Holiday Archives | Spectrum Net Designs

Category: Holiday

Happy 4th of July!

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! What would be a better way to celebrate this holiday than spending some time in beautiful West Michigan. Whether you are visiting the area on vacation or are a born and raised Michigander, you are sure to be blown away by the beauty of Michigan summers and the events surrounding the 4th. We’ve compiled a list of the great things happening around town as well as a few ideas of our own to help you make the most of your Independence Day!

Races and Fun Walks

For those looking to get a little exercise before consuming all of that grilled goodness at dinner, considers participating in the Kentwood 5K Race & Fun Walk or the Trail Blazer 5K Run/Walk in East Grand Rapids. Whether you’re an avid runner or just want to walk or jog, these races will be a great way to kick off your day! Sign up here for Kentwood and find more information here for East GR.

race
fourth of july parade

Parades

Who doesn’t love a good parade? Start your morning off right with a patriotic celebration in the streets. Fun for adults and kids alike, a parade will be a great way to get in the spirit of the 4th. Check out the parades in Ada/Cascade, Allendale, East Grand Rapids, Kentwood, and Grandville (we think this one is the best but we might be a little biased).

Activities/Festivals

After you’ve gotten a workout in and caught some flying candy, head on over to the activities held throughout the day. With craft shows, rides & inflatables, car shows, food vendors, and live music there is sure to be something for everyone. Grab a funnel cake and stroll through the festivities for a fun-filled day. Discover what each town has to offer: Ada/Cascade, Allendale, East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood and Holland.

activities and festivals
baseball game

Sporting Events

What’s more American than baseball? Head on over to the Whitecaps 4th of July game vs. the South Bend Cubs for some classic American fun. Grab a hot dog and spend a nice evening at the ballpark. Plus, as soon as the game is done there will be a fireworks show! With seats for as low as $9, this is a great idea for your budget as well! Get tickets here.

Beaches

Maybe you are looking for more of a relaxing holiday. If so, head to one of our fabulous beaches along the coast! With the sun on your face and sand on your feet you are sure to spend your day out of the office to the max. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen and lots of water! Explore the beaches of Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon and Saugatuck/Douglas (bonus – each of these cities have fireworks over the lake at night).
beach
fourth of july fireworks

Fireworks

If you aren’t already at the baseball game or camped out at one of the beaches listed above for fireworks, these other cities are putting on their own displays: Grandville, East Grand Rapids, Allendale, Kentwood, Ada/Cascade.

We hope that you have been inspired for your holiday plans! We are so thankful to be located in such a beautiful part of the country and can’t wait to spend the day celebrating our country’s freedom. Check out our Fourth of July Pinterest Board for even more holiday craft and snack ideas!

Want to learn more about our company?

Click Here

Celebrating the World Wide Web’s 30th Birthday

Posted on by spectrum-admin

The World Changed 30 years ago, today we celebrate...

Tim Berners-Lee, a smart man born in London, England set out to change the world. Berners-Lee graduated from The Queen’s College, Oxford with a bachelor of arts degree in physics. While still in college he made a computer out of an old television set that he bought second hand. In his early 30’s & by October of 1990 Tim Berners-Lee had developed a proposal, explaining his idea & had already created the 3 main parts of what would make the World Wide Web work, HTML, URL, & HTTP. Each of these parts are an integral piece to the puzzle he created. The first page of the web went completely live in late 1991. 

Tim Berners-Lee

It didn’t catch on like wild fire though, the WWW took time; starting in Universities & Laboratories. Today, about half of the world is online & almost 2 billion websites exist. Berners-Lee is now using the celebration of 30 years  up and running to touch on the topic of hackers & some of the unethical things that are being done on the web. He stated that he wants technology to be a vehicle for “public good”. On Monday he put out a “contract” that shows what he hopes the web can become. Going forward, Tim Berners-Lee hopes good for the WWW & wants only to see the world united through this beautiful piece of technology.

