Tag Archives: wordpress

The Importance of Maintaining Your WordPress Site

In today’s fast paced and hyper-competitive business world the need for a strong and effective digital marketing strategy is not only necessary but warranted. If any of these digital marketing operations are examined it is readily apparent that most businesses hire an outside firm to make their website.

Many businesses choose this outside web design firm for the purpose of:

  • Developing a WordPress website
  • Overseeing content flow
  • Administering users

Tragically, many businesses lack the foresight to realize that the long-term site maintenance is vitally important. The three aforementioned criteria for hiring an outside firm shouldn’t be neglected but having a long term plan provides stability through preparation which will set your business up for success as you move forward. 

Here are 4 of the most important reasons you will need to keep your site maintained and up to date on the backend of WordPress. 


1. Hackers

This is a serious concern that businesses must be wary of. Contrary to common belief there are people who prey on small and weak sites. These individuals may want to steal bitcoin, mine consumer data, or hijack your bandwidth. All of these things should be prevented and avoided, which can be done if your WordPress sight is kept up to date and virus free. Which will allow your business to run smoothly without any interference from hackers. 

2. Keep the Site Running Smoothly

This should go without saying but if any business wishes to succeed in the hyper-competitive marketplace of today then your website must run smoothly and seamlessly. WordPress is an extremely valuable multipurpose tool that can help you compose a piece of digital marketing genius, but if not used properly it can create a nightmare just as easily. Like with any fine tool, WordPress must be tended to and constantly over-watched to ensure that the site remains at its maximum efficiency. This will require working on the back end updating any plugins or themes that you are using as well as updating the newest version of WordPress itself. These updates should be done at least twice a month. 

3. Boost Your Search Engine Results

Search engines check updated websites and tend to give them better search results than those whose websites are not up to date and maintained. Adding content to your site regularly will definitely get you better results in Google than if you have the same content for years on end. This also pertains to updates software on your site, including the newest version of WordPress and plugins.

4. Make a Good Impression

The importance of making a good impression with every costumer your business comes into contact with is incredibly important and cannot be stressed enough. Each time your business is seen by a new person that is an interaction which can either boost your company’s sales and popularity or allow you to remain stagnant. Often times your company’s site is the only place they can have a real first impression with your brand. So it is paramount that your company’s site exudes the same image and vibe you want your company to show. This can all be maximized and leveraged through clever WordPress usage so send us a email and we’d be happy to show you what we do! If your company has slacked off when it comes to adding content there are some easy fixes to give your site a face lift. Blog posts are a great way to interact with the public and offer new exciting updates about upcoming releases or products.


There are many things that can go wrong with your site if you don’t keep it updated on the backend of WordPress. You will have to be doing bi-weekly to weekly maintenance from updating plugins, to backing up the site, to writing blogs. It is best to keep a schedule to keep you organized and up to date on your site. Or you can always get the Bright Light Media’s maintenance package so you don’t even have to think about it and your site will always be running smoothly. 

Get started today!

5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs A Website

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More often than not, people are turning to the internet for their consumer needs. It is obvious now more than ever that business that have a website do better than those that don’t. 

Here are five reasons your small business needs a website. 


1. Customers Expect A Website

According the the American Marketing Association six out of ten people expect a business to have an online presence. It is estimated that at least 50% of consumers use websites to gain information about a company.  In today’s marketplace, customers are much more inclined to overlook a company if the website is out of date, not user-friendly, or easily accessible.

2. You Will Show Up on Google Search Results

 The fact that more than 80% of consumers conduct online research before a purchase demonstrates the vital necessity of having an effective website to display your company’s products. The prospect of a business operating without a website means that the chance they will appear on the search engine results page (SERP) is close to none. Luckily, there are many avenues businesses can travel down to optimize an existing website to bring it up to date. You can customize your site with titles, meta descriptions, and keywords to make sure you are showing up at the top of Googles results. 

3. It’s Always Up and Working

A business can only be open so many hours a day, but people are online at all hours of the day and an effective website that is easily accessible can connect you with customers constantly. Not only can your website increase sales dramatically because now you are open 24/7, but it can also reach people who are restricted by geography. The ability of a website to connect with customers you never knew you had is a tremendous advantage.

