Primal Media

Winning the Fight Against Malaria in Africa

primal — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

Progress is being made in the fight against malaria in Africa according to The World Health Organization 2011 World Malaria Report.

Synopsis Image:

who-2011-malaria-report_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

The World Health Organization (WHO) has just released this year's World Malaria Report, showing progress in the fight against malaria in Africa.

Last year, experts say, there were 216 million cases of malaria worldwide. About 81% of those were in Africa, most of them in children under five.

But progress is being made, thanks in part to organizations like our client NetsforLife®, a unique nonprofit partnership working to fight malaria in Africa.

2011 World Malaria Report - Africa

According to the report, deaths from malaria in Africa are down by more than 33% since 2000. This dramatic drop in mortality rates is due in part to better access to long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets, which protect families from deadly malaria-infested mosquito bites.

"An estimated 50% of households in Africa own at least one insecticide-treated bed net, which is up from just 3% at the beginning of the decade," reports Robert Newman, director of WHO's Global Malaria Program in a recent article. "We need to stop sometimes and remember where we were 10 years ago. It is a phenomenal improvement."

The report also finds that 96% of people who have access to a bed net actually use it.

Preventing Malaria Deaths in Africa

Since 2006, NetsforLife® has been helping to distribute nets "at the end of the road" in remote communities in sub-Saharan Africa - communities that are typically unreached by national health programs or other nonprofits.

They have trained thousands of community volunteers in Africa to distribute nets and teach their neighbors how to prevent and treat malaria.

More than 37 million people have benefited from NetsforLife® to date.

Make a Difference

Still searching for a meaningful gift to give this holiday season? Consider saving a life with a donation to NetsforLife®.

Just $10 can bring a life-saving, insecticide treated bed net and malaria prevention training to the most remote regions of Africa.

Together, we can make a real difference in the world.

Blog Image:

who-2011-malaria-report.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Fighting Malaria in Africa, 2010 World Health Organization Report

Meta Description:

The World Health Organization reports that deaths from malaria in Africa are down 33% last year.

Meta Keywords:

Fighting Malaria in Africa, 2010 World Health Organization Report, malaria bed nets, nets for life

Featured:

Featured

New Drupal Nonprofit Website for RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara

primal — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

We created a fresh new Drupal website for a nonprofit NGO working with nomadic people in Africa.

Synopsis Image:

RAIN_website_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

We're pleased to announce the launch of a new Drupal website for RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara, a nonprofit NGO working with nomadic people in Niger, Africa.

RAIN partners with nomadic Wodaabe and Tuareg people of West Africa to improve their lives through education, water security, agriculture, and income-producing activities.

They asked for a vibrant new design and an easy-to-use content management system to support their efforts to build awareness and increase donations and support for initiatives.

The new site is integrated with Drupal, an open-source content management system that allows staff to quickly add, edit and change content. Photos, video, blog and social media integration help engage visitors and encourage involvement.

Check out the results at rain4sahara.org.

Blog Image:

RAIN_website.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Nonprofit Drupal Websites - RAIN for the Sahel and Sahara

Meta Description:

We created a fresh new Drupal website for a nonprofit NGO working with nomadic people in Africa.

Meta Keywords:

nonprofit drupal websites, drupal nonprofit website, RAIN for Sahel and Sahara

Featured:

Featured

Client Story: R Jorgensen

primal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

Ric Jorgensen of R Jorgensen Antiques shares how working with Primal Media increased sales and outperformed expectations.

Synopsis Image:

client-story_rjorgensen_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

Ric Jorgensen of R Jorgensen Antiques in Wells, Maine shares how working with Primal Media on their website has increased sales and outperformed expectations.

Meta

Meta Title:

Client Story Video: R Jorgensen

Meta Description:

Ric Jorgensen of R Jorgensen Antiques shares how working with Primal Media increased sales and outperformed expectations.

Meta Keywords:

client story, r jorgensen

Featured:

Featured

Nonprofit Drupal Website Redesign for NetsforLife

primal — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

A redesigned Drupal website helps nonprofit partnership NetsforLife® continue the fight against malaria in Africa.

Synopsis Image:

netsforlife_website_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

We're pleased to announce the launch of a newly redesigned Drupal website for NetsforLife®, a unique nonprofit partnership of corporations, foundations and faith-based organizations working to fight malaria in Africa.

In 2009, we helped NetsforLife® redesign their site and migrate to Drupal for easy content management. The redesign was well received, and we were thrilled when they turned to us again for help in 2011.