Do You Need Help Getting On The World Wide Web?

Contact Us Today!
Spectrum Net Designs is dedicated to helping our clients get to where they want to be.

Click here

A New Year, A New Site Equals Better SEO and More Leads!

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Looking for more visitors to your website in the new year?

search engine optimization

 

 

 

Increase your website traffic and be seen by more of your audience that matters. 

online marketing

Understant What Does and Doesn't Work

Reach the Right Audience

end user design
search engine ranking

Monthly Reporting & Tools Available

Improve Search Engine Rankings

search icon
search engine optimzation

Improve Your Campaigns and Strategy Effectively

There are tons of different things that go into getting more traffic to you website. It’s everything from search engine optimization, to running ads, to google compliance, and even user experience. 

We know that this means you have to be an expert in like 7 disciplines at the same time. But don’t start to over think these concepts too much. You don’t actually have to know much about them at all. That’s what we are here for; we have a dedicated team that do all of the marketing for your company and website, and this what they do day in and day out. In other words they know exactly what is need to get you more traffic. So the question is what would more traffic mean for your company. Would that mean more leads or sales? Can you afford to leave all of that revenue on the table? If you can’t contact us so we can get started with you.

Contact Us Today

The Local SEO Holiday Checklist

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Holiday Checklist for Local Listings

Tis’ the season! Are you ready? Now that the holiday season is rolling in, it is important to keep that seo holiday checklist in mind for local listings. Below, we have highlighted the main points to keep your SEO up-to-date, especially during the holiday season.

seo holiday

Search Engine’s and Accurate Company Information

Review Your Search Engine listings for your local clients. Here are a few you might be on. Don’t forget to add those special hours on top of your regular hours. Keep these updated because they are the main traffic for lead conversions. If these main search engines are not kept updated, your chance to capture your focus audience might be missed.

Google– Google+, MyBusiness account, YouTube and your Maps listing information
Bing – BingPlaces, Maps, and more
Do you have one of these accounts and don’t know how to recover them? Contact us, and we can help you!

Directory Sites Accurate Company Information

Review Your Listings on all your Local Sites.  Here are a few you might be on:

Yelp

Manta

Merchant Circle

FourSquare

CitySearch

Yellow Pages

Being up to date on these local sites will help local clients and future customers know your company’s information and how to get a hold of you. You can also share a little about your company. During the holidays, be sure to keep all these updated!

Let us help you create an account on these local sites!

 

Social Media Platforms Accurate Information

Review your social media accounts and make sure they are up to date. Being up to date with social media means posting regularly and knowing the ins and outs of social media use and marketing. Keep up with your followers and those following you. Even a “like” here and there can keep your account up to date. Here are a few social media sites you might be on:

Facebook

LinkedIn

Instagram

Pinterest

Need a social media account? Let us help you get started!

social media

Website is updated with holiday hours and contact information

It’s easy to forget about your website as the holiday season nears, but it is crucial to keep it updated. Many companies have fluctuating hours during the holiday season, the hours changing weekly. Even if the hours look crazy, keeping them updated will lessen frustration from customers and clients.

Make sure you are covered across the whole spectrum of the website. Don’t just focus on the “Contact Us” page, but check the footer, company information, internal landing pages, and more.

Contact us to update your account!

Holiday Posts ready for your audience

Don’t skip out on posts just because it’s the holidays! This is the perfect time to post, either on social media or a blog. Show clients and visitors new products you are selling, information about your company, or even wish them happy holidays. Every post is important, even if it is something small. Audiences are most active during the holiday season, so this is the time to advance your posts.

No Duplicate Directories or Accounts

Many people and companies forget either their passwords or what email they use. There can be a lot of confusion if one creates duplicate accounts. Questions like, What’s my password? and Which email did I use? can be frustrating. Do you know how to reset your password? We can help along the process of recovering your account! Contact us today!

