SEO Tools and Tips

Occasionally, I actually cover topics that are not directly related to signs, but still have some bearing on advertising or marketing (don't get the wrong idea though! Signs are critical to marketing and advertising!). For whatever reason, I had this huge urge to cover SEO :-)

In today’s world, gaining popularity in the business sector has become very competitive. So, businessmen are searching for various techniques to establish their name in the market. Among many techniques, SEO for business is quite popular among small and big businesses and corporations. Search engine optimization (or SEO) is the process of improving traffic to a website from search engines. This is made possible by organic search results. Through SEO, search engines can examine the presence of your website by looking at keywords that are included in your web pages. On the basis of that, business websites will be ranked on the search engine list. In this entire process, relevancy of content plays a crucial role.

During search engine optimization, one must consider a very important process- build links by creating external links. These links build points to your website and improve your website’s authority level. The search engines crawl the website and check out whether it is popular or not and if it is popular then the search engine will reward the site with more prominent rankings. Not only this, SEO for business website can bring more potential customers from across the globe.

The following 10 free SEO tools can help draw targeted traffic to your Web site content. You’ll notice that many of the tools in this roundup come from Google. Because Google searches account for about 65 percent of all Internet searches, it makes sense to use Google tools for your SEO efforts.

Top 10 Free Small Business SEO Tools:

1. Google AdWords Keyword Tool: Google’s free tool is designed for marketers who want to find the best keywords for their Google AdWords campaigns. But it’s extremely useful for organic (unpaid) SEO efforts, too. It can give you a sense of how often people use a particular keyword, or variations of it, in Google searches, and how competitive a keyword might be to rank highly for it in Google search queries.

2. WordPress: Search engines love blogs, so if you aren’t currently blogging, give it a try. WordPress is widely seen as the best blogging platform.

3. Google Analytics: If you haven’t set up a Google account and added Google Analytics tracking code to your site or blog, you should. Simply put, it’s a fantastic tool for learning about what attracts visitors to your site -- including the keywords used to find it -- as well as where visitors come from, how many pages they typically visit on your site, how long they stay on your site and tons more.

4. Google Insights for Search: While Google AdWords Keyword Tool shows you the volume of searches conducted using specific keywords, Google Insights for Search gives you a sense of the trends in keyword usage. Specifically, you can compare search volume across chosen time periods (from 2004 to the present), geographic areas, categories and a lot more. Google Insights for Search will show you the keywords that are rising in popularity. This information can help you target the best keywords for new site content, such as blog posts.

5. Google Trends: Google Trends shows you what the hot topics and search terms are on Google right now. It’s not quite as useful as Google Insights for Search for getting the big picture on trends. But it’s ideal for a quick snapshot on the Internet zeitgeist. Plus, you can also go back in time to see what the top hot searches were on a given day, which is cool.

6. Trendistic: Trendistic provides charts to reveal how a given topic has trended in the past 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, or 180 days. Another good tool to guage this is Twitter Search (http://search.twitter.com/). Twitter search doesn't give you any graphs, but it can help you stay up-to-date on the latest buzz.

7. Facebook: Facebook has surpassed Google as the top source for traffic to major Web portals, prompting some analysts to say that social media networks, such as Facebook, could become the Internet’s next search engine.

8. Wordtracker Labs Keyword Questions: Increasingly, people are typing natural-language questions into search engines. But what questions are people typing? Wordtracker’s free tool will tell you, based on the search query data it compiles. You could discover the top questions people have that are relative to your product or service. Then you could write a blog post or add an entirely new page to your site to answer one of those questions.

9. Google Local Business Center: By listing your business with Google’s Local Business Center, you’ll greatly increase your chances of rising to the top of local search results. You can create a separate listing for each of your business’s physical locations. Use important keywords in your listings, and make sure you get happy customers to review your business, too.

10. Google Webmaster Tools: Google’s set of Webmaster tools are relatively easy to use. Once you’ve verified your site, you can get diagnostics to ensure there are no errors preventing search engines from indexing the content -- which is essential to being found in searches. The Webmaster tools also show top search queries used to find your site, the links to your site, and more.


Top 10 SEO Tips:

While intense SEO can involve complex site restructuring with a firm (or consultant) that specializes in this area, there are a few simple steps you can take yourself to increase your search engine ranking. All it requires is a little effort, and some re-thinking of how you approach content on your site.

Here are a few tips by Richard V. Burckhardt, also known as The Web Optimist (Richard has over 10 years experience in search engine optimization, web development and marketing), to help you increase your SEO:

1. If you absolutely MUST use Java script drop down menus, image maps or image links, be sure to put text links somewhere on the page for the spiders to follow.

2. Content is king, so be sure to have good, well-written and unique content that will focus on your primary keyword or keyword phrase.

3. If content is king, then links are queen. Build a network of quality backlinks using your keyword phrase as the link. Remember, if there is no good, logical reason for that site to link to you, you don’t want the link.

4. Don’t be obsessed with PageRank. It is just one isty bitsy part of the ranking algorithm. A site with lower PR can actually outrank one with a higher PR.

5. Be sure you have a unique, keyword focused Title tag on every page of your site. And, if you MUST have the name of your company in it, put it at the end. Unless you are a major brand name that is a household name, your business name will probably get few searches.

6. Fresh content can help improve your rankings. Add new, useful content to your pages on a regular basis. Content freshness adds relevancy to your site in the eyes of the search engines.

7. Be sure links to your site and within your site use your keyword phrase. In other words, if your target is “blue widgets” then link to “blue widgets” instead of a “Click here” link.

8. Focus on search phrases, not single keywords, and put your location in your text (“our Palm Springs store” not “our store”) to help you get found in local searches.

9. Don’t design your web site without considering SEO. Make sure your web designer understands your expectations for organic SEO. Doing a retrofit on your shiny new Flash-based site after it is built won’t cut it. Spiders can crawl text, not Flash or images.

