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Client Case Study: Transforming Northern Will County Special Recreation District’s Digital Presence

Client Overview The Northern Will County Special Recreation District (NWCSRA) in Illinois was formed by merging several organizations dedicated to providing recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. As part of their evolution, NWCSRA recognized the need for a cohesive brand identity and an engaging online presence that reflected their expanded mission. To achieve this, they partnered with Campfire Concepts for a comprehensive marketing analysis and rebranding initiative. They then entrusted us with the critical task

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Have I been hacked?

One of the common posts I see from friends on Facebook is “my site has been hacked” when in fact a duplicate account has been created that looks like their account. This may seem like the same thing, but it’s very different. What has happened is they have been “spoofed”. So, what are Hacking and Spoofing and why does it matter? Hacking and spoofing can appear to be the similar but are quite different. The

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Website maintenance

We’re stuck inside with a Zoom call at 1pm and some time on our hands. Maybe you want a project you can do while you multitask helping your kids with schoolwork. Here are just a few ideas on what you could be doing to help your website. Update, update, update One of the biggest issues I find with most of my clients is that they don’t do updates. WordPress is open source, what does that

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Caution: Avoid these website customer service errors!

I love working with small companies. These are the small companies who maybe are a tad too big (or not technical enough) to build their own website, but they need a web presence, and it should be an amazingly simple task. These sites often enlist the support of a child, brother-in-law or neighbor create a website for them. There is nothing wrong with this! Most web companies do not even want to touch your site

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Learn More About the Internet

Domain Verification for Your Newsletter

Having an Email newsletter is still one of the best online marketing tools, but starting February 2024, email authentication will be a requirement if you’re sending to Gmail and Yahoo Mail customers. If you’re not familiar with it, Email authentication is a process of verifying the identity of an email sender. If you have your own domain name – like apricitymarketing.com and your own email address (like mary-frances@apricitywebsolutions.com) you will want to send email that

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Caution: Avoid these website customer service errors!

I love working with small companies. These are the small companies who maybe are a tad too big (or not technical enough) to build their own website, but they need a web presence, and it should be an amazingly simple task. These sites often enlist the support of a child, brother-in-law or neighbor create a website for them. There is nothing wrong with this! Most web companies do not even want to touch your site

Read More »

Do you get these? Beware of Fake Domain Renewal Scams

If you own a website, you may have received a letter or email urging you to renew your domain name for a hefty fee. At first glance, these notices may seem legitimate, but they are often deceptive solicitations designed to trick website owners into paying for unnecessary services. How the Scam Works Fraudulent companies send letters that look like official domain renewal notices, complete with your website’s domain name, registrar information, and an urgent deadline.

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Common Elementor Update Issues

Elementor is my favorite Editor – I really enjoy all of the available templates and flexibility to alter those templates.  HOWEVER….   Every once in a while when your Elementor updates, you can visit your website and see this:  Just for comparison, the site normally looks like this:  It’s a fairly upsetting problem, but with a super simple fix (thankfully). All you need to do is log into your WordPress Dashboard. Navigate to “Elementor” and

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How Can We Help You

Tips for Newsletter Success!

We’ve been helping customers send newsletters for over 20 years. Here are several lessons have come out of my years of experience: Keep them consistent I really struggle with this but it’s really important. You want people to expect your newsletter, but not to be harassed. Keep them newsy and informational. Find reasons to send them but provide useful content, not all just promotional ideas. Pictures are great! Reviewing e-mail reports is key By taking

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Is my website lazy?

Business owners may agree that their website is a necessary evil, however, I find that a lot of companies use their site as a glorified business card. They feature basic information about their business and a way to communicate with them. But for the cost and effort of having a website – are you really maximizing your website presence? At a recent networking meeting, I spoke about all of the “missed opportunities” your website could

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Important tips for a Successful Website

Something that I think all of my customers have in common is that they have been given bad advice about websites at one time or another, so I thought I’d use my newsletter to give out some advice that might (or might not) fit your business. Here are things I think are really important to successful websites: Keep your site fresh and keep it fashionable! Even a new picture on the front or a color

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Website maintenance

We’re stuck inside with a Zoom call at 1pm and some time on our hands. Maybe you want a project you can do while you multitask helping your kids with schoolwork. Here are just a few ideas on what you could be doing to help your website. Update, update, update One of the biggest issues I find with most of my clients is that they don’t do updates. WordPress is open source, what does that

Read More »

Case Studies

Client Case Study: Transforming Northern Will County Special Recreation District’s Digital Presence

Client Overview The Northern Will County Special Recreation District (NWCSRA) in Illinois was formed by merging several organizations dedicated to providing recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities. As part of their evolution, NWCSRA recognized the need for a cohesive brand identity and an engaging online presence that reflected their expanded mission. To achieve this, they partnered with Campfire Concepts for a comprehensive marketing analysis and rebranding initiative. They then entrusted us with the critical task

Read More »

Transforming Blazen Illuminations’ Digital Landscape: A Case Study in Innovation and Engagement

Client Overview Founded in 1998, Blazen Illuminations is a family-owned experiential creative services company renowned for integrating cutting-edge lighting and multimedia technology with theatrical techniques and immersive storytelling. With a focus on cinematic vision, problem-solving engineering, and event management, Blazen produces award-winning, integrated event productions. Their patented media technology positions them as a single-source production partner for clients seeking innovative, immersive experiences. Challenges and Objectives Blazen Illuminations needed a comprehensive digital strategy to support its

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Screenshot of the front page of Handicraftclub.org website

Crafting a Modern Digital Experience: The Handicraft Club’s Online Transformation

Client Overview Founded in 1904 by Julia Lippitt Mauran, Mary Parsons, and eight other visionary women, The Handicraft Club of Providence, Rhode Island, has a storied history rooted in the promotion and practice of traditional crafts. For over a century, this private club has been a haven for artisans, offering classes in basketry, decorative arts, fiber arts, jewelry, needle arts, painting, printing, drawing, and weaving. As the organization grew, so did the need for a

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