We always appreciate acknowledgment from our customers. We received a special thank you card from the Solon Area Community Foundation and this is what makes what we do worthwhile. Thanks for taking the time to let us know! #appreciation #acknowledgment #happyclient #team218 #webdesign #solonareacommunityfoundation #soloniowa
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Now through the end of April only - hurry! Get one month FREE when you sign up for our Annual Webmaster service. Get the details #webmaster #websitemanagement #onemonthfree
#18thamendment #covidvaccine #newnormal
When the 18th Amendment was repealed the country celebrated. People flocked to bars where once again they were finally able to order a beer. Are we approaching what the feeling must have been after the long dry period of the 18th Amendment? Possibly. Are we settling in to a new normal? Probably.
At any rate it is great to see some semblance of normality with restaurants open for more of a normal business. Actual fans in the stands at sporting events. A more upbeat overall attitude of people. Sure the masks are still covering faces but at least those faces are out and about. We have short memories. It's easy to forget where we were last year at this time.
I for one think we're on the right track and plan to enjoy this new sense of impending wellbeing. Cheers to the end of the 18th Amendment. Onward!
We're doing a little unofficial research and want to find out who does NOT have a website and the reasons why.
We've read a lot of the stories online about why businesses don't have a website but we want to find out for ourselves right from the source (that's you!). We would really appreciate hearing from you. Even if you do have a website, it would be interesting to know at what point in your business life you decided to get a website - how you went about getting a website - how satisfied were you with the process and what you might do differently.
For those of you who are going without a website, please help us and let us know your reasoning. We're led to believe that some of the common reasons for small businesses not having a website are:
These are some of the reasons you'll find if you Google why small businesses don't have a website. But we want to hear directly from you. Nothing beats hearing right from the source. So we would really appreciate your insight into this subject. We'd also appreciate it if you would share this message.
Email team@team218.com to share your opinions. Please and thank you very much.
We've seen business owners and nonprofits struggle with web design and we have a solution. End all the stress and headaches of getting a great website. Team 218 Web Services would like to help you. Don't fool around with the DIY solutions when you can have a pro create your website without breaking your budget. Get in touch with us today and see how quick and easy it is to hand off your web design to Team 218.
We got this! Simply email, TXT or call us at 319-333-0815 and we'll discuss the details of your project and give you a price. From there we go to work and in no time your new website will be live on the web. That's about as stress free as it gets.
Great question... and one you are wise to ask. The answer is YES, yes we do! We've been designing and building websites and other various software applications for over 20 years. We have the experience, knowledge and business savvy to recognize the important unique facets of your business or nonprofit and skillfully weave them into your website.
Don't put it off. Get the ball rolling today!
Team 218 recently completed a total redesign of the Rock Island KOA Campground website. We used a video loop of a campfire as a “Hero Image” to give the site a warm and unique look.
We worked closely with the owners of the Rock Island KOA Campground to create and develop a website design that showcased all the fun activities they make available to their guests. An important aspect of the site was the ability to interact seamlessly with the main KOA website which serves as the engine for reservations. This was a fun project and we enjoyed working together with the owners and management staff to create their new site.
The Rock Island KOA, is at the center of all thats going on in the Quad City area. Rock Island KOA has RV Sites, Tent Sites and Cabins situated on 150+ acres for guests to explore, including 50 acres of lake for fishing (no license required) or boating.
Guests can enjoy a heated outdoor pool, adults-only hot tub, water spray park for all ages and a community room. The bathhouse features individual showers and dressing rooms.
Paddleboats, canoes and kayaks are available. Play mini golf for free with your own golf ball or purchase a souvenir ball. There are many shaded sites next to or near the lake. Play horseshoes, go fishing or check out the new Jump Pad. Planned activities for kids and families are scheduled for most weekends throughout the season.
Need an RV repair? On-site service is available by appointment. Other services include LP, dump station and local repair shops for gasoline and diesel engines.
If you're planning on doing some camping, this is the place! Best campground in the Quad Cit
Let us know what you think in the comments below. If you’re interested in learning how Team 218 Web Services can help you achieve your perfect website, please visit our Web Design page.
Visit The Rock Island / Quad Cities KOA Website
What to do about website protection? The news has been reporting huge increases in cyber attacks in the last few weeks. Make no mistake about it, there are people out there actively working to hack your website. You need to be proactive with your website protection strategy.
Small business websites don't have the resources to throw at online security and are particularly vulnerable to hackers. There are steps you can take to protect your website without spending a dime. Since we work primarily with WordPress sites we'll focus on WordPress specific tips.
(Not specifically WordPress related) You don't need to pay for a good anti-virus program these days. A Google search for "free antivirus" will turn up quite a few options. We currently use the free version of Avast Mac Security and have good results.
(Not specifically WordPress related) You've heard it many times - don't open email attachments unless you are absolutely certain they are from a trusted source. Even then, be very careful with email attachments. Your trusted sender may have been hacked. One more reason to have a solid anti-virus program in place.
