Black Cap Design

Black Cap Design is a web design and development studio located in Peterborough, Ontario.

It’s Official: Google Has Decided You Need a Mobile-Friendly Website
It’s Official: Google Has Decided You Need a Mobile-Friendly Website avatar

 in Accessibility / Design & Development / Mobile-Responsive / Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  tagged Black Cap Design / Google / mobile devices / mobile-friendly / responsive design by

We have been writing about and working with mobile-responsive design for a few years now.  Up until April of this year, building or switching to a mobile-friendly platform was a good idea, but – in my estimation – not a “must have”.  That changed on April 21st, 2015 when Google announced that “we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal.”  They make it sound so friendly!  But what does it mean? It means that, as of […]

Black Cap Design Turns 10!
Black Cap Design Turns 10! avatar

 in Black Cap Design - An Introduction / Event  tagged Black Cap Design / website design / website development by

In September of this year (September 28th to be exact), Black Cap Design will celebrate 10 years of providing professional Web Design & Development services.  It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years!  In that time, we have designed and developed over 100 websites for individuals, businesses and organizations local to Peterborough and the Kawarthas, the Greater Toronto Area, and around the world (including the UK and Australia). This all started as an idea I had when I developed a […]

Do I Need a Home Tab?
Do I Need a Home Tab? avatar

 in Design & Development  tagged Black Cap Design / home tab / menu / responsive design / website design by

Why do I need to include a Home tab on my website when everyone knows you just need to click on the logo?  You may find it surprising to learn that not  everyone knows that, in a well designed website, clicking on the logo will open the Home page. Many of your visitors may still expect to find a Home tab on the menu.  A “Home” tab does take up space.  If you have a crowded menu it can be […]

Call to Action
Call to Action avatar

 in Communication / Design & Development / Marketing  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / call to action / email encryption by

Blog posts and web pages need to include some way for your visitors to connect with you directly.  This “call to action” motivates people to take the next step, which may include sending you an email, signing up for an event or placing an order. Call to action buttons can work effectively for a wide range of website functions.  For example, your site could include buttons that say, “Buy Now” or “Donate”, or “Join”, or “Volunteer” or “Call”, or “Sign […]

3 Things Every Website Owner Should Have
3 Things Every Website Owner Should Have avatar

 in Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Management / WordPress Development  tagged backup / Black Cap Design / CMS / control panel / database / domain registration / Joomla / web host / WordPress / ZenCart by

If you own or manage a website there are 3 things you should have at your disposal. The contact and login information for your domain registrar (where your www address is registered) The contact and login information for your Web Host. If your Web Host doesn’t have a Control Panel for you to log into, you should consider moving your site to a Web Host that does (see: “What is this ‘Hosting’ Thing and Why Should I Care?“) An up-to-date […]

Black Cap Design Hosting Clients are Not Affected by the Heartbleed Bug
Black Cap Design Hosting Clients are Not Affected by the Heartbleed Bug avatar

 in Hosting and Domain Registration / Website Security  tagged Black Cap Design / Hosting / SSL by

A quick notice to our Website Hosting clients: sites hosted with Black Cap Design are NOT affected by the Heartbleed Bug. On Monday April 7, 2014 a major security vulnerability was disclosed on the Internet that can potentially affect some half a million servers worldwide. This vulnerability, known as the Heartbleed Bug affects the encryption keys that are at the core of SSL encryption. (Unencrypted internet connections begin with http, whereas encrypted connections begin with https.) The Heartbleed Bug enables […]

Black Cap on TV
Black Cap on TV avatar

 in Event / Website Management  tagged Avant Garden Shop / Black Cap Design / blog / CHEX Daily / E-commerce / e-newsletters / Ontario / Pat Kenney / Peterborough / SEO / social media / The Garden Gate / web designer by

A longtime Black Cap Design client Brenda Ibey, owner of The Avant-Garden Shop, asked us to join her on the CHEX Daily show to talk about her e-commerce website.  Brenda’s show is called The Garden Gate.  The Avant-Garden Shop is a retail store located in downtown Peterborough, Ontario.  They provide quality garden accessories, backyard birding supplies, outdoor décor, and many other unique products.  They specialize in products crafted by Canadian Artists.  Black Cap Design designed and developed The Avant-Garden Shop […]

My website is old…how do I know if it’s time for a new one?
My website is old…how do I know if it’s time for a new one? avatar

 in Design & Development / Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  tagged Black Cap Design / HTML / mobile devices / SEO / web designer / web developer / Web Standard / website structure by

You have a site that you really like.  The only problem: it was built 10+ years ago.  Does that mean it’s time to bite the bullet and have it redone? Not necessarily.  Like anything (computers, cars, people) “old” doesn’t necessarily equal “ready for the junk pile”!  Like an old faded pair of jeans, sometimes websites can look and feel more comfortable with age. People often judge a website by the way it looks. The way a site looks has nothing […]

4 ways to Evaluate your Website?
4 ways to Evaluate your Website? avatar

 in Website Management  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / bounce rate / load time / mobile devices / SEO / social media / web content / web design / web security / website development / website redesign / YouTube by

Have you ever said “I have an old – but reliable website; why would I spend time and money doing an update or redesign?” You may be right; your website may be fine just the way it is, but before you can make a firm decision, take a bit of time to evaluate your current site. The team at Black Cap Design developed a list of questions that will help you think critically about your current website.  We hope these […]

Blog vs Newsletter – Top 10 Advantages
Blog vs Newsletter – Top 10 Advantages avatar

 in Blogging / Communication / Marketing / Search Engine Optimization (SEO) / WordPress Development  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / blog post / constant contact / e-newsletters / keywords / MailChimp / newsletter templates / pull marketing / push marketing / RSS / Search Engine Optimization / SEO / social media / target audience / web log / WordPress by

In this corner, we have “Blog” the young up-and-coming contender, prepared to challenge for the title.  And in the other corner we have “Newsletter” the experienced fighter and current crowd favorite.   The result: a technical draw.  Research shows that no one needs to throw in the towel just yet.  Both Blog and Newsletter have their strengths, and when they work together they have the ability to captivate the entire audience. Ok, enough of the boxing references. Most people are familiar […]

The Website of Your Dreams
The Website of Your Dreams avatar

 in Content and Format / Design & Development / Website Management  tagged Black Cap Design / branding / mockup / PDF / web design / web developer / web development / wireframe by

If you’re considering having a website designed or redesigned, selecting a Web Designer is just the first step. Imagine you have just commissioned a painting.  The artist will need to know what you have envisioned – portrait, landscape, abstract… A Web Designer is like an artist staring at a blank canvas.  You really don’t want your Designer jumping in without any guidance from you, especially if you are working to a deadline.  In most cases a Web Designer will start […]

New Logo, New Site!
New Logo, New Site! avatar

 in Black Cap Design - An Introduction  tagged Black Cap Design / blog / CMS / web developer / website / WordPress by

Hard to believe it’s been 8 years.  Black Cap Design started unofficially in 2005 and officially in 2006 and the little Black Cap logo has been our emblem from the start. What’s that old saying about the ‘shoemaker’s children having no shoes’?  So true! We’ve been so focused tending to our clients’ websites, the Black Cap site and logo were needing a fresh coat of paint.  With a little help from Adobe Illustrator and a large pot of coffee, the […]