Now we’re back and building!  Our goal is to build no more than 6 websites per year.  because of our detailed methods involved in designing, we can’t take as many clients as we’d like.  Below we’ve listed a few prerequisites required of our clients.

1. Flexibility – This is very important.  Hawaii Web Group builds websites for local businesses in order for them to grow their exposure and brand.  Ultimately, the website has to help the business become more popular and increase their sales.

This means that we have to have the final say in design.  Again, this sounds strange.  You know your business, but we know the web.  If you want someone to build a site exactly as you want, we recommend you find different designers.  We’ll do everything in our power to make your site look the way you want, but some things shouldn’t be done if you want to reach the largest amount of your ideal visitors.   You have to trust us.

2. Content – You know your business better than we do.  We need you to write the content for your pages before we even start.  This point will make or break a business relationship.  Right off the bat, I can tell you that most people we deal with are amped to begin the project and ready to pay, but they’ll never get us the materials we need.  This kills the project. We can make things up for your business, but it won’t be entirely accurate, it will take longer to write and fix mistakes, and it will cost you more for us to write it.

3. Commitment – Once you’ve decided to go with us, you need to be committed 100%.  When we need your input, you’ll need to give it to us in a timely manner. That means getting us answers within hours, not days.

I know this sounds strange to have prerequisites for clients, but we have high standards for what we build, and it takes time.  If we’re going to build, we’re going to do it right!  Give us a shout!

Video Transcription

Aloha and welcome to Hawaii Web Group‘s CS5 Photoshop tutorial.  This is a sped up version of a logo design for a new surf and skate shop on Newport Blvd  in California for Newportsurf.com. Here you can see us using the 3D text tool where we’re tweaking position, perspective, and adding spotlights. To do this, you have to go to 3D, Repousse, and then Text Layer. If it won’t let you because it says you have a faux bold text, go ahead and select the text with your text tool, and then right click and then toggle off the faux bold. When you do finally render the text for spotlighting and shadowing, make sure you have a lot of time because it takes a while.

Here we’re extending the background because we don’t have enough room, and we’re positioning the words to fit better and look like they’re kind of sitting on top of eachother.

What we’re gonna do is fill in each letter, so we’re not really interested in what the front face looks like other than having it be clean and white.  There’s a lot of different ways to do anything in Photoshop.  And here we’re using it for the web so we’re not too concerned about the high high quality you might need to print something.

So what we’ve done is selected each letter with the magic wand tool, used it to get the face of it, used a stroke for each letter, and then filled in every element.

Changing the opacity of the skateboarder helps us to fit it exactly on the letter.  Then we use the polygonal lasso or magic wand tool to cut out the shapes and fill in whatever’s and needed.

We wanted it left arm to stick out a little bit, so what we did was cut it out, put it on a new layer, and then used the innershadow effect to kind of get rid of the white on the edges and then we flattened it.  Once it’s flattend, you can erase a portion of the inner hand to meld better with the main picture (get rid of the harsh inner shadow on the forearm).

We want contrast on these letters against the dark background, so we’ve used some of these pictures that have white in them, and we lightened them up like the “R” here.  The way we did that was feather a circle selection and then filled in a new layer on top of it.  You can always do it by using levels or curves too.  For the web, levels are good enough, but when working with things you want to print, I would use curves.

For the spray we used a splatter brush to delete and add white to it.  We also could have used a feathered selection to cut it out, but it would have been harder in the areas close to the surfer (though it really wouldn’t matter since the surfer is on a new layer and you’d make a new layer for the spray anyways.)

For the “E” I wanted to make it look like the skateboarder was coming up over it, but there wasn’t enough image beneath him, so I used a pen tool to make a shape to make it look like a little skate ramp.  Then I used a gradient overlay to give it a little more color and make it look more realistic.  I then flattened that object so that I could cut it out.

I like using the polygonal lasso to cut different things out because I have more control over it.  I’ll often add a 1 pixel feather to it though just so it looks more blurred on the edges and more realistic against the background.