Working within a tight budget, we were able to refresh the site design to make it easier to use, increase social interaction, and improve search engine optimization. Photos, videos, and program impacts are more prominently featured, and staff are able to easily change messaging.

Check out the results at netsforlifeafrica.org.

Blog Image:

netsforlife_website.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Drupal Nonprofit Website - NetsforLife Africa Malaria

Meta Description:

A redesigned Drupal website helps nonprofit partnership NetsforLife continue the fight against malaria in Africa.

Meta Keywords:

drupal nonprofit website, Nets for Life, malaria in Africa

Featured:

Featured

Primal Media to offer $50,000 in Clean Energy Grants

primal — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 02:23:36 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

In support of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, Primal Media is offering $50,000 in web design grants to help corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations working to create a more sustainable future.

Synopsis Image:

hawaii-sustainable-web-grants_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

90% of Hawaii's energy comes from imported oil, making it the most oil-dependent state in the nation.

Recognizing the need for clean renewable energy, Hawaii set a plan in motion to achieve 70% clean energy by 2030.

The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative is the most ambitious renewable energy goal in the nation, and will serve as an world model for energy independence.

We Support The Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative

The advantages of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative are many, from creating economic opportunities and strengthening the local economy to creating a cleaner, more sustainable environment for future generations.

In support of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, Primal Media is offering up to $50,000 in sustainable web design grants to help corporate, government, and nonprofit organizations working to create a more sustainable future.

Interested parties must be involved in a renewable energy project in Hawaii including, but not limited to, wind, geothermal, solar or hydroelectric.

Hawaii Sustainable Web Design Grants

Hawaii is blessed with an abundance of natural energy sources to get the job done. From wind and solar to geothermal and hydroelectric, we believe clean renewable energy can create a new economy that is good for people and good for the planet.

Primal Media's Hawaii Clean Energy Sustainable Web Design Grants are available to aid in the development of web projects, and can cover up to 33% of the project costs after expenses.

We are encouraging corporate, government and nonprofit organizations to apply. Websites may be used for educational, advertising or e-commerce purposes.

Fine Print

Grant values apply to all services provided by Primal Media toward the development of new websites, including but not limited to: Website or Branding Design; Coding; Communication, and SEO Strategy. It does not include hosting, domain registration, SSL Certificates, photography, vidoegraphy, paid search, ongoing service, paid search campaigns, or other third party expenses.

Grant values will be a determined on an based upon 33% of project cost, and will be awarded in three installments over the course of the projects. The first will be awarded at the beginning of a project; the second after the design has been approved, prior to coding; and the third at the time of completion.

Why Hawaii?

Two of the founders of Primal Media, Adam and Cheri Hegi, live in Maui for part of the year. They chose Hawaii because it is the best place on the planet to live, with it's rich, diverse landscape, socially conscious friends, and perfect weather.

Our hope is that with the success of these sustainable web design grants, we'll be able to bring similar programs to other parts of the world.

How to apply

Please use our contact form to apply. Provide us with information about your organization, the work that you do, and what we can do to help. The deadline for applying is March 3, 2012.

Blog Image:

hawaii-sustainable-web-grants.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative Grant - Sustainable Web Design

Meta Description:

Primal Media supports the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative by offering $50,000 in sustainable web design grants.

Meta Keywords:

Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, sustainable web design grants, renewable energy Hawaii

Author:

Adam

Inspirational Steve Jobs

primal — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 01:11:25 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

He inspired us with his genius + creativity, and challenged us all to think different. We can think of no better way to celebrate his passion than to share a few of our favorite Steve Jobs quotes.

Synopsis Image:

steve-jobs-apple_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

He inspired us with his genius + creativity, and challenged us all to think different.

Thank you, Steve Jobs.

We can think of no better way to celebrate his passion than to share a few of our favorite Steve Jobs quotes.

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

"Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

"Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the ones who think differently. While some may see crazy, we see genius."

Blog Image:

steve-jobs-apple.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Steve Job Quotes - Inpsiration + Genius

Meta Description:

Celebrating a life of creativity + genius: inspirational quotes by Steve

Meta Keywords:

Steve Job inspirational quotes

Client Story: Ramblers Way

primal — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

Tom Chappell, founder of Tom's of Maine and Ramblers Way Farm, talks about sustainability, his latest venture, and why he loves Primal Media.

Synopsis Image:

client-story_ramblersway_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

Tom Chappell, founder of Tom's of Maine and Ramblers Way Farm, talks about sustainability, his latest venture, and why he loves Primal Media.

