What makes 2Active Audio special? In one word: control. Power is nothing without control. You can have loud systems blasting untreated sound and you might think it sounds fine until you hear a properly modulated system. We send out our premier mixing and mastering engineer. The presence of a Sound Engineer who knows how to properly use a signal chain, compressors, microphones, inserts, helps when you really want your event to sound stellar. We have proven, international experience in music and film production and live sound for bands. Our engineers attempt not only to make it work, but to make it sound like a finely produced recording with depth and dimension.

We can set up various vocal microphones for a speaking event or set up to have a full band play live. Microphones for drum-sets are readily available! We have the finest microphones for drums here in the studio and we are willing to bring these out for live performances to get the same quality that you would from our world class studio. Our 20-channel mixer allows for large live performances and has been used by bands to please large audiences. Our excellent self powered speakers and subwoofers allow us to provide excellent sound that delivers at every frequency and our intelligent use of compressors prevent any accidental spikes, (like dropping a mic) from reaching their full volume and causing hearing damage.

Our experience tells us to take no shortcuts in our setup. We bring in extra microphones, extra cables and we have backup systems in place. There is always something unexpected at an event and we are ready to pull out all the tools at our disposal. There are no weak links in our chain as we have always chosen quality over price when choosing our equipment. We have a proper sound check and we keep our engineer in front of the mixer in case anything were to change.

2Active Audio also provides LED light setup that complements the quality sound. These lights are a great addition to any event and they assure to have great photographs when your event is documented. Our parent company, 2Active Design, also provides excellent photography for these purposes and there are discounted rates if hired for all three purposes. Again, you are dealing with professionals with university degrees in their fields. They know how to mix color like we can mix sound.

Don’t settle for power when you could also have control! Let a true sound-smith handle your event and get the magical sound of our studio, live! Your audience deserves the very best.

Websites and automobiles actually have a lot in common. We will utilize this analogy to show many similarities and also point out several differences that, ideally, should also be similarities.

Many sites are coded poorly under the hood, but might still look fine on the outside. Many vehicles have a nice looking exterior but have a poorly maintained engine. What good is it if you have a great looking car but the engine runs inefficiently? Your website is the same. You need a properly coded site in the same way you need a fine tuned engine. A fast car will let you get to your destination quicker and a fast website will let your visitors spend less time loading content. These are aspects that are overlooked by many.

In the long run, in the same way that a poorly maintained car will be more expensive in the long run, a poorly maintained website could also be very costly. Lack of maintenance can cause slow performance which would sometimes lead to problems loading the site. Potential clients would be lost. In the worst case scenario, a hacker could take advantage of the security holes that are not patched up and take control of your site which could lead to its destruction. Worse case scenario, a poorly maintained vehicle could cause an accident. You would lose money because you would no longer have a ride to work. You would lose clients because your website is down and they can’t reach you.

After such damage, repair would be necessary and is a lot more expensive than regular maintenance. Lost clients and lost time are, of course, irreparable. The automobile industry has been around for almost a century while the website industry has existed for less than a quarter of that. Car owners know that their vehicles must be maintained and tuned, sometimes overhauled, to keep them working at 100%. Understandably, many website owners do not realize this analogy. Websites often work for quite  a long time without maintenance. They don’t really wear down like cars do, but they do become outdated.

You wouldn’t pick up a potential client in an old car. This would reflect poorly on your institution. Your client might feel somewhat offended that he or she wasn’t worth picking up in a nicer car. A website is exactly the same. You don’t want your clients looking at an outdated website that looks like someone made it in the 1990s. You want to seem dynamic, up-to-date, and professional. You’re clients also want to feel this way. Your car and your website should reflect your nature.

A high profile financial institution in Honduras has acquired corporate face-lift. This bank is everywhere in the country so they are impossible to avoid. They sponsor our Honduran National Soccer Team that has qualified to the World Cup. As a citizen that frequents the streets of Honduras and watches local television, I’m disappointed that such a recognizable institution has gone through a re-brand resulting in a much more fragile image. It is my intent to be preventive and learn from this unfortunate re-branding process for FICOHSA so this does not happen to other organizations, large and small.

