We sometimes wonder if those cave drawings of antelope and other prey that the first cavemen drew weren't somehow borrowed or inspired from some other artist who lived in some other cave a couple doors away. That's because throughout history, and especially in any form of art and advertising,...

Once every few weeks or so, we get a call at Ciplex from a client who is frantic to have some work done quickly. The best designs and online marketing plans tend not to be rushed, so more often than not, we are forced to turn these folks away. Still, we feel bad for them – there’s a big...

For the business owner or online marketer who wants to save a little bit of money, instant website templates can seem like a great way to go. Usually, all you have to do is buy and download a basic layout, fill in a quick bit of information, and upload your pages in a matter of minutes. But...

Your website is a powerful tool, but it is not the most powerful at your disposal. You might have been hearing a lot about Twitter, being told, “Use this for your business, you will get a million clients!” In theory, you could, but in reality you can’t unless you know how to use these tools.

What is twitter you may be asking yourself. Well, Twitter by definition is a micro-blogging service, this means you can keep a group of “followers” updated by posting “tweets” up to 140 characters. All of your followers will be able to see your tweets. Cool, right? It’s almost like being able to send an instant message to all of your followers. Short and sweet is the key.

Lets talk about how to get the most out of those 140 characters. When dealing with a personal twitter, you can post all the nonsense you want, like “Got a sweet hat today!”. When dealing with a twitter pertaining to business this is not exactly what you are shooting for.

First and foremost, keep your followers updated in what your business is achieving at the moment. Got a new shipment of cool products? Let them know. Sales events, discount codes, and specials are probably the most rewarding for those who follow you, give them a reason to follow you. Keep your followers looking forward to what is coming in the future, let them know what is soon to come from your business.

When using twitter, don’t make everyone believe you are a robot. Reach out to people, let your followers know there is a human behind all of the text and links. Start discussions, ask questions, treat twitter like one of your outreach tools between you and your clients and potential clients.

Most likely, if people are following you, they are interested in what you do. Keep them informed on what is going on in your world. If you deal in the fashion industry, link them to an article that caught your attention pertaining to fashion. Do not overwhelm people just by linking everything to your own site, it is good to keep traffic to your site, but give potential clients some insight outside of your business specifically.

Check out Whole Foods on twitter, they are renowned for being a business that knows how to use twitter effectively, check out why!

Follow us on twitter, Ciplex’s twitter, for updates on new blogs, and just basic web design news. [Had to toot my horn a bit...hehe]

Now, get out there and tweet!

At Ciplex, one of our favorite moments is when we get to unveil a new site or design for a client. Often, they have been thinking about upgrading their website for months; they are full of hope, and even a little trepidation, as they wait to see what their new home page will look like. When...