Questions to ask before hiring a website designer
Choosing someone to build your website is a big decision. It's not just about finding someone whose portfolio you like – it's about finding someone who has a clear process, communicates well, and builds a website that will continue to work for your business long after launch....
July 9, 2026Brand colours need to be accessible
83.9% of websites have low contrast text. It’s been the top accessibility issue for 8 years straight (WebAIM 2026 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages). This issue usually starts with your brand colours.While logos don’t have to follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) colour contrast rules like text on a website, social media posts, or digital document should, your logo colours still matter a lot.Your logo colours usually dictate the main colours used in you...
June 24, 2026Digital accessibility for small business marketing
Many small business owners assume that digital accessibility is something only large corporations need to worry about, or that it's expensive, technical, and full of rules they'll never understand.Others think that accessibility simply means the building needs to have a wheelchair ramp and don't realise that accessibility is more than physical access. It also includes how people experience and interact with your website, documents, publications and information online.Accessibility when it comes ...
March 30, 2026Why I use Rocketspark for building websites
After extensive research, along with much trial-and-error, New Zealand-based Rocketspark is my preferred platform for developing websites. Over the years, I have worked on a range of website platforms, and I've found that Rocketspark offers the best combination of reliability, ease of use, and ongoing support for the small businesses and organisations I work with....
June 24, 2025Should you turn your website off when you get too busy?
At the end of last year, I built a website for an auto and marine electrician (www.wattos.co.nz). He was setting up a new business and wanted to make an impact and get noticed fast. His sign-written trailer being driven around the area helped, along with local print advertising, and having a polished, well-designed, and written website to send people to. It worked too well, and he got too busy too fast, so asked if I could turn the website off. While I get it — you’re flat out, booked s...
May 30, 2025Search engines can’t love you if they can’t find you
When Haz-Subs Training came to me, they had a website … sort of. It was there, but it wasn’t really working. There wasn’t much content, so Google didn’t know what to make of it — and potential clients were left guessing about what Haz-Subs Training actually offered, so they weren't building credibility and trust.In short, they needed a hand — not just a fresh design, but a proper voice.So, I teamed up with a professional copywriter to bring some life (an...
April 30, 2025Five visual marketing essentials for small businesses
After getting a logo with brand guidelines and a website, small business owners often don’t think they need any other visual marketing to help grow their brand. However, to make a really strong impression, boost brand recognition and ultimately make sales here are the top five visual marketing essentials I believe every small business should have....
March 30, 2025Why brand consistency is important
Many years ago, when I worked for a big corporate bank in London, every piece of marketing whether it was being printed, published online, or emailed (this was before social media) had to go through approval from the Brand Compliance manager. Her job was to check that all brand guidelines were adhered to – and these guidelines were strict. Everything from the margin width, minimum and maximum font sizes, style of photos, logo placement and size, and of course colours, along with a whole lot mo...
February 28, 2025What you need to do before hiring a graphic designer
I’ll let you in on a little secret – the best design work comes about because the client was prepared with a little knowledge and clarity. While I, like every great designer will give you 110%, a great outcome requires the client to do a bit of homework too.These are my top seven things that the best clients have all figured out before we start....
January 30, 2025The different file types you should get for your logo
As part of my logo design package I save your logo in a variety of formats and colour options to cover most uses. Each of these formats has a purpose and this outline is to help you understand the difference between each file format, and when they are appropriate to use. You need all these file types in a logo package to ensure your logo can be used across all mediums....
November 29, 2024You have a logo - now what
If you’ve had a logo created by us, you will have been sent a link to a huge variety of files and may now be feeling a bit overwhelmed with what to do with them all and where you should use your logo.The files are divided into Digital and Print folders, and then filed under colour, black and white (or reverse). On a basic level, anything you are doing yourself and for most online uses, use the digital files. You have a JPG or a PNG file to choose from. The PNG has a transparent background so y...
October 18, 2024Why having a SMART logo is a great idea
It is at the centre of every piece of visual marketing or communication your business creates.As the face of your business, your logo serves many purposes and will get used in a variety of ways on different products, from your website to your vehicle signwriting, so it is important that it is SMART.S - SimpleM - MemorableA - AccessibleR - ResizableT - Timeless...
September 27, 2024 Posts 1-12 of 12 | Page
Free Quiz - How digitally accessible is your business?
A five minute quiz that covers the practical, visual stuff, colour contrast, fonts, alt text, documents, and more, so you know where to focus your efforts when it comes to digital accessibility.
