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14Jan, 2022

Web Design Trends for the New Year

It’s been 30 years since the world’s first website launched in 1991. It’s incredible how fast the computer science industry has grown within that short time frame and even more fascinating to see how much it’s evolved. Today we live in a multi-screen society where information is quite literally sitting in the palms of our hands and is only a “swipe up” away. So, what does this mean? It means that you have to keep up with ever-changing trends. Below are seven trends in web development and design that you do not want to overlook in 2022.

1. Responsiveness
Not all trends are new or go out of style, and responsiveness is one of them. Have you ever accessed a website on your smartphone and found yourself scrolling for five minutes to read the information? Have you had to turn your phone sideways to access the site menu? If you answered yes, then you were on a non-responsive site! In short, a responsive website automatically scales its content and elements to match the screen it is viewed on. Having a responsive site not only improves user experience, but also enhances your search engine optimization and flexibility.

2. Parallax Animation
Possibly the hottest trend this year, parallax animation is a graphics technique that creates an illusion of depth by allowing background images to move slower than the foreground images. Not only is this eye-catching, but it generates an immersive experience for the user. This effect is an efficient way for our developers to incorporate an additional layer of dimension and flare that keeps website visitors engaged.

3. Page Transitions
In addition to parallax animation, page or scrolling transitions have made a significant impact on website activity. Transitions can increase time spent on the site by giving the visitor a more entertaining and interactive experience. Depending on your audience, you may need a quick transition so that users can access information faster while others may prefer more elaborate transitions that show off their dedication to customer service. User experience is crucial, from smaller details like movement while scrolling, to larger accents like page transitions.

4. Simple Menu and Header
Organizing and prioritizing menu options is important to a successful website. A condensed menu that is user-friendly will enrich the layout and design. This helps keep the header clean and easy to navigate while avoiding any unsightly text wrapping that can occur during optimization if there are too many menu options.

5. Branded Content
While the functionality of the site is certainly the main priority, the look and feel of each page are equally impactful. Working with a website team that focuses on both design and development is extremely advantageous. A graphic designer and web developer should work hand-in-hand to create a site that is not only functional, but aligns with client branding. A designer’s eye can arrange the content in a way that guides the user straight to the information they intend for them to view first. Utilizing the various weights within a font family, consistently adjusting font sizes throughout the pages, and strategically placing copy and photos from top to bottom are just a few ways to achieve this.

6. Neutral Colors and Gradient Backgrounds
Piggybacking off of #5, colors and textures matter! Neutral colors often evoke feelings of happiness. As our brains associate emotions with colors, it’s important to have a website that flaunts an inviting, fresh palette. However, companies who have brand colors that are brighter can still integrate a more neutral color palette by using the bolder shades as accent colors. This serves as a complementary balance to the eye while staying within brand guidelines. And, an effective way to add texture could be something as simple as a gradient background, which truly adds life to the page without causing disruption to the content.

7. Animated GIFs
Visuals are everything to consumers, from colors to photo quality, because they can convey a message that is not written. An alternative yet successful way to catch someone’s eye is to consider including animated GIFs. This is highly recommended by our web developers as gifs can be customized to your brand and are much smaller in size compared to other large format files such as videos that could potentially increase your site’s load time. If your website is not something you’re bragging about, it may be time to give it the attention it needs! A knowledgeable web design team can help explore how sprucing up your website could benefit the way your consumers view your company and brand. Whether it’s a refresh or complete overhaul, a smartly designed website can attract — and keep — the attention of your audience.

If you have questions about your current website, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

21Jul, 2020

Creating a Cohesive Brand Identity for Your Business

While it’s certainly an important piece of the puzzle, successful branding goes beyond simply creating an eye-catching logo for your business. These days, it’s crucial to not only capture the attention of potential customers with that memorable logo, but to also carry that excitement throughout the buyer’s journey by crafting a cohesive brand identity across your digital and traditional marketing efforts. This means that your brand is immediately recognizable no matter where a potential customer interacts with your business, whether digitally via your website and social media or through tangible marketing such as print advertising, flyers and brochures.

