Website Redesign for Maryland IT Company – Kite Technology Group
GLBAL media designed the new website for KiteTech Group located in Owings Mills, MD to bring a fresh look to the company who has been in business for over 30 years. We managed KiteTech’s website for the past couple of years and it was becoming more and more evident that it was time for a redesign. The old site featured block images and was inconsistent from page to page.
Maryland Website Design
This website redesign was no easy task as this site has nearly 100 pages and over 200 blogs/webinars. We worked through our 10 step website design process and started by creating digital mockups of all of the pages. This allowed us creative freedom as we designed custom graphical elements and unique shapes for the primary images. The client wanted a clean design that featured their new brand colors and color coded pages for each major service they provide.
After building a staging site for testing we then facilitated the transfer to their primary domain and launched the new website for the public. We may be bias but we feel this is one of the best IT website designs on the internet. Check out the brand new site here: https://www.kitetechgroup.com/
Nonprofit Website Redesign for NFL player O.J. Brigance
It’s not every day that we get to work with a Super Bowl Champion from our home state, especially for a cause that’s so important. After concluding 12 years on the field, O.J. Brigance currently serves as the Senior Adviser of Player Development for the Baltimore Ravens.
A couple of months ago GLBAL media was contacted by the Brigance Brigade to redesign their foundation website which exists to provide resources for people living with ALS.
“Following his diagnosis of ALS in 2007, former NFL champion and current Baltimore Ravens executive O.J. Brigance and his wife, Chanda created the Brigance Brigade Foundation to equip, encourage, and empower people living with ALS. Fast forward 15 years, the Brigance Brigade has helped hundreds of families and built a tight-knit community throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond.”
Check out this video that recently aired on the NFL Network
Nonprofit Website Design
Specializing in nonprofit website design we first consulted with the Brigance Brigade to learn more about the organization and the main objectives for the website. The existing website was slowly getting outdated and was previously built on Squarespace. The staff at the Brigance Brigade faced a lot of limitations when it came to posting events, sharing stories and trying to make updates to the website.
Following the initial brainstorming and market research we then got to work designing the homepage layout and style guide for the website. This website needed to provide easy to access donate buttons and links to programs for people to get involved. The final design features an edgy yet modern style consistent with NFL branding. Accessibility was a priority for O.J. and Chanda and we’re happy to provide an easy to use website across all devices. Check out the brand new site here: https://brigancebrigade.org/
Please join us in officially welcoming Grace Carr to the GLBAL media team! Grace is a talented photographer who is passionate about social justice, working with nonprofits and telling the stories of the voiceless. A Carroll County native, she graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography and Imaging Arts. Grace will be a huge addition to our creative team and can be found in the studio, out on assignments, traveling on tours and at live streaming events.
After winning the seventh annual Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge at McDaniel College (located in Westminster, MD), Javon contacted us to bring his idea to life. We created the logo and online e-commerce marketplace that’s currently available exclusively for McDaniel students.
“ReDorm is a recycling app that connects college students with products that they need, such as furniture, room accessories, textbooks, and more.”
E-commerce Website Design
Designing this e-commerce website presented some unique challenges because of the front facing dashboard and ability for users to create accounts as either a seller or buyer. Currently ReDorm only serves the Carroll County area and doesn’t offer any shipping so we needed to limit registrations to only McDaniel College students. We also needed the ability for users to be able to message with each other to arrange product pickup.
From the beginning Javon was passionate about creating an easy to navigate and mobile friendly website design. Sellers are able to create an account and receive direct deposits to their bank account after completed sales. Learn more and join today at: redormit.com
Renew Movement is a new community based church planting organization that made its debut at Exponential’s Orlando Conference in 2023. We were hired to design their new website incorporating branding guidelines from the parent organization Renew as well as design a bifold brochure that would be distributed at the conference.
Church Website Design is our Speciality
Working with churches is one of the top 3 organizations that GLBAL media specializes in. Our unique history with nonprofits and churches have positioned us to provide an extraordinary service that meets the specific needs of churches. Learn more about our services for churches at: https://www.glbalmedia.com/churches/.
Church Creative Team
Our creative team is comprised of church planters, worship leaders, nonprofit marketers and pastors kids who have been working in ministry for over 30 years. As Renew Movement knows, when you work with an outside church marketing company you gain access to an entire team dedicated to your churches success.
