Our photography department had a photo shoot at the AEI Startup Factory today.  We provided some photos for their marketing.  We also provided headshots for their members.  Here are some of the before and after shots.

We can provide headshots and corporate marketing images for your next project.  Just send us an email at stephen@stephenwicks.com

We are very proud to announce that we are starting an un-paid apprenticeship program where we will train select individuals how they can begin earning money designing websites and by offering digital marketing services to small to medium sized businesses.

Select candidates will work closely with our staff learning web design / development technologies and marketing platforms.  The goal of the program is to teach individuals how they can create their own opportunities working in technology.

Our owner, Stephen Wicks, has a desire to give back to the community through this program.  "The technology industry has been good to me and I want to share my knowledge with people who want to create their own opportunities."

The program will allow participants to learn and work with technologies such as:

• HMTL
• CSS
• Javascript
• Knack (Database)
• Weebly for Designers
• Duda Development Platform
• and various social media and marketing automation platforms.

The average salary for the job title "Web Designer" as reported by Salary.com, is $48,600 to $74,500 annually.  There are also tremendous opportunities for freelancing and entrepreneurship.

We are looking for people who want to learn how to earn money making websites and offering digital marketing.  We will teach you what we know and test your knowledge with real world projects that you can use on your resume. 

There is no cost to join this program.  The apprenticeship is also un-paid, however, participants may be offered an opportunity to work with our company after completion of the 3 month program.

Apprentices who satisfactorily completes the 3 month program will receive a Certified Web Designer certificate from our company.

Completion Includes:

1. At least 10 hours per week of learning/design work.
2. At least two (2)  completed projects showcasing skills learned during the program.
3. Completion of exam on technologies learned during the program.

We were proud to be selected as the official photographer / videographer for the YALI 2019 experience at the Allen Entrepreneurial Institute.  The weekend of events were held July 19-21, 2019. 

The program brings in the top young business leaders from the continent of Africa to learn from American business leaders.  We loved covering the weekend and have tons of content for the Institute.  Here are a few photos.

We are very proud to announce that our client, The Brian Jordan Foundation, has announced it's 2019 scholarship awardees.

The announcement was made by Mr. Jordan himself at a recent Atlanta Braves baseball game.

We are super proud to have them as a client.

Learn more by visiting their website at :  https://www.brianjordanfoundation.com

We had a blast shooting this video for Denise Powell of DP Global Media.  She was promoting her event called, The Unity Day Pre-Launch Celebration. 

We shot a video under our BlackBusinessList.Com brand that will be used to help promote her book, "Welcome To The A!" as well as the event.

Blog Post - I just wanted to share a digital flyer that we did for a new powerhouse client, The Salon Milan Suites at Stonecrest.

Working with these ladies is so much fun.  We're designing a new website and handling their social media accounts.

That's all for now.  I hope you're all crushing 2019!

Stephen

We had a blast capturing photos and video for a few marketing projects that we're launching for Salon Milan.  The full service salon is located at Stonecrest Mall in Stonecrest, GA.

We will be producing social media, a new website, commercials, and display marketing for the salon. 

Here are some images taken.  More to come!

Blog Post: Stephen Wicks

Have you ever heard of someone who lost control of their website?  Maybe you have or maybe it was even you who had this happen.  It is a very common phenomenon that happens to business owners every day.   Even though it happens a lot, this tragedy can actually be avoided if you know a few things upfront before getting your website designed.  In this blog post, we will give you 3 tips to prevent this from happening to you.

Usually, a person who decides to get a website designed does one of two things.  1. Try to design it themselves or 2. Hire someone else to design it for them. 

There is nothing wrong with either option however; many people don't know the difference between having a "domain name" and a "website."  You can have a website and not have a domain name and you can have a domain name and not have a website.  It sounds confusing but let me break down the differences.

What Is A Domain?
A domain name is the set of letters or numbers that come after http://www  in your browser... such as www.StephenWicks.com . It is the address that directs people to where your website is being hosted. 

In actuality, the website StephenWicks.com is located on the internet at an address that consists of a set of numbers that's recognized by your computer. 