10. Use keywords and keyword phrases appropriately in text links, image ALT attributes and even your domain name.

For a longer list of tips, please visit 55 Quick SEO Tips Even Your Mother Would Love

Gwynn~

Signs and Banners: Marketing Tools?

Using signs And banners for new business marketing is a good plan. If you think you have to concentrate all your efforts on internet marketing you are wrong. Sure the internet is the way to advertise in this age of the online business world but, as I have said before, the old traditional methods work too.

Signs and banners are an easy to use marketing tool that are great for many different types of businesses. You can find local sign companies that will not only print your banner or signs, but offer design assistance (some for free with your order) so you can ensure a professional banner or sign every time. You can find these forms of advertising in almost any industry or for a number of businesses. Why would they use banners or signs if they didn't work? The fact is,they wouldn't.

Many business have used banners to promote their business during trade shows. Using this advertising strategy will guarantee you some profit, and can boost your reputation. Not only that! Banners have spurred a whirlwind of different types of banner stands that can add dramatically to your set up.

You can get all the attention you want when you use vinyl banners and vinyl signs. A favorite with many people, vinyl banners are the best choice because they are durable, simple to maintain and versatile. Moreover, one of the most vital reasons for using vinyl to make banners is that it can be used on both indoors and outdoors. Due to its durability, vinyl can be mounted, hung, attached, or pasted on most surfaces making it simple to catch attention of the passersby. And the rapid changes in technology have now allowed large vinyl banners to be printed with relative ease and comfort using the spray paint technique. Whatever size vinyl banners may be needed, there is one that can be made for you.

If banners are so effective then, why use yard signs (or bandit signs as they are sometimes called)? Many many reasons, but three come immediately to mind:

1. Business yard signs help brand your company. The public needs repeated exposure to your company in order to maintain it in long-term memory.

2. Displaying yard signs is a symbol of pride. Don’t you take pride in the work and services performed by your company? Like other proud professionals, your company can sign your work too. Use yard signs to proudly promote and advertise the work you do. This is your signature - there for the world to see.

3. Signs are a marketing tool. They act as advertising signs alerting possible clients of your services. A business can benefit from varied forms of advertising. A well-positioned printed sign can recruit many customers.

Advertising is vital to any business, organization, or cause. When you feel strongly about a company you own or an organization you belong to, you want to get the word out. You want others to use your business services, join your organization, or support your cause. And the only way to get the word out to gain the interest of others is to market or advertise whatever it is you are promoting. If you are just getting started with your marketing campaign or you are looking for a simple and cost effective way to advertise, signs and banners are a common avenue to take.

Gwynn~

Sign Crackdown in LA Brings Jail Time & $1 Million Fine!

Ok - I brought you the Great Sign Debate... I even brought you the scandal over the re-emergence of the sign debate. Now I get the privilege of bringing you the latest news: City Attorney Carmen Trutanich arrested Kayvan Setareh, a 49-year-old businessman from Pacific Palisades, on Friday night for allegedly putting up an illegal DreamWorks supergraphic at Hollywood and Highland. A judge set the bail at a whopping $1 million for Setareh, who was still in jail as of this morning, according to ABC7, which reports that "legal experts believe Trutanich set Setareh's bail at $1 million to make an example of the businessman."

According to the LA Times, officials believe Setareh, who is said to have an ownership interest in the building, put up the supergraphic so television cameras airing this week's 82nd annual Academy Awards would pick up the image (the awards are held at the nearby Kodak Theater).

Meanwhile, more details emerged about Setareh's weekend in jail. After being arrested Friday night, Setareh spent three nights in jail, released only after the city attorney's office crafted a legal agreement that saw Setareh agree to remove the sign in return for a reduction in his bail, which was originally set at $1 million.

The cherry picker arrived at the Hollywood and Highland site by midnight, but a faulty part in the machine temporarily delayed removal of the supergraphic

Early this morning (around 1:00 AM) the removal of the supergraphic was proceeded over by a cherry picker, a crew, and three important figures. And those three men, all key players in this latest sign battle, would be: David Berger, special assistant to the City Attorney, who defended the high bail amount and dismissed speculation that by arresting Kayvan Setareh, the city was making an example of the Hollywood businessman ("It's not true we're making an example of him. He may be the first, but he’s not the last"); Andrew Stein, Setareh's attorney, who said his client just got caught up in the city's sudden sign crackdown (“My client had bad luck. He put up the sign at an inappropriate time for himself…we don’t think he did anything that was against the law”); and Al Gonzalez of Los Angeles-based sign installation company Kingsize, who refused to talk about whether he knew the How to Train Your Dragon movie sign was illegal when he put it up last week (“I can’t discuss this because we’re not involved ”), and who, on the advice of Stein, asked that no head-on photos be taken of himself or his seven-person crew as they removed the sign. Setareh, who'd been released on bail earlier in the day, wasn't around, and likely was resting at his home in Pacific Palisades. Asked to describe his client's mental state following his arrest, Stein replied, "Stunned."

Setareh will be arraigned in late March for three misdemeanors related to the installation of the sign, and if found guilty, could face a total of 18 months in jail, six months for each misdemeanor, according to Berger. Berger, who says Setareh's high bail amount was set in conjunction with the public safety threat posed by the graphic, says the crackdown on illegal signage will continue. "We are aware of other locations." With the criminal charges filed, and more apparently coming, is it "the dawn of a new day" in terms of sign regulation, as the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight's Dennis Hathaway told the Los Angeles Times today?

This was not the first time that Setareh had become a target for city inspectors. As early as 2001, they filed paperwork ordering him to remove an unpermitted supergraphic from his property on Hollywood Boulevard.

Inspectors went to the building again in January 2007 and found an unpermitted supergraphic measuring 224 feet by 40 feet stretched across the building's north, west and south walls, according to records obtained from the Department of Building and Safety.