New website design for Greystone Brokerage & Development
When Greystone first approached us about a new website their current website was displaying a critical error and they weren’t able to make updates or recover any of their past content. Thankfully we were able to help them restore aspects of their past website for reference while building a brand new website with an accompanying website maintenance plan to help prevent this same error from occurring in the future.
About Greystone Brokerage & Development
“Greystone Brokerage & Development is a full-service real estate firm specializing in Development, Consulting and Brokerage services for medical office buildings, surgery centers, imaging and diagnostic clinics, and healthcare-related facilities.” (https://greystonebd.com/about/)
The Solution
This website design needed to be as unique and creative as Greystone’s approach to real estate. We designed a brand new website for Greystone which highlights their past work in an easy to navigate portfolio as well as a renewed focus on their convenient location in Nashville, TN.
“Justin!!!! You are amazing!!”
– Angela G.
Greystone Brokerage & Development
Interested in a new website for your business or nonprofit? Contact us today.
New website for the Community Foundation of Carroll County
Nonprofit websites are one of our specialities, but this project was especially unique because we had the opportunity to not only represent 1 nonprofit but to serve over 280 local nonprofits all in one website! GLBAL media was contacted last year by the Community Foundation of Carroll County to start the process of redesigning their existing website. We applaud them for getting quotes from all local web design companies and were honored to be selected. If you are not familiar with a community foundation they are an umbrella organization that handles all of the donations, payments, grants, etc. to allow “funds” to focus on the work they are passionate about.
The Community Foundation of Carroll County was established in 1994 and currently serves over 280 local nonprofits and more than 75 scholarships. They facilitate over 8 million dollars in endowments, operating funds, scholarships, programs, and funds managed for nonprofit organizations.
The Challenge
We were presented with an existing website that was outdated and difficult to update. Minor changes like posting news, editing scholarships and replacing images had to be outsourced to another web designer who could only make all of the changes via FTP. The previous website was not utilizing SSL certificates, was not a responsive website design (desktop, tablet and mobile friendly) and was not easily searchable.
The Solution
When we first met with Sharon from the Community Foundation of Carroll County she expressed how important it was for visitors to accomplish 3 main tasks: start a fund, make a donation and search for scholarships. We walked through our website design process and explained the need for the website to be mobile friendly and easy to navigate.
Given our expertise with nonprofit website design we also shared the need for the website to establish credibility with potential donors and streamline the process to make a donation. Given the unique setup of a community foundation many visitors will access the site to make a donation to a specific fund. In the past this was only possible by sorting through an alphabetical list with no option to filter the results. We created a searchable database for all 280 funds that lists the name, description, type of fund and link to donate directly to that fund. This new website will hopefully increase donations for all of the nonprofits represented.
The foundation ultimately allows nonprofits to focus on their mission while they handle all of the behind the scenes tasks. It was important for the new website to further highlight events in the community put on by the participating funds. We designed an easy to use news and calendar section to showcase upcoming events and press releases.
Big thanks to you and your team for creating an exceptional product!
– Thomas Beyard
The Community Foundation of Carroll County, Vice President
Interested in a new website for your business or nonprofit? Contact us today.
BC Boost is a brand new product created by Dr. Janette Nesheiwat. This dietary supplement was specially formulated to boost immune support by combining Vitamin B and Vitamin C as well as D3 and Zinc.
Our roles in the BC Boost branding, logo, product and website project.
We started by creating the logo and brand guidelines for this new company. For the logo, we incorporated key colors that evoke healthy living emotions. After designing the logo we created the vitamin bottle design while following FDA standards. We provided our client with initial mockups to see how this would actually look before going to print. We incorporated elements of oranges (strong component of Vitamin C), Dr. Janette’s photo (for credibility) as well as helpful information about the purpose of this product.
After completing the bottle design we started on developing the new e-commerce website. This website needed to provide credibility to the brand as well as offer subscriptions and easy checkout from desktop and mobile devices.
The Justice For All Institute is a new nonprofit started by Dina Nesheiwat Raley. Dina’s extensive experience as an attorney and her compassion for helping others inspired her to create an organization to advocate for the legal rights of families and communities that would otherwise go unheard. These legal services are provided FREE of charge for communities in need.
Our roles in the Justice For All Institute logo and website project.
We created the overall branding for the organization. For the logo, we carried over the “Scales of Justice” icon that can be found in The Nesheiwat Law Group logo as a subtle nod to Dina’s other company and the need for justice.
We were also tasked with creating a website that would help explain the purpose of The Justice For All Institute and allow potential donors to donate towards the cause. This website features one-time and recurring giving as well as sign-up forms for other attorneys to get involved.