Here I’m using every photographers favorite tool the clone stamp to clean up some blemishes that iStock forgot to clean up.  I’m using an opacity to it to make it blend better, or you can use the healing brush.

Again there wasn’t enough wave under this guys surfing picture so I’m using a picture of mine, chopping it up, and adding the lower wave to it.  I changed my mind on this one a couple of times.  As you can see I flipped it and flipped it.

Again, the use of polygonal lasso and again the splatter brush.

I like to have “Show Transform Control” toggled on at all times so that I can just shift and hit the corners to flip things around.

Again, I’m using layer opacities to align these different images.

When pulling these images in and resizing them, I make sure to hold the shift key down sot that I can constrain the proportions.

Now I’m using a feathered selection to add a fill on a new layer, then changing the opacity to make it look like a drop shadow.  And I’m doing it on all of these letters.  I want the end of “Newport” to look like it’s sitting behind the “Surf” so I’m adding some shadow to the “O” and the “R”.  and make sure the “T” sticks out behind it.

Here I’m giving the background a vignette by using another feathered selection.

We want the “New” to kind of hang over the “Surf” so we’re using another feathered selection on a new layer and cutting out the desired sections.  This makes for a nice looking drop shadow.

We hope you’ve gotten something out of this brief tutorial.  Please join us and check out our site at HawaiiWebGroup.com

Aloha and we’ll see you around Maui!

Here at Hawaii Web Group, we believe in being transparent.  This is why we’ve decided to issue a yearly “State of the Group” to let our clients and our ohana know where we stand.

2010 HWG Traffic

After reviewing our analytics in 2010, we’ve found that our small network of Maui/Hawaii websites (owned and operated by HWG) brought in the following traffic.  All of the numbers below come from Google Analytics.  (If anyone shows you numbers for their sites that are derived from some other analytic program, be wary!  We only trust Google for this.)

Increase in traffic

In the last 31 days, our websites have increased in traffic by over 55.92% across the board.

In February of 2012, you can expect a similar report.  On this new report, you’ll find that the numbers above will have increased substantially.  Our goal is to grow by over 50% every year for the next 3 years.  In early 2015, expect to see a report of growth of over 100% from the previous year.  After that, we won’t settle for less than 150-200% each year.  Mark our words! Hawaii Web Group is on a mission to not only gain in strength as a content provider, but we also intend on building Hawaii’s image (especially Maui’s) to our potential visitors.  With our help, we believe visiting Hawaii can become the most attractive option for travelers worldwide.  Our goal is to market our islands while maintaining an educational emphasis.  We want our visitors to leave with more than just a tan.  We want them to leave with a better understanding of the unique culture and environment that we love on the islands.

New websites built in 2010

MakenaBeachGolfResort.com – Built as a fan site and recently acquired by the resort owners.

Maui-Hawaii.Tumblr.com – A social photo blog built to promote local Maui moments.

MauiHawaii.Posterous.com – A social blog with photos and slideshows of Maui.

MauiSailing.com – Built to promote 3 boating clients as well as offer quality information and custom maps of harbors and boat ramps on Maui.

Maui-Maps.com – A huge undertaking, this site was 2 years in the making.  It was recently completed and offers information on almost every activity and area on the island.  It also features a unique flash map of Maui that people love.

KeonekaiVillagesMaui.com – This was built to promote a condo complex in Kihei, south Maui with photos, videos, and information.

The Social Web

In 2010, we’ve been extra busy socially on the web.  We’ve built 2 new social blogs and we’ve been diligent with Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Youtube, Foursquare, and more.  Below are some of our growing numbers.

Facebook Maui

Fans: 4,273

Twitter Maui

Followers: 727
Tweets: 1,918

Tumblr Maui

Followers: 111
Posts: 197

Posterous Maui

Subscribers: 11
Posts: 170

Youtube Maui

Videos: 42
Views: 160,554
Subscribers: 63

Foursquare Maui

Check-Ins: 96

Maui Newsletter

476 Subscribers
We also have aproximately 6,000 subscribers to our other Hawaii newsletters.

Outsourcing

We still have yet to hire anyone not on the island of Maui.  All of our independent contractors reside and work on the island of Maui, Hawaii.  We believe its important to keep jobs within our own State.