Meta

Meta Title:

Client Story Video: Tom Chappell, Ramblers Way

Meta Description:

Tom Chappell, founder of Tom's of Maine and Ramblers Way Farm, talks about sustainability, his latest venture, and why he loves Primal Media.

Meta Keywords:

client story, tom chappell, ramblers way, toms of maine

Featured:

Featured

Google Updates Creates Panda-monium

primal — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 01:49:38 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

Panda is Google's newest weapon in ridding search results of low quality, ad festered web junk. Let’s take a closer look.

Synopsis Image:

google-panda_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

Google’s Panda updates make one point black and white: the world’s leading search engine has a mission to produce quality search results.

While Google makes continuous changes to their search algorithm throughout the year to enhance user experience, Panda is their newest weapon in ridding search results of low quality, ad festered web junk. Let’s take a closer look.

In Google’s Eyes

The most central point to make is that Google can make or break success of any Web venture. The Google algorithm is always updating in small doses, and in most cases these updates go unnoticed. Panda is the exception, seeing a new version every month or so, but the effects have been drastic. Some of the most recent updates have caused websites lost up to 94% visibility, even forcing some webmasters to consider other options for retirement.

Pre-Panda, there were a variety of methods that developers would use to “trick” Google’s algorithm, creating search results that were less than subpar. Many search queries on Google would produce dozens of useless websites chock full of ads and regurgitated information. Searching on the web became more of a chore than a user friendly experience. Big G finally took action.

Panda Losers

90% of a website’s authority (ranking power) came from backlinks (quantity and authority of the inbound links) and as such, developers would backlink the heck out of their websites through link farms, trading links (with any webmaster they could), paying for links, and even the insidious act of link spamming. The content was more or less keyword stuffed jargon, barely illegible by most people.

Many “Black Hat SEO” developers were exploiting the loopholes in the algorithm, climbing their websites right up to #1 or #2 in the Google rankings. High quality websites that had not been properly designed to favor Google’s algorithm plummeted in place of low caliber websites that perfected the algorithm. This was not beneficial for business or consumer.

So Who Benefits From Panda?

For high quality websites that have sat on the bench in favor of the juiced up cheaters, justice is being served, at least for now. The “steroid era” baseball reference was too easy, but the Google Panda updates have effectively focused on quality over quantity, that is, how relevant a website’s individual pages are in terms of content. Google also places more weight on usability and engagement which is determined by time spent on a website and each individual page of the site from then on, usefulness of information on the website, and speed of the website.

So it only makes sense that websites that produce high quality content will persevere from the Panda updates. Websites that have continuously implemented “White Hat SEO” methods will see the biggest gains from these updates.

These white hat methods are the core of Google’s shift in their algorithm. Why reward those who have cheated Big G’s system as in the black hat SEO webmasters? Google owns 2/3 of the search engine market share and suffice it to say, they have A TON of Web authority. In business, entities work together and with the Web, those entities are the developers and Google. Entities that want to cheat the system usually go out of business.

How Your Website Will Succeed

The most important factors of a websites success in the year of the Panda and the foreseeable future are:

Great Content

Google’s intent was to weed out the shallow, “get rich quick” advertising graveyards on the Web. Their less obvious and oft mentioned aim is to track usability and engagement. Bounce rate, average time on site, and repeat visits are three important factors to a site’s success and they are measurable statistics.

A website’s success depends on content; rich, practical, relevant content. If your website is contains high quality content, the traffic will simply be a positive result of your hard work. There is not one factor that is more important.

High Quality Links

Links from websites that are of high quality and are also highly relevant to your site are extremely viable to stay afloat on the Web. This means that your inbound links (same as backlinks) should originate from reputable web sites with relevant content to your own. The stronger and more relevant the website, the stronger the link to your site will stand.

Website Usability

Consistent traffic to your website tells Google that you have great content and a solid reputation on the Web. The next step (which should really be your first step in the development process) is to make sure that your website user friendly. It should be structured, easy to navigate, and most importantly appeal to your audience. Before designing the website you should know your audience, what their need for you website is, and how they will interact with it when it’s available.

Load times are important regarding usability because they are part of the user’s experience. Slow load times are not viewed as positives by Google and thus your page should be optimized to load faster. This includes the site itself and the content on the site. Slow load times could result in loss of traffic.

White Hat SEO Methods

Up to this point, all factors of a website’s success after the deployment of Panda are equal in importance excluding content, because content is king. Without great content, none of this matters.