The sign was taken down 10 days later. But another went up on the same building in March 2007, according to a timeline created by building inspectors. After the city demanded its removal, the sign went down in June 2007. It was replaced by a third supergraphic in August that stayed for a year, according to records.

Setareh also drew the attention of inspectors at a building he owns at 5858 Hollywood Boulevard. At that location, city prosecutors pressed Setareh to remove four unpermitted supergraphics between November 2006 and July 2007, according to documents.

The irony of this whole situation becomes clearly apparent if you take a look at the building directly across the street. Another illegal supergraphic on a building located directly across the street from the Hollywood and Highland building!

So, they had a cherry picker out late into the wee hours of the morning in order to remove one supergraphic - jailed a man Friday with bail set at $1 million dollars while periodically (unless they were absolutely blind) glancing at the other illegal supergraphic? Doesn't that spell irony to you, dear reader? Perhaps Mr. Setareh was only hit so hard due to the past offenses? But, even if that were so, they have now set a standard. And expecting one man to meet that standard by placing such a harsh penalty while blatantly ignoring other buildings that are in violation of that same standard, is a gross abuse of power and privilege.

Gwynn~

The Great Sign Debate Rages on!

In March 2009, I brought you the news concerning the great sign debate in Los Angeles. Wednesday, March 18, 2009, a divided Los Angeles Planning Commission failed to overhaul the city's billboard law with some members saying a proposed sign ordinance grants too many exceptions to the outdoor advertising industry. The panel, which needed five votes to send a rewritten sign law to the City Council, deadlocked on a series of 4-3 votes. However, the Los Angeles Planning Commission re-voted Thursday, March 26, 2009 to recommend dramatically reworked restrictions on signs that would ban digital billboards and super graphics -- the vinyl signs stretched across the sides of buildings -- throughout most of the city. The commission voted 6 to 3 to forward the ordinance to the City Council.

The Great Sign Debate, for all intents and purposes, had ended. Well... then again...

As of February 22nd, 2010, Los Angeles City Atty. Carmen Trutanich (who took office July 1 after promising during last year's election campaign that he would crack down on unpermitted billboards) launched a fresh assault against the outdoor advertising industry, announcing the filing of a lawsuit alleging that supergraphics were unlawfully installed on 12 buildings throughout the city.

The nuisance-abatement suit contends that multistory vinyl ads were placed illegally on the Sherman Oaks Galleria, the Howard Hughes Center in Westchester and other buildings in North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks and elsewhere.

The civil complaint filed Monday accuses outdoor advertising company World Wide Rush LLC and 26 associates, property owners and sign installers of putting up the massive posters in violation of a city council ban that aimed to stem the proliferation of supergraphics and digital billboards. The city's lawsuit names 27 defendants, including World Wide Rush, which already has a billboard case pending before the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The company is seeking to strike down the city's ban on the installation of new supergraphics.

The complaint, which also alleges violations of California's Outdoor Advertising Act and other state laws and local ordinances, argues that supergraphic signs endanger the covered buildings' occupants, distract drivers and hurt the look of streets.

It seeks the signs' removal and damages that could total more than $10 million, as well an injunction prohibiting new signs from being installed.

Chief Assistant City Attorney Jeffrey Isaacs said Tuesday that the lawsuit, which lists 12 Los Angeles locations where illegal signs were allegedly installed, is part of his office's new strategy of aggressive sign law enforcement. Council members said they cast their votes for the blanket ban in hopes of heading off the types of legal challenges that bedeviled previous billboard regulations that carved out exceptions permitting some signs.

In one of those challenges, a federal judge agreed with an argument by World Wide Rush that the exceptions raised free speech concerns because they gave city officials too much leeway in deciding which signs to allow.

Officials are appealing that decision, which led to a contempt proceeding after officials issued citations against the company despite the permanent injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins in 2008 that protected 10 of the 12 locations named in this week's lawsuit. Isaacs said the latest lawsuit does not conflict with Collins' order because the supergraphics were installed after the city approved new ordinances governing outdoor advertising.

The city has been on the defensive for years as it has sought to regulate such advertisements, with an estimated 30 lawsuits challenging its sign laws and billboard inspection fees. Trutanich said he intends to seek fines of up to $5,000 for every day that an illegal supergraphic is on a building. In cases in which a sign is illegally placed next to a freeway, he also intends to seek a $10,000 fine, plus $100 for each day the sign is up. World Wide Rush urged the court to impose a $100,000 fine against the city, plus $10,000 for each day that Trutanich fails to drop the older case. The sign company also called for Collins to hold the city in criminal contempt and to order Trutanich, the L.A. City Council and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa into federal custody.

Now now boys! Maybe what we need here is a time out? I know it worked well when my son got all puffed up and bent out of shape. Of course, he was younger then. These days he knows how to hold his breath and count to ten before losing it. Not that I'm knocking either view point. Really, I swear I'm not. But gentlemen, for the love of peace, grow up and stop hacking at each other like little boys! Federal custody? Seriously? Over SIGNS? OK... I don't see it. But hey, I'm just a writer. With that in mind, I will quietly exit stage right and leave you two to duke it out.

Gwynn~

Small Business Visibility

Customers can't buy from you if they don't know your business exists. This is an obvious statement, but I have found that many small business owners who are trying to increase their sales don't realize how "invisible" their businesses are.

Small business owners should spend some time investigating just how visible their business is and what they can do to increase their visibility. The following are some things you would want to consider.

Advertising:

How visible is your advertising to your target market? To answer this question, you first need to be able to describe your targeted customers and understand their habits. Then take a look at your advertising methods and compare that with what your customers read, watch, listen to, etc.

The right people need to see your message about your business and understand that you can meet their needs. Conducting a thorough "marketing audit" of your business can help you determine the best advertising methods to implement to be more visible to the right people.

Location:

How visible is your actual physical location to your customers? One way to gauge this is by simply asking customers who do come in whether they had trouble locating the business, and if they did, why.

