BitSculptor

Alexander's Aesthetics Gets Pretty

Late last year we finished development on a website redevelopment project for Alexander's Aesthetics (www.alexanders-aesthetics.com), a SF Bay Area aesthetician supply and education company.

Alexander's has sells of lot of products and they needed us to develop a custom e-commerce solution that allowed for them to easily manage sales and inventory.

The design of the site was driven by existing branding and print materials so there wasn't much wiggle room for giving things an entirely new look but working within the existing constraints we created a site that's a far cry better than the old design while also being more accessible to users.

Bay Area Auto Care Website Lifts Off

We are glad to announce that we recently launched the new Bay Area Auto Care website (www.bayareaautocare.com). This was a collaborative project with another company who provided the design and sitemap while BitSculptor did all the programming.

Our part of the work involved converting Photoshop layout files into an XHTML templates and then programming the backend to allow the client and easy and secure way to manage the business listings and page content.

General Baptist National Missions Site Revamp

We've recently launched the redesigned and rebranded site for General Baptist National Missions (www.generalbaptistnm.com).

The site includes all of the backend tools from the previous iteration as well as a Wordpress blog installation, and dynamic Google map for displaying churches (www.generalbaptistnm.com/national-impact/new-churches.asp). Each page on the site can be edited by the site administrator using our MS Word-style web editor.

Illinois Student Ministries Site Goes Live

We launched the new web site for the Illinois Student Ministries last week. This site was designed by a designer working for the ISM and was then contracted out to BitSculptor to build the XHTML shell and do the backend programming.

The backend toolset includes news, events, links, photos and video and more.

The site can be viewed at www.ilsmonline.com.

SmarterStats Website Statistics Now Available

If you want to take your web presence seriously, having access to your website's traffic statistics is a necessity. These statistics give you insight into information like:
- Number of site visitors
- Number of page views
- Search engine referals
- Typical paths visitors take through your site
- Errors visitors are encountering when browsing your site
and much more!
SmarterStats is one of top-rated website statistics products on the market today, and BitSculptor has partnered with them to offer their full, enterprise-level package to our hosting customers for the low cost of $75/year.
One of our customer's favorite SmarterStats features is the ability to automatically email you weekly or monthly traffic reports.
Many of our customers use Google Analytics, which is a great product for the price (free) but it is a well-known fact that Google Analytics, as a third-party statistics service, isn't as accurate as a service hosted on your actual web server. In our research, we've found that Google Analytics typically misses 15-25% of your website's traffic. SmarterStats, on the other hand, doesn't miss a thing.
Interested in using SmarterStats? Contact us today!
Try the SmarterStats demo here

Konocti Christian Academy Website Launches

Konocti Christian Academy (www.konoctichristianacademy.com) recently launched their newly redesigned website developed by BitSculptor.

The site is rebuilt from the ground up, including branding and backend tools which allow the school to manage the content on the site easily and securily.

Soper Reese Theatre

BitSculptor recently collaborated with the Soper Reese Theatre in Lake County to redevelop their website at www.soperreesetheatre.com.

We worked within their existing branding which is heavily influenced by the art deco style of years past. We extended the art deco look to the design of the site including the step down appearance of the top of the page along with the background pattern and rays. BitSculptor's designers work hard to integrate branding and site design together rather than throwing your logo on a generic template and calling it good (because most of the time that isn't good).

The site features a secure backend site administration area where the Soper Reese website administrators can manage all aspects of the site.

The new Soper Reese Theatre web site is a big step forward for the theatre as they work to preserve the landmark and offer culturally rich experiences to the people of Lake County, California.

New Website for Saint Paul

Well maybe not Paul himself but at least a church named after him - St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Peoria, IL (www.stpaulspeoria.com).

St. Paul's was a new client who had an existing website that needed a lot of help. BitSculptor to the rescue! We rebranded, redesigned and redeveloped their site to better serve visitors and members alike. It's also a lot easier to manage the content which is a bonus for the church administration.

The new branding with the two crests was largely developed in house by the church. BitSculptor chose the font and the color and then went to work designing a simple site around the logo.