The Buzz

On social networks, some people actually think the new logo and website are refreshing, but most disagree. Lets begin with the logo. As a graphic designer, we learn that a logo is the absolute most important part of any company. It is an image that represents your entire operation. It should be distinct so that it is easily recognizable to your brand. It should work in grayscale, and it should work in many different sizes. Additionally, a logo should carry some sort of metaphor behind it, as this is what actually makes art, art.

The Best Bank in Honduras

FICOHSA’s previous logo evoked a sense of growth with it’s normal and over-sized “F.” Additionally, it’s shiny surface, though, now cliche, gave it a sense of polished refinement and a hint of stability which is great for a bank to have. However, this image was dated, and other banks have successfully re-branded their own image, FICOHSA decided to follow suit.

Questionable Redesign

I couldn’t hide my confusion when I first saw the new logo. While it works in many ways, it is not ideal for a strong financial institution. Perhaps they overplayed the “coolness” factor and overdid it with the 3D twisting motif. Additionally, the colors were softer which undesirably led to weakness. The first time I actually saw this logo was on a billboard by a street and I thought it was an old sign because it looked so washed out. But those were the real colors, and it was a brand new sign! Their TV campaign also includes a white logo built with clouds surrounded by a light blue sky. The contrast in this is quite minimal. It only works well on darker backgrounds. This is a serious mistake that an experienced graphic designer would not make. To compensate, different backgrounds has to be used in order to make the logo stand out.

The colors on the new logo are so bright that they almost blend into a white background. This breaks a major rule in graphic design. A logo must work in grayscale for it to be easily noticed from a distance. So how does FICOHSA justify their color choice? The person managing FICOHSA’s image redesign claimed that the colors represent the Honduran Flag. Honduras does not have a bright turquoise and white flag. It is actually a deeper blue and white. Since the marketing team did not mention anything else about the meaning behind the logo, we can only assume that the twist on the logo and 3D look was nothing other than a gimmick, and it was made to look “cool.” Sadly, this means there really is no metaphor. The logo does not evoke beauty and security, rather, it evokes movement and camouflage, which I know, makes you very confused. You would not want your logo to have this kind of response!

A Pretty New “Cookie Cutter” Website

Let us move on to the website. While their new website is functional, and I’ll admit, it is a step in the right direction to include a blog and to utilize a CMS like WordPress, they could have done it with a little more class and originality. A template is well suited for a client who decides that their budget is not sufficient for a custom design. However a bank, one of the largest in the country, should not give us this impression. Perhaps the good people at FICOHSA Marketing did not realize this, but the site is nothing more than a slightly modified $40 template. Anyone could buy their own FICOHSA site for $40. If you read my blog, you’ll know why serious brands do not utilize templates, but for your convenience, let me quickly restate a few of these points. A template is cheap, but it is not original. There are hundreds of other businesses that have that same design with a different logo stuck onto it and maybe variations on the color. However, a design is not just about a logo and color. It is also about layout. In some cases it is ecological to reuse and recycle, but not when it comes to design. We need something new and fresh. Only bad design goes in the trash, good design will stand the test of time. Again, even some of our clients have opted to use templates in order to lower their development cost. We warn them of the consequences, but sometimes the budget does not allow for an originally designed site. This makes us wonder if FICOHSA is in financial trouble which is a question we should not be asking ourselves when it comes to national banks.

Problems Under the Hood

Even though the theme is inexpensive and may look satisfactory, you know that you can’t judge a book by it’s cover. You wouldn’t buy a car if you knew it had a bad engine much in the same way you shouldn’t get a website that has poorly written code. Poorly written code might look OK, but it takes longer to download since it is so disorganized. It might even be insecure and could lead to your website being hacked. A proper design studio takes pride not only in their visual design, but also the coding. Themes rarely have efficient code. I find that they all need to be optimized since theme makers aren’t aware of SEO optimizations and they often throw in several unnecessary features that will slow down your site. FICOHSA’s source code has so many holes in it. A properly designed site should have very few blank spaces for it to be efficient. Yes, we are THAT careful when we make our websites and our clients deserve to get every bit of performance out of their site.

No Habla Español?

One key component that is missing from most new sites in Honduras is the multi-language capability. Automatic translation just has too many mistakes to work properly. All websites need to have the ability to provide at least two languages. Unfortunately FICOHSA will not be catering to their English speaking clients online, which ironically, would be the easiest place to serve them since not many staff is fluent in English at their physical locations and getting a one time translation is relatively cheaper than having a bilingual employee available at every location.

