Iceberg launched a new website for the Morris, Minnesota Municipal Liquor Store this afternoon. Stop by their site to see new arrivals, weekly specials, and to print off their new Web Specials coupons!

The website feature their weekly newspaper ad, which is programmed to update at 8:00 every Saturday morning. You can visit their new website at www.MorrisLiquors.com.

Iceberg Web Design put together a complete branding and e-commerce package for Dimples Baby. We got them started with custom design and graphics, and built on that to create their new brand. The Dimples Baby website is a full-featured e-commerce website. They offer flat rate shipping to most locations in Canada.

The website also features a Gift Registry section, where users can create their own gift registry or wish list, and other users can search for the registries and purchase items from them. The store owner can also manage stock through the website, and keep updated on what products need restocking thorough and administrative Inventory page.

Visit the new Dimples Baby website at www.DimplesBaby.ca! If you still aren’t selling your products online – now is the time! Contact Iceberg to see how we can help bring your e-commerce dreams to life!

March saw the launch of a few new websites, including a complete e-commerce integration and blog setup for Coquette Bath & Home. Coquette had purchased a website template and needed e-commerce software to power the website. Iceberg used their existing design template to integrate our custom e-commerce software.

Customers can now browse through their handmade candles, soaps, bath bombs, and more – and purchase quickly and securely online. The e-commerce software features an easy-to-use Admin area for Coquette, so they can keep track of products, inventory, photos, website content, and orders all in one place.

We also set up a custom, hosted blog for Coquette using the same website template.

Visit the Coquette Bath & Home website at www.coquettebath.com or check out their new blog at www.coquettebath.com/blog. Looking for e-commerce or blogging solutions for your business? Contact Iceberg for information!

What is a blog? You’re reading one right now! A blog (short for the term “web log”) is a type of website where someone posts news, photos, videos, or other content on a regular basis. The newest posts are displayed at the top, so that visitors will see what’s new when they first visit. Posts can be filed into different categories, and visitors can browse through previous content, which is automatically archived as new posts are added.

If you have enough to write about, a blog alone can be an entire website for an individual or a business! It can also be used as a supplement (as this blog is) to add fresh content to the site, keep customers updated, and bring in new traffic.

Blogs are not “just for kids” to use like public diaries for their friends to read. Many businesses are taking advantages of blogging software to promote their products and services, announce specials, and answer questions for new and potential customers.

How can a blog help your business? Keep reading!

A blog can keep your website up to date.

Sure, your website has a lot of valuable information about your business. But your clients (and search engines) have already seen it. So why come back to visit?

Adding new content to your website not only gives your clients a reason to come back – it shows them that your business is still succeeding. It provides assurance for existing (and potential) customers that you’re still doing your job, you’re still accepting business, and your doors are open for them.

A blog lets you add content yourself!

That’s right – no need to call your website designer when you want to update your blog! You can add text, photos, videos, even upload mp3 music files directly to your blog through an easy-to-use admin control panel.

Add formatting:

• bold font
• italicized content
• custom font colors and sizes
• and bulleted lists

to your blog posts with just the click of a mouse. It’s very similar to using Microsoft Word. If you can type and use your mouse, you can keep your blog updated whenever you want, from any computer with an Internet connection. You can even update your blog using your cell phone!

Plus, every time you add a new post you will be generating more content for Search Engines to scan through. Keywords and instant search engine optimization you can do yourself. File your blog posts into categories, add links to other pages on your website (or to other websites), and be seen!

A hosted blog brings more traffic to your website.

Hosting a blog on another domain is one of the biggest mistakes a business can make. Sure, you can set up a free blog at Blogspot, Wordpress, or elsewhere – but doing so will be sending your visitors away from your website, and they will be more likely to wander off and never return. Plus, you’ll be sending the search engines there as well.

The purpose of blogging for your business is to promote your products, your services, your company … your website. Put your blog where it belongs: at Your-Website-Dot-Com.

If you already have a blog and would like to transfer it to your domain, Iceberg can help you export the content from your existing blog and set it up on your new hosted blog. You can even redirect your old blog’s address to send current followers to your own website.

