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

I have made a huge commitment. I signed up to be a part of Team Challenge:

Team Challenge is the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s half marathon training program that raises critical dollars for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis research, while it trains you to cross the finish line at a half marathon. You’ll train over approximately 16 weeks for a specific half marathon, will be given fundraising advice and assistance, and then travel as a team to an exciting location for race weekend.

I am doing the Wine Country Half Marathon July 18, 2010. That’s 17 weeks from TODAY. 119 days. EEEK. I hope to run a few miles of the race, but I’ll be walking my big ol’ butt off to raise money and awareness for Crohn’s and Colitis research.

My family has been affected by both of these diseases. My late grandma, Irene, suffered from colitis for decades. My godmother, Janice, has battled colitis for as long as I can remember. My uncle, Will, has suffered for years from both Crohn’s and Colitis. I walk with the hope that some day, the diseases that have affected my family will be eradicated. I walk for them. I walk for a cure.

If you are interested in learning more about Team Challenge and CCFA or are interested in donating, please visit http://tinyurl.com/napa2010. I need to raise $3800 in the next couple of months and need your help! I’m 23% of the way there, which is GREAT but it also means I have 77% to go. I hope you will consider donating to this worthy cause and supporting me in my journey to get healthy and help find a cure for the diseases plaguing my family.

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

I’ve been busy working on Wordpress sites for clients (stay tuned for reveals) and on a super secret crafty venture. I’m so excited about this new venture I could burst at the seams!

Things are also going great at Pink Ink Studios, where I design graphic resources for professional photographers. We have really ramped up the site this year, with awesome giveaways (um, Intuos 4 Wacom anyone!!!) and a stellar design team.

Here are some of my newest products (click to view):

Outside of all this, I’ve also made a commitment to be a healthier Amy Kant. As such, I’ve launched a new blog, Losing it without losing me. I haven’t felt this good about myself in years. I will be making that blog more personal, and this one will become more professional. I am very open and honest over at Losing It, so if you learn more about me than you’d like to know, well, then don’t say I didn’t warn you!

These are two wreaths I made using vintage milk bottle caps, some flowers/leaves from Prima and some gems (oh, and a heckulva lot of hot glue).

Here’s our Christmas tree. It’s an artificial one because Em had it already and we didn’t want to spend money on a real one this year. A third of our ornaments are handmade. Some are vintage (we got to raid Grandpa’s stash) and some are new. We used bead strands instead of garland. The countdown to Santa was a Secret Santa gift I got last year. It’s adorable. Next year, I need to buy or make an Advent calendar (after all, Jesus is the reason for the season). Then, at the foot of our tree next to the presents is a wine bottle light. I got it at a craft fair last year, but it would be super easy to make one yourself – it’s an empty wine bottle (I have plenty laying around here), put a short strand of Christmas lights in the bottle and decorate the neck of the bottle with ribbon, wraffia, and other little trinkets. Next year, I’m making a bunch of them!

I also wanted to make a Christmas banner. I’ve just recently started making banners and They are ohhhh-so-fun. I mostly use items from some Kenner Road kits, but also included some of my scrappy stash and vintage treasures. Here are some close-ups:

Let’s not forget about paper chains. Who says they’re just for kids? I used cardstock and papers from Cosmo Cricket and a fabulous transparency from Hambly. I included three li’l “ornaments” that fell from the swoops of the chain. Each one is circular and has a vintage milk bottle cap, a button, a felt shape and a gem.

There were plenty of other decorations, but I don’t have pictures of it all. Hope you had a fabulous Christmas. Happy New Year!