This patient has been seeing this dentist for 16 years, so you might guess that they were already happy with the service. However, having this secondary presence – a website with information about the staff, procedures offered beyond the basic cleaning, and several dental health articles, further cemented the patient’s happy relationship with the dentist.

The patient commented that the site (Carle Place Dental)  was overall “easy to navigate and very informative.”  They found the FAQs helpful and the articles about various dental health topics enlightening. So while the patient has been seeing this dentist for years, they now have more evidence that the dentist is knowledgeable and experienced.

This deepened trust can then extend to an increase in additional services. Maybe a patient has never considered teeth whitening – it doesn’t seem safe, it’s for celebrities, who knows – but when they see that their friendly and trustworthy dentist offers it… they might reconsider.

So, in addition to helping bring in new customers, a well-designed and informative website can also work to keep existing customers, strengthen the level of customer satisfaction, and increase sales with regular customers. And that’s something to smile about!

Considering this small business had been around for over 20 years, it was a surprise to hear, but up until now they had just gotten by on their reputation. This got us talking, it turns out the reason that the company was ready for a website now was because they had just lost a potential new client. After a few good phone conversations their client was impressed, but wanted to do a little more research about them before entering into an agreement. That’s when she headed to her computer to make her final decision. The companies lack of a website made the client nervous. In an age of technology how could any company rely only on what others said about them when they were face to face?

Even with a great reputation in your field without a website, new clients, especially ones who may not be able to meet you in person, judge you by it. Now I’m not saying your reputation isn’t important, rather your website helps to solidify your reputation.

Back to our clients dilemma, they spent the next few months working on their site with us, all the wile keeping what had happened in the backs of their minds and considering their clients reactions at every turn.

The result was a great, client focused custom website that even many months after the launch of the site, still receives rave reviews from their current and potential clients, including that very client who push them into creating a website in the first place.

We are offering three enticing incentives to encourage owners of websites that are in serious need of an upgrade. 1) A 20% discount of our normally competitive pricing 2) Free Web Hosting for 1 year and 3) Up to 80 % financing at 0% interest for 1 year to qualified upgraders.

The goal of our Cash for Web Clunker program is to make it easy for business owners to get that new 2010 model website. By now all business owners realize that their website is the vital to their success. And our aim is to reduce the economic barrier that might have created a roadblock in the past.

Just like the governments Cash for Clunker Program all good things don’t last. Our offer is on the table until the end of September.

For more details call me at 212 -679-1212 or go to http://www.csdesignworks.com/discountonwebdesign.html

Those templates and clip art-font combos are easy to purchase, by you and then anyone after you, as many people as they can sell ‘em to. A hundred companies could pretty much have your same logo. That’s hardly what we call a custom logo. Here’s the thing: ideas for a business may not be as unique as you think, but your brand can be.

We designers are aware that the digital tools we use to create unique designs are available to all, and historically, pretty darn affordable. And as we become more computer literate as a society, more people are going to try their hand at setting up a blog and designing their own business card. I applaud that DIY spirit. And I wonder, if more people understand what it takes to build a website, will they appreciate a custom-designed website more? Or will they assume that because they did it with a template, what’s the big deal?

Right, back to templates. One can download a template for anything – brochure, newsletter, website, etc. Okay, but what happens when you need to change part of it? These templates are customizable, you say. Well, to an extent… but as we know from working with a few ourselves (in order to educate ourselves), minor changes might be possible, but the more unique you want it, the bigger your headache. May as well start from scratch.

And what about those cheap logo design offers? $19 I saw! (With that offer, there’s no changes, what you get is what you get.) One site I found had a step-by-step do it yourself option where you chose a clip art symbol – and they encourage you to copy from the examples – and then pick a font, then colors. Custom logos made easy, right?

Sure, but you aren’t able to make any changes to the drawing, or the lettering. And those are the things that make a logo truly unique and special. Also, there’s millions of colors, and often a surprising combination makes great impact. This is the sort of custom branding that designers are very good at: creating one-of-a-kind symbols and illustrations unique to your company, expressive color combinations, tweaking type for better expression of your brand. And that’s exactly what you won’t get for $19.

Ditto goes for websites. Except, “ditto” is what you won’t get when you work with a designer to create a custom website for your business. Whether branding a new business or rebranding an existing company, it’s well worth it to work with a designer who can listen to your needs, learn about your company, and deliver unique, original, eye-catching designs for custom logos, new business websites, company collateral, whatever. Your brand needs to stand out from the competition to succeed. That’s just the way the cookie crumbles.