A blog encourages customers to be part of your business.

When your clients are actively engaged in your business, they will be more likely to turn to you than to one of your competitors. Remind your customers of new products or services, promote sales, and offer customer discounts via your blog. Ask for feedback or comments – what do they want from your business? What new products or services have they seen that you could offer?

What are you waiting for?

Existing Iceberg clients: For a limited time, we are offering an incredible special on custom blog setup. For just $90 we will set up a blog on your domain with a custom design (matching your current website design). Start blogging in just 24 hours – guaranteed! Click here for complete details.

Not an Iceberg client? We can still work with you to set up a blog on your own domain. Contact Iceberg for details on setting up a new domain for your blog. We have pre-designed templates that we can work with, or we can create a custom blog design just for your business. Contact Iceberg for a quote on your new Blog project!

This project features custom website design, a dynamic slideshow on the home page, and quick links to featured products. We also provided a matching design for their Blogger account – you can visit that site at http://dotandlil.blogspot.com.

This E-Commerce website is powered by Iceberg’s custom installation of osCommerce, which is open source online shopping cart software. Our custom installation includes many of the most popular osCommerce contributions, and a completely redesigned Admin area which enhances the user experience and makes adding products and managing page content a snap for our clients.

Please take a few minutes and visit the new Dot & Lil website at www.DotAndLil.com – you may just find something to pamper yourself with, or that perfect Valentine’s Day gift.

If you are interested in selling your products or services online, contact Iceberg to see how we can help make your website work for YOU! We have a fully functional demo site including an admin area that you can test. Just contact us for the link and login credentials!

We rolled out a new design for Sentinel Products this week. The site showcases products in a scrolling box on their home page, and features a dynamic menu in their product listing section that displays links based on what category you are browsing.

You can visit their new website at http://www.senpro.com.

Last week we set up a new photography blog for a client in Scotland: Fig & Pen. The blog name is inspired by her Nissan Figaro car and Olympus Pen camera: she enjoys traveling around Scotland in her Fig, taking pictures with her Pen – and now she has a blog where she can share her photos online.

The blog is very clean and simple, with a few little plays on the title. The clean layout draws attention to the photos – exactly the way it should.

Blog design is one of our favorite projects – there are so many neat widgets and features that can be displayed on a blog, and it is exciting to see site transform as the client adds content and makes it their own. Check out the new Fig & Pen photoblog at www.FigandPen.com. If you are interested in setting up a blog for yourself, drop us a line! We’d love to help you with the project!

Historic downtown Anoka is a premiere shopping destination with some of the most progressive and unique shops that the Twin Cities metro area has to offer. Rediscover Anoka is a merchant group dedicated to promoting businesses in the City of Anoka, Minnesota.

Their website features a fresh new design, an online photo gallery, and a news blog. The site is powered with a content management system, which allows members of the organization to add content and keep the site updated easily.

You can visit the new Rediscover Anoka website at www.RediscoverAnoka.com.

And, you’ve probably already noticed … we decided to dress up the website as well. We’ve added a few new features and pages, including an area for clients to pay your invoice.

We think the new design is refreshing, and easy on the eyes. Mostly though, we just felt it was time for something new. Web design is our passion, and by giving our own website a new look from time to time, we hope to inspire you to do the same.

Contact us today, or click here to receive a free quote if you are interested in a refreshing new website design or simply changing the color scheme on your current site. Or… maybe your logo would like a witch hat or some turkey feathers next month!

This was another fun graphic website design project that we launched this week. Bonfire Central is the new home for The HoeJoe, the “Original Firepit Maintenance Tool” (also at www.hoejoe.com.

This new website serves two purposes. First it is a redesign for the original HoeJoe website, with a new fired-up layout and a page for customers to buy the product online. Second, it is a new marketing tool for the company. The site already has some information about bonfire safety, bonfire fun, and even s’mores recipes! And, it features a new blog that will drive more traffic to the site.

You can check out the new Bonfire Central website online: www.BonfireCentral.com