We also built in all of our custom church website administration tools. These include tools like sermon audio uploads, photos, event, news and more. A big benefit of using BitSculptor to develop a web site is that we don't take a template content management system and try to shape your site around it. Instead, we build the site you want and use our custom developed tools to give you the powerful tools you need to be successful on the web.

BitSculptor President Eric Schlange to Speak at General Baptist Mission & Ministry Summit in Indiana this Weekend

Eric Schlange, BitSculptor's founder and president, has been asked to speak at the upcoming Mission Ministry Summit in Evansville, IN. This is a three-day summit featuring workshops on a variety of ministry-related topics. Eric will be presenting two different workshops over the three days.
The Seven Deadly Sins of Church Websites will focus the seven most important mistakes to avoid on your church website. Make any one of these mistakes and your web site is doomedbut if you can avoid them then youre well on your way to a righteous web site!
Using Your Website to Grow Your Church is a realistic look at strategies you can use today to grow your church in numbers and maturity using the Internets tools and capabilities. Well cover the use of e-mail, church Web sites, social networking sites such as Facebook, and more.
The Mission Ministry Summit is the largest annual gathering of General Baptist leaders. BitSculptor was asked to participate based on our close relationship with the denomination, having built several websites for General Baptist churches, as well as the site for the denomination's National Missions ministry.

A-1 Home Inspections Site Goes Live

A-1 Home Inspections is based in Ukiah, CA and specializes in residential and commercial inspections with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround. Owner Rocky Schlange wanted a website that was straightforward and professional, with the right mix of content to get good search engine rankings.
The website features simple pages describing A-1's inspection services and pricing, as well as a page with resource articles for people interested in buying or selling a home. The site also includes testimonials from customers.

Updates Posted to Website Portfolio

Mechanics always drive old clunkers, and website developers always have outdated websites. Why? Because we're so busy working on everyone else's stuff!
We just updated our website portfolio, adding a good number of new projects from the past couple years. We realized that the list of sites is getting rather long, so we also created a handy feature which lets visitors filter the list of sites by industry and/or feature, so you can view all real estate websites which include integrated mapping, for instance. Check it out!
Visit the Website Portfolio

Clear Lake Riviera Community Association Site Launches

BitSculptor recently launched the new site for the local Clear Lake Riviera HOA (www.clrca.com). The CLRCA is Lake County's second largest HOA with nearly 3000 properties. With such a large community it became necessary to upgrade their existing site to something more user friendly, attractive and easy to manage.

Included in the project was a simple logo design based on a script typeface. The site design is based on the script logo and a softer green color palette. These types of logos are quick and easy to create, while still creating a useful branding element which can be used in various media.

One of the unique design qualities of the site is the bottom-oriented panoramic view of Clear Lake. Placing the photo at the bottom allows for the content to be front and center while still presenting a view of Lake County which, due to its placement, is seamlessly integrated into the page.

The site includes a fairly extensive set of secure content management tools so that essentially all of the content on the site is editable by the CLRCA staff. This content ranges from simple text to photos, documents and more.

Fresh branding, a new design and a new content management system make the new site one that will server the CLRCA for years to come.

Upcoming 'Using Email to Grow Your Business' Workshop in Lakeport, CA

Introduction

Email is a proven and effective communication and marketing tool, but many people dont use it to its fullest potential. Is your business using email to achieve its goals?
A 2008 study by the Direct Marketing Association shows a return on investment of $45 for every $1 spent on email marketing. This is over twice the ROI of other forms of Internet marketing, and nearly triple that of offline marketing such as postal mail or telephone. In these tough economic times, we cant afford to waste marketing dollars!
About the Workshop

Part of the 59 Minutes to a Better Business monthly workshop series, this workshop will be conducted by Eric Schlange, former chairman of the Chambers technology committee. Eric runs three different Internet-centric companies including BitSculptor, a local website development, hosting, and marketing firm. He also consults with customers on a regular basis, helping them market effectively via email.
Topics covered in this short seminar include:

Email List Marketing
Managing Your Email Workload
Composing Effective Emails
Avoid Receiving (and Sending!) Spam
The Future of Email

Monday, April 13, 2009
6:00 PM - 6:59 PM
At the City Council Chambers, 225 Park St. in Lakeport, CA
Registration

