june 6th

Wow, June, where did that come from? The end of the financial year is approaching fast, and with it, the last few weeks for accountants to call us and get their horrible websites sorted out (you know who you are ;-). While the next few months will be busy for the bean counters, right now is the busy time for us. We've got a heap of projects on the go, with some really exciting concepts being discussed in meetings at the moment, which I can't wait to sink my teeth into.

Also exciting are the articles I confirmed this week for the upcoming Marathon. I was pretty disappointed not to get the last issue out, so I'm really keen to get into the final publication stage of the Winter '08 issue. We've got two guest writers lined up for you and I'll be contributing a bit as well, so it'll be a (comparatively) bumper issue!

Finally, for all of you that want to reminisce about the old days here at Run Web Design, I've decided to put up an archive of the old news entries that I've made over time (see link below). It made me realise just how slack I've been in doing these, but it's a chance to catch up with any news that you may have missed (and hopefully won't do any harm to our Google rankings...)

Till Next Time, Cheers

may 21st

I'm back from Adelaide and quickly catching up on what I missed while I was gone. The thoughts I had about getting work done while I was over there turned out to be rather optimistic, as I was staying in a house with seven friends and sixteen more were only steps from our front door. Therefore most nights were spent sitting around in the big leather lounge suite, looking out over the ocean (check the sunset above, taking by Run Web's own administration assistant Claire) chatting and laughing. The conference was good too...

So as you can imagine, not much has happened that's going to mean a great deal here. There'll be some significant site updates for a few clients online very shortly, so check back soon to see those, and I'll be making a few more changes on this site in the next week or so as well.

Also, the unthinkable has happened. Well, I guess those that were waiting for it had assumed already, but the Autumn edition of Marathon has been canned, simply because the pressure I would have been under to get it out, as well as a Winter edition within 6-8 weeks was just not worth it. The coming Winter edition will include an extra article or two though, and will be coming out at the end of June.

If you haven't been to Adelaide, I can recommend it. West Beach is beautiful this time of year ;-)

Cheers

may 7th

This past week, I learned my lesson about keeping the site updated, and it's one you could all learn from. From late February, which was the last time I updated this site before last week, to the end of April, my weekly site statistics email was showing a gradual decline in site visits. By the end of that time, the numbers had dropped to about 25-30% below average. Within the 6 days it's been since I made the last update, we're already inline for a record week, so thanks to all the people out there that drop by for a visit on a regular basis.

The lesson to be learned here is that you can keep people coming back to your site, and therefore keeping your brand in their mind simply by making sure there's something fresh on there regularly. I've learned my lesson, and I encourage you to not make my mistake. If you'd like to talk about ways you can keep your site updated regularly, feel free to give us a ring on 03 5277 3065, or shoot me an email using the form in the contact section.

The Run Web Design office will be closed next week as the whole office (OK, it's just me and Claire) head off to a conference in Adelaide. I'll have my laptop with me and will be checking emails and getting some things done from the hotel, but my phone will be off most of the time so I can absorb as much as possible and meet as many people as the time allows.

I've done a little more work on the site this past week; check out the updated history page (linked from the About Us tab), then spend some time checking out the new Projects in the Projects tab.

Have a great week.

may 1st

As you've probably noticed, I've been spending some time working on the site, hence the lack of updates here for a while. Along with the current changes, which include some usability improvements, text updates and some minor layout changes, I'll be making some additional changes over the coming month or so. In that time, the Autumn edition of Marathon will be released, and we'll have some new sites online.

There are a few sites I can show you now though. Aequi, one of my favourite sites and clients for a long time, have changed their name, and with it, their website. The all new AMG Architects website has seen a change in philosophy for the site itself. No longer a full Flash website, this site combines the flexibility of a DHTML website with the smooth animations that Flash offers to good effect.

Also recently released is the Geelong City Motors website, which includes a simple entry site leading into a cross-brand site for their Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge brands (the Mercedes Benz website linked to from the entry site was not built by Run Web). This site is fully content-managed, with the client able to edit all site text, add promotions, news items, images and linked files through a simple, custom designed web interface.

If I talk any more about what we've been up to, you'll think I'm conceited, so I'll stop for now. Check back soon though, as I'll be making more regular updates in the coming months.

february 19th

The days seem to fly by faster here every week. Already February, and although the latest Marathon articles have been online for a week, the newsletter has only just gone out. For all the visitors that have no idea what Marathon is and are feeling a little left out, please feel free to browse the Marathon area by clicking the tab at the top of the page, and why not subscribe so you're the first to know about new articles?

New websites are due online very soon, but they won't be on the site until March, as I'm heading to Fiji on Monday next week to build a kitchen. The office will be closed from Monday the 25th to Tuesday the 4th because of this, and I won't be able to check emails while I'm gone, so if you need something, please contact me before Friday this week.

january 21st

It's into the New Year we plough, and we're slowly getting a handle on things around here, with the frantic pace of the last couple of months giving way to a, well, less frantic pace I suppose. We're still busy, still working hard to keep our clients happy and still trying to learn the odd thing or two to stay on top of a rapidly growing and shifting industry.

The Summer edition of Marathon will be out next week. It's late, I know, but when hasn't it been. I'm excited to bring some of the articles to you, I'm having fun putting them together, and am confident they'll shed some light on some tricky areas of the web design industry for a few people.

That's it for today, I'll be back on here soon with some fresh Marathon articles and some new print jobs to show off.