Earlier this year, Julie Leischner, a L’Bri independent representative, asked me to help her create a fresh, clean website for her to share skincare tips and also promote her business. Since she’s all about the aloe, we went with fresh colors like blue and green.

Are you looking for a website redesign? Looking to launch a website or blog? Let’s talk! I’m offering $50 off any WordPress design service (complete site, not just modifications) until August 30. Send me an e-mail at amy@amykant-dot-com.

FitMilwaukee came into my life at a time I needed it most, so when founders Anne Munkwitz and Tracey Gessner were looking for someone to redesign the site, I jumped at the opportunity. Not only are these gals good friends, they’re also amazing athletes who inspire Milwaukeeans to get off the couch and get moving!

Before, FitMilwaukee.com was functional but lacked pizazz and a clear design. Now, it’s clean, fresh and easy to navigate. We moved the site to WordPress from BlogEngine.net so it would be easier for the FitMilwaukee team to make changes to the site, without having to find a web designer/developer to do it for them.

I know Anne and Tracey love the new site, but just in case you don’t believe me, take a look at what Anne had to say:

Amy volunteered her time to completely redesign the FitMilwaukee.com website. Not only did she offer to, but she was EXCITED to help. That’s something notable about Amy — she tackles a project with full enthusiasm. She took one look at our existing logo and her wheels were turning. She put together a fabulous header – a scrolling montage of images of members of our community. She also selected perfect colors to complement our logo and make it pop, and ultimately made the site consistent and beautiful. She asked for our opinion the whole way, taking time to make changes for all the suggestions we had. She’s very open to input but also got us started with a vision that we could have never seen. She’s got a great eye for design and we are so happy with the way it turned out that sometimes I go to the site just to stare at how pretty it is!

- Anne Munkwitz, co-founder of FitMilwaukee.com

Are you looking for a website redesign? Looking to launch a website or blog? Let’s talk! I’m offering $50 off any WordPress design service (complete site, not just modifications) until August 30. Send me an e-mail at amy@amykant-dot-com.

You listened to the social media gurus and marketing experts. You have a company blog, a Twitter account, a Facebook Community Page and a YouTube channel. Woohoo! Securing these accounts is just the beginning. If you’re not properly utilizing these channels, you could be doing more harm than good.

The key for success across all platforms is consistency. How can inconsistency hurt your brand?

1. When consistency is inconsistent – Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are separate entities for a reason. Are you employing the same tactics on each of these sites?  Lisa Barone of Small Business Trends hits the nail on the head, “Every social networking site is different and you need to create a different strategy for each site you decide to engage in — one that is customized to that site’s specific rules and code of conduct. Trying to run a one-size-fits-all approach will limit your ability to be successful anywhere.” This “consistency” can appear inconsistent because community members on different sites expect different interactions. You wouldn’t respond to a client’s voicemail message by sending a “snail mail” message, so don’t let your Twitter feed look like a carbon copy of your Facebook feed.
2. Blogging without purpose – Are your blog posts few and far between? Do you post four blogs in one day and then a week later, post three blogs on three different days? The most successful blogs are those that have new content on a consistent basis. Set attainable goals for your blog team. Blog posts don’t need to be 100% original content. Don’t be afraid to repurpose or aggregate content. When you have extra time, write a handful of posts so you always have some in your queue if you don’t have time to write fresh content on your scheduled posting days.
3. Presence without strategy – If your social media accounts are disjointed, your followers will be confused. What’s your message? What’s your goal? What’s your purpose? When you launch an ad campaign, are you flying blind or are you targeting a specific audience? Social media strategy should emulate your traditional marketing strategies. The only difference is your audience. Determine your goals and have a clear strategy.
4. Branding across platforms – Your branding should be consistent – don’t lose your corporate identity to fit in with the social media crowd. Your traditional marketing has a consistent image. While your Twitter theme should match your corporate image, it should also look like it belongs on Twitter. Don’t try to make it something it’s not. When your social media sites have a similar look and feel to your regular web site, you project a consistent brand that prospects and clients remember.

