Five J Design Blog

I was recently talking with a friend what technology was like when we were kids. I remember my parents bringing home our first-ever home computer. It was monumental. We set it up, plugged it in, and started up our super fast dial-up internet. We thought we were cutting edge.

Since then, technology and the internet have surpassed what I could ever have imagined. 

With today's technology, we can practically do everything from our phones. We can order food online, watch our favorite Netflix shows, and even FaceTime with family across the country. Technology enables us to work and have access to everything on the go.

But even with the ease of technology, we still neglect important things. One area we tend to ignore is our websites. It's easy to set it up and forget about it, but your website is one of your greatest tools. It's working for you 24/7, and it has potential to reach people you might never connect with.

So why are our websites the last things we give attention to? 

Here at FiveJ, we have chosen to build and develop websites using Squarespace, not only for the exceptional design features they offer, but also for the innovations they're continually striving for.

Squarespace has created apps that let you manage, update, and post content directly from your phone. The apps are available on Google Play and iTunes, and they provide you with on-the-go resources that help your website thrive.

4 Mobile Apps We Recommend Downloading for Your Squarespace Website:

Thinking about building a new website can be a daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Partnering with an expert can help make the process simple and pain free. Let us walk you through the website building process we use at 5j from start to finish. You will see how easy it can really be!

The purpose of the website has been changing at a rapid pace over the past 20 years. In the early days, websites were very text-heavy and were purely informational. There was no such thing as Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram; nobody was able to develop a platform to support large beautiful imagery and videos. In 1995, the average website page size was around 14 KB and each page took 30 seconds or more to load. Today the average web page is over 2000 KB, and it loads in just a few seconds. Take a look at early versions of the MSN and Apple websites from the mid to late '90s to see just how far we've come!

You have probably considered taking your brick and mortar store online, but the process may sound daunting and expensive. Or you may fear managing an online platform is just one more thing to add to your never-ending to-do list. Building an e-commerce website used to be extremely expensive, but today affordable e-commerce development is accessible to everyone. And once you get up and running online, you will quickly pay for the cost of your new website. Consider these four ways an online storefront will increase your retail sales.

On St. Patrick's Day, I'm sure your day is full of green: green clothes, green rivers, green clovers, and green beer. Do you know what else is green? Cash. In a business we're always trying to find more of that green. More leads. More sales. More customers. How do we find the green we are looking for?

Owning a small business has enough challenges. 

If you're a small business owner, you know the energy it takes just to operate. You're the bookkeeper, the "IT guy", sales, and marketing all wrapped into one person! So how do you get everything done in a day? Fortunately, there are many tools that can make your jobs easier so you can focus on what matters most in your business. 

We've compiled a list of resources that are mostly free for you to use and ones we recommend to our clients almost daily. Why? Because most of these tools are ones that we use here at Five J Design. After all, we're a small business just like you. 

We all remember the dreaded day our school report cards were sent out. I know I always personally hated that week! I never knew what I would find when I opened that letter, or worse when my parents saw the report. I always hoped I had done well enough to pass the class but I was never confident. So many times we approach our websites with the same unsettled feelings. Is my website good enough? How does my website stack up against the competition? What can I do to make it better? 

How many times have you stumbled upon a website and been frustrated with how to navigate through it or been turned off because the graphics are outdated? You would think in today's world that most websites would be up-to-date and relevant. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

Let's take a look at some of the most common cringe worthy website design mistakes we all make:

Having a website that is relevant and fresh is just as important as having a website at all. The main way to do this is to keep your content fresh. Below are a few ways you can you can do this. 

 Here at 5j Design we take pride in the work we are able to do for our clients as well as the impact that many of them are having on our community. Recently we finished a website design for Table of Grace, a mission start church in the Harrisburg, SD area. You can check out the work they are doing as well as their new website at www.thetableofgrace.org.