Do you have very different products, services or target audiences?

Do you find that trying to appeal to these disparate needs makes your blog or Web site too broad, too unfocused? Since both people and search engines prefer focused content, this can be a problem. If so, you may want to take a page from Berman & Simmons, a Maine law firm who recently launched four new blogs to address some of their more requested services.

• Maine Accident & Personal Injury News: This blog appears within their main site and talks focuses on accidents and personal injury news and issues that affect Mainers.
• Nursing Home Law Center: This blog talks about nursing home law, residents’ rights, and cases of neglect.
• Product Safety at Home and at Work: Most recently (at the time of this writing) the blog features a number of thoughtful posts about the ongoing problems with Toyota and what it says about our own governmental regulations (or lack thereof.) Other posts talk about court cases related to product safety.
• Maine Court Decisions: This blog describes itself as “Maine Supreme Judicial Court Decisions Summarized for Lawyers, Clients and the People of Maine.” Posts cover a number of interested legal decisions in Maine on everything from double jeopardy to workers comp to search and seizure.

While obviously maintaining four blogs is a lot more work, it does help you focus on a particular niche, which can encourage more inbound links, which in turn will increase your search engine visibility. All four blogs were built on WordPress by flyte.

Rich Brooks
Maine Business Blogs

Last week flyte launched a Web site and blog for Fambul Tok International, a face-to-face community-owned program that brings together perpetrators and victims of the violence in Sierra Leone’s eleven-year civil war.

Fambul Tok, Krio for “Family Talk,” emerged from the unique approach to community reconciliation pioneered in Sierra Leone. Visitors to the Web site can view an annotated slide show of the elements of Fambul Tok, learn more about Fambul Tok – The Film, sign up for the email newsletter, or check out the FTI Blog: Dispatches from the Front Lines of Peace.

In addition, FTI is fully embracing social media, with presences on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.

Both the site and the blog were designed by the always talented and ever charming Braden Buehler of Narrative Design, and developed for the WordPress platform by flyte.

To learn more about Fambul Tok be sure to visit the site and check out this video on YouTube:

Rich Brooks
WordPress Design & Development

Needed: warm and loving garage for some of Maine’s most adorable cars.

Or, at least, that’s the gist of this new blog from Maine’s Evergreen Subaru: Adopt a Subaru. Loving families can peruse litters of both new Subaru vehicles and gently used Subaru (and other) vehicles.

In addition, Maine car buyers can read expertly-written auto blog posts to help them choose the perfect vehicle for their family, like:

• Did the Toyota Recall Stall Your Shopping Plans?
• Lifetime Warranty: A Guarantee or An Empty Promise?
• New or Used Car: Which is Right For You?

If you’re looking for a car in Maine, be sure to check out Evergreen Subaru’s main site and their new Adopt a Subaru blog, designed by flyte and powered by WordPress.

And won’t you take one of these babies home? I mean, I dare you to just look into those headlights and try and say no. They’ll melt your heart, no matter how cold the Maine winters get.

Rich Brooks
Business Blog Design

We’re in the midst of a custom design and programming job for MainelyMara, a company that gets insane deals on boutique and spa services in Greater Portland, Maine. However, during the ramp up to Mara launching her site, she’s running a pre-launch special. You just need to sign up at her Web site to activate your free membership.

I can’t tell you what the reward is, but if you enjoy pampering yourself, and you live or vacation in southern Maine, you should really take advantage of this offer while it lasts.

MainelyMara’s brand ID was created by talented local designer Arielle Walrath, which we then integrated into a coming soon page site and a Constant Contact email marketing account.

Go ahead, pamper yourself.

Rich Brooks
Waiting on my mani/pedi

Starting at just under $2K, our ProSites have always been a good choice for startups or companies that want to take some of their “Interweb funds” and put it towards some search engine optimization, blogging or email marketing.

This past week we introduced three new designs, Textures, Bright Lights and World Travel, as well as retiring some of our older designs.

Besides the great price point, all of these ProSites are built on WordPress, a simple-to-use content management system (CMS). That means you can add, edit, and delete content, pages, upload images, and embed videos to your heart’s content (or to your business’s needs.)

These sites have been built to be flexible enough to fit almost any kind of business, and you can change the navigation to fit your offerings, whether they’re services or products. They work great for non-profits, too.

But wait, there’s more!

Through the month of February (that’s 2010), we’re going to include a free blog with every ProSite. For search engine optimization, establishing your credibility, and as the hub of your social media activity, there’s no better tool than a business blog, and with the new ProSites, they’re integrated into your website. They’re the perfect compliment to an effective Web presence.