Cost is free to Lakeport Chamber members, or $10 for non-members. Space is limited - make your reservation today! Please RSVP online, by phone at (707) 263-5092, or via email at lakeport@lakeportchamber.com.
More information: Email the Chamber (707) 263-5092

Lakeport Main Street Site Goes Live

BitSculptor recently launched the new Lakeport Main Street Association web site (www.lakeportmainstreet.com). The site tools allow administrators to manage member listings and calendar events as well as the content on the rest of the site.
Association members can log in to the site and manage their business listings using Bitsculptor's secure backend tools.
The site design was based on the existing logo provided to Bitsculptor. The logo included a lot of lake look curves which were extended across the entire navigation with a large curve. The blue sky background is befitting for a city known for its summer recreation and clean air.

Bradley Epworth Church Site Goes Live

Bitsculptor is glad to announce the completion of Bradley Epworth Church's website (www.bradleyepworth.com/).
The project included branding, site design and development. The branding reveals something of the church's pentecostal roots with the worshipper and flame imagery. The site design is meant to be inviting and to show the church's regional mission with the Peoria skyline in view on each page.
The site included extensive backend tools which range from online giving to managing the different ministries of the church as well as email lists and newsletters.
BitSculptor has been building quality church web sites for years and the new Bradley Epworth Church site shows off what we can offer our clients.

Website for Shop, Stay, & Play in Lake County Program Launched

Sponsored by the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, the Shop, Stay, Play in Lake County is a program dedicated to encouraging Lake County locals to shop Lake County merchants first.
BitSculptor recently launched the program's website, located at ShopStayPlay.com. The site features searchable information on local accommodations and restaurants. Members can also post deals for Lake County locals. Additional site phases are planned, which will add additional business categories such as professional services and recreation.
All site content is managed using BitSculptor's secure, browser-based content management tools.

AGM Property Management's New Site Goes Live

Bitsculptor recently finished a redesign and development project for AGM Property Management (www.agmpm.com) located in Lakeport, California and serving all of Lake County.
The previous version of the site was all hardcoded HTML pages which meant that anytime AGM wanted to make changes they had to contact their webmaster to do so. The new site has a password protected administration area where AGM can manage the rental properties that show up on the site. We also created the ability for users to register for accounts which they can then use to apply for rentals online. The rentals are easy to find using the search tools or the custom Google Maps integration which shows the exact location of specific rentals around the lake.
One the design side we were provided with existing branding and used this to create a bold, easy to use look and feel. This includes a navigation bar that stands out and is easy to understand as well as rounded corners on the site pages to complement the curve of the shooting star in the logo.
Beauty and functionality are the hallmarks of Bitsculptor web sites. The new AGM Property Management site is a great example of these two ideas working together. Hooray for us!

Riviera West Site Goes Live

Riviera West is an established neighborhood in Lake County, California that came to Bitsculptor looking for a web presence for their homeowners association.

The design of the site was created to be warm and inviting while being decidedly Lake County. This was accomplished through the use of color and strong imagery. The arch along the top of the site resulted from spending a fair amount of time with the logo provided by the association. The logo is actually just a photo of the neighborhood's entry sign which Bitsculptor Photoshopped into something usable.

All of the pages on the site are editable using Bitsculptor's proprietary secure backend tools. This allows the Association to keep the content current thereby making the site a valuable resource for both current and potential residents. As with most homeowners associations there's a lot of documents and rules that need to be readily available to people. To this end, we also included a prominent area where the site administrators can upload documents and sort them into categories as they choose.

Functional beauty was the target and we'd like to think we hit a bullseye.

See for yourself at www.rivierawest.org.

Principle Property Management Site Goes Live

Principle Property Management, located in Peoria, IL, came to us looking for web site design and development. They wanted to be able to manage their rental listings as well as the content on the individual pages. To accomplish this, Bitsculptor implemented our proprietary web site rich text editor which allow clients to log in and manage the content on their pages using a tool very similar to Microsoft Word. We also developed backend tools enabling the Principle Property staff to manage all of their rental listings.

The design was based around their existing logo and their desire to use earth tone colors. We always try to make our design solutions integrate well with company branding and the Principle Property web site was no exception.

Visit the site at www.principleproperty.net.