Overview

All in all, we’re very happy with what our efforts have produced in 2010.  It’s been more work than we’d ever imagined, but the feedback from our clients and our increased numbers above make us feel like it’s all worth it.  How do we do it? The old fashioned way with a lot of HARD WORK. We believe that nothing worthwhile comes from shortcuts. We build the best content possible and focus on our visitors. If they’re not happy with what we give them, the page (or site) will come down. Overall, we want our impact on the web to be positive in a way where our visitors appreciate the work we’ve done and share it with friends.

We’re looking forward to sharing our numbers again in 2012!

CAUTION: Look at the date of this post. This information is accurate (to our knowledge) as of this date. We are not responsible for any damage any of our suggestions may cause. We merely compiled and used the following methods to help protect our sites, and so far it’s working.

Before you do anything:

1. If on a shared hosting server, make sure your host has security. If one site is compromised, many others can be as well.

2. Look into SSH/Shell access instead of FTP uploads.

OK, now to get into it. Many of the below items I mention are handled by the plugins listed below.

Editing your files before install:

3. Secure your wp-config as well as any other sensitive files with .htaccess by adding these lines:

# SECURE WP-CONFIG.PHP <Files wp\-config\.php>  Order Deny,Allow  Deny from all </Files> Options All -Indexes

4. Make sure your files and folders have the correct permissions set. Some of the more important ones are:

the root, wp-admin, wp-includes, wp-images, wp-content, themes, plugins, upgrade, uploads, etc…

5. In search.php change: <?php echo $_SERVER ['PHP_SELF']; ?> to: <?php bloginfo (‘home’); ?>

6. In your themes header.php file, get rid of the name=”generator” line.

7. Add a .htaccess file to the wp-admin folder and wp-content/plugins and add this: IndexIgnore *

8. Replace the secret keys in your wp-config.php file with new ones. Visit this URL to generate new ones and cut and paste them. http://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/ Each time you refresh the page, it will come up with new, unique keys.

9. Some people suggest password protecting your wp-admin directory.

10. Change your default table prefix from wp_ to something crazy like meKH2332m23m324_ The easiest way to do this is to add a line to your wp-config.php like: $table_prefix = ‘meKH2332m23m324′; // custom table prefix

11. Change the “Upload” directory to something more obscure, like “Putapic” or something. You need to understand where to make all of these changes though (you can’t just change the name of the file.

12. You can also use an apache declaration to disable script in the uploads folder.

Installation, Settings, and Plugins:

13. install a Fresh Installation. Download the most recent version of WordPress.

14. Make sure wp-config.php has it’s permissions set to 400 immediately (or 0). This holds all of your password info. Also check for permissions on all upload, upgrade and backup directories.

15. Move wp-config.php one level above your root directory.

16. Turn off the option to organize installed uploads by month and year.

17. Use STRONG PASSWORDS and change them as often as you can. Use 12-13 character passwords with capitals, lowercase letters, numbers, and different characters like &%*.

18. Disable user registration of not needed.

19. Get rid of your admin account! Add a new user (with a more complex name) and give them the admin role with full privileges. Use a different name for the user. Then sign in with it and change the admin role to subscriber. This will limit your vulnerability to Brute Force password attacks.

20. Make sure roles and permissions are all low-access.

21. Set up your settings in the strictest ways. You only want users to comment and add content that you truly trust.

22. In the dashboard, secure your general settings. Have the new user default role be a subscriber and uncheck the ability for anyone to register under Membership. You only want users to comment and add content that you truly trust.

23. Don’t give anyone your admin passwords! Keep them in a safe place. Don’t discuss them over the phone or on emails. Make sure to change them periodically too. WP Security Scan plugin has a tool to check and see if you’re password is strong enough.

24. Make sure your computer doesn’t have any spyware, malware, adware or viruses. Sometimes this is where your security issues originate from.