A couple of months ago we met Eric and Tina while filming for Hey, Westminster and quickly fell in love with their mission to spread kindness. They asked us to assist in designing a new Ecommerce website for both the Infinite Love Project and Be Kind Sign.
About Infinite Love Project / Be Kind Sign
The Infinite Love Project creates hearts with the infinity symbol which are then given to people they encounter as they go through their daily lives. They also create and install the Be Kind signs with our Infinite Love Heart® to remind us all of the importance of that magical phrase.
Be Kind Sign has quickly become an iconic symbol in Carroll County, Maryland and is rapidly spreading to new areas.
“In January, 2020 Eric was reading about, hearing, and experiencing too much negativity and needed to counter that, reminding himself as well that everything is better when you are around kind and empathetic people. That is when, on a porch in Westminster, MD, the stencil art Be Kind sign boards and crayons were created.”
Currently over 3,400 signs are on display to remind us all to spread kindness. We’re grateful that Eric and Tina trusted us to build a new e-commerce website for them with some enhanced functionality. They get the award for the most colorful website we’ve ever created. Take a look at www.bekindsign.com
Building the New Ecommerce Website
This website was a unique build because potential visitors enter the site either through an affiliation with Infinite Love Project or through exposure to the Be Kind Signs. While essentially one big site the website needed to serve the needs of both brands. We started by building custom landing pages for infiniteloveproject.com and bekindsign.com. The header navigation then integrates the rest of the website.
It was also important to Eric and Tina that their upcoming events could be easily added, updated and shared. As a result we built an easy to navigate event calendar that they can update anytime.
The online store features several different categories and integrates seamlessly with their Point of Sale system to manage stock and inventory. The custom nature of these products required extensive variables and customization for each order.
Mobile Friendly Website Design
Be Kind Sign often has a booth setup at trade shows, farmers markets, festivals and events so it was important that the website was mobile friendly and potential visitors could easily browse the site and shop or learn more about the brand.
Contact Us for a New Website Design
GLBAL media is a Maryland web design agency who specializes in nonprofit, entertainment, business and church website designs. Our creative team has a combined experience of over 40 years in marketing and design. All of our websites start with a custom design tailored specifically to your brand. Learn more about our web design process here.
We are excited to share that we’ve been selected again this year as one of the “Best Web Designers in Baltimore” by Expertise. Expertise is an online database that locates and verifies the best experts for the job.
“Our goal is to connect people with the best local experts. We scored Baltimore Web Designers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.” – Expertise
GLBAL media is a Maryland web design agency that specializes in nonprofit, entertainment, and church website designs. Our creative team has a combined experience of over 40 years in marketing and design. All of our websites start with a custom design tailored specifically to your brand. As a Story First Creative Agency, we believe your website needs to tell the story of what makes your company unique. Our Westminster, MD web designers primarily build websites using WordPress because it’s a powerful open-source software that provides us with the functionality we need. However, we are also familiar with the other main website builders like Squarespace and WIX, as well as traditional HTML and CSS.
Our office is located outside of Baltimore in Westminster, Maryland, but we can work virtually with our clients located anywhere in the world.
We recently published the new website for Linwood Brethren Church that incorporates a custom drone video of the church building and surrounding community.
Linwood Brethren Church contacted us last year to create a website that they can easily keep updated to better serve their congregation. Located in rural Union Bridge, MD this historic church sits on top of a hill and features a beautiful bell tower.
While discussing the needs for the website the pastor also expressed interest in capturing drone footage of the church and surrounding community to highlight the area they serve. This video can be found as the background on the homepage.
We created custom pages for Linwood Brethren Church that communicates their history, their staff, their statement of faith, and their events.
We are taking the opportunity to reflect on all the work that we have had the privilege to do over the course of 2021 through this GLBAL media year in review blog. The stats and projects listed below are the numbers that reflect what matters most to us, which are the nonprofits, businesses, ministries, and individuals we have had the honor of working with and helping.
Enjoy an overview of some of our projects and behind-the-scenes photos from this past year.
We work with companies to improve their SEO ratings by conducting search engine optimization and audits for their websites. We help their websites rank higher in Google by identifying keywords and phrases that potential clients will search be searching for.
This year we built websites for our friends at Third Culture Thriving, Hear It Clear, Soni Sunshine, and more. 2021 brought a renewed approach to our website design process which allowed us to build some of the best websites we’ve ever designed.