Another way is to really take an objective look yourself. Is your sign highly visible? How easy is it to read, not only from nearby but from the street? Are you taking advantage of traffic flow?

How attractive is your building or your portion of the building? Is there anything obstructing the view of your business and can you change that? You can also have persons unfamiliar with your business do some "mystery shopping" to see what they have to say about the visibility of your location.

Internet:

How visible is your business to those searching the Internet for your product or services? Don't just put yourself out there and hope for the best. It takes money, time and effort to increase the chances that your business will be found by the right people.

Your Web site's ranking with the search engines is affected by things such as the domain name that you use, your use of pictures, the content of your text, your use of social media such as Face Book and Twitter, the age of your Web site and more.

You need to get professional assistance to be sure your Web site is properly designed and maintained for maximum benefit.

Also, you could have some "mystery shopping" of your Web site done to find ways to improve its visibility and effect on your bottom line. And always be sure to direct potential customers to your Web site through your other promotional methods.

Community:

How visible are you and your business in your community? You can get so busy working on the everyday operation of your business that you don't take the time to get out and do some needed networking.

Are there organizations in your community in which you should become involved? This could be a chamber of commerce or business association but not necessarily.

Are there organizations with goals that you truly care about with which you could become involved? Are they in any way related to your business? How can you make a contribution to the improvement of your community?

The above are a just a few examples of opportunities to improve the visibility of your business and increase sales revenue.

Gwynn~

General laws regarding placement of bandit signs

Flyposting (the act of placing advertising posters or flyers in illegal places) or placing bandit signs can be illegal types of advertising depending on how you use them. It’s illegal in the sense that posters or snipe signs are placed in NO POSTING areas. These types of signs are temporary advertising methods and are categorized as street spam.

It is illegal to put up signs on private properties, especially without permission from property owners. Posting on public properties without acquiring permits from your local government is also a big NO NO. Often, a specified area is provided for the public whereby all various notices may be placed.

Often, bandit signs are placed by small-scale businesses giving notice of promotions or sales. Political activists also resort to flyposting in order to avoid arrest or discovery of identity. Property rights, littering, and visual appearance have been raised as issues against flyposting. Seen as a nuisance, illegal signs damage properties and distract motorists. Don’t be surprised to find out that even well known companies have had run-ins with the law for placing bandit signs.

If you want to put up temporary signs in your local area, consult your local government about laws you should avoid breaking. Illegal advertisements can cause you prosecution and heavy fines. Make sure your signs do not fall in categories that are prohibited from public adverts. These categories are social, religious, and recreational advertisements. It is best to check before you post the signs anywhere and enter into legal formalities with the law.

Authorities are angered by signs that ruin or dirty city or country views. Snipe signs on lampposts, buildings, trash bins, and railings are illegal. Owners of these illegal signs are given a notice by mail or telephone about the illegality and are given a deadline for removal. Often, they are given 24 hours to ensure the removal of all illegal signs they have placed. To discourage others from imitating these illegal methods of advertising, enforcers often place stickers or notices on top of these signs. At times, the signs are immediately removed upon discovery, most especially on highways or public roads.

Illegal signs on highways and public roads can be distracting and dangerous. Reports of motorists getting into accidents have been documented. The government takes this seriously. The Highways Act 1980 states that it is a crime for people/entities to obstruct highways. Instruction for immediate removal is given. Otherwise, heavy fines are to be expected by the offenders. Local authorities reserve the right to take down and dispose of any illegal signs without further notice.

Check local laws before flyposting of any kind. Spare yourself from costly fines, fixed penalty notice, and even prosecution in court. It is best to do it within the confines of the laws but most people circumnavigate by putting these up on Friday and taking them down by Monday morning.

Gwynn~
Content submitted by Noelle Noble

WHAT!?!?! It's not ALL about the internet?

Well... no... it's not. I mean - the net hasn't been around since the beginning of time has it? Just because the rest of the world is on the Internet promoting their brands, it doesn’t mean they aren’t (or shouldn’t be) continuing to utilize traditional offline marketing strategies!

Before there was Face Book - there were signs! Before there was Twitter, there was Word of Mouth! Before there was Linked In... well, you get the idea. Point being, even though the internet offers companies a whole new world when it comes to advertising, it is important to remember the basics. Believe me, I use the internet for advertising all the time. It just offers too many venues for me to ignore. But where I might find it to be the best thing since sliced bread, other small business owners might actually feel a bit out of their depth or that it might be a bit more work than they can actually commit to. Instead, they need to analyze, evaluate and strategize then determine if the net is the way they want to go for additional advertising and marketing.

First, small business owners need to take stock of what their current marketing initiatives are and analyze their success rate. If your current marketing stratagey is bringing in credible leads, keep doing it, even if it is not on the Internet.
In addition, you should be analyzing your competition. What are they doing that is working? You want to do what they are doing... just do it better!

Next, you need to look at all your current marketing efforts and evaluate how effective they are in terms of return on investment. If you are currently spending a fortune in SEO but not seeing any scalable results, then that is not giving you a return on your investment! You're selling your product for only Pennies more than you paid after that promotion? well... that might not be considered a great return - but if it broadened your customer base and brought in more sales, then it had scalable results. Any effective marketing is a return on your investment and should be included as part of your overall integrated marketing strategy.

The last step is to strategize or plan. This is not a final step because your marketing strategy should be dynamic in order to remain competitive and keep up with the ever-changing market and latest technologies. Without a clear and concise marketing plan, the small business owner can literally get lost on the Internet scrambling to try to find out where to put the most effort.

Gwynn~

Are Banners and Yard Signs Right for Your Business?

Outdoor advertising with banners and yard signs

There are a number of outdoor advertising venues that numerous businesses and other organizations take advantage of in order to boost their business. The two most commonly used venues are banners and yard signs, and for all practical purposes, they are two of the most cost-effective methods as well. Businesses and other organizations will use banners and yard signs to advertise and/or promote a number of things from products and services to charitable or sporting events.