Mixed Signals

FICOHSA is doing well in Honduras. Their brand should reflect their success. Architecturally, they don’t hold back, and they have created beautiful, inspirational buildings that we like to look at. A website is a lot like a building. Even though it is much cheaper to make, the same level of care should be taken with it. You wouldn’t want your building to look exactly like another bank down the street would you? Even if it saved you some money? That’s what FICOHSA did with their website. I don’t know if they realize it, but they got an assembly line website that is not unique or special, but it is functional and cheap. Does it look like this building and the new website belong together?

Without exception, all web developers I know were disgusted with the website. Some said it was a bit ugly, and others bashed it for not being a custom design. This is on par with having a TV commercial that looks exactly like another TV commercial from another company, except it has different colors and a different logo, but the layout and the timing is exactly the same. This evokes laziness, makes things look cheap and it makes design professionals worried and confused when they should actually feel awed and inspired.

Looks Familiar

This is the template that the new FICOHSA site is based on. It is what we like to call a “cookie cutter” design because it saves time and it is easy to set up. It requires absolutely no creativity and no design work whatsoever. It’s quick to setup if you know what you are doing. And you can rinse and repeat as often as you like and make plenty more “cookies” to sell to everyone. This is great as long as the client knows that their site is not going to be so unique. But it can be an ethical problem when someone charges you $2,000 and installs a “cookie cutter” $40 template in a mere 3 or 4 hours. The real problem is that all this was approved by the team at FICOHSA Marketing. Regardless of how cheap this site is, there is no doubt that they should have custom design. This is an obvious mistake that corporations of this size and prestige should avoid at all costs!

Lack of Effort

The marketing executive at FICOHSA stated at a press conference that this was a huge investment for them, and a big effort. While the logo itself is not bad, it is not great since it does not meet all the graphic design requirements. However, we still deal with tremendous mediocrity in this country simply because we don’t know what is good design since we are rarely exposed to it and it seems, perhaps, unattainable and too expensive. The website, however, is a total disappointment, and comes off as being very cheap. FICOHSA might be safe with this one due to the same mediocrity and lack of exposure to good design that has been previously mentioned. The brand was given full praise by individuals who are not experts in the graphic design field. Unfortunately, just because it is Honduran and because it is new, does not mean it is good. This is the essence of mediocrity that we have to break through eventually if we are ever to compete at an international level. Perhaps it is sufficient for Honduras, due to little competition offered, but when stacked up next to other international financial brands, FICOHSA would fall far behind.

Don’t Trip on the Same Stone Twice

A respected financial institution, one of the largest in the country, made a series of mistakes when it comes to their branding and their online presence. Please don’t play with your brand this way. If we learn anything from this, it is that you must get second opinions. It doesn’t hurt to shop around! Ask other designers and developers for quotes and talk to them a little about design. This is perfectly possible if you have a dedicated marketing team like the folks at FICOHSA do, and even if you don’t, it is well worth the effort.

What can we learn from this? How can this be prevented?

• Be selective. Ask designers for previous work and compare it to other work by other designers. Don’t settle on a design firm just because they look fancy and have big names for clients. Look at their work and see if it strikes some sort of emotion to you and your peers.
• Educate yourself. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and sometimes you get ripped off like FICOHSA does. You have to know a little bit about what you’re getting. Make sure your designer educates you on proper design. If they can’t do this, they probably don’t know what they’re doing. I for one, enjoy talking about design rules with clients because I get to show off my own knowledge and make sure that my client will have a successful project even if they choose someone other than me because they’ll make sure their project meets the requirements.
• Don’t settle for less. If it doesn’t work, keep at it until it is something beautiful and inspirational while still maintaining its simplicity and elegance. Don’t be afraid to get new designers if your current ones don’t work out. There’s plenty of fish in the sea, and some of them are more likely to make better logos!
• Get to know your designer. The designer must be an artist. Look at their previous work. Do you feel inspired by it? Is it beautiful? Do they even have previous work? Can they truly say they created 100% of it? Remember, in the age of the internet, more and more people are taking credit for others’ work. Take your time to know who you are working with.
• Get guarantees. What happens if you don’t like the design? Do you still have to pay? Will they do a redesign? If there are mistakes, will they be corrected? Make sure you discuss this upfront.
• Understand what you are getting. Ask your designer why! Everything must have a reason. There are no mistakes in design. Everything must be carefully planned out with several reasons behind it. If something is there just because, this should sound an alarm to let you know that your designer really isn’t following the recommended procedure to make good design. Don’t let chance drive your brand. Get a real professional.
• Most importantly: Listen to your audience! Hundreds of people shared their thoughts on the FICOHSA re-brand. I’d say a large majority were unhappy with it. If FICOHSA paid attention to social networks, like all businesses should, they could have reacted and pulled the new website before it caused too much damage to their brand. Yet, they missed their chance and already gave a press conference. They spent large sums of money to push the new image out all over the country.

