juicy tips and trends

Check out our blogs to see the latest trends, useful tips and successful stories in digital marketing, graphic design and website development. In this section you’ll learn from the Smokeylemon team and find innovative digital practices that we can implement in your business!

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Time for reflection

Sitting in my chair, the A0 print of Ironman staring at me, looking out the window trying to engage my creative side...

< 1min read | 16 April 2020

Why am I not on the first page of Google?

A question our marketing team gets frequently is “Why am I not on the first page of Google?...

< 1min read | 14 April 2020

Is Dark Mode or Light Mode better?

Dark mode is a light-on-dark color scheme, also called dark theme or night mode and it’s th...

< 1min read | 30 March 2020

Practical Remote Working Quick Fixes

Unchartered territory. Even for a digital agency the preparation of remote working for ever...

< 1min read | 19 March 2020

what should I put on the meta description?

#whattoput on the meta description:A meta description is a tag in the code that works as a ...

< 1min read | 11 February 2020

Creating brand awareness with competitions

Latitude Homes encouraged their audience to help enhance their brand by naming the Kiwi fro...

< 1min read | 21 January 2020

How to create a good sitemap

The site map, or site structure, is like a map that plots out where the information on your...

< 1min read | 13 January 2020

Logo design for Pride Taranaki

The logo design process for Pride Taranaki was an enriching experience for our designer Imogen Pedley. Read the ins and outs of the process here.

< 1min read | 13 January 2020

Logo design takes flight

A mythical bird gives life to a new brandI'm pretty lucky with my job that I get to work on...

< 1min read | 8 November 2019

What should I put on the ‘Contact Us’ page?

#whattoput on the contact page:The most common goal on any website is capturing leads. This...

< 1min read | 7 November 2019

What should I put on the ‘about us’ page?

#whattoput on the about page: Recurring question During our 17 years in the website design ...

< 1min read | 6 November 2019

What should I put on the homepage?

#whattoput on the homepageThe home page is a key page of your website: it is usually the mo...

< 1min read | 4 October 2019

Digital Marketing Glossary for Beginners

Does the digital marketing world seem like a second language to you? Our free digital marke...

< 1min read | 2 October 2019

Smokeylemon is coming of age

It’s been a great year for Smokeylemon, so many awesome things have happened and we wanted ...

< 1min read | 20 September 2019

Wild Taranaki - Custom Functionalities

When a long-time client of ours Jason, of Kowalewski Holdings Limited, approached us about ...

< 1min read | 9 August 2019

Retouching – The art of photo manipulation

Have you ever taken a photo for a project and thought “it’s good, but it needs to be in fro...

< 1min read | 29 May 2019

Giving Kiwis The Comfort They Crave!

Smokeylemon’s first foray into television commercials was always going to be a giant leap f...

< 1min read | 17 April 2019

Have you ever wondered how YouTube ads work?

Have you ever wondered how YouTube ads work? If users can skip them, what’s the benefit for the advertiser? It’s simpler and cheaper than you think.

< 1min read | 27 February 2019

A smokin’ start to 2019

How has 2019 been so far? Here at Smokeylemon we have now fully settled into our new bright...

< 1min read | 30 January 2019

Big brands evolve: the best logo designs, before and after

Rebranding or updating your logo can be a hard decision but it takes confidence in knowing ...

< 1min read | 10 October 2018

Shopify vs OpenCart vs WooCommerce

Shopify, OpenCart and WooCommerce are the biggest e-commerce platforms available on the mar...

< 1min read | 27 September 2018

Smokeylemon turns 17 today!

Another great year in business, adding value to Taranaki and New Zealand businesses through...

< 1min read | 19 September 2018

Why Smokeylemon should look after your website domain

Emails and website went down. Oh well, no one died!No one died, but you sure lost a lot of ...

< 1min read | 16 August 2018

Websites For Everyone: Inclusive Practices For Content Writing

Content on your website is very important, it allows your website to be found when a potent...

< 1min read | 7 June 2018

5 Reasons Why NOT To Use WordPress

Popularity Vs Quality

WordPress is probably the most popular CMS (content management sys...

< 1min read | 29 May 2018

Is An Expo Stand Worth The $$$?

Fieldays is the largest agribusiness expo in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting a crowd of...

< 1min read | 21 May 2018

More Than Making Things Look Pretty

Design. What is it? Is it really a job? - Yes, it’s a job. It’s my job but also my passion....

< 1min read | 14 May 2018

Taranaki Mountainairs ready for the season with new website and print design!

The Basketball season is about to start and at Smokeylemon we are proud to be sponsoring th...

< 1min read | 27 April 2018

Case study: Laying the foundations for a national building company - “Too Easy!”

Summary: Smokeylemon developed a full rebrand and marketing strategy for Latitude Homes, a ...

< 1min read | 5 April 2018

'Green' Design Doesn't Have To Be Green!

As a society, we are more connected than ever, and growing with this is a greater sense of ...

< 1min read | 28 March 2018

Take a risk with your brand! Let design be your difference

Hello 2018, we're already a quarter into the year!

Looking at it from a design perspectiv...

< 1min read | 13 March 2018

Do Reviews Actually Influence Purchases?

Star ratings and reviews influence purchases. Fact. They play a big role in the consumer’s ...

< 1min read | 22 February 2018

Reach Lovers Through Social Media This Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine's Day in just a few days and all love-struck couples are looking forward to ...

< 1min read | 8 February 2018

How Facebook’s News Feed Changes Will Affect Businesses

Recently, Facebook announced a major change in the news feed algorithm. In Mark Zuckerberg’...