But why is cohesive branding so important? It’s simple: Your branding sets the tone for your business; it’s the first impression for potential customers, whether by visiting your website, following you on social media, or receiving a piece of marketing collateral in the mail. It’s important that your business comes across as professional and consistent no matter which avenue a customer takes to reach you.

This consistency not only establishes brand recognition, but it also builds trust with consumers and creates a loyal customer base that can help generate your desired ROI. In fact, according to Forbes, presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%. 

So where do you start? When building a brand identity, it’s important to break down all of the pieces that form your overall branding, including fonts, graphics, color palettes, tone of voice and more. Here, we’ve highlighted 5 tips to help you create a cohesive brand identity for your business.

1. Create a memorable logo.

In many ways your logo is the face of your business and is the first entrypoint a person has with your brand. Remember what we said about first impressions? An important marketing statistic to remember is that it only takes 10 seconds to form a first impression of a brand’s logo, so make sure it packs a punch. Your logo should connect your customers to your brand without them ever reading your company name, and on the flip side, your company should be fully recognizable by only its logo. 

2. Use a consistent color palette.

Once you have a standout logo in place, the next step is to pull complementary colors for your branding. These colors will be used across all marketing materials, including your website design, social media graphics, marketing collateral and more. Color is more than a simple aesthetic consideration when creating your brand identity, the color of your brand is an essential character in your brand’s story. Think about it: UPS built its entire brand story around the question “What can brown do for you?” In addition, colors can evoke emotions and add personality to the logo, which also helps to build your overall brand identity.

3. Choose complimentary fonts.

Fonts aren’t just fancy lettering for your packaging, fonts and typography are essential to how people respond to your branding. The typeface you choose will help deliver the brand’s voice and impact the way people react to your brand because many will experience it through words, whether on an advertisement, your website or elsewhere. Fonts also enable you to create a particular personality for your brand, whether it’s modern, vintage, romantic, bold or playful, and are typically chosen based on the specific type of business. For example, luxury brands are known for using very clean and thin fonts. 

4. Establish a consistent tone of voice.

It’s important to be mindful of the general tone and level of formality in all of the writing associated with your brand. Be sure to choose a writing style that meshes well with the image you’d like to portray and the demographic you want to appeal to — then use it consistently. Don’t overlook grammar and good writing. Consider hiring an editor to proofread all written materials to ensure that spelling, grammar and style are consistent throughout.

5. Create and stick to brand guidelines.

Brand guidelines communicate a variety of things about your brand, both internally to your organization and externally to the general public, and generally contain standards for the brand identity (mission, core values, tone, etc.) as well as your brand assets and the appropriate use of them (logo, color palette, fonts, etc.). Your brand guidelines are composed of rules on how to use your brand’s visual elements to keep your brand consistent across all mediums. In order to create cohesive branding, take time to create brand guidelines and then stick to them.

If you have questions about creating a cohesive brand identity for your business, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

04Jun, 2020

Effectively Communicate Your Plans for Reopening Post-Pandemic

For the month of June, Veugeler Design Group will be sharing a series of posts about effective communication through both traditional and digital marketing. For this week’s post, we tackle how to effectively communicate your business’s reopening plans following quarantine due to COVID-19.

We live in a time when it’s easier than ever to communicate with each other. In fact, we’re inundated with all types of communication every single day: texts, emails, phone calls, social media posts, commercials, video conferences, Slack messages, billboards … the list goes on. In fact, the recent events of the coronavirus shutdown proved to us all just how important communication is since we were forced inside and social distancing became a very real reality. And while it’s easier than ever to send a message, it’s getting harder to tell just how well that message was received — especially for businesses. 

