Web Design Blog
Read tips on how your business can succeed and stand out online.Filter to just the Website Ownership Tips.
Is Your Facebook Account Hacked?
Have you ever received a message in your Facebook Business Page that your account is being deactivated? See an example along with the advice from the Facebook Help Center in our latest blog post.
Is Your Website Scanned for Security Vulnerabilities?
Introduction to Website Security We take website security seriously. Even though we use industry-leading software, the popularity of that software naturally opens it up to attacks. Developers respond by patching security issues, as well as building out more features...
Check Your Website’s Contact Form
Your website’s contact form is one of the easiest and most effective ways for potential customers to reach you. Test your form and check the SPAM folder.
How Does Blogging Help Your Business?
I am a webmaster, and blogging has proven to be very beneficial for my small business clients. My clients often ask how to improve their search engine rankings and drive more traffic to their website. Ultimately, they are looking for more leads and sales from their...
Website Ownership Tip #8: Maintenance
If you own a website for your business, here’s a tip. You likely got it designed and developed, or you’re about to, but then what? What happens after the website is complete and it’s ready to go live? That’s where Hosting and Maintenance comes in. What is...
Have You Confirmed Your 2022 Holiday Hours?
Where Are the Holiday Hours? On the Google Search and Map results, these are the orange or green "Holiday hours" on the local listings. Below is an example. The green "Holiday hours" denotes the listing owner specifically confirmed their hours for that day. The orange...
Have You Upgraded to Google Analytics 4?
What is Google Analytics? Google Analytics is one of the most popular website tracking tools on the Internet. This free software is available at analytics.google.com. Google Analytics gives you insights into your website's visitors. Have you ever asked any of these...
Website Ownership Tip #7: Speed & Performance
🤩 Hi, how are you! So if you own a website, you probably want it to load quickly, right? And that’s why today’s tip is about the Speed & Performance of your website. Nowadays, we have been conditioned to expect websites to load nearly-instantly. In fact, if you go...
Is It Time for a Website Refresh?
Is your website feeling a bit dated? Have you kept up with its content but haven’t touched the design in years? If so, you might be interested in a “Website Refresh”! Let’s bring your 5-10 year old design up to 2022 standards. What does a Website Refresh cost? Most...
Website Ownership Tip #6: Video Hosting
Today’s Website Ownership Tip is Video Hosting. Videos are huge contributors to web page load time. How do you serve them up properly? Read on!
Website Ownership Tip #5: Image Optimization
Today’s Website Ownership Tip is Image Optimization. Photos are some of the biggest contributors to web page load time. How do you optimize images? Read on!
Website Ownership Tip #4: Hosting Server
Greetings! For today’s tip, I want you to think about the #1 most important part of your website’s performance, and that’s your hosting server. This is the foundation / the infrastructure of your website. If you care about how fast your website loads, this trumps any...
Website Ownership Tip #3: Email Deliverability
So if you own a website, or you’re a web designer, here’s today’s tip. Do you have a contact form on your website? A reservation form? Order form? Registration form? Those are really important, right?! So when people fill that out, how do you retrieve the results?...
Website Ownership Tip #2: SSL Security
So if you own a website, or you’re a builder of websites, here’s today’s tip. Have you ever tried to visit a website but got a popup that said the website, or the form, was NOT SECURE? Did that fill you with confidence in the company that runs the website? Nope....
Website Ownership Tip #1: Focus on Solutions
"Sell Benefits, Not Facts" If you are in the advertising and marketing field, or you own a website, here’s today’s tip. When people visit your website, here’s the honest truth: they don’t care so much about who you are as much as they care about their own problems....
Best Practices to Ensure Email Deliverability
Email deliverability is a hot topic lately. What is it all about, why should you care, and how do you improve it? Let's discuss! What is email deliverability? Email deliverability is the ability to successfully deliver emails to recipients' inboxes. Think about...
Can I See How My Web Page Used to Look?
Can I see how my website looked in the past? Yes, you can! With a free resource called The Internet Archive, you can see how any website looked at various points in time. Why would you need to pull up an old version of a web page? Sometimes it's more out of necessity...
Does Your Website Need Translation?
Why translate a website? As a website owner, your website is intended to be read by your target audience. What good does your website accomplish if it can't be read by your customers? What language does your target audience speak? English? What if your customers speak...
Positivity through the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a stressful, uncertain time for the many people across the globe. Is there a silver lining to this crisis? Read on!
7 Free Tips to Fight Spam
Are you noticing more spam lately? Hackers and spammers love to exploit a stressful situation (e.g. pandemic). Follow these 7 tips to stay vigilant against spam and phishing! 1. Ignore All IRS Stimulus Emails I've personally seen plenty of "IRS" emails lately...
6 Ways to Successfully Market Your Business During a Pandemic
Is your business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic? Small businesses may need to reassess their marketing message. Here are 6 crucial actions you can take.
Do You Have a Coronavirus Statement?
What are other businesses posting regarding COVID-19? Here are some ideas: How are you responding to the COVID-19 pandemic? What are your cleanliness standards? Are your hours of operation changing? Are you temporarily closing? Do you have a remote/virtual method of...
Would You Like to Live Chat With Your Customers?
Communicate faster than ever with an instant chat feature installed directly onto your website. Would you like this feature? We can install it, free of charge! Just one of the many benefits of a Pioneer Media website.
Is Your Contact Form Attracting Spam?
