Website Design Blog
Google Fonts new Material Design update
Google Fonts has been an invaluable tool in web design when it comes to finding the perfect fonts to use on your website. Launched in 2010, Google Fonts became a fantastic place to search for web fonts that could be viewed properly on most desktop and mobile browsers. With Google’s Material Design now applied to the Google Fonts page it looks beautiful read more…
The Top 25 Worst Passwords of 2015
Come on people. This has got to stop. Passwords are a huge part of our daily lives. As much as we hate having to remember 500 different passwords, password security is something that really needs to be taken seriously. In SplashData’s annual Worst Password List they clearly show that people still aren’t learning. Once again taking the crown is “123456” followed by read more…
2015 Year In Review
I had a great time this year building websites for some really awesome businesses. From real estate to reverse painting on glass, I got to work on a wide variety of projects this year.
Take a look and see for yourself:
In case you want to see more, here are the links to their websites:
aceofheartsfilms.com
bendpaintingparties.com
cmpplumbingredmond.com
colr.work
eliproperty.com
kelihudsonart.com
optembroidery.com
pacificcrestbuslines.com
sagerathunts.com
seventhmountainstables.com
splashwpc.com
studio-jay.net
centraloregonweddingpros.com
Thanks for a great 2015. Hope you have a great 2016!
WordPress 4.4 update out with responsive images and post embeds
WordPress released the latest version, 4.4, named “Clifford” in honor of jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown. Wordpress 4.4 is full of new features to help make your site more connected and responsive. Once again WordPress also includes a new default theme, Twenty Sixteen. Here are some of the highlights of this new release:
Meet Twenty Sixteen
Twenty Sixteen is the latest read more…
5 Free Essential WordPress Plugins
One of the best things about WordPress is the amount of flexibility and customization that can be done through the use of plugins. Now, it’s never a good idea to load your WordPress installation up with a ton of plugins because that can really put a load on your site and slow it down. If you have a bunch of old plugins (and themes) installed that you aren’t using it’s a good idea to delete them so they aren’t using up resources.
Almost every WordPress website is going to use at least 1 or 2 plugins. We put together a list of 5 Essential WordPress plugins that will help your website’s search ranking, security and read more…
Is Your Website Mobile Friendly?
What is the new Google update all about?
In just a few weeks (as of the time of this post) Google will be implementing their latest search algorithm. In an effort to deliver better search results to mobile users, the new algorithm will favor “mobile-friendly” websites. The downfall is that websites that aren’t mobile-friendly will be penalized and will fall in ranking. Once rolled out, read more…
Recent Website Redesigns
There are a lot of businesses out there that have known for a long time how vital a website is for businesses. The days of businesses being found through the phone book and printed advertising are quickly passing. For some people they are long past. When was the last time you picked up a phone book to find a new restaurant or someone to work on your car? Websites are important. These businesses knew that and so they had a site built for their company. Most of their websites were built in 2008 or 2009. That might not seem like a long time, but it’s 2015 now and things have changed a lot over those last 6 or 7 years. 
Take a look at this graph. Since 2008 smartphone users in the US have increased from 22% to 63%. More and more people are looking up information and finding businesses on their phones than ever. A mobile-friendly website is the best way for your visitors to experience your website.
Here are some website redesigns we’ve done recently for some local businesses. All of them have been Search Engine Optimized and are responsive web designs so they look great whether they’re being seen on a computer, tablet or phone. read more…
Small Business Saturday 2014 – Local Web Design
There is nothing better than working with local businesses. Having a direct connection to the people you are working with creates a better experience for everyone involved. I love working with small businesses around Bend. I get to meet so many great people who all want to make Bend an even more amazing place to live. If that’s even possible!
Our local community is full of amazing small businesses and we need to support them. Restaurants, beauty shops, toy stores, clothing stores, art galleries, breweries and more. I could go on and on all day about all of the different small businesses around Bend that makes our town unique. Small Business Saturday is one way of recognizing the importance of supporting our local businesses. They truly are what makes Bend great.
Bend Pro Web Design is proud to be one of the many small businesses in Bend. Help us on Saturday 11/29/14 by getting out and supporting at least one of our amazing local businesses. Oh yeah, if you happen to need a website, I know a great local web designer that can help you with that. 🙂
5 Essential WordPress Tips for Beginners
So you’ve chosen WordPress to start your new website. What do you do now? Every WordPress website starts out the same with a basic WordPress installation. From there the possibilities are endless. In fact, it can be overwhelming how many choices you have when it comes to the amount of themes and plugins that are available, some are free and some are not. For those of you that are building a WordPress website for the first time, I’ve put together a list of 5 essential tips to help you out. read more…
New website launched for Parties By Confetti
Let’s get this party started!
We just launched a new website for Parties By Confetti, a party planning service in Bend, Oregon. For their website we worked together to come up with a fun, yet classy, design using bright colors and accents. Their new blog lets them share all the party fun with everyone too. After they clean up of course. read more…