From traditional marketing efforts (signage, mailers, brochures, billboards, etc.) to digital marketing options like social media, email marketing, and incorporating website sliders and banners, businesses have so many options for communication at their fingertips. However, haphazardly slapping up a quick post on Facebook or putting together a newsletter with little thought to the overall design or how it will be received and perceived by the customer will no doubt only hinder your overall goal: to communicate your message effectively.

Communicating Post-Quarantine
Now, more than ever, clear communication is imperative to successfully navigate the rough waters of a post-quarantine world. The spread of COVID-19 impacted businesses around the country, including ours, leaving many to make difficult decisions as they adjusted to a new normal. Some businesses chose to pull back on marketing efforts and shift their focus in-house in order to simply survive. And we get it: No one, no matter how business-savvy, was prepared for a worldwide pandemic.

In its guide to pandemic response planning, EY says that effective, consistent communications during a crisis will help you maintain customer trust, restore employee morale and confidence, and retain market stability. 

As the waters begin to calm and businesses work to reopen, businesses must take the reins and navigate a successful return. In order to do that, we must shift our focus to how to communicate to customers that they’re not only reopening, but that they are doing so safely and effectively. 

Which brings us back to our original point: How do we communicate this message effectively? During the times of COVID, effective communication requires making clear to customers your expectations from them and what they should expect from you. Here are some ways you can incorporate digital and traditional marketing to communicate your reopening strategy with customers:

Craft a Unified Reopening Message Across Multiple Platforms

  • Post your COVID-19 safety guidelines on your website and social media channels in a static place that can easily be found by customers. These can include, but are not limited to:
    • A pop-up window on your homepage.
    • Message or graphic on your About Us pages.
    • A slider linking to a dedicated page with COVID-19 business updates.
    • A pinned post at the top of your social media channel.
       
  • Incorporate email marketing to announce reopening plans to customers. This is a great place to go into more detail about all of the safety precautions that are being put into place, your reopening plan, as well as offer any incentives to entice customers to return.
     
  • Incorporate signage at your business’s physical location with the safety guidelines you are following. Signage should be clearly visible. Be sure to incorporate similar messaging that you used on your website and social channels. Types of signage include window decals, a sign on your front door, and a yard sign in front of your business, among others.

For StillFire Brewing, we created graphics to post across social media channels that not only clearly articulate the brewery’s plan to reopen, but also that it was doing so with a number of safety precautions in place. The brewery could then go into more detail about their reopening plans in the post itself.

For another client, we created a pop-up on their homepage that announced the business was open and included messaging that spoke to their safety protocols.

Here’s a great example of an effective email campaign for reopening that includes detailed information as well as an incentive to customers:

Incorporate Great Design to Make Announcements

Not only does design help attract attention toward your marketing, but it also enhances the overall quality of your message. One of the best ways to differentiate your brand from the crowd is through exceptional design. There are so many advantages to great design, including:

  • Makes a meaningful first impression.
  • Boosts brand awareness.
  • Can increase ROI.

According to Adobe, when customers are given 15 minutes to consume content, 66% would prefer to view something beautifully designed versus simple and plain. Great design uses color, layout, and smart typography to connect to their consumer in emotionally driven ways. Incorporating an impactful connection with the visual display of your brand is the best way to show the world who you are and what your brand stands for.

As you roll out your reopening plans, whether it’s through announcements on social media, neighborhood flyers, eblasts, or other types of communication, be sure to incorporate good design principles so you don’t get overlooked. This can even be applied when announcing rescheduled or reformatted events or community announcements.

By thoughtfully approaching your marketing and communication strategies, businesses can work toward a successful reopening phase of the coronavirus pandemic. If you have more questions about your reopening communication strategy, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

13May, 2020

Digital Marketing Spring Cleaning: Quarantine Edition

We think it’s safe to say this isn’t where we expected to be right now. But here we are, in the midst of a nationwide quarantine that has effectively put a halt to life as we know it. While we may be sheltering in place and adjusting to working from home, that doesn’t mean we should neglect our digital marketing. In fact, marketers should take advantage of the additional down time to reboot their digital marketing strategy. 

