Nothing will make customers leave your site faster than reading misspelled words and bad grammar. Think about it. When you visit a well-known “big name” site, do you find shoddy grammar or spelling errors? Sites with poor grammar, a variety of fonts, and spelling errors look unprofessional and do nothing to promote your product or service.

Take a few minutes to look over these common grammar errors. Do you know the correct usage of these terms?

• Their, there, they’re
• Lose vs. loose
• It’s vs. its
• Affect vs. effect
• Then or than?

Do you use random apostrophes? People often confuse plurals with possessives, a common error that can be seen on signs, ads, and websites.

The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E. B. White is an excellent book that explains the nuts and bolts of grammar. I recommend it if you plan to write content for your own site and/or blog.

If you aren’t sure if your site is up to snuff, or if you decide to revamp your site, give Palmerworks a call. We design and host websites, and writing the content is part of the package. We also provide blogging services.

Call 734-252-9321 to schedule a free consultation.

The 85th Academy Awards air this Sunday, February 24, 2013. The Oscars start at 8:30PM ET / 7:30PM CT / 5:30PM PT.

You might not have noticed, but there’s an attempt to rebrand the awards show this year.

According to the show’s co-producer, Neil Meron, calling it the “85th Academy Awards” sounded too “musty.”

“We’re rebranding it,” Meron told entertainment news website TheWrap.

“We’re not calling it ‘The 85th annual Academy Awards’…It’s called ‘The Oscars’,” he said.

He says the new approach would continue in years to come.

Last year’s Oscars poster was clearly emblazoned with “The 84th Academy Awards.” This year’s shows a picture of smiling host Seth MacFarlane under “The Oscars,” in gold.

What do you think? Is the rebranding necessary? If the big guns at the Academy think so, should you think about rebranding your “musty” small business identity?

If you feel like it’s time for an update, give us a call. We’ll help you design a fresh new look for your website, blog, brochures, business cards, and more. Call 734-252-9321 or use our contact form to set up a free consultation.

The great thing about the internet is that it has leveled the playing field when it comes to getting your business noticed. Your company can have a professional website that rivals larger companies and franchises, even though your business is based from your humble home.

Potential clients can access information about your products, services and expertise from one visit to your website. They can find your contact information and request information using an online form.

If you sell products, you can even let customers order online using any major credit card, just by using your Paypal account and linking it to an “order now” button on your site.

Best of all, your new site could pay for itself once you’ve offered your customers easier access to your products or services.

Call Palmerworks today at 735-252-WEB1.

We can design a professional-looking and affordable site for your home-based business – and design your logo and business cards, as well. We offer personalized service and we’re always available to help, even after the site is launched.

Our latest client wanted a simple, one-page site with his full menu. Mike Zee, owner of the Corned Beef House and Coney Island Restaurant on Wayne Road in Westland, opened his new place about 4 months ago.

Mike knew exactly what he wanted and Rick created an easily accessible, scrolling menu. We were unable to get a high resolution copy of the menu, so Rick keyed in the entire menu himself in order to make the new website graphics! The result is a simple, no-frills site that provides all the information customers need to find the restaurant and order ahead.

As part of our full service, we also listed the restaurant in Google maps, and updated the Yelp listing. We created a Facebook page, as well. Palmerworks offers personalized service for clients who aren’t familiar with website search engine optimization (SEO) and online directory listings. We are always glad to do a little extra for each customer.

Visit the new website and drop in to Mike’s Corned Beef House for lunch. Be sure to order his home made soup and/or a tender, juicy corned beef sandwich. Check out the menu at http://cornedbeefrestaurant.com. [The restaurant has closed. This link takes you to the site we designed.]

Let Palmerworks design a one-page site for your business for only $225. Call Rick at 734-525-WEB1 to discuss the type of website that would work best for your small business.