Most of the photos we took this year were either for Hey Westminster Grant Recipients or for concerts. With our new office location and now having access to an indoor studio at Together Studios, we look forward to expanding our studio sessions in the coming year.
36 Videos produced
We’ve completed video projects for all of the Hey Westminster grant recipients, Affordable Basement Solutions by JFJ & Sons, Finding Hope Counseling, multiple projects for Exponential, ChildFund, Faith Church Glen Burnie, and we announced the addition of drone video services. We are fortunate that you trust us to help tell your story.
51 travel dates
We jumped back into touring this year with ChildFund and lead the team for Winter Jam (Crowder and We the Kingdom) and the Lauren Daigle World Tour. In addition to these tours we were also a part of Light the Way Festival and travelled for various video shoots.
26 flights
This year saw the return of live events and we were happy to help support them. Traveling on numerous tours, video shoots, and client meetings we flew over 26 times.
29 states visited
Although this was the first year in over 5 years that did not include an international trip we still managed to cover most of the country visiting 29 states for photos, videos, and tour dates.
It has been a great year! Thank you to each of our clients for trusting us to build your websites, capture and tell your stories, and serve you creatively. We are looking forward to all the projects that we will be working on in 2022. We hope you enjoyed a behind-the-scenes GLBAL media year in review.
Hear It Clear is a new entertainment industry company website to rent equipment and book freelancers to operate it.
GLBAL media built the front-facing sales side of the website. We designed and coded the initial home, about and contact pages as well as created the registration platform.
We were introduced through a mutual friend in the entertainment industry and are excited to see this become a valuable tool for the music industry. Hear It Clear is developing a platform to book rental equipment such as venues, lighting, audio, and freelancers to run it. The idea is that it’s a cross-company platform that removes the bids back and forth between a bunch of companies and people can see availability right away.
They are currently building a database for those freelancers and equipment companies who are interested.
The ability to book equipment is coming in phase 2. Right now anyone who works within the entertainment industry can register to receive more info once it’s launched.
We are excited to share that we’ve been selected as one of the “Best Web Designers in Baltimore” by Expertise. Expertise is an online database that locates and verifies the best experts for the job.
“Our goal is to connect people with the best local experts. We scored Baltimore Web Designers on more than 25 variables across five categories, and analyzed the results to give you a hand-picked list of the best.” – Expertise
GLBAL media is a Maryland web design agency that specializes in nonprofit, entertainment, and church website designs. Our creative team has a combined experience of over 40 years in marketing and design. All of our websites start with a custom design tailored specifically to your brand. As a Story First Creative Agency, we believe your website needs to tell the story of what makes your company unique. Our Westminster, MD web designers primarily build websites using WordPress because it’s a powerful open-source software that provides us with the functionality we need. However, we are also familiar with the other main website builders like Squarespace and WIX, as well as traditional HTML and CSS.
Our office is located outside of Baltimore in Westminster, Maryland, but we can work virtually with our clients located anywhere in the world.
How do you know when it’s time to update your website?
There are a few important factors to take into consideration if you’re trying to decide if your website needs updating. Check out our list of 7 reasons to update your website in 2022.
Biggest factor – web style has changed and your website feels outdated.
Website design trends are constantly changing. There are many factors that affect these trends. Increasing internet speeds are allowing for videos and animations to be more accessible and in demand. People are consuming more video content than images and text because it is easier and quicker to digest. Colors, styles, and font trends change with what’s popular at the time. The bottom line, the increase in technology and accessibility is constantly driving design trends to change and progress.
Your website page speed is slow.
Surveys and analytics show that you have less than 15 seconds to grab your visitor’s attention on your website. If your page won’t load and you can’t grab their attention in that time you will lose your visitor. As technology changes in web development, outdated systems and coding don’t function as well and so websites can take longer to load. For example, years ago flash websites were the big trend and most modern browsers don’t support flash anymore. Even within popular programs like WordPress, themes and plugins become outdated if they are not consistently kept up to date.
Doesn’t represent your current business well.
Your old website was great for you then, but as your company grows your website should grow with it. Your website may not represent your current business well if you’re in the process of rebranding or adding new services. Especially over the course of 2020 and 2021 businesses have had to adapt and change the services that they offer so their online presence should represent those changes. For example, churches have begun to return in person but it may be different than it was before. You go through a lot of work to get someone to your website, you want to be sure that the content that they find is accurate.
Doesn’t match the quality of the service/experience you offer in person.