If your website’s form is collecting spam, let’s try the next-gen spam fighting tool: reCAPTCHA.
Have You Confirmed Your Special Holiday Hours?
Have you entered your Special Holiday Hours into Google My Business? Read our Blog post to find out how and why!
We Love Start-Ups!
Anyone with a vision can start a business. But more should be considered than just obtaining a business license. Here’s 5 ideas for a successful start-up.
Do You Need Some 4K Drone Footage?
Drones are the hottest new toys. Praised by consumers and professionals alike, drones have rose exponentially in popularity the past few years. Social media is flooded with phenomenal photography and videos from that coveted bird's (drone's) eye view. There is an...
Is Your Website Producing Leads?
The purpose of a website is to get new business. Is your website struggling to attract new customers? It might be time for an advertising campaign!
Time for a Website Redesign?
If you’ve had the same website for a few years, now might be the time to freshen it up! We’ve been pumping out some impressive web design work.
Google Chrome Listing Websites Without SSL as “Not Secure”
In July, Google Chrome is making it official. If your site doesn’t have a security certificate, visitors will see a “Not Secure” warning. SSL is not only the right thing to do for them, it’s also great for boosting search rankings and getting more traffic to your site.
SSL Certificates and Google’s Latest Browser Update
This month, Google Chrome will start marking HTTP pages containing forms as “Not Secure.” Is your website ready? Make sure you have an SSL Certificate!
What’s In Your Monthly Analytics Report?
Each month, our dear clients receive a website analytics report in their email inbox. How do you read these reports? What’s contained in them? Read on!
Does Your Website Need an SSL Certificate?
An SSL certificate secures your website’s data, earns customers’ trust and boosts search engine rankings. We can get you an SSL certificate for just $50!
New Service: Animated Introductory Videos and Video Business Cards
Let us design an eye-catching, engaging animated video for your business! Prefer a real-life video? We can do that too with our Video Business Cards. Read on for examples and benefits.
Why Not Just Build a Website Yourself? 3 Compelling Reasons
With an easy interface and affordable price, why would you hire a professional web designer instead of Squarespace, Wix or Weebly? Here’s 3 compelling reasons.
How to Handle Negative Online Reviews
Negative reviews hurt your business’ image. How do you respond to a negative review? Check out our best practices to control your brand’s reputation.
16 Reasons Why You Need a Website Maintenance Plan
Custom or WordPress websites need maintenance for hosting, updates, security, backups and more. Here are 16 reasons to hire website maintenance in Knoxville.
5 Things To-Do Before Hiring a Website Designer
Hiring a website designer is vital step in the success of your business. A quality website gives your business credibility and an excellent source of new business.
Check Your Facebook Business Page Messages
Did you know Facebook Pages have their own separate portal for messaging? This is designed for businesses to better interact with their customers.
Major Small Business Milestone!
We just reached a major small business milestone! We published the 100th website design project to our online portfolio!
10 Web Design Trends of 2015-2016: Functional Minimalism
Minimalist sites focus on negative space, unadorned typography, and sparse elements. Though requiring skill and patience, minimalism is a gorgeous technique.
10 Web Design Trends of 2015-2016: Flat Design Evolved
Flat design trends have evolved over recent years. It’s no longer the radical anti-skeumorphism idea it started out as. Learn the advantages and disadvantages of flat design.
Is Your Business Well-Reviewed on Google?
Being well-reviewed on Google (and elsewhere) gives your business credibility, authority and a boost in search engine rankings.
How Secure Is Your Website?
How secure is your website? Can a hacker put a virus on your site? Pioneer Media secures websites and limits hacker access.
Pioneer Media is #2 on Google!
#2 on Google local search results and Page 1 on organic results for “Web Designer in Knoxville” on desktop and mobile! Search Engine Optimization (SEO) really does work! Click on the screenshots below for proof (as of Tuesday, September 8, 2015). [gallery...
The Importance of Regular Website Backups
Pioneer Media provides a weekly backup service for all the websites under their maintenance service. The backup is routine and off the site’s web server.
Google is penalizing non-mobile websites. Are you safe?
Google recently updated their search engine ranking algorithms to favor websites that are built mobile-friendly. Is your website safe?
What makes a professional, business email address?
A professional, business email address has your company’s official website in it. Learn about the dangers of using a free email for business.
Web Design Pro is now Pioneer Media
We are now Pioneer Media. We are still the same Knoxville web design company but with a new name: Pioneer Media. Since the start of our company in 2006, we have grown and matured as a modern, professional web design company. Our websites use modern web standards and a...
Are you using social media for business?
Business profiles on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & other social networks can increase SEO. Are you using these services to the full?
Is Your Website “Mobile-Friendly”?
Since more people than ever before are browsing the Web on mobile devices, It is now more important than ever to optimize your website for mobile!
How Popular Is Your Website?
The answer is just a few clicks away. We have access to full reports on your website’s visitors. These include the number of visits, location of visitors, and more.
Spam Contact Form Submissions
Is your website getting SPAM? Learn about these strange contact form submissions: These are not written by real people Well, they were at one time. But a real human being did not visit your website and manually fill out the contact form. These are sent to...
Make 2014 a Great Year!
Ready for 2014? 2014 is here, and that means a new start for your business. That means wiping your slate almost clean of last year's problems. That also means making sure the problems you had in 2013 aren't repeated this year. Let's all stick to those new business...