The advantages of using banners and yard signs

If you’re looking for the most cost-effective or low cost advertising, banners and yard signs definitely have the edge over other forms of outdoor advertising. So why is it that banners and yard signs are some of the most effective forms of advertising? There are a number of reasons but the following are still the most common reasons for this:

Banners and yard signs are like mini-billboards and are the most visible types of fixed outdoor advertising other than roadside billboards. Where marketing campaigns are concerned, banners and yard signs can be customized to promote a number of different things such as:

o The announcement of an upcoming event
o Promoting your business and promoting brand awareness
o Advertising your products or services
o Targeting certain demographic audiences

These are the four most common marketing strategies that banners and yard signs are used for, but there are other uses as well. This sheds light on the two key reasons why banners and yard signs are used by so many businesses and organizations and are such an effective form of advertising – the FUNCTIONALITY and VERSATILITY aspects.

Three reasons for using banners and yard signs to promote your business

Advertising is a way for you to promote your business, specific brand names, your products, or your services. They also inform the consumer of the benefits of using them as well as how your business, brand names, products, or services will solve their problems. Any time a consumer gets connected with your products and/or services and the purchasing of these fixes or solves a problem for that consumer; your advertising is considered effective.

The biggest advantage to using banners and yard signs for outdoor advertising is that they accomplish three important things:

They deliver your message to the consumer – the message is that your products or services will help fix or solve a problem for the consumer.

They provide directional information – this is the “what, where, and when” aspect of advertising with banners and yard signs in that you are telling the consumer what you are offering, where you are offering it, and when it is being offered. Examples of directional information are direction arrows, phone numbers, street addresses, and/or websites.

They make a call to action – key words such as BUY NOW or CALL US TODAY are calls to action in that you are telling the consumer what to do. Keep in mind that the call to action is the primary reason for using banners and yard signs as part of your marketing strategy.

Gwynn~ content submitted by Noelle Noble

Printing: Back to Basics

If you're creating artwork for print, you'll only get decent results if you've got a basic understanding of image resolution. Don't worry, it's actually quite a simple concept - nowhere near as complex as some people seem to think. So stick with me here, I'm going to try to make this as painless as possible...

Resolution:

Resolution is a concept that continues to baffle even graphic artists. In the context of editing photos, resolution is a measurement of the output quality of an image. The most common units to measure resolution include: PPI (pixels per inch), DPI (dots per inch), LPI (lines per inch), and SPI (samples per inch). For our purposes, we will focus on DPI and PPI because that is what you will be dealing with most often when printing photographs.

As you probably know, when you view a photograph on your computer monitor you're actually looking at a grid of tiny dots or 'pixels'. Similarly, when a photograph is reproduced in print, it is made up of thousands of small dots of ink. Resolution refers to the number of these dots (or pixels) which are squeezed into a given area. The smaller the dot, the more dots you can fit into a horizontal inch, and the sharper an image will appear to the human eye (up to a point).
If you zoom into a photograph on your PC monitor you will be able to see the grid of pixels which make up the image.

The resolution of an image is usually measured in dots per inch (dpi) or pixels per inch (ppi). Essentially dpi and ppi refer to the same thing, it's simply the number of dots or pixels which make up an image. For more information on pixels see my earlier post Vector -VS- Bitmap: A basic breakdown.

If you view an image on your computer monitor its resolution will need to be at least 72dpi to appear sharp and clear. A lower resolution will result in large pixels which will be detected by your eye, resulting in a fuzzy or 'pixelated' image. However, if the same image were reproduced on paper using a commercial printing process it would need a resolution of around 300dpi to achieve a sharp result.

A printed image requires a much higher resolution than an on-screen image (4 times greater to be precise). Therefore, just because your image looks sharp and crisp when viewed on-screen, it doesn't mean it will reproduce correctly when printed.

Tune in Friday for how to improve the resolution of an image for printing!

And The Verdict Is.....

Last October, John Toplikar, a former member of the Olathe City Council and former member of the Kansas House of Representatives, became infamous when Hayden's supporters videotaped the incumbent removing some of Hayden's campaign signs in broad daylight just 10 days before the election. The supporters put the video on YouTube. The incident then gained local and national attention. He was quoted as saying, "Now voters will have to decide whether political signs and the games people play with those signs are more important than the issues." Toplikar, who was cruising to re-election, suddenly lost the support of many voters. The YouTube-broadcast incident called into question Toplikar's integrity and less than two weeks later, Toplikar lost his re-election bid by 42 votes.

On April 14, 2009, former Johnson County Commissioner John Toplikar accepted an agreement from the Olathe city prosecutor and will receive diversion for stealing his opponent's campaign signs in October. Toplikar will serve 12 months probation, and at the end of that time, if he stays out of trouble, the prosecutor will dismiss the misdemeanor theft charge. The diversion agreement was made final Friday, according to court records, after his Olathe Municipal Court hearing was delayed five times while both sides came to an agreement.

So, it appears that sign stealing is now worth a slap on the wrist for politicians! Which, when weighed against , say, a college professor, who only last year faced 90 days in jail and/or a fine of $1000.00 for stealing 8 McCain/Palin yard signs (though admitted only 3 to police), seems like a mockery. Why, you ask, does this 1 year probation sound like a mockery? Diversion is not probation. You don't actually report to anyone. As long as you don't get into trouble during the 12 month period, the charge disappears. In effect, a mockery.

It would seem to me that those who are in the public eye, in such high standing, would be those from whom higher standards would be expected. The fact that he lost the election must have been crushing... the fact that politicians can steal signs without any real punishment, must have been enlightening. I have to wonder what type of signal this sends to other political hopefuls with sign stealing intentions.

Gwynn~

Information for this article was found at:
Northfield News
YouTube
NTV

The Great Sign Debate - Update

Wednesday, March 18th, a divided Los Angeles Planning Commission failed to overhaul the city's billboard law with some members saying a proposed sign ordinance grants too many exceptions to the outdoor advertising industry. The panel, which needed five votes to send a rewritten sign law to the City Council, deadlocked on a series of 4-3 votes.