If the quality of your website does not match the quality of the services and experience you offer in person, it’s time to update your website. There are a lot of organizations, nonprofits, and businesses that are really great at the services that they provide, but their online presence doesn’t represent that well. Often businesses spend a lot of time creating a great in-store experience but don’t pay as much attention to their website. For a prospective donor, volunteer, or client it could turn them away from giving, volunteering, or booking services if your online presence isn’t aligned with your quality of services or experience.
Is difficult to update/make changes.
If your current website is either inaccessible by you to update and make changes, or that process is becoming a burden it’s time to update. You can’t accomplish the things above if you can’t access your website. We offer monthly website maintenance plans where we can manage this for you.
Your website is not mobile-friendly.
Over 50% of website traffic is done on mobile devices and that statistic is growing daily. Modern websites should be built on a responsive platform to display well across all devices. Google ranks mobile-friendly websites higher in their searches than those that are not mobile-friendly.
We recommend updating your website aesthetics at least every 2 years and considering a full redesign within 5 years.
About every 2 years functionality and design trends shift pretty dramatically. At least 2 years you should update the homepage, hero sections, and main banner sections. Within 5 years you should consider a full redesign simply due to the advancement of technology and the systems required to keep up with it.
GLBAL media is a Maryland web design agency that specializes in nonprofit, entertainment, and church website designs. Our creative team has a combined experience of over 40 years in marketing and design. All of our websites start with a custom design tailored specifically to your brand. As a Story First Creative Agency, we believe your website needs to tell the story of what makes your company unique. Our Westminster, MD web designers primarily build websites using WordPress because it’s a powerful open-source software that provides us with the functionality we need. However, we are also familiar with the other main website builders like Squarespace and WIX, as well as traditional HTML and CSS.
Last year we created the GLBAL good as an annual giveback from our company to fund various projects/causes that we believe align with our vision to bring the world together, and share those success stories with you.
We are excited to announce that this year our team voted unanimously and selected Soni Sunshine as our 2021 GLBAL good recipient!
This year’s recipient is Soni Sunshine, a resource for people facing a cancer diagnosis for themselves or a loved one.
Sonia herself is currently battling cancer and despite her many challenges continues to have a passion to serve others first. As a company, we are thankful to be able to support her efforts during this time in a small way. When we first contacted Casey and Sonia to share the news with them, right away she said that she wanted the funds to be used for their “Help is on the way fund” to support other cancer patients.
We have worked with Sonia and her husband Casey for about 7 years on multiple projects. Most recently, we built the Soni Sunshine website for them.
If you or someone you know is in need of cancer treatment resources visit the Soni Sunshine website to see all that they have to offer.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with choosing the best web designer, this blog will help you make a confident choice that is best for you. Here are a few things to consider before you reach out to a web designer.
What size of company do you want to work with?
Larger companies have departments that are dedicated to each area. They have sales teams, designers, and developers. At times this can be helpful however when it comes to web design we’ve found that having a dedicated contact person makes the process much smoother. Our company has a small team of web designers dedicated to delivering you with the best possible results. You will have a consistent contact person. There’s no middle man in communication during the whole process. You’ll be speaking to someone who understands the website design and development language and can help if there are any areas you have questions. It allows us to customize your process to the needs that you have.
How many pages are you looking for?
In order to receive an accurate quote, you will need to know how many pages your website will have. These typically include Home, About Us, Services, Contact, etc.
How often do you plan to update your website?
Do you want to be able to update your website yourself or is that a service you’d like to be included with the website company that you choose to work with? Some people are very tech-savvy and like the idea of updating themselves. However, the majority of our clients prefer to be able to send us any updates that they require so that they can focus on the amazing work they’re doing.
Who you consider to be the best web designer might be different than someone else because of the aesthetic you like. It can be helpful to browse some websites for inspiration. Make note of what elements or features stand out to you and why. We suggest browsing within your industry and a little outside of your industry for inspiration.
What is your goal turnaround time?
Every company has its own unique turnaround schedule depending on its capacity and its process. You’ll want to find a company that can meet your goal turnaround time. At GLBAL media we typically have a 30-day turnaround time from start to finish.
What industries do they work in?
The majority of the time it is smart to work with a company that has experience designing and building websites for the industry that you are in. Staying within the same industry is helpful to be aware of industry-specific needs and trends, as well as what works and doesn’t work when it comes to websites for your industry.
What is your budget?
This is very important as there are companies that range the spectrum for investment.
What platform will your site be built on?