Take a step back and look at your overall digital plan: reevaluate your online presence, assess the strategies you implemented at the beginning of the year, and conduct a little digital spring cleaning. Chances are, your digital space has become a little .. dusty. Are your email lists outdated? Have you neglected your social media channels? Has your overall brand presence become stagnant?

If so, here are four digital “spring cleaning” tips to help you get back on track.


Clean up email lists

Most marketers and business owners acquire multiple email lists over time, which can include active customers, potential leads and other contacts. Without regular maintenance, however, these lists can quickly become outdated as people change jobs, emails go unopened, or worse, your emails find their way into spam folders.

This is why it’s so important to check your email lists regularly, especially since it’s been reported that email lists decline by 20%–30% every year. The best way to do this is through email scrubbing, which includes removing unengaged subscribers from your email list so that you can market only to people who want to receive your emails.

The basic steps to email scrubbing include removing or fixing bad email addresses, which include bad formats (does the email address omit a period, contain a misspelling, or include other incorrect information?); incorrect domains (has the domain name changed?); or outdated accounts (has this contact left the company?). It’s also important to remove generic email addresses, which include any addresses that are not attributed to a specific person, but instead act as a catch-all location and typically begin with [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or other generic terms. Also be sure to remove any inactive subscribers, aka, those contacts who aren’t opening or interacting with your emails.

Email lists decline by 20–30% every year. 

— Stirista


Give your social media profiles a facelift

Even if you’re regularly posting on your social media accounts it’s also important not to neglect basic profile information such as profile photos, bios and any links or business information associated with your page. Has your profile photo been the same since 2017? If so, it’s time for an update, even if it’s simply to resize the photo to fit the updated dimensions for each of your social channels. Even a small change like this can have a big impact. 

Take a look at your “about us” section on each platform. Is your bio outdated? Does it reference something from years ago? Chances are it could use a good fact-check and update. Other small details like the business hours, phone number and address should be checked for accuracy. Taking the time to make sure your information is up to date will help ensure prospective customers can easily find the information they’re looking for.


Follow up on reviews

Reviews are essentially the digital version of “word of mouth,” and as it’s been said, word of mouth is the single most effective form of marketing. More and more, consumers are considering online reviews — whether on Google, Facebook, Yelp, or elsewhere — when making their purchasing decisions. When is the last time you checked or responded to your online reviews? There are probably reviews out there you didn’t even know about that could be affecting your online reputation.

Make sure you respond to negative reviews immediately. Most people who leave a negative review are just looking to be heard, so let them know that you hear their feedback and offer to do everything in your power — within reason — to make it right.

On that note, respond to every review. No matter if the feedback is positive or negative, it’s important to take time to respond to each review individually. Engaging with your customers shows other potential customers that you care about their experience.

72% of consumers say positive reviews make them trust businesses more.

— Smile Media


Consider updating your website.

When was the last time you updated your company’s website? Three years ago? Five? Possibly more? It’s no secret that having a mobile-responsive, modern website is a must for all businesses. After all, your website is your virtual front door and in many cases the first impression a potential customer will have with your business.

In order to maintain a competitive edge in today’s marketplace, it’s imperative that businesses have optimized websites that enhance the user experience. Consider updating your company’s website if the images are outdated; the load times are slow; the design isn’t mobile-friendly; or the content has remained stagnant over time. 

38% of people will stop engaging with a website if the content/layout is unattractive.

— HubSpot

Quarantine may be a great time to tackle those home improvement projects, but it’s also important not to neglect your digital home. Taking time to dust off your digital space will help you present the most up-to-date and best version of your business to customers new and old. 

If you have questions about your digital strategy, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

20Apr, 2020

5 Tips for Staying Productive While Working From Home

Adjusting to working remotely can be just that: an adjustment.