4. Become More Competitive

It may go without saying, but the modern marketplace is fiercely competitive which makes having a website undoubtedly vital to your companies continued existence. By not optimizing your website there is a huge risk, if not a certain degree of certainty that you are disadvantaging yourself immensely and giving your competitors a huge edge. Today’s consumer tends to shop primarily online which means they will not be buying from a company whose website is years behind other competing brands let alone take them seriously. If you want people to take your company seriously then it’s a good idea to hop on the website bandwagon.

5. Control

Your website is your domain and this provides a company the luxury of having absolute control and autonomy over their public image and their interactions with customers. Control is something that a company rarely finds itself having, but a website can offer that which is a valuable luxury that can be leveraged to connect with customers on a much deeper level. There are many ways to leverage this control such as having a blog on the site to create a sense of community on your page between customers and yourself which allows for an in-depth understanding of your target market. Your website is a constant presence on the web, this allows a company to constantly try and dial in your effectiveness in reaching customers and improving your service. By leveraging your control over your website and your company’s public image you are also giving the user the chance to be as connected and informed as they would be shopping at a store.

5 Tips to Stay Within Your Project Budget

When tackling a new project, you’re usually conditioned to think things will be straightforward: get project done by deadline and stay within your budget. Simple, right?

Not always.

More often than not,  we run into issues that both lead us to going way past our deadline and over our budget. It doesn’t have to be like this. Regardless of the size of your project, there are many ways to keep things on track.


1. Stay organized

All projects need a proper project manager – someone to maximize time, budget, and resources that’ll lead you to the finish line. Have a proper upfront meeting that can clearly establish the goals of the project – either laying out what kind of shots you want or what story you want to tell.

2. Know your scope

While successfully finishing your project is the end goal, you have to take into account all the steps it takes to get there. Each step is equally important as each step in your project depends on what came before it. Managing the scope of your project helps your stay on track

3. Proper feedback

Provide feedback that contains your input as well as a solution. Giving feedback that simply says that it’s not working for you or not what you want, makes moving forward toward your goal much harder than it should be. Providing next steps and ideas to make the project more to your liking, and reasonably so, will keep you on the right track. Adding more time to figure out what works best will ultimately cost more money.

4. Be prepared.

Have content ready to be implemented in order to finish out your project and meet your deadline. Let’s say you’re creating a brand new website. Not having content ready during the development phase of your project can easily put you behind. What good is a pretty website without the copy and photos to fill it ? Stay on track.

5. Know how to use your rounds of revisions

Make use of your rounds of revisions to either edit or improve the content already provided, not add additional content. Adding additional content which will also probably be revised only extends the project, rather than meeting your original deadline. For instance, if you decide that after x amount of revisions that you want to start over with, say, different colors and fonts, that will end up costing you more. Another example would be going into a fifth round of revisions, when your scope only included three rounds. This will not only extend the project, but will also end up costing you more.


Having a less-stressful, easy and successful project is not always a reality, but is a possibility. Document the time and steps taken throughout your project and you’ll already be one step ahead. Stay organized and revise accordingly, knowing full well how you’re project should be progressing. It’s always a learning game and will be an experience that’ll keep you on track for the next project you undertake.

Ready to get started on your next project? Contact us today!

Art Installations: Spruce Up Your Workspace

Office spaces are slowly, but surely, moving away from the typical boring white walls. These days more companies are heading in the direction of colorful decor that brightens up company moral and makes a statement about one’s business. Companies like Google and Facebook inspire visual effectiveness when it comes to office decor and a sure fire way to do that is getting creative with art installations.

The Benefits of an Office or Retail Art Installation

Art Installations boost moral.

In general, visual elements create an exciting atmosphere in the workplace. Colorful custom installations create a new boost of energy and can positively impact employee performances. In addition to that, it influences productivity levels, moods, and employee behavior. They also become an instant eye-catcher for new and existing customers.

Art Installations work anywhere.

We’ve discussed office spaces and installations on office walls but that doesn’t necessarily restrict your creativity to just that. You can spruce up outside walls that can attract the attention of an entire community in addition to your office space. Think big!

Art Installations can send a message.

Installations are always custom and unique and can provide a statement about your company and what your brand represents. As a design company, the Bright Light office art sends the message of “Create Your Future” as we create productions and solutions for companies that ensure the opportunity for businesses to grow and evolve. Depending on what your brand stands for, there’s always a creative outlet that will allow you to stand out.

Check out some photos of art installations we’ve done below.

Ready to spruce up your office space? Contact us today!

When is it Time for a New Website?