< 1min read | 1 February 2018

What’s Your Marketing Plan For 2018?

February is just around the corner, but it's never too late to get your head around a digit...

< 1min read | 23 January 2018

Vibrant Graphic Design For New Plymouth’s CBD

See it in the City is a New Plymouth District Council initiative to bring vibrancy to the C...

< 1min read | 21 November 2017

Reach Thousands Of Customers In Those Crucial Weeks Leading Up To Christmas

We're not Santa, but Smokeylemon wants to gift you more customers this holiday season. Why ...

< 1min read | 17 November 2017

How To Use Facebook Pixel To Build Your Custom Audiences

In our last post you learned what the Facebook Pixel is about, why it is so important and w...

< 1min read | 15 November 2017

Facebook Pixel: Reach Customers On Facebook Based On What They Did On Your Website

Facebook is much more than a social network. Its 1.49 billion users, its exceptional target...

< 1min read | 8 November 2017

What Does The Not Secure Alert Mean And How To Fix It

Have you ever been concerned about these messages while browsing a website? In this article...

< 1min read | 1 November 2017

6 Pre-Christmas Business Checks (Don't Leave It To The Last Minute)

October will be gone in less than two weeks and the Christmas countdown will be on. We all ...

< 1min read | 25 October 2017

Logo Design Process: What's Involved In Making A Logo From Scratch?

"How much!? But it's just a small picture?"
Not realising the value of good communication, ...

< 1min read | 25 October 2017

Graphic Design Goals: HPF New Logo

We love the challenge of re-branding and giving our clients’ businesses a look that communi...

< 1min read | 18 October 2017

Walking Towards Being “An Agency Of The Future”

We attended Google Masterclass 2017 in Auckland last week and we were excited to learn the ...

< 1min read | 12 October 2017

Are You Making These Common Call-To-Action Mistakes?

A Call To Action (CTA) is one of the most important functions on a landing page. Usually sh...

< 1min read | 4 October 2017

In Case You Missed It... This Was Google Partners Connect Retail

Smokeylemon hosted a new Google Partners Connect event this week, this time focused on reta...

< 1min read | 29 September 2017

When Usability Comes First: Inmark Website

Inmark.co.nz is a website that combines content and design in a perfect balance. When user ...

< 1min read | 28 September 2017

Smokeylemon Turns 16! See What We Looked Like Back In 2001

Smokeylemon is now 16. It feels like a lifetime in the fast-moving digital business! All th...

< 1min read | 21 September 2017

Experience Earth Travel, A Stunning Website

As soon as Taryn & Dianne approached us with the brief of creating a website for their new ...

< 1min read | 14 September 2017

Getting Maximum Engagement On Facebook With Canvas

You run your own business, you find that your potential customers are in Facebook most of t...

< 1min read | 8 September 2017

3 Key Concerns Local Retailers Must Combat To Survive

Although official statistics show encouraging numbers for retail businesses like yours, the...

< 1min read | 6 September 2017

Smokeylemon Hosts A New Google Partners Event For Retailers

If you are a New Plymouth retail business fighting to survive in an ever increasing online ...

< 1min read | 4 September 2017

Greenery Hire Indoor Plants Has Now An Online Presence

How can a local business pop its head above the weeds and flourish whilst attracting busine...

< 1min read | 1 September 2017

What Makes Infographics So Successful (And Why You Should Implement Them)

We see infographics all the time and everywhere. Magazines, newspapers, social media, and m...

< 1min read | 30 August 2017

Apple Joins Instagram After Years On The Sidelines

Most companies from all around the world, from different industries and sizes have been usi...

< 1min read | 25 August 2017

The Process Behind AdWords (Google Ads) Campaigns

*Post update: Google Ads is the new name for AdWords.

If you own a local business and want...

< 1min read | 23 August 2017

One Of New Plymouth’s Coolest Concept Stores Shines Online

Studio 18 Jewellery Collection is probably one of the most popular independent and locally ...

< 1min read | 18 August 2017

Smokeylemon Performs Behind The Scenes Of Taranaki Arts Festival 2017

The countdown has started! Just a few hours until three amazing weeks of music, dance, thea...

< 1min read | 16 August 2017

Youtube's Home Page Evolution… In Just 2 Minutes

4096 is a Youtube channel that creates interesting animation videos about the history and e...

< 1min read | 11 August 2017

Chasing Ads: How Google Remarketing Works

Have you ever felt that an ad is chasing you around the internet? Calm down, there‘s nothin...

< 1min read | 9 August 2017

Google Bids Farewell To Blob, The Hated Android Emoji… #Sadface

Google is rolling out a new set of “squishy and loveable” emojis as part of Android O, the ...

< 1min read | 4 August 2017

Get Started With Shopify - The Worlds Most Powerful E-Commerce Tool

This free video course offers 20 video modules showing you how to make your first sale on S...

< 1min read | 20 June 2017

Why You Can't Fudge AdWords Management

Imagine that your ad only appeared in front of people who were already thinking of buying a...

< 1min read | 8 April 2017

Why your business logo needs a redesign

Your company logo is what represents your business, it should convey your core values, emph...

< 1min read | 22 August 2016

meet Jono, Our Graphic Designer

What do you do at Smokeylemon?I take care of all the graphic design needs for our clients. ...

< 1min read | 3 August 2016

Get Timely software

So many companies rely on appointment management systems to run their business. Some are qu...

< 1min read | 26 July 2016

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