Sure, the idea of working from home in your pajamas all day may seem appealing, but staying productive in a sea of new distractions (laundry, kids, chores … Netflix) can prove to be difficult for most. The typical routine of working at the office ensures that our “work” stays within very tangible boundaries; whereas at home, these boundaries can begin to blur and work life and home life may start to overlap, sometimes with detrimental results, including lessened productivity, waning interest and lackluster performance. According to the Harvard Business Review’s Guide to Being more Productive, “unless you are careful to maintain boundaries, you may start to feel like you’re always at work and losing a place to come home to.”

During this unprecedented time, when we’ve been ordered to shelter in place and the kids are home for the remainder of the school year, there are even more stressors at play as we adjust to a new normal — one that could affect the way we work for the foreseeable future. If you’re struggling to stay on task, we’ve compiled five tips to help improve productivity while you login from home.

1. Keep a morning routine.

In order to develop some consistency in this new work-from-home reality, it’s important to develop a solid morning routine. We suggest keeping the same schedule and routine that you would do if you were headed to the office — or at least as close to it as possible: set your alarm; take a shower; get dressed; and fix yourself breakfast. Have that morning coffee and quiet time. Mentally prepare for the day. 

Working remotely while sheltering in place can also do a number on our physical health as our activity levels begin to dwindle. If you can, add exercise to your morning routine. Take a walk around the neighborhood. Log in to an online workout class. Participate in 15-20 minutes of yoga or stretching. Whatever activity you can incorporate into your daily routine that helps you move your body will ultimately have a major impact on your performance as it’s been reported that exercise can significantly improve productivity.

2. Designate a work area.

It can be hard to ignore the impulse to hit the snooze button, curl up in bed with your laptop and stay there for the rest of the work day. In fact, a recent study found that 80% of young professionals admit to working from their bed. By doing this, however, you could be setting yourself up for failure. Sitting in your bed wrapped in a cozy blanket can put yourself in the wrong mindset. After all, we associate the bed with rest and relaxation, not productivity. 

It’s important to claim a workspace in your home where you can “report to work” each day. When you’re in your home workspace you’ll need to disconnect from distractions — turn off the TV, log off social media, and focus on your work tasks for the day. Designating a workstation at home allows you to maintain a clear separation of work life and home life. Plus, with the family at home together, it’s also a good visual and mental reminder that you’re working and shouldn’t be distracted during that time, allowing you to sustain important boundaries.

3. Stick to a schedule.

Committing to a schedule, just like you would in the office, is especially important at home. Start the day by making a to-do list, and then stick with it. Make sure you also allow time for breaks, including time to check-in with the family, check on the kids’ school work, step outside for some fresh air and, of course, break for lunch.

According to Real Simple, a structured routine will help your mind and body adapt to a new working environment. A great tip from HubSpot on how to stay on schedule is to segment what you’ll do and when over the course of the day. If you have an online calendar, such as Google Calendar, create personal events and reminders that tell you when to shift gears and start on new tasks.

4. Communicate regularly.

While there are many benefits to working remotely, one thing that most people find most difficult is maintaining communication with the team. When everyone is working from different locations, it can be easy to feel cut off from the overall conversation. Instant messaging and videoconferencing tools can make it easy to check in with coworkers and stay up-to-date on tasks and projects. 

At Veugeler Design Group, we use instant messaging tool Slack for day-to-day communication and video conferencing tool Zoom for our weekly calls. Medium has a great overview of free remote work tools to help you work from home. As we mentioned in our last blog post, video calls encourage engagement and interaction and help cut down on multi-tasking since everyone can physically see each other, meaning participants are more present during the conversation. 

5. Log off at the end of the day.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but one of the biggest obstacles to efficiently managing your time while working remotely is to know when to call it a day. It’s a big part of separating work life and home life and ultimately maintaining work-life balance. According to a recent survey by Buffer, 22% of remote workers revealed that their biggest problem with working from home was knowing when to unplug. 