WordPress, Squarespace, and Wix are popular site platforms that we utilize to build our clients’ websites. If you’d like you can do some research into each of these options to decide what is best for you. If you’re unsure or have no preference, feel free to reach out to us, we’d be happy to help guide you in the best choice for you.
Do you have a preference for outsourced or in-house coding?
Outsourcing coding is a common practice among website companies. Whenever possible we prefer to keep the entire process in-house to ensure consistency and the highest possible quality.
If you know you need one or both of these things be sure to work with a company that is familiar with building out these components.
Do you have your domain name or need hosting?
Check with the company you’re inquiring with whether they provide these services for their clients or if you’re required to already have that in place prior to working with them. If you do not already have a domain name or host service we can do those things for you as a part of our 10 step website design process (link to page).
Does the company’s geographical location matter to you?
Are you desiring to work with a company fully virtual or are you desiring some in-person interaction? Take this aspect of your desired experience into consideration when deciding on a company to work with. While we work with clients from all over the world our offices are located in Westminster, MD and we’d love to host you for a discovery meeting.
Do you need a website designer, website developer, or all-in-one?
A website developer specializes in how a website functions and the user experience (UX). They’re focused on functionality, custom forms, custom online store elements, and user interaction. A web developer is really great at making a site work well, but may not make a site that looks great.
A website designer specializes in the user interface (UI). They’re focused on how a website looks, feels, and the aesthetic. A web designer is really great at making beautiful websites, but may not make a site that functions great for the UX.
Ideally, you want a company that can do both for you. Your site should both look and function great for your users.
What happens after your website is built?
Some companies hand over a website and don’t provide any ongoing services unless you come back and contract with them again for changes or updates. At GLBAL media we provide ongoing maintenance for all of our websites which includes: SSL certificates, hosting, security updates, weekly backups, text/image/video updates, as well as phone and email support.
Next step: inquire.
Once you have these decisions made, your next step is to contact a company that best fits your desired experience. It would be wise to inquire with more than one company so that you can compare their offerings and investment levels.
Download our free Checklist Guide to prepare for your website. Click here.
The Founder, Karli VonHerbulis, is located in Kigali, Rwanda. Karli & Justin Willet have worked together on different creative projects dating back to as early as 2011. Working together on her vision for the brand identity and website for Third Culture Thriving was extra special because of the long history of friendship and collaborative creative efforts.
This project was also very unique since she is located on the other side of the world in a completely opposite time zone. Many times Justin would send off content to be reviewed at the end of his workday and return the following day to Karli’s response because their days and nights are opposite. It added a unique working element since GLBAL media typically works with brands within the continental US.
Third Culture Thriving Story
We loved working to create the brand and website for Third Culture Thriving because of the purpose behind it. Third Culture Thriving is a place to find the resources and encouragement needed to cultivate home in the spaces between nations. Karli took her experiences, both good and hard, as a woman, wife, and mother moving overseas for mission work and turned them into solutions for other families on similar journies.
She shares the story of her experience of the inculturation process, trauma, and self-doubt, which motivated the creation of the resources and community that Third Culture Thriving offers to other missionary individuals and families. Karli says,
“I wanted to create a space where women wouldn’t feel alone, or like everything was out of their control. Where they could come for encouragement and camaraderie, and for practice resources to help them as they journey to create a home in a new place. Where struggling women could be seen, nourished, equipped, and supported in their journeys to thriving, whatever that means in their context. Where they could find hope.”
Through Third Culture Thriving, Karli truly has created a place to find the resources and community you need to thrive right where Christ has called you.
The Process
The first step in the process was to create the Third Culture Thriving brand identity. Karli created a mood board on Pinterest where we pulled inspiration for colors and designs.
We then moved into the logo design phase. Karli wanted to incorporate some floral elements, maps, and script fonts. We ended up not only designing the primary logo but additional brand assets as well that were implemented throughout the website.
With the brand identity, logos, and design elements ready then it came time to begin working on the website. Karli had previously built her own website using Squarespace and was looking for a more professional design that could incorporate her branding across all elements.
We incorporated some of her custom design elements as buttons on her site to direct visitors to her pages with various resources.
Watch this video for a quick overview of the Third Culture Thriving website.
The e-commerce aspect needed to include both free and premium downloads that she could control the number of download attempts and length until the link expired.
Another important aspect of the web design process is mobile design. We always design websites so that the mobile experience is cohesive with the desktop experience and optimized for the mobile user experience.