There are many of on and off page SEO techniques that are acceptable and even encouraged by Google. Content, hypertext descriptions, and page architecture are the three most significant on page SEO strategies while links, social media, author trust, and personal reputation are important off page SEO methods. Comparatively, any violations such as link spam, hidden and stuffed hypertext, paid links, and thin content have negative impacts towards both on and off page SEO.

Content Management Systems, SEO, and Panda

Google analyzes content by crawling HTML documents so from a search engine standpoint, a content management system will not have any bearing on SEO. Where a CMS does has the advantage is that it utilizes a framework of PHP, databases, APIs, CSS, Javascript, and template files to manage the process of rendering a web page’s HTML to the browser. Once rendered, the hypertext contains information to codify and categorize the web page.

Drupal has the option of turning on clean URLs which is great for SEO. Clean URLs allow the URL to be legible by a human reader and not just the browser. You may have seen a URL look something like http://www.example.com/services?page=1231&, but with a clean URL you would see something like http://www.example.com/services/SEO. Google and most other browsers like clean URLs.

Websites created with Drupal also benefit from SEO ready modules such as Pathauto and XML Sitemaps. Pathauto creates a URL for the page title related to the page content. Sitemaps are of the utmost importance on any website as they tell Google and other search engines what is on your site and how it is structured. Having a sitemap is always a huge plus when it comes to SEO, and the XML Sitemaps module creates one for the developer without any extra work.

Bamboozled

Google’s Panda updates are 2011’s big bang from the world’s leading search engine. Developers who work by a code of SEO ethics have reaped the benefits of properly building a website while those who have cheated the system have lost credibility. It looks like the Panda is too much to bear for the cheaters.

Blog Image:

google-panda.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Google Panda Update Explored

Meta Description:

Panda is Google's newest weapon in ridding search results of low quality, ad festered web junk. Let’s take a closer look.

Meta Keywords:

Google Panda, SEO

Featured:

Featured

8 Ways Nonprofits Can Use Social Media to Drive Traffic

primal — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 01:11:55 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

Social Media is the new Mad Men. Find out how smart nonprofits use social media to drive traffic and climb in the search engine results.

Synopsis Image:

social-media-non-profits_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

Social media is the new Mad Men. If you haven’t seen the hit television show on AMC, it basically depicts the American advertising boom of the 1960’s, although it’s safe to say that social media isn’t quite as theatrical. It’s much more effective, however – so effective, in fact, that most real life ad agencies even want you to add them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. Go figure!

What does this all mean? Nowadays, the mighty Google considers social media sharing as one of its most important factors in determining how useful and relevant a website is. Needless to say, it’s very important for your nonprofit organization in more ways than one as you will see.

Not only will your website receive direct traffic from social sharing, but it will climb in the search engine results. When it comes to web traffic nothing beats ranking on the first page in search engines. That’s what you’re here for, right – to make your website look like Interstate 95 on 4th of July Weekend.

First Thing's First

Every great idea/movement/cause has a plan. The social media landscape is vast, so you need to devise a strategy before you take off on this adventure. It will pay dividends in the long run. Here’s what you do:

Different social media serve different purposes – Know what each platform does best. Research.
Create a social media plan – This is the same thing as a marketing plan, but for social media. Strategize.
Your efforts are rewarded by the work you put into it – No work means, No gain. Be Relentless.

Take a minute to consider these Facebook statistics:

Facebook has more than 750 million active users
50% of users log on to Facebook in any given day
The average user has 130 friends
People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook

That is an awful lot of potential traffic for you to drive to your website from Facebook alone. Even if you received one tenth of one percent of the total daily users from Facebook, the potential is 375,000 visitors a day to your website! It sounds absurd, but it’s true.

It’s like going on a fishing trip when everything is biting and you just have to bait the hook. Do it wrong, the bait becomes free lunch, but do it right and you have yourself a keeper! So here we go…

Tell Your Story

You should be using social media to tell your story. Why do you exist? What is your message? Who is involved? Tell the world as much as you can about your organization. Be interesting, resonant, and dynamic in your origins. In today’s tech-savvy world, a Facebook page and Twitter handle is a must have.

Make it Visual

The common saying is out of sight, out of mind. Give people something to see and think about. Nothing has a stronger impact than the use of visual imagery.Whether your nonprofit organization is a local food bank or a global reach effort, illustrating your cause goes a long way in peaking people’s interest.