The Los Angeles Planning Commission re-voted Thursday, March 26th to recommend dramatically reworked restrictions on signs that would ban digital billboards and super graphics -- the vinyl signs stretched across the sides of buildings -- throughout most of the city.The commission voted 6 to 3 to forward the ordinance to the City Council, which is expected to vote on the measure by June, when a temporary sign moratorium is set to expire. The council hopes to approve the billboard rules before June, when a six-month sign moratorium expires. Planning officials already are reviewing requests from council members and real estate developers for seven billboard districts in such areas as Mid-City, Hollywood and Universal City. The proposed law also would allow certain exceptions to the city's sign rules for development projects that are larger than 100,000 square feet. Voting against the measure were commissioners Michael Woo, Cindy Montanez and Father Spencer Kezios. Last week, they voiced dismay that the plan provided too many exceptions for new signs.

Under the proposal, most new signs in Los Angeles -- including "sale" signs painted on storefront windows and gas station pole signs -- would be significantly smaller than those currently allowed, half the size in some cases. Signs and billboards that already have city permits would not be affected by the measure.

Gwynn~

The Great Sign Debate

Picture by Kirk McKoy, Los Angeles Times

The great sign debate continues in Los Angeles! Not sure I’m too surprised by that after they extended the moratorium until today (March 26) in December of 08’ then extended it again until May 10^th on February 24, 09’. However, the ICO [Interim Control Ordinance] still expires today and, according to a statement from Councilman Jack Weiss' office in February, if the ICO is allowed to lapse for even one day, "a flurry of illegal signs could be installed and be nearly impossible to remove later." As parts of the battle play out in court, complicated by free-speech questions, billboard companies have rushed to put up as many new signs as they can. The result is a legal and political mess.

“In recent weeks, fueled by anger about what public officials have allowed opportunistic billboard companies to get away with, the Great Signage Debate has become L.A.'s version of the AIG bonus scandal, with political posturing to match. Fresh drama is likely to unfold this morning, when the Planning Commission meets in Van Nuys to try to break its recent deadlock, pass a new sign ordinance and send it along to the City Council (Christopher Hawthorn, March 26, 2009).”

Because I recently blogged about this in Moratorium extended on digital signs in L.A., I thought I would share L.A.’s great signage debate by Christopher Hawthorn which was printed in the Los Angeles Times today. It is a more philosophical look at the mess surrounding this debate and the reasons behind it.

Gwynn~

Sign Ordinance Changes in Rockford for Campaign Season

In Rockford, Illinois, the Rockford Park District has amended the sign ordinance it previously adhered to regarding political sign placement. By law, the Park District must allow political signs on its property; however, several provisions were added to address the many questions that have been raised every campaign season. Some ordinance amendments included:

Signs placed so as to interfere with regularly-scheduled lawn mowing or other maintenance, may be removed by the Rockford Park District staff or designees, as may be reasonably necessary for such mowing or other maintenance.

There may be no more than two signs for any candidate per site.

The signs must be removed within 48 hours following the election, and any signs remaining after that time may be disposed of by Rockford Park District.

All such advertising shall comply with applicable municipal ordinances such as City of Rockford, City of Loves Park and Village of Cherry Valley. Exception being the sign can be no larger than 10 square feet in area on one side.

The current Park District advertising restrictions permit removing signs if they do not comply with these guidelines. The Park District does not allow signs to be placed on any structure or thing such as buildings, existing signs, fences, poles, or trees. The signs cannot interfere with the intended use of the park or enjoyment of a particular park property, such as the playing areas of softball fields, golf courses, soccer fields, or in gardens and landscaped areas such as the Rose Garden and boulevards. Park District staff will notify the candidates campaign headquarters if anything is not in compliance with the ordinance.

Gwynn~

For a PDF copy of this information, click here.
Information for this article was taken from WREX, WFIR, and the Rockford Park Districts 100NewsRelease.
For more information, please contact Tim Dimke at 815-987-8800 or send an email to
timdimke@rockfordparkdistrict.org

It's a sign!

SO... this is a bit of a change from my general blog posts but, seeing as the sign was just too funny to pass up, I couldn't help myself.

All people tend to engage in a bit of moaning and groaning on occasion... even a little bit of self pity... but when it gets to the point that they can share only the moaning, groaning, and self pity with the world, they have officially engaged in whining.

Wouldn't it be great to have a sign like this posted? Think about it... the whining begins - all you have to do is point to the sign like a librarian on a silence mission and wait. The whiner will either be affronted that you have had the audacity to actually point the sign out (in which case a deep silence will ensue), or the whiner will stop whining. In either case, you are once again granted peace of mind. :-P

Gwynn~

Las Vegas Icon

The famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign has moved one step closer to being placed in the National Register of Historic Places. The state board of museums on Friday nominated the sign for placement on the list managed by the National Park Service.

After a meeting of the state Board for Museums and History in Carson City, paperwork to include the sign can move forward, county spokesman Erik Pappa said. The sign could be included as soon as May.

“This sign has become a very important symbol for our community,” Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, whose district includes the sign, said in a statement. “Untold thousands have had their photos taken in front of the sign. Placing the sign in the National Register makes eminent sense, especially now during the county’s centennial year.”

In its application, the county argues the neon sign is a cultural icon and a notable example of modern architecture. The county cites the sign's historic significance as an icon of post-World War II entertainment, tourism and advertising industries. It says the sign is "an excellent example of Exaggerated Modern/Googie architecture" and notes that designer Betty Whitehead Willis was a Las Vegas native who had a respected career as a graphic designer. The sign was created in 1959. It reads “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada” on the front and “Come Back Soon” on the back.