Review Ready and Reputation Management Team in order

During the holiday season, many people take off work and have other people covering for them. This includes a reputation management team. People can be frustrated during the holidays and might leave some negative reviews. Examples include:

  • Return Policy for stores
  • Prices
  • Parking
  • Hours

Having a team ready to give thoughtful, respectful responses is quite important during the holiday season. Have the responses ready, even if no one has complained yet. Don’t leave reviews unattended. We strongly encourage someone to take care of that. Otherwise, frustration levels will rise.

Holiday Emails include holiday hours and correct social and directory links

Review your email signature and make sure it is up to date. Some companies have different holiday hours per person. Are the correct hours and links in the signature? Some people in the holidays have an automatic reply with information about the holiday hours. If this is something you’re interested in, make sure to include forward links to either a website or social media.

 This holiday checklist will ease the frustration of customers and help keep customer loyalty.

Make sure to cover all bases to have the best local SEO possible. If you need any help, contact us today and we will love to give you a hand!

Wishing You and Yours a Safe Labor Day Holiday

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Happy Labor Day!

As we come up on the last holiday of the summer season, we look ahead to the challenges that our client and prospective clients present to us.  As Labor Day is a day to celebrate the achievements of hard working Americans, we at Auctioneer Software and Spectrum Net Designs are reminded of our responsibility to provide for our employees and their families.  The environment that they work in from day to day is one of integrity, trust in each other, and a daily striving to pass along the enjoyable work place we have here with the clients that we serve.

Colossians 3:23 says:  And whatsoever ye do, do [it] heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men

~ Auctioneer Software & Spectrum Net Designs Staff


Looking for Labor Day Inspiration…Look No Further!
Pinterest has everything Labor Day you will need from 100’s of delicious recipes, crafts,
and fun activities for the entire family!
Have a Perfect End of the Summer Labor Day Party with these 38 recipes. 
5 Fun Ways To Celebrate Labor Day Start new traditions and help others and treat yourself in the process.

What is Labor Day? Good Question!

Is Labor Day a federal holiday?
Labor Day is a federal holiday. All Government offices, schools and organizations and many businesses are closed. Some public celebrations, such as fireworks displays, picnics and barbecues, are organized, but they are usually low key events.

What is the traditional color of Labor Day?
Display fun, festive and casual decorations for Labor Day parties. Use the colors scheme red, white, and blue as a guideline for party accessories, streamers, balloons, plates, cups, etc.

Where is Labor Day celebrated?
Labor Day in the United States is a public holiday celebrated on the first Monday in September. It honors the American labor movement and the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity, laws and well-being of the country.

Where did Labor Day come from?
Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

What other countries celebrate Labor Day?
May 1 is also a national holiday in the Russian Federation and Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Labor Day holiday, or Labour Day, is celebrated in the United States and countries such as Australia and Canada at different times of the year.

Who made Labour day?
Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894.

Labor Day information found on Wikipedia

One Flag, One Land, One Heart….

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Celebrate the 4th of July

#Support  #Freedom  #Celebrate

 

American Flag

Thank you to service men and woman in the military both past and present for fighting for our freedoms.  We hope everyone has a safe holiday!

While “Independence Day” is a very good name for a holiday celebrating the separation of one country from another; most Americans refer to this holiday by its date, as “The Fourth of July”-or, indeed, “The Glorious Fourth,” though the latter has fallen out of common usage.

Nevertheless, there are and always have been people who say “July Fourth” instead of “The Fourth of July”-just not as many of them. Google returns 11,000,000 hits on a search for “Fourth of July” and only 826,000 for “July Fourth.” But whatever order you choose to say it in, we hope you enjoy the national holiday.