Most people will not be able to remember all of those numbers that represent our website's address.
​
So instead of having to remember and type in many numbers, you can simply type StephenWicks.com and you'll find my website.  That's why domain names are so important.

What Is A Website?
A website is everything that you see when you go to a domain name.  This can be pictures, text, video, audio, documents, or whatever digital files the site's owner wants you to see.

The "website" is what people will "see" when they go to the "domain name address."

Do You See The Difference?
A domain name is seperate from the website.  I could own StephenWicks.com and NOT have a website.  StephenWicks.com is only the address of the website.

You Need Both A Domain Name AND A Website
So I hope you now understand that you need both a domain name AND a website in order to have a website that can hold the information that you may want clients or customers to see.

Most people don't understand the difference and when they let someone develop a website for them, they don't make sure that they "own" or have control of the domain or the hosted website files.

This means that the designer can theoretically register the domain in their own name and leave you out of the registration process.  You will not actually have control of the domain address at all.  This means that you can not truly make any changes with your website without your designer's permission.

The bottom line is that it's a common problem that people fall out of love with their designers and often lose control of their domain names and their websites.  This is terrible because if you lose control, many times you will have to start all over with a different domain name and / or website.  This may confuse your customers and be costly for you.

If you have any questions about this process you can contact us at Stephen Wicks Internet Development Company and we can give you a free initial consultation.

Building a website is a great experience when you know what common pitfalls to avoid.  So don't fret, get busy building your dream project!

Stephen Wicks
Email: stephen@stephenwicks.com 
Phone: ​(678) 999-7945

Blog Post - Stephen Wicks

We are proud to announce that we will be putting on a coding and technology Bootcamp for kids in January 2019.  The event will be held at the AEI Startup Factory in Stonecrest, Georgia.  Other specific details will be released soon.

It's very important that we expose our kids to the technologies of the future so that they can be competitive.  

If you're interested in learning more, email Stephen at stephen@stephenwicks.com

Blog Post - Stephen Wicks

Okay.  So I know that many of you believe that having an android or ios app available for download is "cool."  Many of you think that it would raise the profile of your business if you had a way to communicate with your customers via their cell phones.  It would be nice if they could just click on the icon located on their phone's screen and get directly to your app.

If you're one of those people, I have some shocking news for you.  There is practically no reason for any of you to ever have to create a native app for your business.  It's the end of 2018 and as you know things change rapidly in the tech world.  There used to be just two options: build a mobile website, or build an app.  Both of those had it's pros and cons.  It really depended on the needs of your business.

Native apps offered the best experience and offline interactivity, but due to development costs and terrible engagement rates (especially for small business apps), they weren’t always worth the investment. Apps were also subjected to the rules, regulations, and whims of fickle, temperamental app stores. 

​The mobile internet needed a breakthrough, and in 2015, it arrived with the birth of Progressive Web Apps (PWAs). Progressive Web Apps are already making their mark as the fastest, easiest, and best way to have a winning mobile experience. And they’re on track to become not just an option, but the top option for mobile internet engagement.

 PWAs can best be described as websites that behave like apps. If you imagine that an app and a website had a lovechild that inherited its parents’ best characteristics (and none of the worst), that would be exactly what a PWA is. From one parent (the website), the PWA inherits its easy discoverability (without having to be downloaded) and low maintenance upkeep; and from the other parent (the app), the PWA inherits its rich functionality, offline user interactivity, and engaging experience.

Like a website, a PWA is accessed directly from your web browser; and like an app, it can be installed on your mobile device’s home screen and send you notifications. Though PWAs have been around for a few years, they’re really starting to hit their stride now, so there’s no better time than now to take advantage of this new technology.

Our company has already used this technology to develop PWAs and they work very well.  They're fast.  Icons can be downloaded to the cell phone home screen just like a native app, they can be created in less time and for less money.  It's a win/win for businesses and the development team.

Have you ever heard of PWAs?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Stephen Wicks
Lead Designer / CEO
Stephen Wicks Internet Development Company
​stephen@stephenwicks.com