web design Archives - Page 2 of 7 - IFI: Grand Rapids Web Design, Development | Digital Marketing

(616) 356-2545 15 Ionia Ave. SW, Suite 220 - Grand Rapids, MI 49503

News: Inspiration or Desperation?

October 15th, 2016 by Ima Admin

time for change Change happens for usually one of two reasons: inspiration or desperation.

Clients wanting to have us design that first website are generally inspired, sometimes desperate to finally get online. Re-designing an existing site is often an act of desperation over a failed site or sometimes is inspired by positive changes in the clients’ business.

BTW, we look at a bad website not necessarily as a failure, just an educational experience that might not have turned out so well.
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News: What’s the ACA Have to Do with Your Website?

October 1st, 2016 by Ima Admin

So you’ve probably heard of the ACA (Affordable Care Act), right? What about Section 1557 regulations and how it could affect your website?

Who knows that the deadline to have the required non-discrimination taglines, statements and notices (in the top 15 languages unique to YOUR state) posted in your office, on your primary marketing materials AND your website was October 16th, 2016?
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News: Threemendous

September 20th, 2016 by Ima Admin

Three fingers Today’s news update is brought to you by the number three. We hear many times that a whole lot of ‘things’ come in three’s.

Celebrities seem to die in three’s

Religion has the Father, Son, & Holy Ghost

In writing, things that come in three are funnier, more satisfying, more effective.

…Three Little Pigs, …Three Musketeers, …Friends, Romans, Countrymen

And a few of you may even remember, the cold war slogan …Duck, Cover and Roll.
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Site Launch: Andy Mast Greenhouses

September 19th, 2016 by Ima Admin

Andy Mast Greenhouses grow a wide range of high-quality bulbs, spring plants, mums and poinsettias to help homeowners beautify their homes and gardens year-round. Not available directly to the consumer, the product of their tender loving care can be found in Kroger supermarkets throughout the United States.

That said, when thinking about developing their first online presence, they wanted to serve two distinct audiences – their retailers as well as the consumers – both with different reasons for visiting their site. The retailers want merchandising assistance while the end user can benefit from care and feeding information.

Andy Mast came to the Imagination Factory for a creative online way to meet the needs of both groups PLUS allow their staff to tell a climate-conscious planet their ‘green’ story. We designed an easily managed site w/ a searchable and categorized seasonal product catalog and blog categories of direct interest to both groups.

Take a minute to STOP and smell the mums at the fresh new Andy Mast Greenhouse site.

Site Redesign: Kawasaki Precision Machinery

August 22nd, 2016 by Ima Admin

IFI_Blog_KPM_552x587 Kawasaki is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic systems and components. Kawasaki’s technological leadership and customer-centered philosophy is well-known around the world.

Originally designed back in late 2009/2010, the KPM-USA site had served this client well, BUT was showing its age a bit. Built before tablets & smartphones became a predominate method for surfing the web, this site needed both a facelift and some structural changes to make it more mobile responsive as well as reflect Kawasaki’s industry leadership. Besides mobile-responsiveness, the new site adds an interactive distributor locator for North & Central America as well as a private distributor only area.

To see the new look and capabilities, visit the NEW KAWASAKI USA site.

Site Launch: Cutting Horse Training Online

August 9th, 2016 by Ima Admin

IFI_Blog_CHTO2_552x587 Similar to a previous client, Simone & Duncan, owners of Cutting Horse Training Online (CHTO) out of Texas had built a successful online video education program that was functional but had outstripped the underlying design and technology of their current partners.

Having seen the transformation the Imagination Factory for the other client, they asked what was possible. CHTO had a few more things happening in their site, so once again we spent a lot of time investigating their specific needs, researching current technology they were using, and especially discussing the shortfalls of the current site – for both the owners and the users.

The result is a subscription-based, members-only, ecommerce, mobile-responsive site with hundreds of streaming videos & podcasts from multiple sources and by numerous training partners and grooming experts from around the world. Additionally, this site also needed to tie into third-parties InfusionSoft & Click Funnel for extensive email marketing campaigns, Dartfish for private video critiques, and SoundCloud for Podcast streaming. The site allows members to search and view streaming categorized videos on their desktop, tablet or even smartphone. In addition to basic ecommerce for books, DVDs and apparel, the site also needed to support an event calendar/ticketing system for clinics and workshops. Members may subscribe monthly, quarterly or annually to one of three different membership levels via several payment gateways to gain access to videos that are searchable by category, by training partner, by title.

This one raised the bar, yet again, on the built-in functions and capabilities that we’ve been asked to design into a site!

Mosey on over to the NEW CHTO site.

Site ReDesign: Kentwood Office Furniture

July 14th, 2016 by Ima Admin

IFIblog_KWOF_552x587 Although many of our website solutions are built to serve our clients well for many years, technology continues to march forward providing new options and marketing channels of which to take advantage. At a minimum, we suggest revisiting the site design every five years or less.

Kentwood Office Furniture is the Midwest’s specialist in high quality remanufactured, used, and new office furniture and is well aware of rapidly changing environments. As a result, Kentwood Office and the Imagination Factory takes a look every 2-3 years at the site and how best to leverage the new technology and aesthetics in their site.

For your own closer inspection, visit the NEW KENTWOOD OFFICE site.

Site Launch: Haisma Design

July 11th, 2016 by Ima Admin

IFIblog_HDC_sm For nearly two decades Haisma Design Co. has been creating stunning luxury homes, as well as, designing extraordinary living, commercial, and recreational spaces for our extremely satisfied clients.

Sadly, their website wasn’t doing them and their work justice. They went looking for a web & marketing company that ‘got them’ and worked as diligently to satisfy their clients as they did. They found the Imagination Factory.

Like IFI, their award-winning work can be seen across North America, from Key West to Minnesota, and across the state of Michigan. And now, your can see it too, right from your desktop, tablet or smartphone.

Come see their extraordinary solutions at HAISMA

Site Launch: Facilities Resource Group

April 23rd, 2016 by Ima Admin

IFIblog_FRG_sm If you’ve been following our site blogs over the past couple years, you may recognize this continuing story.

Michigan LED lighting manufacturer first came to us to revamp the site of one of their business units and then update some of their tradeshow collateral handouts. A bit later, the parent company’s expansion led them into a merger with another similar firm in Texas which, in turn, led to a substantial re-branding effort and a call for the Imagination Factory to handle the online re-branding efforts.

Now that much of the dust has settled on the re-branding, we come full circle, and we’re pleased to announce the launch the newly re-designed, mobile-responsive web presence for the parent, Facilities Resource Group, complete with interactive client location map and case study portfolio.

See their bright solutions at FRG

Ecommerce: Minor League, Major Food

March 20th, 2016 by Ima Admin

baseball_suite-300x224 Yessir, it’s baseball season once again and time to update over a dozen client’s “SOCS” (suite online catering system) websites.

Team IFI’s SOCS sites are customized for each participating club and allow baseball fans who have rented a game day suite to order online from their club’s catering menu.

Each year we added a few more clubs to the IFI SOCS roster. If your favourite ball club doesn’t offer it yet, have them contact us at the Imagination Factory.

Sounds neat! Let's talk.