Your website is your greatest asset for attaining new business. Especially in this day in age where people walk around with the internet in their pockets, constantly thinking of what businesses they can use for their needs and necessities, having a fully-functioning website puts the ball easily in your court. But not any website will do. Having a website that is outdated, or poorly designed, or isn’t responsive, works against your more now then it ever did. If this is the case for your, it’s time for a new website.

But my website is just fine! I don’t need a new one. Yes, you do.

If you’re on the fence, ask yourself these questions:

Is my website servicing my current needs?

Businesses continue to grow over time and that means you could easily be outgrowing your current website. Does it have features you need to showcase your brand new call-to-action? Does it showcase your up-to-date portfolio? Technology also grows and evolves in addition to your business, and it happens that things that were “super awesome” and “flashy” back in 2011 are just not ideal in 2016.

A new website just might be the thing you need to grow and evolve with the future.

Is there functionality I’m looking to have that my current website does not provide?

It’s 2016, if you’re website isn’t optimized for mobile aka Responsive Web Design, then you’re doing it wrong. In the last year, mobile searches have already surpassed desktop search, so if you’re website isn’t mobile-ready, you are missing out on a huge market of potential customers on the prowl for you business.

Not sure if you’re site is responsive? Use Google’s Mobile Friendly Test to find out.

Are you selling products physical or digital? Why not sell them online with your own easy-to-manage online store? It’s easier than ever to incorporate a an e-commerce store like Woocommerce into your website. Take orders, make customize your product, manage stock — there’s an array of flexibility without the hassle of an actual store.

Have my marketing efforts changed?

As your company ages, so can your branding and marketing efforts. If you’ve changed either of these things, it’s also probably time you redesign your website too. As said previously, your website is one of (if not the most) important business assets. If your current brand isn’t lining up with your website, your audience isn’t going to connect. It’s time to update.

Why can’t I make changes and updates to my website?

There’s no excuse to not be using a content management system (CMS) to manage your website. Systems like WordPress have come a long way in making it so much easier for you to be in control of what goes in and out of your website. Long gone are the days of having to edit lines of code to make a simple text edit, or upload some new photos.

Circling back to outdated and poorly designed sites, it’s time to redevelop your site to a fully-functioning and easy to use CMS that will allow you to keep up with the times and keep your website looking fresh.


If any or all of these apply to you, it’s time for a new website.

Ready to take the leap? We can help. Contact us today!

7 Ways You Should Invest In Your Website

In today’s world, consumers expect businesses to have a professional and high functioning website. Sure, you could have a sweet social media presence or a nifty little google search but neither of those things will benefit you in the same way a website does.

Like any investment, a website isn’t just any regular expense. It’s a channel that results in revenue and growth. A good website can grow your business, sell your product, make you stand out against your competition, and be a revenue stream for your company.

It is no longer a luxury to have a website. It is a necessity.


1. To Attract More Clients

Obvious but true. A more organized and better looking website will lower your bounce rate and make you stand out. Readable content with a user-friendly navigation increases chances that potential clients will stick around on your site and get to know who you are and see what you’re all about. You might just be the business they’re looking for.

2. Go Responsive

Keeping up with the latest trends in technology will keep you ahead of the game. Today, most people are searching the web just in the palms of their hands. It has been documented that mobile browsing has outpaced web browsing since 2014. A quick google search could lead them to your website, so you better be responsive and ready. According to Skillcrush, 40% of people will choose a different search result if the first is not mobile friendly.  Optimize your site for all devices and ensure you’re keeping potential clients from surfing to your competitors.

3. Take Control Of Your Website

Stuck with a developer you need for making any small change to your website? Migrating over to a content management systems (CMS), like WordPress, will allow you to have the control you want in evolving your business. A CMS gives you the ability to make quick and easy updates, have multiple users so you can assign blog entries or updates in an orderly and up-to-date fashion, as well as helps you manage all your content in the most user-friendly fashion. You’re in control.

4. Integrate Your Site with Social Media

If you aren’t taking advantage of social technology in 2016, your company is already behind in one marketing strategy. Integrating your website with your social media profiles is one of the best ways to generate traffic and potential client leads. It also helps your company stay engaged with clients and allow an avenue for your company to post in an up-to-date fashion.

5. Add E-Commerce

Get your products online and create an additional revenue stream that is simple to manage. Online stores are an easy way to attract new customers, save on operational costs, save customers time and money, as well as establish your brand. E-Commerce continues to grow 10% each year in the US alone and can take your company to new levels of growth.