If you typically leave the office at 5 p.m., then do the same at home. Just as how you start your day can set the tone for a productive work day, how you end the day is equally as important. Ladders has created a list of nine things the most productive “WFH” (work from home) people do 30 minutes before logging off each day, including cleaning out your inbox, checking in with your boss, and logging off at the same time every day.

At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that the ability to work from home is a great privilege, especially in our current climate when many businesses are struggling to maintain business as usual. As we all adjust to this new normal, be sure to take care of yourself — get some sunshine, eat well, exercise, check in with family and keep tabs on your mental health. One great way to be kind to yourself is to continue to cultivate clear boundaries between home life and work life. 

If you have questions about how working from home can affect your digital strategy, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance during this time, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

09Apr, 2020

5 Tips for Business Success During Coronavirus

It’s no secret that our world has recently been turned upside-down. The spread of COVID-19 has impacted businesses around the country, including ours, leaving many to make difficult decisions as we learn to adjust to a new normal. In response, some businesses are choosing to pull back on marketing efforts and shift their focus in-house in an attempt to simply survive. We get it. We too have felt the urge to minimize digital marketing as we navigate the do’s and don’ts of what is and isn’t appropriate during this time. We’re here to tell you, however, that despite the impulse to ditch your digital marketing plan, it’s more important now than ever to maintain a clear and positive presence online.

As the world retreats inside, online activity has spiked. Consumers are turning to their phones and computers to not only stay up to date on the state of the world, but to also escape the deluge of never-ending negative news. Because of this, now is the perfect time to get in front of consumers through digital marketing. The businesses who are best able to pivot their approach will be the ones who are able to ride the wave of change and maintain success because of it.

It’s important, however, to thoughtfully approach your digital marketing efforts during this sensitive time. Shifting your focus from “how can I help me” to “how can we help you” will be most effective. It’s also important to check in on your employees and co-workers as the workplace transforms from cubbies and conference rooms to kitchen tables and Zoom calls. Maintaining productivity during this time is also a major key to overall success. Don’t forget the community at large, who will be turning to local businesses and organizations leading the way.

If you find yourself struggling to adjust to the changing times, or if you’re just not sure where to start, we’ve compiled five tips that can help drive business success during coronavirus.

1. Stay Positive and Learn to Adapt

Yes, times are tough. Stay at home mandates are continually extended and we really don’t know when life will return to normal. Although the future is uncertain, it’s important to maintain a positive attitude. Why? Because this will end; we will get through this. 

After all, in China, where coronavirus originated, travel bans are being lifted and life is slowly returning to normal, albeit a new normal. The businesses that maintain workplace morale and learn to adapt to the changing landscape are the ones that will also maintain success through the storm.

One way to lift team morale is to do what Entrepreneur calls “virtual team building,” including allocating time for one-on-ones. “Think creatively about how to keep people motivated and small ways to get groups to continue building relationships over video conference and instant messaging channels.” Our team at VDG has incorporated weekly Zoom calls and is using Slack company-wide in an attempt to maintain communication while we all work remotely. 

It’s also important to learn to adapt because, like many major worldwide events, coronavirus will reshape society in lasting ways. According to Politico, crisis moments present opportunity, including “more sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarization, a revived appreciation for the outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures.” Those who can capitalize on the shifting momentum will be the ones to lead the pack once the dust has settled.

2. Do Good Through Your Brand

As the Harvard Business Review recently said, “People will remember brands for their acts of good in a time of crisis, particularly if done with true heart and generosity.” More so now than ever, people are looking for the helpers, as Mr. Rogers once famously said. Be one of the helpers. 

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mom would say to me ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”
— Mr Rogers

These acts of good can take many different forms, from donations to organizations that are providing assistance to those on the front lines of the pandemic to simply providing feel-good content to their customers. 