Gwynn~

Original story by Cara McCoy
Las Vegas Sun
Fri, Mar 13, 2009

Battle of the Signs

A church group and an atheist group in Madison, Wisconsin, are taking their rivalry on the road. It appears that both groups are currently using ad space on Madison Transit buses in what I call the "Battle of the Signs". This, however, isn't an entirely new phenomenon. Beginning on February 9th, three Christian groups in London launched advertisements on more than 200 buses in response to a month long campaign that began January 6th by atheists, agnostics and other nonbelievers that saw 800 London buses plastered with a less God-fearing slogan: "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life."

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation appears to be following in the footsteps of the Londoners by spending $2,100 on six signs appearing for up to two months inside 50 buses. Each sign has a quotation questioning religion or giving reasons for not believing. The Foundation is concentrating on interior bus advertising because it is more affordable than exterior ads, and permits more meaningful messages.

"Interior bus signs have the benefit of a 'captive audience' of bored passengers, so we hope riders in Madison will find our signs diverting," added Gaylor.

A quote from the late actress Butterfly McQueen, famous for her typecast role as "Prissy" in the movie, "Gone with the Wind," says, "As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion."






A four-line poem by Emily Dickinson is also featured.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has created many adds featuring people such as Richard Dawkins (author of the blockbuster bestseller, The God Delusion), Clarence Darrow, Katharine Hepburn, and a cryptic quote from "Puddinhead Wilson" by Mark Twain as well as Butterfly McQueen and EMily Dickinson.






In response to the ads, Pilgrims Covenant Church in Monroe said this week it purchased space on the outside of 11 Metro Transit buses for an ad quoting Psalm 14, verse 1: "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God."

The church's ads, costing about $5,000, cover a large part of one side of each bus. The Rev. Ralph Ovadal said the foundation has a right to air its opinion, and the church has "the privilege to respond with truth from the word of God."

Madison Metro spokesman Mick Rusch said any ad sales help the bus system.

Similar atheist campaigns have run in Barcelona, Madrid and Washington, D.C. But since its Jan. 6th launch, the London scheme has been credited with inspiring atheist bus campaigns in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany and Italy, where next month posters in Genoa will read, "The bad news is that God does not exist. The good news is that we do not need him."

Campaigns between atheist groups and church organizations have been an ongoing thing since as far back as I can recall. It should not be shocking that they would take this type of war into the public scene. What does shock me is the blatant "in your face" way they are going about it. Being in the sign industry I take pride in the work we do and the accomplishments we can help others achieve with our products. In a situation such as this however, I find I can only hang my head. Perhaps I am simply biased in the belief that a persons religion is their own to determine...

In any case, signs are the name of the game so let the "Battle of the Signs" commence! I bet this sign is bigger anyway and, not only is it much more magical, it's the largest wrap in Vegas :-)

Gwynn~

For more information on the story above, please refer to these links:
The Chicago Tribune
TIME World News
Wisconsin State Journal

Realtor Wars Caught on Camera!

I was perusing the recent blog posts for yesterday and today, and came across the piece below. As many people know, especially during election time, yard signs tend to grow legs and walk away, get torched, or vandalized in many different ways. Most of the time, there really isn't much that authorities can do to combat this type of behavior because they generally don't have evidence as to who the vandalizing party is. Art Mullen, of South Mills, North Carolina, decided to take extra measures and caught his vandal on camera...

A Fort Mill real estate agent ended up in handcuffs after he was allegedly caught on tape cutting down a competitor's business sign.

"Shows him vandalizing the sign, stomping down the sign, that's when I called the authorities," said realtor Art Mullen.

NewsChannel 36 cameras were there when deputies with the York County Sheriff's Office took real estate agent Daniel LaFranca Jr. into custody Monday afternoon. The deputies were serving a damage of property warrant.

"Were you vandalizing your competitor's signs?" we asked LaFranca as deputies escorted him into a squad car.

"Not at all," LaFranca responded.

However, Mullen says his hidden camera video solved a five-month mystery.

"I've had a lot of my signs go ahead getting cut up, stolen, vandalized and I never really knew who it was," Mullen said. "I was frustrated. So what I did is I had some friends and some colleagues, we set up video surveillance."

Mullen claims the surveillance video shows his former boss, LaFranca, using a box cutter to slash his sign.

"He signed a non-compete clause with my company," LaFranca told us of Mullen.

Mullen says he's done nothing wrong and has had hundreds of signs either stolen or damaged after he stopped working for LaFranca.

"We didn't leave in the best of terms," Mullen said. "I made a lot of money in that company."

LaFranca denies wrongdoing.

"That's not you on video?" we asked LaFranca.

"Not that I know of," he responded.

Mullen says it's the ugly side of business during struggling housing market.

"I think it's a sign of the times," said Mullen.

The York County Sheriff's Office told NewsChannel 36 LaFranca wouldn't face jail time, but if found guilty he could end up paying a fine.

Gwynn~

Original story by MARIO ROLDAN
NewsChannel 36 Posted: Tuesday, Mar. 10, 2009

Operation Clean Sweep!

Operation "Clean Sweep" (as I like to call it), was enacted on February 28, 2009, by Pete Constant and a group of volunteers partnered with code enforcement to sweep the neighborhoods of San Jose clean of signs.

"No signs are allowed on the city's property or on telephone poles regardless of the message," said Matthews, the code enforcement division manager. After fielding countless complaints about signs in his constituents' neighborhoods, one city councilman recently decided to take matters into his own hands. More than 80 students, parents and members of the surrounding neighborhood associations, scoured the streets to get rid of temporary signage such as "garage sale" signs, "open house" signs, "for sale" signs, etc. The group removed more than 300 signs.

