The importance of making a good first impression, especially on the web cannot be understated – especially when it comes to nonprofit organizations. Did you know that 60% of people report the first thing they do before deciding to make a donation is check out an organization’s website? To build the most effective and informative site for potential donors and the general public alike, HMG Creative recommends nonprofits consider the following features when thinking about creating or redesigning their website.
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Other than building slick new websites, did you know HMG Creative has a pro team of brand developers and designers? It’s true. Check out our most recent  project below to find out how our team helped Hamilton Asset Management Group create their new brand identity.
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We can’t say enough how thrilled we were to take on this website redesign project for Texas A&M University. For the TAMU Student Activities website, we got our hands dirty right away by putting ourselves in the shoes of the site’s primary audience: the students, particularly – TAMU undergrads. These students needed an intuitive one-stop-shop to quickly gather information, sign-up, and manage the sections they were involved in. Apart from utility, a goal of ours was to update the overall aesthetic appeal of the site showcasing vibrant student life and activities in a way that would make students want to get involved and stay involved.

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Having just graduated from the University of Texas (hook ‘em!) and with the final days of classes already under my belt, the past few weeks have been full of reflecting and looking back over the past semester. I can hardly believe that just a few months ago I was starting here at HMG, taking the reigns from their previous rockstar intern, Emily.  I feel like I’ve accomplished a TON and learned so much here, and I’m very grateful to have been part of the team this semester.
To wrap-up my time here, I wanted to share a few highlights from my experience as an intern and some of the projects that I’m most proud of.
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With the year coming to a close, 2014 “round-up” posts are taking over our social media feeds. We’ve seen a few good ones here and there, but we’ve got to say this one shared by Mashable takes the cake. We got an adrenaline rush from the first minute alone! Also go check the best shaver for men .

If you have a couple (seven-ish) minutes, watch this compilation of 223 viral videos that took over the internet this past year. Well done, YouTube.

Hello! I’m Ryan Gardner – the new Social Media and Marketing Intern at HMG Creative. I’m currently a senior Advertising & Business Foundations student at The University of Texas at Austin, graduating this May.

I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and then moved outside of Dallas about ten years ago. Living in the suburbs made me very interested in living in a city, so I packed up for school in fall 2012 and headed to Austin, gravitating toward the music scene here. I can’t imagine a better city to go to college in. In my spare time, I’m frequently at concerts, still exploring the city with friends, or relaxing indoors at BookPeople or Whole Foods.

In December I wrapped up a Graphic Design Internship at It’s Time Texas, an Austin non-profit focusing on promoting health and fitness. Previously, I’ve held internships in PR, marketing, social media, and graphic design. Once the holidays ended, I wanted to switch over to the marketing agency environment, making the position at HMG a perfect fit for me.

This semester, I’m looking forward to running the social media accounts, connecting with clients and publications, and writing. It’s only day one, but I’m excited for all the upcoming opportunities here! To learn more about me, feel free to connect with me on Twitter at @RyanGardnerC or by email at [email protected].

[UT image via consultyourcommunity.org]

Per Stirling Capital Management is an S.E.C.-registered investment advisory firm specializing in holistic financial planning, investment portfolio management, and other comprehensive wealth management services that are as unique and varied as are its clients. However, the cool part about the company is that it’s not for everyone. Driven by the idea of “Common Interests. Uncommon Results,” the company recognizes that “As strange as it may sound, Per Stirling is not for everyone.” It is when clients hit a financial point of success or wealth that it becomes time to find the right partner to help preserve and conscientiously manage these financial affairs – and that is when Per Sterling comes to the rescue.

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CBIONE has been a market leading specialist in the circuit breaker industry for over 35 years. During this time, the company has developed a strong and reliable reputation in the electrical industry nationwide for our quality products, competitive prices and superior service. Providing a large inventory of new and reconditioned circuit breakers, CBIONE came to HMG with needs for a new website design, Google Analytics, and email marketing.

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This article was originally posted on Austinot.com

Austin is known for being one of the best cities for singles, making it a city full of first dates and hopefully many others afterward. Beyond the singles dating scene, anyone in a relationship has probably experienced how easy it is to get caught in a routine of go-to date night spots.

Whether you’re craving something new with your current SO (significant other) or looking for an impressive first date idea, here are a few local suggestions that break the typical dinner-and-drinks mold.

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First things first: What’s a landing page? A landing page is a page a visitor is directed to after clicking on an ad. It shouldn’t be your company’s home page. Instead, it should exist as a separate webpage with one clear message and purpose, leading visitors seamlessly from the initial ad to a clear call to action, and ideally – to conversions.

Whether creating a new landing page from scratch or trying to rework an existing one for better results, here are a few tactics you can use that have been proven to ramp up landing page conversions:

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