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The Imagination Factory > News & Articles > value proposition

Site Launch: Andy Mast Greenhouses

September 19th, 2016 by Ted Bailey

Andy Mast Greenhouses grow a wide range of high-quality bulbs, spring plants, mums and poinsettias to help homeowners beautify their homes and gardens year-round. Not available directly to the consumer, the product of their tender loving care can be found in Kroger supermarkets throughout the United States.

That said, when thinking about developing their first online presence, they wanted to serve two distinct audiences – their retailers as well as the consumers – both with different reasons for visiting their site. The retailers want merchandising assistance while the end user can benefit from care and feeding information.

Andy Mast came to the Imagination Factory for a creative online way to meet the needs of both groups PLUS allow their staff to tell a climate-conscious planet their ‘green’ story. We designed an easily managed site w/ a searchable and categorized seasonal product catalog and blog categories of direct interest to both groups.

Site Launch: Trinitas Classical School

January 29th, 2016 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_TCS_sm Trinitas Classical School joins with parents to provide the very best in Christian classical education with an approach to education that is distinctive because it is multi-directional. It looks to the past and the present to prepare students for the future.

Trinitas needed an update web presence that would reflect their rich classical environment and yet take advantage of newer web and user technologies for the future. So they took a lesson from history. They looked back to the early days of the web and discovered the Imagination Factory had been there all along developing websites for clients of all sizes and types.

Trinitas put team IFI to work developing a mobile-responsive, content managed structure (CMS) with private student-specific content including newsletters, homework assignments, and event calendar.

Learn more at Trinitas Classical School

Site Launch: CTMAX ERASE

August 16th, 2015 by Ted Bailey

IFIblog_CTMXERASE_sm Long-time client (since 1996) in Connecticut, CTMAX, branched out their services a few years ago to include non-invasive facial aesthetic enhancement/refinement.

Recently, they purchased a new and very advanced, pico-second laser as well as state-of-the-art skin cooling system for their practice. This pico laser/cryo cooler combination is very good at reducing fine lines, treating acne scars and removing blemishes and age spots. Its also extremely good at removing tattoos, even those with difficult colours, more quickly and less painfully than other methods generally in use.

For them it meant the need to announce the capability as there are only three of these lasers in Connecticut and embrace a market not typical from them. For us, this meant another logo and another sister website as a method to further brand and distinguish their services in the area.

Learn more about this technology and how they use it to erase the past at CTMAX erase

Web Tips Learned from a Cab Ride

June 9th, 2015 by Ted Bailey

What could a simple cab ride have to do with having a better website?

Actually a lot! I’m going to share five lessons you can learn in just the ride from any airport to a downtown hotel in any larger metropolitan area.

Now bear in mind that this illustrates only the initial customer interaction with your website. There is even more to consider when thinking about the customer’s different needs during the entire journey with you during their lifecycle which I hope to address in a later post soon.

OK… You’ve landed at the airport, gathered all of your luggage, and headed curbside to grab a cab.
Read the rest of this entry »

Branding: Zylstra Medical Supply

March 5th, 2014 by Ted Bailey

Zylstra Medical Supply was interested is updating its brand and increasing awareness in the marketplace. To help achieve his goals, Brian came to the Imagination Factory.

Family-owned and operated, Zylstra Medical Supply, Inc. is a full-service durable medical equipment company that still makes housecalls!

Before we ever put pencil to paper, we began by discussing his company and its unique niche in the marketplace. We then reviewed competitors and asked some more questions. With a better understanding of his services AND of his customers, we developed a new logo and this new tri-fold flyer in order to tell his unique story.

Determining True Web Development Costs

February 22nd, 2008 by Ted Bailey

Determining True Web Development Costs
or
When is a Bargain not a Bargain?

It has been estimated that over 116 million people now surf the internet. With that large a target audience, more and more businesses are finding it increasingly important to have a web presence. Indications are that while 60% of small to medium in the U.S. are ‘connected’ to the internet (compared to only 15% back in 1995 when we first began designing websites), only 20-25% have a web site or presence. These businesses do one of three things:

Attempt to do it themselves (either through internal staff or a niece/nephew),
Use local school/college or internet service provider resources, or
Turn to design firms such as the Imagination Factory to develop their web site.

Regardless of which they go, the most prevalent questions that get asked are:

How much will it cost?
How long will it take?

The answer, unfortunately, is that it depends on many variables. Seemingly there appears to be no rosetta stone for pricing. As such, prospective clients attempting to make apple to apple comparisons amongst designers begin by asking hourly rates. Read the rest of this entry »

A Moo Point?

January 4th, 2008 by Ted Bailey

Of course we know it’s “moot”! The adjective moot is originally a legal term going back to the mid-16th century. It derives from the noun moot, in its sense of a hypothetical case argued as an exercise by law students. Consequently, a moot question is one that is arguable or open to debate. But in the mid-19th century people also began to look at the hypothetical side of moot as its essential meaning, and they started to use the word to mean “of no significance or relevance.” Thus, a moot point, however debatable, is one that has no practical value. (are ya impressed yet?) Read the rest of this entry »