You may also view available Peoria House Rentals on the site.

For One Chicago Site Goes Live

Coordinated by Park Community Church in Chicago, For One Chicago is an annual event in which thousands of volunteers seek to make a difference in the city thru service projects. Bitsculptor recently completed the design and development of the For One Chicago website at http://www.foronechicago.org.
The website facilitates their day of service by allowing coordinators to post the details of the many projects citywide, and allowing people to submit volunteer applications for specific projects.
Using our secure backend tools, the staff can manage projects and online applications from a simple interface. Each page of the site is fully editable using our easy to use Word-style text editor.
This combination of tools ensures that the For One Chicago site will continue to help the citizens of Chicago serve their city for years to come.

Lakeport Chamber Site Goes Live

Bitsculptor recently completed the redesign and development of the Lakeport Chamber of Commerce web site at http://www.lakeportchamber.com/.
The site has quite a few different areas of content and the design team decided that usability would be improved by using a distinct color for each area. These can be seen by rolling over the main navigation items. Also included in the new design is a dynamic Flash image fader on the home page which allows the Chamber site administrators to upload new highlighted events and news graphics using Bitsculptor's proprietary secure backend administration tools.
Using these backend tools, administrators can edit all of the page level content on the site as well as manage and send email newsletters. The benefit of using these administration tools is that all of the site management can be done in house by Chamber staff without needing to come back to Bitsculptor everytime they need something changed. Not only is this an easier solution, it also saves the Chamber money in the long run.
A great new look along with useful and secure administration tools ensure the usefulness of the new Chamber site for years to come.

Bass is Loaded Mobile DJ Site Goes Live

Bitsculptor recently completed the development of the Bass is Loaded Mobile DJ site at http://www.bassisloadeddj.com/.
The site was designed to the client's specifications which included using the trademark basepath and colors of the logo throughout the site as well as icons in the navigation to illustrate what users can expect to find in that particular area.
All of the pages on the site are edited by the client using secure backend administration tools developed by Bitsculptor.
In addition to the new design and backend tool development, Bitsculptor also provided Search Engine Optimization for the site. This included researching keywords and implementing them throughout the site.
The client, Oregon wedding DJ specialist, Rick Whitehead, has already seen his search engine ranking climb to the top ten in the short time his new site has been up.

Microsoft Exchange Hosting Service Announced

We are happy to announce our new Microsoft Exchange Hosting Service.
Microsoft Exchange has been used for years by many business customers who are looking for more functionality than standard POP mail provides (Microsoft Exchange allows your office to share your calendar and contacts list, among other things).
Until now, many of our customers were forced to host an Exchange server in-house in order to have this functionality. This is a fairly expensive (and risky) proposition since you have to pay for IT staff, server hardware and software, and run the risk of server downtime and lost email.
Our new Exchange Hosting Service is competitively-priced to reduce your overall Exchange Hosting costs, while improving reliability.
Learn more about our Exchange Hosting Service

Victorian Village Site Goes Live

Bitsculptor recently completed the web site for Victorian Village, a new development of homes in Lake County, California. The web site can be found at www.victorianvillagelakeport.com.
The homes in Victorian Village have all been built in the Victorian style which, along with its lake views and lake frontage, make the development truly one of a kind in Lake County.
Bitsculptor wanted to allow the unique architecture to take center stage. To this end, a muted dark background was used along with an elegant but simple navigation bar. This allows for the quality of the photographs to shine through.
The site employs a registration system which allows the REALTOR's involved in selling the homes to capture user's contact information in exchange for more detailed information on the homes.
Another feature is a backend news update tool which allows the Victorian Village administrators to login and add/edit/delete news as they see fit. These news items are then displayed on the site keeping the content fresh and applicable.

Yahoo continues to deliver (poor email service, that is!) More information on 451 errors...

