Since 1998, we have been reflecting on marketing, design, code, and much more.
Two of our team members linked up to step slightly outside their normal comfort zone and pen their insights and trade secrets of website design and web development — specifically about our new website. Ashley Nixon (designer) and Kyle Bavender (developer) played significant roles in the vision and functionality of our site. Here’s a peek […]
On December 18, after having had the same website for eight years (during which time we made dozens and dozens of sites for clients), we finally launched our new Rare Bird site! In case you ever wanted to know what the process of making and launching a website is like, we kept a journal. Welcome […]
Some said it couldn’t be done and, for a time, it was easy to believe it to be true. But a strange thing happened on the way to launching our new site: Ben casually remarked, “Well, it will need to be up before the holiday to get a Christmas bonus.” Wallah! [sic] The cobbler, it […]
Before you ask yourself “What? Queen?” let me explain. Normally you’d hear the phrase “Content is king,” but this particular piece is being written by a female. A female working in a predominantly male tech industry. So for at least today, ladies and gents, we are taking a page from the Brits: the queen rules. […]
A friend called recently and asked, “What’s the purpose of a web site?” He was in a conundrum. Faced with updating (and hopefully upgrading) his company’s site, he was overwhelmed with suggestions, requests, possibilities and options. He was frustrated, irritated and exasperated. His question, in this context, was intended to elicit a response that he […]
Here’s a statistic for you: More than half of the people reading email right now are doing so on a smartphone. (Source: Litmus) Here’s another one: 68% of Gmail and Yahoo emails are opened on mobile devices. (Source: Litmus) And finally: Both of those numbers are probably woefully underestimated since they are from 2013. (Source: […]
I hate to be the one to break it to you, but none of us are spring chickens anymore (if we ever were). As my friend Todd is fond of reminding me: Time is marching on, my friend. And, unfortunately, it seems to be stepping at an ever-increasing rate of speed. Case in point: we’re […]
Remember George Costanza’s wallet? George was one of the four main characters on the hit show “Seinfeld” and had a wallet so full of junk that he was unable to sit upright. In fact, George’s wallet was so ridiculously large (Jerry called it “morbidly obese”) that it exploded, casting his receipts into the streets of […]
There was quite a kerfuffle earlier this year when the news broke about the surveillance tactics being employed by the National Security Agency (NSA). Many people were concerned that the government was listening in on their phone calls and tracking their movements. Several years ago (pre-September 11), I worked at NSA, so I heard this […]
Tyner Pond Farm is a Rare Bird client, and on behalf of them and all those who support locally grown food, Hoosier farmers and all things good for Mother Earth, we invite you to give those great causes an important boost. Chase Bank’s Mission Main Street Grants program will award grants of $250,000 each to […]
Last year, about this time, I penned a brief primer intended to help people make the most of their trip to Indianapolis for Exact Target’s annual marketer-stravaganza, Connections. While initially intended for first-timers, it turned out to be helpful for veterans as well. In retrospect, this shouldn’t have been surprising: every year is so uniquely […]
It’s State Fair time in Indiana. As the newest member of the Rare Bird staff (aka “Baby Bird,” which perhaps is not the most apt but is, so far, the least head-scratching of my proposed nicknames), I decided to find out how my fellow birds feel about this Hoosier tradition. Here, for your edification, entertainment, […]