25. Install Security, Back Ups and Antispam Plugins

These are the ones we’ve heard are the best. Keep in mind that some of these won’t work with others. Also, many don’t work with the most recent update of WordPress. Make sure you only use plugins that you trust. If you only download a few, do the first 4.

• WP Security Scan – This scans your installation for weaknesses in security. Make sure to remove the WP ID META Tag. We really like this plugin.
• WP-DBManager or WordPress EZ Backup – Back up your databases and site.
• WP File Monitor – It tracks changes to files and notifies you on your dashboard and through email. Very helpful for knowing if you’ve been hacked!
• Akismet – Crucial in protecting your comments from spam.
• Headspace2 – Doesn’t work with the newest version yet, but it has some great SEO tools.
• Google XML Sitemaps – Automatically creates and submits your sitemap to Google.
• Block Bad Queries – It protects against malicious URL requests.
• AskApache Password Protect – Another security wall for your blog.
• WordPress Firewall – It screens suspicious-looking requests and often prevents attacks.
• Invisible Defender – It protects registration, login, and comments from spambots.
• Secure WordPress – It removes and hides an bunch of stuff that will keep you more secure.
• Exploit Scanner – This is said to be a great plugin, but it may have issues. I’ll get back to you on this one.
• Login Lockdown – This will stop people from trying to login after 3 wrong ties in 5 minutes. It will stop hackers from brute force access.
• Force SSL – You’ll need to buy a renewable SSL certificate, but it will encript your back end. If you don’t want to buy one, try Chap Secure Login.
• Anonymous WordPress Plugin – Strips your information from being sent to plugins when they automatically update.

Lastly, you need to keep up with security maintenance. Here are a few things to keep on top of:

26. Make sure the most recent version of WordPress is installed at all times. These new updates usually have security features that can help against current threats.

27. Same with Plugins and Themes. Make sure everything is up to date at all times!

28. Make sure all of your Plugins are trusted. Seriously, this is dumb of me to say. How in the heck do you know if a Plugin is trusted? Amount of downloads? Ratings? I guess those help, but if anyone has any other ideas on how to measure a plugin’s trust, I’m all ears. Hopefully they implement some kind of Trust Certificate someday.

29. Have regular backups automatically ran for the whole site including database. And don’t keep the back ups on your server.

30. Watch for new files that are suspicious looking. WP File Monitor is good for this. A lot of hackers hide backdoors in files that look like img1.jpg or similarly unsuspicious-looking generic files.

31. When adding files, consider using FTP instead of uploading from your WordPress uploader.

32. Report bugs to WordPress http://codex.wordpress.org/Submitting_Bugs WordPress can’t get any better without your help!

So, I’m using a premium theme. I’ve used premium themes in the past, and most of the time they’re worth the money. I LOVE the themes Jason builds at Press75.com. The only thing I regret about buying his themes is that I didn’t buy the full package right off the bat. After buying 3 themes, I realized my money would be put to better use having full access to all of his themes. So, now I have it all!

Jason uses all kinds of coding wizardry (which is beyond me) to build beautifully crafted, simple-looking themes that function exactly like you’d want them to. Most of the themes have use very simple backgrounds that are clean and ready to use. I like to jazz things up a bit and do some alterations to backgrounds, buttons, etc in order to brand my sites. This way, even though I’m using a template theme, I can make my sites MY OWN with personal touches and a custom feel.

You can view descriptions of these themed sites here:

Maui Goodness

Maui Real Estate Development

Maui Cribs

Family Flix

The World Awaits Us

For the Maui Goodness, I used the Work Place Theme. I like it cause it’s simple and grabs my visitor’s attention with the 3 images up top. As you can see, I’ve added my own flair to the site. It’s now more Maui, and less work.

Learn more about securing your sites from hackers at WordPress Security Steps.

The Client: Owner of Keonekai Village unit

Project Description: One of the finest condominium complexes in south Maui, Keonekai Villages is located in a prime location next to the best beach park in Hawaii.  The property is well landscaped with beautiful units, many of which have great views of the ocean and the mountains.