Once again, Yahoo is returning 451 errors when our customers send email to yahoo.com email addresses. The error message looks something like 451 Message temporarily deferred - 4.16.50. You may also see Messages from 209.221.150.13 temporarily deferred due to user complaints - 4.16.56.1.
This seems to happen every few months for no good reason, and any attempts to contact Yahoo support to resolve the issue fall on deaf ears.
What this means for our email hosting customers is that messages to addresses @yahoo.com are often delayed or not delivered at all. Yahoo's justification for this is that our mail server is sending spam, but since we control our server tightly and know what goes in and out of it, we know that is not the case.
One factor possibly affecting Yahoo's email service is the recent layoffs of thousands of workers. A quick search on Google shows that this is a widespread issue. It is only a matter of time before Yahoo loses a significant number of email users due to their lack of consistent email delivery.
At BitSculptor, we've been advising our customers who use Yahoo email services to switch to a better service such as Gmail or Hotmail. Both of these services offer a better product for the same great price (free).

REALTOR Renee Coffeen's Site Upgrade Launches

Bitsculptor recently completed a complete redevelopment of REALTOR Renee Coffeen's web site located at www.buylakecounty.net.
The new site includes an integrated custom MLS search tool which provides users with easier to use and more advanced options for searching the Lake County MLS. No more clodgy third-party tools that limit what users can do and what information REALTORS can provide.
Other upgrades from the old site include:
Blog. Renee can keep her web site visitors informed about the local real estate market
Email Newsletter. Users can sign up and receive regular updates from Renee.
Custom Page Editor. Renee can edit all of page level content using Bitsculptor's proprietary site administration tools.
and more!
The new design reflects the curves and elegance of Renee's script logo while enhancing the elegance and beauty of the homes featured on the site.

DJ Super Laser 2000 Goes Live

Bitsculptor recently launched the DJ Super Laser 2000 site at www.djsuperlaser2000.com.
The DJ Super Laser 2000 has a couple of interesting features not found on all sites. The first is the language option allowing users the option of viewing the content in Spanish or English. This is an important feature in Lake County, California where the number of native Spanish speakers is very high.
The other feature of note is the design itself which provides a bright and bold platform for owner Jesus Tapia to show off his equipment and services. This while remaining exceptionally easy for users to navigate.

Enviro-Safe Refrigerants Site Redesign Goes Live

BitSculptor has launched the redesigned site of Enviro-Safe Refrigerants at www.es-refrigerants.com.

The new design reflects the company's commitment to the environment by using bright colors and eye-catching graphics while not sacrificing usability.
Using Bitsculptor's custom administration tools, Enviro-Safe can easily manage their product line, orders and site resources all in one place.
Functional beauty is the catchphrase here. Visit the site and we think you'll agree.

Play Up Goes Live

BitSculptor has completed the development of the Play Up fundraiser web site, located at playup.info.

Play Up is a fundraiser for the southern Oregon Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action non-profits. The event will feature Christian recording artist Rebecca St. James as well as NFL kicker, and local product, Josh Bidwell of the Tampa Bay Bucs.

The site saw many changes throughout the development process. The domain name and all graphics had to change when the original headliner and professional athlete combo dropped out due to changed circumstances. While these changes may have been frustrating for the event planners we were able to make the changes quickly and effectively in order to get the site up with plenty of time before the event.

The Play Up site also includes a backend News tool for the FCA staff to use in order to keep people up to date on the upcoming event.

Sutter Lakeside Hospital Contracts BitSculptor for Website Management and Training

Sutter Lakeside Hospital has contracted BitSculptor to manage the hospital's website, located at www.sutterlake.org.
BitSculptor will be managing day-to-day content changes, developing new site features, maintaining website-related databases, and training Sutter Lakeside Hospital employees to maintain specific sections of the site.
About Sutter Lakeside Hospital
Sutter Lakeside Hospital is a community-based, not-for-profit hospital located in Lakeport, CA. Founded in 1945 as a 30-bed private facility called Lakeside Community Hospital, the hospital was donated to the community in 1966 and a non-profit corporation was formed. In 1992 the hospital affiliated with Sutter Health and changed its name to Sutter Lakeside Hospital. Serving residents of Lake County, Sutter Lakeside Hospital has 69 licensed beds and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
About the Sutter Health Network
Sutter Lakeside Hospital is an affiliate of Sutter Health, a family of not-for-profit hospitals and physician organizations that share resources and expertise to advance health care quality. Serving more than 100 communities in Northern California, Sutter Health doctors and hospitals are regional leaders in pediatric, obstetrical, heart and cancer care.