It’s not enough to throw up a template, add some photos, write some copy and call it good.So, how exactly do you ROCK YOUR WEBSITE? These are my essential elements of a kick-butt website: quality content, basic SEO, smart calls-to-action, killer design, and one super secret element I'll tell you about at the end of this post.

Now that I focus mostly on designing visual brands for online businesses, color is still a huge part of what I do. Truthfully, it’s one of the best ways to distinguish your brand from everyone else’s out there. Color creates emotional reactions and can shape how people think about you and your biz.

According to research, color can increase brand recognition by 80%! And people make sub-conscious judgments about an environment or product within 90 seconds of first impression. Between 62% and 90% of that assessment is made based on color.

So, to start, what the heck is my brand, anyway? To sum it up: your brand is who you are and how you show up in your biz and in life. It's what makes you different from everyone else and their sister. It's your reputation, bad or good. It's what you're known for.