Image: DesignReviewer.com

Little Saint Anything draws on the influences of bands like RHCP, Modest Mouse, White Stripes and Radiohead. They’re a clash between Led Zeppelin, the Chili’s and Jack White. Little Saint Anything likes that heavy but oh so sweet sound. They are located in Mequon and Glendale, Wisconsin.

When I was approached by Little Saint Anything, they told me they were just looking for a simple site – 4-5 pages deep – where they could have a few of their songs, some photos and other information about the band. Basically, they wanted a central place to tell family, friends and potential clients about. They were spread thin across a variety of social networks and band sites. Now they have everything in one place.

Pretty Please? Midwestern hospitality is out of this world. Pinky swear.

Don’t believe me that AJ Bombers has the best burgers in Milwaukee? Feast your eyes on some burger porn from AJ Bombers’ burger whisperer.

Conan, if you come to Milwaukee, I’ll buy you a burger and a beer. Hell, you can even stay at my place.

#mkecoco

Last spring, the girls were talking about how badly they wanted a new Web site. When I took a look at the site, I knew they weren’t joking around. The site was outdated and was in dire need of a facelift.

So, the girls hired me to do a complete overhaul on the site before they started recruitment this fall.

Click on the image below to check out their site! (Note: Due to the winter hiatus, we are still waiting for a few pictures and some copy for the site… so don’t be alarmed if you see a “coming soon” graphic).

Bloody Brunch™, the popular Milwaukee Tweetup event in search of the city’s best Bloody Marys, is making its next stop at Stack’d Burger Bar on Sunday, December 13^th from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a Holiday Extravaganza. That’s right, Bloody Brunch ™ is going beyond Twitter for a day of celebration, benefiting Toys for Tots, the Blood Center of Wisconsin and the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation.

All guests bringing a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots (don’t be a grinch – suggested value of $10) will get a free Rehorst Vodka or Gin Bloody Mary with a Buffalo Water Bison Blonde chaser (while supplies last). The first 25 people to bring in a toy valued at over $25 will receive a swag bag full of coupons and goodies from local businesses, a Bloody Mary with chaser and a Build-Your-Own-Burger.

The Blood Center of Wisconsin and Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation will receive all proceeds from the silent auction, with items including a one night’s stay at The Iron Horse Hotel and a custom pet portrait. Other festivities at the event include free pictures with Santa Claus, holiday tunes from DJ Ed Cetera and the Packers vs. Bears game on flat screen TVs.

Trivera Interactive president Tom Snyder will be on hand for mini-workshops. Just getting started or even an old hand, he’ll have tips and tricks to help you get the most out of Twitter. Tom will share all the latest tools to help you get the most out of Twitter as a powerful business tool, or just for fun.

If you’re looking to do some good this holiday season, please stop by the event. There’s no cost to get in, but if you want a swag bag, you’ll have to bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.

Bloody Brunch was even highlighted in this article from OnMilwaukee.com.

It began as any Sunday morning might. Two new friends met for brunch only to discover they share an affinity for a well-crafted Bloody Mary. As one Sunday flowed into the next, an idea was born. The Bloody Brunch was born.

On a personal level, Bloody Brunch co-founders Amy Kant and Sara Conrad hope to try as many Milwaukee Bloody Marys as they can through this venture, but that’s not the real goal, they say. The ladies went public with their weekend events via Twitter and accrued quite the following. Today Bloody Brunch is a popular monthly Tweetup that gathers the Milwaukee Twitter community to raise money for a good cause.

The first Bloody Mary Brunch hosted by @sarandipity, @templon and @amykant at @ajbombers will be Sunday, July 26, from 11am until we decide to leave.

There will be drink specials (check back next week for the details).

We are asking (but not requiring) all attendees to donate $5 to benefit the Blood Center of Wisconsin.

After all, this is a Bloody Mary Brunch. Since we should not be donating blood at this event, we thought that donating money to help a local charity would be a good idea.

RSVP by clicking on this link: http://twtvite.com/241t1i