to communicate their brand in advertising like a brand voice for print or television ads or a “brand bible” that outlines all the do’s and don’ts for preserving the brand. Businesses spend millions of dollars in time and money to to protect and promote their brand identity and then throw those guidelines right out the window when it comes to their search engine marketing initiatives.

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Occupy-NorthPole.com is now live and fighting the good fight against cookie inequality! Learn more about the movement on their site and then check ‘em out on Facebook and stay up to date about all the news by following the movement on Twitter:

@ChandlerWobble: Head spokes-elf for the ONP movement.

@Occupy_NP: The official twitter account of the ONP movement.

@Red_NoseRudolph: Santa’s 9th reindeer and proud member of the Reindeer Union for over 72 years.

@Sam_theSnowman: Lead reporter covering the movement for the North Pole News Network.

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Studiobanks recently launched a trio of integrated microsites for Allen Tate Company’s homeownership services, insurance and mortgage divisions. These online destinations provide customers with detailed, interactive content applicable to their unique needs.

Home Services connects homeowners with quality, pre-screened home service providers – from simple home repairs to major renovations. Customers can search service providers by their needs and location.

Insurance provides comprehensive information about the company’s full-service insurance coverage options. Instant chat and rate quote features quickly provide customers with personalized information.

Mortgage is a valuable resource guide for consumers looking to purchase or refinance a home. Features include mortgage calculators, online applications, an application checklist, a terms glossary and easy access to Allen Tate mortgage consultants who serve as mentors throughout the mortgage process.

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We’d like to take a moment to welcome new client Cornerstone Community Bank to the Studiobanks team! Charlotte Observer Reporter Eric Frazier shares the funny story behind our new partnership with this Florida-based bank:

Search leads a bank to a Banks

Businesses spend gobs of money trying to make sure their name and Web links show up prominently in Google search results for the products or services they offer.

But for Studiobanks, a Charlotte digital marketing agency, it didn't take a sophisticated search engine optimization campaign to catch the eye of one Google-searching prospective client.

Instead, a quirky coincidence of the Studiobanks name - and its president's name - did the trick.

It all came about when the Cornerstone Community Bank in St. Petersburg, Fla., decided to hire an agency to redesign its website. Someone at the bank was running Google searches for bank website designers and stumbled across Studiobanks.

The firm hadn't actually done any bank websites, but did have the luck of being a website design firm run by one Banks Wilson. (When he founded the company eight years ago, Wilson thought it'd be cool to make the firm's name a play on his own).

Studiobanks got a chance to make its pitch, and Cornerstone officials hired the firm - none of which would have happened without Wilson's parents and the fortuitous name they picked.

Shouldn't he offer Mom and Dad some sort of commission?

"I probably should," Wilson said, chuckling. "When they named me Banks I don't think they ever thought it would have paid off quite like that. It's just funny and random.”

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The suspicions of many developers and SEO operatives have been confirmed: Google doesn't care about our Keywords.

Well, at least not keywords housed in meta tags. According to the official Google Webmaster blog in a post released on Monday, Matt Cutts explains Google's position on the usage of meta tags, focusing especially on keywords.

Q: Does Google ever use the "keywords" meta tag in its web search ranking?

A: In a word, no...

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Internet Explorer is a major headache when it comes to development, but not much can be done because people are stuck using it for reasons such as their work not letting them upgrade. So, Google has created a solution that allows IE users to install a browser plugin into their version of IE called Chrome Frame that gives them the Google Chrome web browsing experience.

Google claims its goals are noble. Talking to Group Product Manager Mike Smith and Software Engineer Alex Russell, they tell us that they simply want to make a more seamless web experience for both web users and developers. That said, they are only targeting one browser, IE, right now.

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Our party-promoting client, Carolina Nightlife serves the Carolinas as the premier online resource guide to the local nightlife scene. Thousands of loyal followers regularly browse the site to view upcoming events and peruse the plethora of entertaining photo albums.

But just like trendy dance moves, websites date over time, so our team recently revamped the 4-year-old version of the site. We combined top design and development practices with select features to maximize both usability and profitability of the site.

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Let's take a look at blogging for our next New Media Tip and explore how to use this cost-effective resource to grow your company's online presence. Blogs began as personal online diaries, but in recent years companies have started using them to create two-way conversations with their targeted audiences. There really isn't an exact science to blogging, but it is certain that a well-designed and frequently used blog can help boost traffic to your website and position your company as an expert in your industry.

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