Do you work with a travel or transport agency that takes reservations? We highly recommend our customized, interactive reservation forms that gathers all the necessary information from your potential customers in a very intuitive manner. Let your clients make reservations online, at any time! The top travel sites all have this feature, and 2Active Design can bring this same functionality to your site for a lot less than you might think.

Advantages

Reservation forms allow your clients to input their own data by themselves. You can free up time at the office with other tasks that demand attention. Travelers are known to be tech savvy and most take advantage of the internet to look up popular destinations. You may already have a website, but do you only offer a simple contact form, if anything at all? This would require the customer to get in touch, call in, email, and then get their reservation after several hours. With our reservation forms, the customer sends in all their data required by you so you can send in their confirmation via email after just a few seconds.

Style

After so many years of innovation in web design, users are much more demanding. Don’t let your site fall behind! Remember that the design of your website tells your customers what you are all about; ensure that you are giving them the right message. 2Active Design has an extensive portfolio of satisfied clients who have maximized their site’s impact though our design services. We work with you to develop a single style that flows throughout your web site. This style ensures that viewers know that your travel package is attractive and will make them feel at ease when they pick your company for their travel needs.

Cost Effective

If price is a factor, a concern for any travel or e-tourism web site should be that it be easy to update and maintain. This is achieved by using a sophisticated but easy-to-use Content Management System (CMS). This CMS allows you to easily update the web site without assistance. It’s as easy as sending an email. You can add content in minutes without touching the code or worrying about breaking the design. This ability to quickly move new information online is a competitive advantage over your competitors who spend large amounts of time and money consulting with web designers for website updates that could be done in-house.

The end result is a powerful online marketing tool that is easily updated without the need for a web designer. Differentiate yourself from your competition with a simple, effective and appealing design, with powerful content management features. No need to limit reservation hours. With our reservation forms, you can take them at any time.

Web sites are the most important resource for small business. Why should Honduras be any different? Many existing web design studios offer web design for low prices but rarely do they pay attention to SEO or even the basic elements of art and design.

Honduras is fairly still new to the web design era, but 2Active Design has opened ground in this market and now offers its same level of quality to businesses based in Honduras for surprisingly competitive rates. We use our own SEO research to place your website ahead of your competition. We want to be found when you search for “Honduras Web Marketing”. We want to be on the front page when you search for “Honduras Web Design”. That should be just a small example of what Web Marketing and Search Engine Optimization can do for you. Combined, they are the key to getting attention for your products and services.

Contact us now to see how we can help your business shine online. You’ll see that the investment is minimal and the value is well worth it. We will make sure that your website stands up to your competitors not only in your local market, but internationally as well. Do you really trust a novice with your most important advertising tool? Take advantage of our years of experience. Fill out our project request form below form below and I’ll tell you why you should put your trust in 2Active Design just like many others have done so since 2006.

After years of using programmed drums, 2Active Audio has taken a huge leap into the recording world, filling in the last gap required for commercial music recording: Real drums! For this, our sound engineer has designed an 8 microphone setup which is very complete and involves some of the finest microphones available for these purposes. Quality was the number one priority.

These are the microphones that will be used:

• 2 Rode NTKs
• Matched pair of Rode NT5s
• Shure Beta 57a
• AKG D112
• Rode NT2-a
• Sennheiser MD421-II

Overheads

A pair of Rode NTKs in a stereo X/Y configuration. A high pass filter will be engaged at the DAW console. Height will depend on the drummer’s style, but should start about 24 inches from the snare. These microphones should center precisely above the snare and point towards the edges of the kit. SM2 shockmounts will be used on a stereo microphone mounting bar, allowing two microphones to hang from only one stand. The overhead microphones will capture the entire kit, primarily toms and cymbals.