6. Add a Blog or Industry Insights

Are you a leader in your industry? Do you have knowledge and expertise? Create your own content by adding a blog or newsfeed. It’s a great avenue for keeping your website up-to-date and fresh. A few blogs a month on fresh topics related to your business helps easily increase website traffic, produce organic search visibility, and most importantly, humanizes your company’s brand, helping customers find ways to relate to you in ways that make you seem reliable and coming back for more.

7. Bang for Your Buck – ROI

A website is the obvious answer to marketing your company. When a client is looking for a certain service, 9 times out of 10 they will google search businesses and judge you based upon the quality of your website before seeing anything else. Attract more clients with a fabulous website and quickly make back the money you spent to create it.


Looking for a new website and ready to make the leap? Contact us today!

Event Branding: Pumpkin Rock N Roll

Bright Light Media, along with GIGS, Headfirst Summer Camps, and Georgetown Events came together to throw the first annual community event, Pumpkin Rock N Roll in Kensington, MD.

Warner Circle Park was transformed into a full-blown Halloween extravaganza, filled with tons of family-friendly attractions, festival-style music performances, costume contests, and the main event: The Pumpkin Roll, a derby race of Halloween pumpkins-turned-boxcars.

And with over 2,000 attendees, the event was definitely a success! 

BLM was responsible for branding the event, putting together a logo and all the marketing materials to share with the community. We put together an event website, designed posters, flyers, volunteer t-shirts, and event banners.

We couldn’t have asked for a better time, weather, or turn out. Let’s do it again next year!

Need branding for your next event? Contact us today!


See photos from Pumpkin Rock ‘N Roll below.

Building a Community: Takoma Park

We recently launched the Old Takoma Business Association new community website. They were looking to upgrade the site for the city of Takoma Park (Maryland, Washington DC). From upcoming events, to a list of local businesses and available resources, the website is a central hub for all and any needed information pertaining to the community of Takoma Park. We implemented a custom, easy-to-use calendar that allows site users the convenience of submitting upcoming and recurring events, helping to keep the site fresh and up-to-date with content and happenings. In addition, we created an easy navigation for the site, dividing it into five main areas: Explore, Events, Business, and Live, accompanied by tertiary menus under each to add the ease of finding what areas apply to each site visitor.

For community websites, it’s sole purpose is to relay necessary information whether it’s needed or wanted. Now Takoma Park does just that with a clean and easy-to-use web presence that’s easily accessible on any device (desktop, tablet, and mobile).


Site Features

+ Responsive Web Design
+ Custom Event Calendar
+ Custom Event Submissions for Users
+ Custom Featured Event Page
+ Tertiary Dropdown Menus
+ News/Blog Feed


Marveling Redesign with Superpowered E-Commerce


Calling back to our Third Eye Comics Photo Shoot last June, we worked with local comic store, Third Eye Comics on a revamp of their website. The two main focuses were to implement both an easy-to-use online store as well as an active news feed that displays their latest highlights on a weekly basis. With that in mind, we designed and developed a simple and clean site that allows new customers and the Third Eye Faithful to stay up-to-date with all their recent comic releases.

From comics, to toys, to games, and everything in between the new Third Eye Comics makes shopping for comic-lovers and staying in the loop easy for anyone with any device.


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Features

  • Responsive Design: Desktop, Tablet, Mobile ready
  • Shopping Cart
  • PayPal and Credit Card ready
  • US, Canada, and Mexico automated pricing and shipping options
  • Ability to create coupons and sale items
  • Blog/News feed

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New Site:

Shop

News Feed

Looking to upgrade your website or start your own online store? Contact us today to get the conversation started.

Unforgettaballs Photoshoot

Artist/entrepreneur Emily Wolfson contacted us in hopes of redesigning and developing her company store, Unforgettaballs. Prior to the redesign of the website we were tasked with taking photos of each of the baseballs for use on the website in the store, and also for different pages for advertisement purposes.


Photoshoot Setup

First we created a DIY (do-it-yourself) lightbox to create a nice, clean, product shot for each ball.


Baseball Photoshoot

Using the lightbox, we shot over 70+ products, at different angles and settings.


Hobby Shots

Besides standard product shots, we also set up specific and fitting scenarios to shoot the balls in for advertising on the website.

Looking to start an online store? In need of some good photography for your awesome product? Please, contact us and get the conversation started.