As we close 2020, we wanted to take a look ahead to 2021 design trends. Remote working is now in place for nearly every company and industry. This further opens the opportunity for businesses to use outside marketing agencies for their creative services in 2021, but not all agencies are the same. Staying aware and informed of the constant changing design trends, website standards, social media formats, and brand awareness is a must, and we have your 2021 Compass of Design Trends for Non-Profits & Entertainment Companies ready for your review.
WEBSITE DESIGN
As we saw in 2020, Mobile-first designs will continue to take precedence. In 2019, 52.2% of traffic came from mobile phones, and continues to increase every year. In May, Google announced that Website load times will take a new precedent for google rankings. Page signals will be included in Google Search ranking and will measure how users perceive the experience of interacting with a web page.
?Emoji’s will continue to contribute to the mobile user experience as tech and mobile phone companies assign a symbol to nearly everything. Simple icons will continue to replace text and offer animation customization.
SOCIAL MEDIA
As all industries try to adjust to COVID-19, Live streaming will continue to be a part of daily/weekly strategies for businesses, entertainers, musicians and churches. Quality audio, video, lighting, and the streaming platforms that content-producers choose to broadcast from will start to determine how audiences engage with virtual events.
SMS marketing will become more widely used. Over the past couple of years your phone number has often been used to create user accounts, loyalty programs, and more. It’s only a matter of time until those databases are accessed for direct marketing via text messages. in 2018, SMS open rates were as high as 98%! Compared to email marketing at an open rate of only 20%, SMS marketing blows email out of the water.
The use of geometric shapes and patterns will dominate bright upbeat designs, minimalist designs will continue to rise, moving away from photo heavy elements, and textures will replace gradients.“The benefit of this trend is that it allows foreground elements such as bold typography or evocative imagery to pop against a near indiscernible background.” – 99designs.com
Over the past year we’ve watched as racial tension has risen in the US. As a result companies have taken a proactive approach on inclusion.(Diversity marketing is a marketing strategy that appeals to and includes diverse groups of consumers, including groups based on race or ethnicity, ability, gender, sexual identity, religious beliefs, age and more.) Look for a demand of further diversity in advertising materials.
Apple’s proposed policy changes announced at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) will impact your personalized ads on Facebook. Facebook Business responded saying, “The changes plan to limit your ability to effectively reach, understand and engage people on mobile devices and across the web. They will impact your ability to understand performance, control who sees your ads and make informed decisions about your advertising budgets. As these changes take effect, over time you may see an overall decrease in ad performance and personalization and an increase in cost per action.”
NONPROFITS
With travel bans limiting access to project areas, nonprofits will need to get creative in sharing new content from the areas they work in. Heavier digital presence (such as Facebook Fundraisers) due to lack of in-person events will become more vital than ever before. We will see a shift to outdoor fundraisers(golf tournaments will likely replace dinners, festivals will replace arenas, etc.) due to the ongoing pandemic. Streamlined donation processes will become necessary components of a fundraising campaign because the average consumer has now donated online through a platform like Gofundme or Facebook fundraisers, and has become used to an on-page / one click experience.
Nonprofits should use 2021 to focus on donor retention since new acquisition will be down. It will be more important than ever to retain current donors, engage them with updates, and potentially even upsell them with additional giving opportunities. This is also a great time to focus on reengaging past donors. Falloff happens even during a “normal” fiscal year, and thankfully, many nonprofits have reported that donor retention has remained steady through the pandemic, but as the unemployment rate rises and the vaccine distribution slowly rolls out, donors may have to make difficult choices with their budgets, and normally, charitable giving is one of the first items to go. With new donor acquisition opportunities not available, nonprofits will need to focus on reengaging past donors who haven’t recently made a contribution. Finally, due to a heavier push for online donations, financial transparency will be at the forefront of donors minds to make sure that who they donate to is a legitimate organization, so err on the side of trustworthiness, updates, engagement, and accountability.
Westminster, MD December 7th, 2020 For Immediate Release
GLBAL media, based out of Westminster, MD plans to expand its services to Nashville, TN with the hiring of veteran non-profit strategist, Bobby Lingo as Strategic Marketing Manager.
Bobby joins an already ultra-experienced team of graphic designers, photographers, videographers, and non-profit experts lead by Creative Director and Owner, Justin Willet. GLBAL media is a creative agency serving non-profit organizations and the entertainment industry. Clients include international charities, Grammy-award winning artists, and White House officials.