Bass Drum

A Sennheiser MD421-II will be used inside the drum, pointed near the beater at a 45 degree angle. This will add attack and crispness with lots of isolation for a more aggressive beater sound. An AKG D112 microphone will be placed in front of the bass drum for that more natural sound we’re used to. Both will be balanced to taste at the console.

Snare Drum

I’ve decided to stick to tradition and keep the old 57 on here with one small change. I’ll be using the Beta 57a instead of the SM57 because the Beta 57a adds a little more peak to the treble and also has a tighter cardioid pattern which will help isolate the snare. The 57 will be aimed from the hi-hat across the snare top to add more attack. I find that I prefer attack and presence rather than body from a snare. A Rode NT5 might be used at times below the snare at 180 degree phase to capture the snare buzz and add more pressence.

Hi Hat

A Rode NT5 condenser microphone will be placed above the hi-hat, aimed between the bell and the edge of the top hat. This will capture the loud transients with the warm response of the NT5.

Room Ambiance

The versatile Rode NT2-a will be used for this purpose with the figure 8 pattern and the hi pass filter engaged. It should be placed about 5 feet in front of the snare drum and should be thought of as a mid-field microphone as a complement to the overhead Rode NTK pair. The height will be equal to that of the snare and the mic should point towards it at a slight upward angle. The back of the microphone should aim towards the wall.

Preamp IO

The microphones will go into a Toneport UX8 recording interface with 8 XLR inputs and selectable phantom power. The high pass filters and -20 db PAD are available on each preamp. 25 foot Mogami studio cable will be used on all mics to reduce noise. Rode NTKs will use their own power supply and proprietary cable.

Room Treatment

Auralex foam will be placed in troublesome areas. Bass traps are used in the corners of the room. Bath towels will be placed on stands and chair backs to absorb excessive reverberation. The drum set will be placed on a thin carpet. Mahogany and cedar furniture will be present in the room and drapes will cover two walls. Diffusers will be used around the set if smaller reflections are required and to break up the early reflections.

If someone were to ask me, “What’s the lowest price you could offer me for a website?” I’d have to first make sure they are willing to sacrifice custom design. This of course, would mean using a template. A template is a ready-made design for a site which comes complete with graphics, navigation, layout, typography and a color palette. Sounds great huh? Well the catch is that the same template you are using is being used by thousands of other people for their site. Would it feel right to call this “Your website?”

If the answer is “I don’t care, I just want a cheap website.” Then go with a template based design. Careful! This is not template design, it is template based. Here at 2Active Design, we will modify templates to at least offer a small degree of originality to set it apart from other templates. As an artist, I can easily condemn mass produced, assembly line design because it is no longer unique and will cease to be special since there are so many others like it. However, if price outweighs the need for originality and uniqueness, then by all means go with a template.

Template design is so easy that teenagers who just got their computer are able to start selling themselves as a “web designer” because they can replace the text in the templates. They offer bargain-bin prices since their skills are not quite developed enough to create something from scratch in order to solve the design problems a client might bring up. Now you understand why template design is so cheap. A happy medium is usually template based design, that starts off from a template to save time, and then work from there to develop new features to bring in a little more originality into play.

A trained designer would know how to process these problems that the client has pointed out and come up with a technically sound solution. An artist would take that solution and make it look great. Always exercise caution when selecting your designer. If you truly care about your brand and identity, make the investment for custom web design. After all, it is the most valuable advertising tool at a business-owner’s disposal today. You wouldn’t want this to look the same as the business down the street would you?

2Active Design understands that times are tough in many countries today. Template designs are for the budget minded. Template based design is for the middle of the road people who want an original site but don’t want to spend too much on it. Custom work is for the people who care most about their brand and their identity. Contact us and let us help you chose what’s right for you!

What does the “Best Real Estate Website” contain? Well, it must have pictures! Lots of them. Images are very important with current generations. Very few people actually read a full article. And if they do read, it is because something caught their eye. Most likely, this will be an image.

What do people hate the most when they go to a website? All that clicking to find what you are looking for! It’s very annoying! With this real estate design, we’ve taken this problem and applied a nice solution to it. You no longer need to look for various pages of listings, you only need to scroll down and the next set will be loaded automatically. No clicking is ever necessary to view additional listings. What a concept!