This website has custom built maps, photos, video, and plenty of information on this complex.  We discuss sales and rentals and have info on the different areas around the condo.

Visit Website: Keonekai

The Client: Hawaii Web Group LLC

Project Description: This is one of our favorite websites ever made.  We think our visitors are going to love the Flash interactive map on the home page.  Each location and activity page has a Twitter feed for each subject, video, photos, local tips, and detailed information.

Feel free to poke around and enjoy the site.  We’ve spent a lot of time to make it great.  Mahalo!

Visit Website: Maui Map

The Client: Hawaii Web Group LLC

Project Description: We used a premium domain name to secure a URL that can be identified as an authority for this particular activity.  The site has some custom-built maps of the harbors as well as photos, directions, information, and a list of the many sailing tours available on the island.  The site uses pure CSS and HTML.  We used really clean and lean code and we’ve featured some new additions that add to the overall fun of the site.  (We like that the sails are transparent!)

We plan on promoting this site and getting it to #1 for most all Maui Sailing keywords.

Visit Website: Maui Sailing

Understandably, we’ve never looked for webmasters or Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Experts before because that’s what we do.  As we contacted dozens of companies in Hawaii, this is what we came up with:

• A few solid quality companies
• Many companies that wouldn’t get back to us
• Many companies that took a week to reply to our inquiry
• Many companies that claimed they have experience doing SEO, but clearly don’t
• Many companies offering web design that would make my cat puke
• A few companies that are based on the mainland, but have satellite sites for different states.  (Their offer was very generic, over-priced, and didn’t feel honest.)
• And then a few slimy webmasters (see below)

The slimy webmaster

I have to share this quick story.  I asked for a list of websites that they’re responsible for the SEO paired with the keywords they had gotten up in the rankings.

One webmaster listed a site that Hawaii Web Group had built and done SEO for previously.  At first, we didn’t think much of it since we’d stopped doing SEO for this client 3-6 months ago in order to secure bigger projects.  The problem came when we did some poking around (we still have access to the analytics and FTP files.)

Turns out, this “respectable webmaster” had changed a few words on the site (very minimal) and done no noticeable SEO work off-site.  The only substantial SEO they had done was in swapping our design link out for theirs (SEO Link-building for their own web company, not for the client.)

As you can imagine, we’re pissed.  It’s not the first time that other companies have taken credit for our work.

Moral of the Story

When looking for an SEO or designer, be REALLY Careful. Here’s a few tips:

• Try to go with someone local (if not, you may be chasing after a ghost that has your money).
• Make sure they have a list of websites paired with keywords that they’re responsible for when it comes to their search engine ranking. (Call the owners of these sites to make sure!)
• Find out exactly what they can do for you and make sure you get detailed monthly reports.
• Don’t pay for a “review” of your site, unless you plan on doing the changes yourself.  SEO’s should be able to look at your site and know what needs to be done before charging you.
• Beware of any webmaster that says they can GUARANTEE #1 Ranking.  The only way you can guarantee this is if you’re dealing with a low-traffic, non-competitive useless keyword (or if they’re just plain lying.)
• Make sure they’re not outsourcing all of the work to non-native speaking designers.  Hawaii Web Group only works with Hawaii companies.
• Be certain that your SEO adheres strictly to Google Webmaster Guidelines.  Those that use black-hat-SEO-tactics can put your site at risk of being banned from being indexed.
• There are loads more things to watch out for, but this will do for now.  If you have more questions, give us a shout.

Good luck in finding the right webmaster and SEO for your site.  It’s not an easy thing to do these days.  Just be careful to not get burned.  It’s not just your money, it’s your business.

We took the liberty of building and adding a new map to the site, found from a prominent link within the top navigation (as well as adding the written address to the bottom of every page:
New Map

This helps people find your store, and it also helps search engines know your physical location.

The moral of this story: If you have a brick and mortar business, you need to make the address location prominent. Adding an interactive Google Map is even better.