A local example in our community in Georgia is of local brewery Good Word Brewing, which repurposed itself as a soup kitchen and pantry after it was forced to close its taproom and switch to to-go orders only. The brewery transformed itself into a one-stop shop where customers “can order pounds of ground beef, bags of produce and rolls of toilet paper from the restaurant’s ‘pantry’ alongside takeout orders, family-size meals and to-go beer and wine,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 

While this may not be doable for all businesses, the ability of Good Word to adjust its model to better serve the public during a time of crisis allowed it to earn nationwide attention as one of the “helpers.” And who do you think people will want to patron when life returns to normal? The helpers.

3. Learn to Optimally Manage a Remote Team

If managing a remote team is new to you, we’re sure you have many questions, including:

  • How do I maintain productivity?
  • How can we communicate effectively?
  • How do I support my team if I can’t physically be with them?

In order to best manage a distributed team, business leaders will need to, once again, adjust the way they communicate. One simple way to do this is to trade phone calls for video calls, which better encourage engagement and interaction. Plus, video calls cut down on multi-tasking since everyone can physically see each other, meaning participants are more present during the conversation. 

When managing a remote team, it’s better to err on the side of overcommunication. When you’re in an office environment you regularly communicate with your team and co-workers; it’s the norm. But when the team is all working at different locations, that daily interaction is hindered and therefore essential communication falls by the wayside. To alleviate some of the loss of communication, consider hosting daily check-ins with your team. These check-ins will allow you to oversee productivity, continue the line of communication and add support when needed.

4. Increase Social (Media) Engagement While Social Distancing

As we mentioned earlier, people are spending more time online now than ever. Adults are working from home, kids are logging on for virtual school, and most people are keeping in touch via social media while stuck at home. 

66% of social media users believe their social media usage habits will increase in the event they are confined to their home due to the Coronavirus.
— Yahoo Finance

This influx of reach, engagement and time spent on social platforms is a major opportunity for businesses to put themselves in front of their target audience. Consumers are gravitating toward useful, engaging content, so now is the ideal time to refocus efforts on social media, including producing quality content consistently.

5. Use the Additional Time to Finish Your Digital To-Do List

According to Thrive, search traffic has increased significantly following government-mandated stay at home orders. This means more people are online searching Google and browsing through websites. If your website is outdated or features stale content, now is the time to dedicate resources to a website refresh. 

Give your website a face-lift. Write timely articles for your blog. Invest in new photography or graphics. Dust off your SEO strategy so that people are better able to find your website through those essential keywords. Most importantly, make sure you have an online presence that attracts customers and has a positive user experience. 

By thoughtfully approaching your digital marketing strategies during coronavirus, businesses can effectively maintain success while navigating uncharted waters. If you have more questions about your digital strategy, or if you’re interested in learning how a digital marketing firm can provide additional assistance, contact Veugeler Design Group today for more information.

14Aug, 2019

Trophy Club of Apalachee Logo Design

Trophy Club of Apalachee is a golf course located along the Apalachee River in Dacula, Georgia, that works with golfers of all levels to improve their skills, training, and overall game. When Trophy Club of Apalachee approached VDG earlier this year about a rebrand that would give the company an elevated, high-end feel, we were thrilled to take on the challenge. To achieve the desired look, we chose a clean, elegant san-serif font for the typography. In a nod to what Trophy Club is known for, we incorporated golf clubs in the logo in a way that felt natural as to not overpower the overall design.

Thinking about a company rebrand or need a new logo? Contact us today!

25Jul, 2019

Meet Our Intern: Madison Coats

Madison Coats is a senior at Georgia College in Milledgeville, Georgia, where she majors in Graphic Design and minors in Marketing. Although she is about to finish her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to go back to school for a Master’s degree in Marketing in the next few years. When she is not doing her internship here at VDG, working as a framer at Hobby Lobby, or going to school, you can find her playing with her dog or doing some sort of DIY project. 