 

Fun July 4th Facts

4th of july

304 Million!That’s the population this July 4th.
1804.The first celebration west of the Mississippi River is held at Independence creek by Lewis and Clark…
1941.The year that July 4th became a holiday. However, Independence Day was observed since July 9, 1776.
31.Number of places named “eagle” – after the majestic bird that serves as our national symbol.
155 Million.Americans consume around 155 million hot dogs on the Fourth of July each year. They also spend $92 million on chips, $167.5 million on watermelon, and $341.4 million on beer.

Need Ideas for 4th of July Inspired Picnic?

4th of july
Try the All American Trifle!

Here is a recipe for any type of celebration. This dessert is very popular with cool whip cream and fresh fruits it is bound to be a hit.
 

Happy Independence Day!

4th of july

May You Have a Warm & Blessed Christmas

Posted on by spectrum-admin

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.   ~Isaiah 9:6

During this season, we take time to reflect upon the many things that have been given to us. We are truly grateful for your trust in our company.  We look forward to doing business with you for many years to come.

To you and your families, have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous new year.

Christmas newsletter

As Holiday Season and Online Shopping Surges

Posted on by spectrum-admin

Security Features to Be On Lookout For This Season with Online Shopping

Shannan DuShane | November 14, 2016 | Spectrum Net Designs, Inc.

Millions of people use e-commerce sites daily to purchase everything online from aspirin to vehicles, and yet many consumers really do not care about the personal experience anymore. It is all about being convenient and working around busy lives, but what we don’t see when shopping online is there are two types of sites to be on the lookout for; you have the safe e-commerce sites and the unsafe websites all over the web and around the world. Here are a few things to watch out for while you are browsing.

People lead busy lives, much more than 10 years ago, and we dread the job of dodging salespeople or driving to the store to shop; humans seek the convenience of online shopping. Some of the benefits are ye,s you guessed it #1 Convenience of shopping; when you want, where you want, and how you want. Yes, that means if you want to buy a cake at 2 am in your pajamas, then you go right ahead! And the biggest benefit everyone enjoys is the instant download access and streaming features we can utilize now with e-books, videos, and more.

Online shopping has many other benefits, too. From sending gifts, no crowds to fight off, and more variety with price comparisons on nearly every website, we have it easy these days, plus bonus rewards, we save money and earn points on gas, so we can spend more online, and most places will have free shipping with minimum orders.

The disadvantages of online shopping do not outweigh the benefits, but there are a few details to be aware of while shopping. Keep your guard up about trustworthy sites is #1. The waiting for the product to arrive is a disadvantage, but not a huge one, when you think about how secure the transaction is and if you are protected from identity theft. What you are looking for is the security certificate or SSL (secure socket layer), a small lock icon or badge in the website address, and the possible changing of color of the address bar with the web address switching from http://www.yoursite.com to the secure site that you are protected on https://www.yoursecure.com. This is when you can trust the site you are purchasing from; if you don’t see these features, leave the site immediately.

The same precautions go with online banking, filling out credit card offers online and any site that you have to input your social security number or billing information into, be cautious, don’t assume that every site is trustworthy or secure. The 2 minutes it takes to look for these items might save your bank account information from being in jeopardy one day.

Here are three examples of security features that you can make sure your transaction is secure and your browsing is also secure.

Google. You can see below in the url address bar the https:// is green, this is telling you that you are on a secure site and you are protected. Not all sites and search engines do this but those who do take your business seriously.

Sears. You can see from this website’s domain that there is no security here for browsing on the site. But when you look below, you will see a change.

As I enter into the cart checkout of my order it goes to https:// from http:// and it tells you that are you on a secure site for your transaction. This is the protection that you want!

So, as consumers become more dependent on online shopping here are a few things to watch out for.

  1. Be perceptive when giving out your personal information, social security number or credit card information.
  2. Keep your password private and secure by making it hard to guess, use symbols, capitals and numbers to help in this.
  3. Change your passwords every 3-6 months
  4. Observe signs of security such as https:// (secure gateways)
  5. Email is never secure unless it is encrypted on both the sender and receivers side

Happy Shopping!