If you receive an email from a trusted source but for any reason you are suspicious of the email, pick up the phone and call them or text them to verify they actually sent the email. Hackers have gotten sophisticated enough to intercept email so if you use email to ask the sender if they actually sent the it, chances are you'll be talking to the hacker. It's getting crazy out there folks - be careful.
If you're sending email via your WordPress website you should utilize one of the many SMTP plugins.
WordPress is susceptible to brute force attacks from hackers. A brute force attack is simply an attempt to gain access to the website by guessing at a username and password over and over (usually employing some software to run these login attempts unattended).
Two easy ways to help guard against these attacks are to not use the default name for your admin account and to rename your wp-login.php file. You'd be amazed at the number of WordPress websites using the login user name of "admin" - terrible idea as far as website protection goes.
Since you can't rename users in WordPress you'll need to create an additional user account with admin privileges and then delete the original admin account.
Renaming your wp-login.php file can easily be done using a plugin like Rename WP-Login.php or Protect Your Admin. The capability to rename your login is also available in iThemes Security plugin.
WordPress updates are released frequently for the WordPress core files, themes, and plugins. Make sure you keep your site up to date by applying updates when they become available. Many of these updates contain patches to security vulnerabilities and failing to update could expose your website to security threats.
Remember this when applying updates to your WordPress website. Always install updates in this order: Plugins, Themes, WordPress Core Files.
There are lots of internet predators out there trying to do bad things with your website. You need some defense to combat these lowlifes. One of the best we've found is Wordfence. We install Wordfence on every site we build. There is a Pro version which costs $99 per year but the free version is excellent and plenty for most Wordpress sites. Install it and use it!
Another WordPress security we really like is iThemes Security. This plugin has lots of options and has been a rock-solid performer for us.
Site backups are an important step in your overall website health strategy. Your hosting provider may make periodic backups but you should make the effort to backup your site as well. We use UpdraftPlus and it's another default plugin on the WordPress websites we build.
The kind of security a VPN provides is on the way from being a luxury to becoming a necessity on the modern internet. While directly hacking a computer using its IP address is difficult today, thanks to the various firewalls employed by service providers, an IP address can still be used as a starting point to access location data that can then be used to dig up further sensitive information. What makes a VPN effective is that it encrypts your internet traffic before it reaches any server outside of your device. We recommend visiting VPNRatings.com for lots more information on VPNs.
These few steps will go a long way in preventing website headaches and should keep your site running strong.
Having problems with your WordPress website? Get in touch and we'll be happy to help.
Do you need a Small Business Website? Are you a small fish in a big pond? Anytime I hear that kind of reference I'm reminded of this quote from Steve Jobs, founder of Apple Computers.
The smallest company in the world can look as large as the largest company on the web.
Steve Jobs
For all the small fish out there... Stay Fearless! Your business can be on equal ground with the big boys via your website. Current data shows that more than 2.4 billion people use the internet every day! 90% of those have purchased something, or contacted a company online in the last 12 months! What will their first impression of your business be? Will they even find you?
Statistics show that fewer than two thirds of small businesses have a website and 35% of small businesses believe their company is too small to need a website. more small business stats
Team 218 Web Services can make sure your first impression is a great one! Regardless of your business niche, we can create the website that fits your business perfectly and doesn't break the budget. Don't miss out on potential customers due to a mediocre or non-existent website. We can have your new small business website online in just a week or two. Get in touch today!
If you run a small business you know how important marketing is to your business. It's even more critical with the COVID-19 pandemic changing the business dynamic. Local SEO means using on-page and external methods to optimize a business for location-specific searches. The two main areas of focus for Local SEO are organic SEO (things you can manipulate on your webpage to affect search) and GMB. When you look at a SERP (search engine results page) you'll notice 3 areas in order:
GMB for short, this free Google product is the number one tool for Local SEO. It is tied closely to Google Maps and provides many functions that benefit your business. It's where your Google Reviews can be found. You can upload photos including your logo and cover photo. You can create posts to tell the world about your business and products or services. GMB allows you to create an entire website that is automatically updated from the posts and photos you upload. Pretty sweet and did we mention FREE?
You can set up a GMB account for your business even if you don't have a website. In some cases the GMB listing exists already but just hasn't been claimed and verified by the business owner.
MAKE SURE YOUR GMB LISTING IS 100% COMPLETE AND ACCURATE. Make sure you have the full business NAP (name, address, phone) and that it's 100% correct. You should include your business hours, business categories, the services you offer, and the geographic area you serve. Make sure you include a brief description of your services. Take full advantage of GMB and include photos of your business (inside and outside) and add your logo. If this is a new listing you'll need to wait for the postcard from Google to verify your business.
Once your GMB listing is verified and published you should be posting to it regularly. You should create posts and add photos to your account five days a week (at least to get the ball rolling). Go ahead and set up the free website that is available on GMB whether you already have a website of not.
If you need help setting up and maxing out your GMB we can set everything up for you for a very minimal fee. We're always happy to answer any questions as well.
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