Bobby Lingo is a communicator, brand/campaign developer and strategic visionary. During his almost ten years at Compassion International, Bobby was instrumental in developing or advancing many campaigns such as One Meal One Day, Water For Life, Live58, Create Compassion and Bite Back. Today, Bobby uses his communication skills as a tour speaker for Thriving Charities Advocates (TCA), where he has represented organizations such as Children International, World Vision, and ChildFund. Bobby also serves as GLBAL media’s Strategic Marketing Manager, building brands, creating campaigns, and helping non-profits, churches, and para-church ministries expand their impact and influence.
In 2016, I met with Vickie at a local tea bar in Westminster, MD to discuss concepts for a new nonprofit website. A fellow Marylander herself, I loved having the opportunity to meet in-person and hear her dreams for creating an organization that would serve both children and adults with disabilities.
We shared stories of traveling overseas and the different needs we had both seen firsthand.
Vickie knew that having a modern website that could accurately convey their cause was a must for communicating their needs to potential donors. We brainstormed ideas and design concepts for the new website and ways that the site could continue to grow with the organization. Focusing on global issues, this non-profit website needed to be user-friendly and accurately describe their mission.
Four years later, while we aren’t able to meet up in-person for a cup of tea because of the pandemic, ECW is still a valued client. In fact, ECW is currently making a difference in Ukraine and Zambia by helping hundreds of disabled children and their families have access to medical equipment, provide special education training and community-based support. They have also supplied sponsorships for orphans with disabilities to attend summer camps. Finally, while working with the local church, they have helped in providing wheelchair accessibility and supporting day/respite programs within the church.
About Every Child is Worthy Ministries: “Every Child is Worthy Ministries, also known as ECW, is a cross-disability national non-profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting health and wellness initiatives for children and adults with disabilities. ECW is dedicated to making a lasting impact upon the disability community with the Message of Jesus Christ.”
Here’s what Vickie from ECW had to say about working with GLBAL media to build their new non-profit website:
“George and I are extremely happy with what you have done with the website. We have had several compliments about it and I will send anyone that needs your services your way.”
Learning how to start your own business can seem like an overwhelming task. In many ways coming up with the idea will be the easiest part then there’s the legal aspects, the accounting, the design, the launch, the day to day and the risk factors. You may be looking for a way to make some extra money on the side or maybe you’re tired of the 9-5 and are ready to leave the corporate desk and seek something new and exciting. I’ve been starting businesses since I was 16 and whatever your reason for starting a business, I believe the 7 Steps below are crucial in helping your dream become a reality.
Step 1: Your business idea
The first step in starting a successful business is coming up with an idea for something that hasn’t been done before or a service that will help make peoples lives better. You should also focus on narrowing your messaging and making sure that you can accurately describe what you will offer to others.
Step 2: File proper legal paperwork
I don’t pretend to be an expert when it comes to filing incorporation paperwork or setting up your business accounts, however these are necessary steps and in most cases should be left up to a professional to make sure it is done right. (More on this later)
Things to consider:
Do I need a trademark for my company name, slogan or idea?
What type of business will best suit my needs long term?
What state should I file my company in?
Step 3: Be social
Now that you’ve started the process to create a legal business you should pursue securing the proper domain(s) and social media accounts for your company.
Step 4: Creating your brand
When you’re learning how to start your own business you will need to find a designer who is capable of creating a powerful logo and imaging that will accurately represent your company and help set you apart from your competition. Again, this an area best left to a professional. Working with the right graphic designer will ensure your logo is formatted properly, helps you stand out, will stand the test of time, and is easily recognizable.
I recommend hiring an all in one digital marketing agency who is willing to work with you on several projects instead of outsourcing every single project to someone different. By working with a single designer you are more likely to create a consistent style and accurately create your brand. Services you should consider are:
Having a logo designed
Creating a website
Creating business cards, brochures and company apparel (as applicable)
Step 5: Owning your systems
Now that you have the initial idea for your business and have started to create content it’s important to understand your systems. You may be thinking “what systems?” This will vary depending on what your company is but you will most likely need a platform to accept payments, invoice others and keep track of client data. Having the backbone in place prior to going public will help make sure you have a successful launch. Gaining leads for your business is only valuable if you have a strategy to turn inquires into clients.
Step 6: Create your strategy
While you prepare for your launch you should consider creating a social media strategy or hiring a company to manage your newly created social media accounts. Knowing when and how to advertise will be critical in getting your business in front of the right clients.
Step 7: Launch
After all of your hard work to learn how to start your own business it’s time to finally go live and share it with the world. I believe that by following the steps above you will be well prepared to launch.
The use of geometric shapes and patterns will dominate bright upbeat designs, 