Who dead or alive would you like to have dinner with?
My grandmother so I can ask her for tons of advice and give her one more hug.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Fast food is super easy, Chick-fil-A. I could eat it for every meal, every day. As far as a sit-down restaurant, I love Japanese food, especially Kuro Shima, which is located in Milledgeville. 

What’s the last great book you read?
I actually just finished a book that I really enjoyed called Leave Your Mark by Aliza Licht. I read this book as a student about to graduate college looking to learn a few extra tips and tricks about the business and marketing world. This book is a super easy read and I found myself laughing at a lot of the stories, while also learning something from them. 

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
I think that just about anywhere with a beach is my kind of place, but recently I have been very interested in St. Augustine for its mix of beaches, rivers, art, and history. I have always felt that living by the beach would make life more enjoyable because everyone seems to be happier.

Do you have a hidden talent?
If I had to name a hidden talent, I would say that I am a big people person. After working customer service for almost 6 years, talking to people and helping them comes second nature to me. 

Name three things on your bucket list.
Skydiving, visiting all 50 states (I’ve already been to 15!), and traveling to Australia!

What is your dream job?
Wow, the answer to this has changed a million times in my life, but currently I want to stay in the marketing industry and work up to the CMO of a company (ideally in an office with a pretty view). 

Why did you want to intern with VDG?
After searching through tons of marketing and advertising agencies, VDG sparked my interest because of the quality of work that they produced. After interviewing and meeting some of the staff, I loved the work environment and sense of friendship within the company. Since being here, I have realized and love how involved VDG is with their clients and community.

17Jul, 2019

Tequila Mama Taqueria Logo Design

Tequila Mama Taqueria, which opened at Suwanee Town Center in March, has completely reworked the look and feel of the space from the previous tenant. The new restaurant boasts a fun, lively atmosphere, and patrons are greeted at the entrance by two giant mariachis from Guadalajara, Mexico. The restaurant has a bright, bold color palette along with an open-air bar and a dog-friendly patio. Tequila Mama also hosts events such as Latin Night, Glow Parties, and National Tequila Day. 

Tequila Mama’s menu is a fusion of Latin American and Asian cuisines. In addition to traditional tacos and burritos, the restaurant also puts their unique flavors into “bowls,” such as the La Cantina, Bulgogi and Cubano, all of which have been extremely popular since their opening. 

When Tequila Mama approached us about working with them, we were thrilled. We started by designing their logo which incorporates their funky, colorful style, while also being simple and memorable. The “TMT,” which is seen in the upper right side of the design, is based on a Victorian shape and has since been pulled out of the primary logo design and is used on its own as a secondary design throughout their restaurant and social sites.  While this acronym primarily stands for Tequila Mama Taqueria, it can playfully be used to mean “Too Much Tequila.” After designing the logo, we began to really develop the feel of the brand while designing their menu; we focused this design around the bright colors, an eclectic style and their iconic “mama.” We are currently still working with Tequila Mama by managing their social media and assisting with their printed media, such as postcards displayed on their tables in the restaurant.

15Jul, 2019

Atlanta Sprout Film Festival Invitation Design

Hi-Hope Service Center presented its fourth annual Sprout Film Festival on May 4, 2019. The annual event presents films that cover areas of artistry and intellect produced by and for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities.

The goal of the Sprout Film Festival is to accurately portray people with disabilities in order to make the general public more aware of the important issues in and around this population. There were 11 different stories featured at this year’s film festival, each highlighting the brilliance, uniqueness, and talents of these individuals. 

For this event, Veugeler Design Group designed the invitation that was distributed to event attendees. The design was informative and the visuals focused on a few of the different stories included in the festival. This simple illustration allowed the audience to immediately know that the event was a film festival, while the top half of the design featured detailed information about the event. We enjoyed working with Hi-Hope to create this invitation and help spread the word about this special event and the talents of those whose stories were told. 

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Veugeler Design Group is an award-winning, digital marketing and design agency focused on delivering compelling work that gets you noticed, tells your story, and attracts and converts the customers you want.
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