Be sure to check out the ProSites at our Web site, or just reach out now and contact flyte today.

Rich Brooks
Affordable Websites for Small Business

Earlier this week flyte launched a brand new WordPress blog for Nicola Manganello, an amazing interior designer located right here in Maine. As Nicola says,

I want to share [the joy of design] through this blog. I hope that when you stop by, you will discover something that assists you in creating spaces that nurture your family, embrace your guests and celebrate your personal style.

The new Web site was launched in time to help promote the fact that Nicola has a new line of bedding and quilts at Garnet Hill.

The blog, and Nicola’s main site, were both designed by the talented Braden Buehler of Narrative Design, an FOF. (Friend of flyte.)

Flyte took Braden’s designs and created a new WordPress theme that complemented the design of the current site, but made it flexible enough to work as a blog.

If you’re looking for design inspiration for your home, be sure to check out Nicola’s Homes Blog. You can also follow Nicola on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Rich Brooks
Blog Design & Development

Today flyte launched a website for Roxana Saberi, an American journalist of Iranian and Japanese descent.

She is a freelance journalist who moved to Iran six years ago and was arrested in February 2009 on charges of espionage and held in Iran until her release on May 11, 2009.  Her arrest and detention was the subject of international outrage.  Since her release Saberi has been working on a memoir of her experiences in Iran.  Between Two Worlds, My Life and Captivity in Iran, is due to be published by Harper Collins in March of 2010.

Her new WordPress-powered website also has a blog that provides an easy platform for Roxana to update her fans and followers about recent writings and speaking events.  Using WordPress plugins, every time Roxana writes a new blog post, they automatically update her Facebook fan page as well as her Twitter feed.

Cybele Brooks
Project Manager

Recently flyte helped Levey & Wagley, Maine attorneys-at-law, upgrade their Web presence.

First, a bit about Levey & Wagley: located in Winthrop, Maine, this law firm offers services in the following categories:

• Elder Law
• Estate Planning
• Probate
• Special Needs Trusts
• Real Estate
• Divorce & Family Law, and
  
• Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution

We performed what we call a “WordPress Port.” We take a traditional, static Web site, and create a WordPress theme based on that design. We then port over all the content, included some training, and voila! The law firm, the small business owner, or the non-profit agency can now add, edit and delete their own content, create new pages, upload photos or embed videos to their heart’s content.

Suddenly their static Web site is a robust publishing platform.

Are you ready to take your Web site to the next level?

Rich Brooks
WordPress Web Site Development

Last week flyte new media launched a new Web site for Albin, Randall and Bennett (ARB), certified public accountants and business consults with offices in Portland and Auburn, Maine.

By organizing themselves into teams of specialists, each focusing on a specific industry, ARB stays up-to-date on the latest developments within their field; therefore learning how new developments may affect your individual business.

While ARB serves many markets, they primarily focus on:

• Automotive,
• Construction,
• Credit Union & Financial Institution,
• Employee Benefit Plan, Manufacturing, and
• Not-for-Profit.

ARB also offers great financial resources including tools and other tax forms and IRS publications for your convenience.

The website–built on the WordPress platform–allows ARB to maintain their own site updates and edits without any HTML knowledge.

Be sure to consider ARB the next time you are looking for a CPA firm, as they offer a no-cost, no-obligation consult.

Lindsay Babayan
Maine Web Site Design

Earlier this week, flyte launched a revamped site for Goldbelt, Incorporated, located in Juneau, Alaska. Goldbelt has been in operation for 35 years, organized under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The company’s “primary purpose is to manage assets and to conduct business for the benefit of its shareholders, approximately 3,200 people, almost all of Alaska Native Heritage”.

Goldbelt owns and operates tourism subsidiaries including The Goldbelt Hotel, Mount Roberts Tram, and the Seadrome Marina. Other Goldbelt subsidiaries include Goldbelt Security Service, CP Leasing, Goldbelt Transportation and a variety of 8a Companies.

Goldbelt engaged flyte for two sites: this corporate site and the recently launched Web site for Goldbelt Tours. Both sites were built on WordPress, the popular content management system (CMS) and blogging platform.

Their new WordPress site allows them to post/share upcoming shareholder events/information, the Kookenaa (Messenger) newsletter and employment opportunities for all Goldbelt companies.

Lindsay Babayan
WordPress Web Sites for Business and Non-Profits