SLK Blog

Letting your customers know what you’re really about can go a long way. When First Class approached SLK to revamp their logo and create a custom website, we knew people had to get a glimpse of the hard work and professionalism that goes on behind the scenes. We were able to do this by incorporating high quality photography into the website and letting the pictures speak for themselves. Visit our portfolio to read more on how SLK helped First Class Fleet Services / First Class Spring and Suspension stand apart.

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Now that we’ve gone over colour, let's look at another seemingly small element that can make a huge difference in the look of your website. And you’re looking at it right now, your website’s typeface and font.

Before we go any further, let’s clear up what we mean by those terms. Contrary to popular belief, font does not refer to the different names of different texts, i.e. Times New Roman, Helvetica, Cambria etc. Those are typefaces. Font refers to the different forms within a typeface, i.e. bold, italics, size of the letters etc.

It’s important to use a typeface to its full potential. A website can be completely transformed just by a simple typeface switch.

As we know by now, images are far more effective at catching people’s attention than text. However, not any old image will get you noticed. With the rise of high quality cameras in smartphones, it seems that anyone can become a skilled photographer. But just because the technology has gotten more advanced, doesn’t mean the basic rules of good photography have changed. An image can be high resolution, colourful and in focus, but if you don’t follow these basic rules of design, your photo will fall flat.

Ensure Every Post has Value

Despite our first instinct to put the subject of our picture in the centre of our frame, a subject that is offset to one of these intersections is actually more visually appealing and more dynamic than a subject that’s photographed head-on. This is because the rule of thirds follows the natural eye movement that people experience when looking at an image for the first time. Here is an example of how we used this principle for Whole Home Solutions.

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Considering Lighting

Lighting can be the deciding factor between an outstanding photograph and a lackluster one. You always want your subject to have as much natural light as possible, as sunlight is usually always softer and more flattering than artificial light. If there isn’t enough natural light, you can get great results with properly placed light, but make sure that you don’t try to combine light sources in an attempt to brighten the image. Sunlight and artificial light are different hues and having them both in one image can cause a disruption in the white balance and negatively affect the colouring and atmosphere of the shot.

Also avoid flash whenever possible. We’ve all been on the receiving end of a shot that washes the colour out of our face, gives you red eye and looks the complete opposite of capturing a natural moment. These photos used for NuSkin+ Estetika is a great example of using light to create a soft and natural final product.

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Don’t Be Predictable

If your website is going to contain a lot of visuals (which it should to be eye catching for your viewers), you’ll want to keep the images new and exciting, so that viewers don’t get bored and to ensure every page will be uniquely eye-catching. Changing up the subject matter, angles, colours and depth of field are all great ways to get a diverse collection of images. Here are a few examples of how using close ups, different perspectives, and highlighting different colours can keep photographs that all have a common theme unique and stand out from one another.
With these tips in mind, get your camera out and start shooting! The best way to find out what works and what doesn’t is by practicing. And not to worry, if you’re too busy to have a photo shoot or are still lost behind a lens, that’s what we’re here for. Contact us today to see how SLK can help your business stand out with beautiful photography.

That’s a good place to start, but photography can be a tough maze to navigate. Find out how SLK can help boost your business with multimedia.

Social media has saturated almost every aspect of communication, sharing and staying connected in today’s world. Having a presence of social media is non-negotiable for any successful business. But with more than 1 billion daily active users on Facebook alone, how can your business stand out?

1) Ensure Every Post has Value

While it seems that our newsfeeds are filled with pictures and videos of cute animals and funny comics, as a business it’s important to offer your clients something unique and important that they can only find with you. It doesn’t help to build your brand by sharing the most popular content just to keep up with the crowd.

Example of Good Posts

Example of Bad Posts

Content you post and share should always support and reinforce your brand and remind your clients why they use your service or product to begin with. While funny content is a welcomed comedic break once in a while, it’s important to always offer your clients something that helps your business. Whether it’s a link back to your website, a call to action button that encourages them to contact you, engage with your page or website, or share your content for their friends to see, you should never lose sight of your business’s objective. Maintaining a strong brand will keep your brand at the forefront of peoples' minds.

2) Make Engagement Easy

3) Keep it Short and Sweet

That’s a good place to start, but social media can be a tough maze to navigate. Find out how SLK can help boost your business through social media.

ONLINE MARKETING

When creating a website, most people think of content first. They want their written content to be strong and informative so that their readers will be more inclined to use their product or service. However, a strong and effective website doesn’t start with content. It starts with design. If your content is clear and well written, but your design is sloppy and doesn’t catch the reader’s eye…sorry to say, but they’re moving on. Before you even get to branding, or graphics, or layout, start with the most basic design principle: colour. While text takes times to read, colour can convey a message or feeling instantaneously. So how do you pick the right ones? Well for starters, it’s not as easy as just picking your favourite ones and integrating them all in your site. Different colours express different things.

Here’s a brief look at common meanings of the most common colours:

From here, you can pick the colours that represent who you are as an individual or as a business. After that, it’s all about using your selected colours effectively. And here are some tips how:

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Get to Know the Colour Wheel 

This will help you create a strong brand image and won’t overwhelm the viewer. Try to have two neutral or subdued colours, and one or two bright colours for added emphasis and visual intrigue. By keeping a consistent theme throughout your entire website, your viewers are more likely to remember your brand, and colour is the easiest way to achieve that

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Stick to Three or Four Colours Throughout Your Website

Certain colours naturally complement each other, such as blue and yellow. Others do not, such as red and orange. Not surprisingly, blue and yellow are an example of complementary colours. These are colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel. Get to know these pairs and use them to your advantage. The colour wheel is also divided into cool tones and warm tones. This is also something to consider when picking a theme for your website.

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Use Natural Colours

Bright reds, greens, and blues might seem like a good idea to attract readers, but using these bold colours can actually have the opposite effect. They can cause eye fatigue and confusion to the viewer. Using a more natural palette of colours will make your website feel more approachable and professional. These are colours such as taupe, brown, grey and white. Using a natural shade of a brighter colour, however, is great for emphasis and drawing the reader’s eye to a certain part of your website.

Once you have your colour scheme in place, the more in depth design is next. Confused about where to start? No worries, we can help you there. Check out how we can help design, create and brand your website here https://www.slkitsolutions.com/it-solutions/web-design-and-web-development

When creating a website, most people think of content first. They want their written content to be strong and informative so that their readers will be more inclined to use their product or service. However, a strong and effective website doesn’t start with content. It starts with design.

In this day and age, your brand can make or break the way people view your business. There are a lot of factors that make up your brand - colour scheme, trust, value, etc. However, there is one core piece to any businesses' brand that people relate and identity with, and it happens to be the most important.

The logo.

You've just created a business - or maybe, your business has been around for a while. Either way, it's time to hit the ground running and market your company. The problem is, you ask yourself - "where do I start?". Getting professional, 1080p, high definition photography or videography done can boost your company's image ten-fold. It is imperative that you understand your company image is everything. You only get once chance to make a lasting impression - why not leave your competition behind, and make it in high def?