This was the first organized sweep ever conducted by a public-private partnership in San Jose to address a community concern. Though volunteers had never been utilized in such an action, it is apparent that they were up to the task and willing to answer the call. This poses a question: How many more community partnerships might be called for in future? And where? With ordnance codes becoming stricter as time goes by, this author is left to wonder where companies will find themselves standing when it comes to affordable advertising. Though sign ordnances differ with each city, county or state, there has always been a way for wily businesses to skirt the edges and advertise their services and/or products with this type of cheap signage. I have to wonder if this type of community sweep will become a catchy thing for other neighborhoods. If so, I'm afraid that the average small businesses public exposure will become severely limited.

Gwynn~

Original story: San Jose neighbors hit the streets in search of illegal signs
By Tiffany Carney
West San Jose Resident
Posted: 03/03/2009 06:15:34 PM PST

Neighborhoods oppose bright LED signs near homes

Some neighborhood activists are appalled by LED signs such as this outside ACE Hardware on Highway 100. Many council members, however, think that some places should be allowed to have the signs to get attention along busy streets.

Photo by: Josh Anderson/ For the Tennessean
__________________________________________________________________________________

The possibility that electronic signs will go up in residential areas of Nashville has neighborhood groups feeling anxious again, a year after a Metro Council proposal fell by the wayside. Though the council bill to let churches and schools put up light-emitting diode signs in residential zoning districts was deferred indefinitely last March, it inspired the creation of a task force to study sign issues and recommend changes. The task force, appointed last summer, is now close to finishing its work and submitting legislation to the council. Members of the panel, which will meet at least one more time, said much of their work has focused on LED signs, the kind used by some banks, chain drugstores, auto dealerships and other businesses.

while some folks like Councilman Charlie Tygard still believe churches and schools should be able to post the signs in certain situations, Trish Bolian, a member of the task force, is considerably against such a notion... as are many others.

"We could look like a neon Christmas tree overnight. Who needs to put a sign up that there's a PTA meeting Tuesday at 7?" she said. "There are other ways to communicate."

"An awful lot of citizens believe LED contributes to the so-called visual clutter we'd all like to minimize," said Allen, who lives in the Hillsboro-West End area.

While it is apparent that these signs can draw in passing motorists, it is even more so that such signs may begin to go the way of the Dodo in Nashville. It is still unclear as to what changes will go into effect, but the task force intends to find a way for the Metro Codes Administration to fully enforce compliance with the existing sign laws but Sonny West, Metro's zoning administrator, said it's difficult for the undermanned Codes staff to force business owners to obey the law at all times.

Gwynn~

For more information on this story, please click here.

Moratorium extended on digital signs in L.A.

On December 17, 2008 Los Angeles enacted a ban on digital billboards and supergraphics. Today I found out that they extended the ban on Tuesday for 45 more days, pledging to adopt tougher penalties for illegal signs. It appears that the ban will continue to be in effect until at least late March in order to give the city more time to update the city’s sign ordinance. The original moratorium, which was set to expire on March 26, was approved in December following a citizen uproar over a flurry of new digital billboards and supergraphics, especially on the Westside, Hollywood and parts of the San Fernando Valley as well as years of court challenges and political maneuvering that have undermined existing billboard regulations. Council members said city staff needed more time to craft regulations that could withstand court challenges from the sign industry, which has been successful in the past in blocking stricter regulation.

Since the moratorium was passed, several new billboards and supergraphics have appeared, some of which have been taken down after protests from residents and city officials. Last week, the city Planning Commission delayed a vote on a new ordinance for a month to give neighborhood groups, merchants and the sign industry more time to comment. That prompted the council to extend the moratorium until May 10.

"The ICO [Interim Control Ordinance] will expire on March 26, 2009, but the legislative process to approve changes to the City’s sign ordinances may not be completed by March 26. If the ICO is allowed to lapse for even one day, "a flurry of illegal signs could be installed and be nearly impossible to remove later," stressed a statement from Councilman Jack Weiss' office. According to the Los Angeles daily news, there should be twenty inspectors working full time on the inventory. Councilman Bill Rosendahl said that once the inventory is complete, a new sign ordinance should be passed that imposes heavy fines on companies that erect illegal or non-permitted billboards.

Councilman Jack Weiss said the report is overdue.

"Make no mistake: This city is suffering under an onslaught - not just from billboards, but the supergraphics that are wrapping themselves around tall buildings," Weiss said. "The architecture of this city is devolving into advertising."

Councilman Dennis Zine suggested considering use of the Community Redevelopment Agency to pressure landlords in redevelopment areas - particularly in downtown and Hollywood - to refuse to allow their buildings to be used for the massive signs. Council President Eric Garcetti, whose district includes Hollywood, said he has worked to close loopholes in development agreements that allowed the signs to proliferate.

A number of developers and business representatives urged the council not to adopt the moratorium, especially on the vinyl super-graphics that stretch across sides of buildings, arguing that the income from those ads was critical to their bottom line. In 2002, officials approved a ban on outdoor advertising and sought to inspect and create an inventory of all the billboards in the city. At the time, the department of building and safety estimated there were 10,000 billboards in Los Angeles – with an undetermined number of them lacking permits and illegal.

Clear Channel Outdoor and CBS Outdoor, two of the largest billboard companies in the city, filed suit, arguing that the restrictions were in part an infringement on their 1st Amendment rights. In 2006, they reached a settlement with Delgadillo – later approved by the council and Villaraigosa – that allowed 840 of their billboards to be “modernized” and upgraded to digital displays. The city thus far has issued permits allowing 95 billboards to be converted to digital displays. Those settlements have since been criticized as a giveaway to the billboard companies and for undercutting the city’s attempt to restrict digital billboards proposed by other outdoor advertising companies.

It appears that the council will have another fight on it's hands soon. Clear Channel Outdoor warned the council before the vote that it might take legal action to block the ban. Given the litigious history of the billboard companies in Los Angeles – the city faces more than 25 lawsuits filed by outdoor advertising companies challenging restrictions on the signs – city officials said they expected a court challenge.

You can find more information on this story by clicking these links:
LA Times
Laist
The Digital Outsider
Add Tech

Thanks for reading!
Gwynn~