The hunger crisis in Africa would be an afterthought if not for haunting images and video of starving children. This is not an overstatement. There are thousands of causes that people just do not resonate with because it’s not affecting them.

Post, Post, Post & Post Some More

Keep your social network as active as possible. Most of us are followers by nature and in the realm of social networking; you are the leader of your cause. Posting regularly allows your followers to stay up to date on current events within your movement. Allow them to respond to posts. Comments, suggestions, and questions will further the community aspect of your organization’s social network.

Engage the Audience

Involving your audience is a key point in having your social media efforts succeed. Make them feel that their interest, participation, and efforts are making way for change. Talk with your community, ask for their help, not just their money (although never turn it down)! Give them something to do. The closer people work with organizations, the more attached they feel towards the cause.

You should also take a look at Change.org. This website exists to build an international network of people empowered to fight locally, nationally, and globally. More importantly, Change.org helps nonprofits grow their membership by connecting them with people passionate about their cause. They exist to help your nonprofit succeed. It’s a no brainer really!

Follow & Work Together With Similar Organizations

Power in numbers says it all. Reap the rewards of their others’ networks. Working together with related organizations will not only boost your credibility on social networks, but will also give your website more authority within the scope of the World Wide Web. The opportunity to gain powerful inbound links from trusted sources and a broader range of PR for your website exists if you are involved with similar reputable groups.

There's An App for That

By now, you’ve probably seen the Causes app on Facebook, but if you haven’t, it’s impressive. Creating a page for your organization through Causes connects it to an extensive network of non-profit and cause related organizations.

The true value of this Web App is that community supporters can create their own causes within your cause and directly link back to your parent cause. The visibility of your website increases tenfold (or more) with use of this application.

The Facebook Causes application is a must for any organization looking to social media for driving traffic to its website.

Feed Your Blog to Your Social Media Accounts

Blogging is essential for nonprofits. A blog is considered social media and connects with your readers on a more personal level. It’s written to your audience rather than for a specific audience. This will not only keep the content fresh for your website, but you can feed it into the rest of your social media accounts, to which it can then spread like a virus.

You can Tweet a link to your Facebook page, which has a blog entry that was imported from your website. Do you get the big picture? There are so many combinations to make this work to your advantage. Find a system and stick with it.

Create the Social Media Machine

Combine your efforts. Take all of your social media accounts and link them together. Take advantage of the time efficient status updates that makes Twitter so useful. Include YouTube videos or Flickr images on your blog entries and set up your Facebook page so that all of your tweets become Facebook posts.

There are so many possibilities in building a strong social media presence. Most importantly, a strong social media rep increases authority within search engines. Interlinking your social media accounts serves to strengthen your appeal and allows for maximum flexibility for your outreach efforts.

All of these measures are not foolproof, but with the proper social media strategy in place, you can drive a significant amount of traffic to your website.

Albert Schweitzer once said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing”. Once you become the leader of your cause on the social network, others will follow.

Blog Image:

social-media-non-profits.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Nonprofits: How to Use Social Media to Drive Web Traffic

Meta Description:

8 ways nonprofits can use social media like Facebook and Twitter to drive traffic to their websites.

Meta Keywords:

social media nonprofits

Featured:

Featured

New Drupal Website for Edgewood Centre

primal — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:36:23 +0000

Synopsis

Synopsis:

A long time client gets a fresh new design, custom photography and an intuitive Drupal content management system.

Synopsis Image:

edgewood-website_sm.jpg

Body

Body:

Long time client The Edgewood Centre recently approached us for help redesigning their site.

The first CMS redesign we did for them was a big success, winning praise and dramatically improving their placement in the search engines.

This time around we focused on updating the design, improving communications with resident families, and making the site even easier to update. The new site is integrated with Drupal, allowing staff to quickly edit and change content.

We also added some new features. A blog and scheduled family events section allows the Portsmouth, NH nursing home to communicate better with families about the many things going on at Edgewood. Photos on all pages are automatically cropped and resized. And online interest forms make it easy to get in touch.

Our custom photography, however, has earned the most rave reviews. We had a great time capturing the warm, caring atmosphere and wonderful personalities of residents and staff.

Check out the results at www.edgewoodcentre.com.

Blog Image:

edgewood-website.jpg

Meta

Meta Title:

Portsmouth, NH Website Design - Drupal CMS Edgewood Centre

Meta Description:

A long time client gets a fresh new design, custom photography & an intuitive Drupal content management system.

Meta Keywords:

NH Website Design, Drupal CMS, Edgewood Centre