Does this mean the page takes longer to load? No! It loads only the first few listings, and if the user scrolls down, it will start to load the next ones at that point, after the first listings are already showing. So in fact, your page will seem to load faster.

So you’ll see, images are front and center in this design. Secondarily, the details must be visible. What are the most important details? The number of bathrooms and the number of bedrooms. These are both bold and huge so they are easy to read. Thirdly, the price and the ID number of the property are also visible. Lastly, a description of the property is available to provide a little more details. From this point, if the person is still interested, they could contact the seller via phone, email or a built in form on the website.

Another problem that plagues real estate website design is the positioning of the phone number and email address. People need to contact the seller! Make this information front and center always! This particular design always has this information on top no matter what happens. The phone number is always there. Anyone that knows anything about real estate will tell you how important a business card is. This is no different!

Most importantly, we need valid code! The site has to load in all modern web browsers without exception! Make sure the code is valid and correct. This is the least a web designer should do. It’s just a matter of doing the job right and taking pride in one’s work.

This is all great, but it sounds really tough and expensive to update… Well you’ll be surprised to know how easy it really is. Can you send email? Well then, you can update your website with the same ease. Just do it once and you’ll familiarize yourself with the system. Of course, we’re here to provide training when necessary, but nobody really needs it after the first try!

The system makes it easy to upload pictures and details for each listing and then allows you to categorize them by location. All the details are search-able.

Best of all, this system contains a solid SEO foundation. It uses tried and true white hat search engine friendly techniques. 2Active Design is an avid SEO research company. Even though our focus is design and customer service, SEO is a necessary skill nowadays and there are many companies out there that are doing it wrong. Let us steer you the right way in your quest for the top rank on the search engines!

So, if you are looking for the best real estate web design, you can’t go wrong with 2Active Design. Let us design a custom look for your real estate business. Use the Internet as a tool to sell your available properties. Email or call to find out why people have put their trust in us.

Here at 2Active Design, our websites are valued at a certain cost depending on the desired features. This value could be monetary or the equivalent in goods or services. This trade relationship can be a great alternative in there tough economic times when businesses choose to barter instead of a monetary payment or as a partial payment.

A website is the most valuable marketing tool for a business and we want you to have one even if you cannot afford one. Many of our clients provide valuable goods or services that are as good as cash here at 2Active Design. This is a perfectly acceptable trade and we will consider exchanging a website for goods or services.

2Active Design provides consulting and web maintenance as a service and the website as the product. We also provide training for clients to easily manage their own website and maintenance service whenever needed. In this industry, it is not rare to establish a service trade rather than a financial payment.

Exchange systems provide new sales and higher volumes of business, conserving cash for essential expenditures, exchange of unproductive assets for valuable products or services, reduction of unit costs, and opening new outlets for excess inventory and unused capacity. Reciprocal trade finance enables a firm to buy using its incremental cost of production. So long as incremental revenue exceeds incremental cost, it is worth it for a firm to trade using a barter exchange.

Compiled from Wikipedia

The paragraph above basically states the advantages to trade. We see an advantage to business to business bartering for the following reasons:

• Exchange goods and services rather than cash
• Cash value fluctuates while services and goods value are more stable
• Cash remains available for both parties
• Possibility for exchanging referrals and marketing
• Improved efficiency when cash is excluded from the deal
• No dependence upon financial institutions and third parties for the trade
• Companies may be short on cash, but should never be short on service
• Very likely to be a productive partnership since both sides will get good deals

As previously mentioned, 2Active Design is very interested in potential trade partnerships within Honduras, primarily:

• Hotel Industries
• Advertising on Television, Radio or Print Media
• Restaurants
• Lawyers and Law Firms
• Marketers and Promoters
• Writers, Photographers, and Journalists

A successful barter trade could be established with people in any of those industries. Please get in touch to discuss further details. Remember, just because there is no money doesn’t mean you can’t get a website or consulting! If you provide goods or services, the Internet is something you really need to take advantage of these days. Even if your industry or profession isn’t listed on our list, contact us and let us at least hear your proposal. Be creative! In the end, you’ll take your business even further with your website!

I had suddenly stepped into the world of Social Media Optimization when I began to consider the following:

• There are hundreds of social networks
• It is unrealistic to update them all quickly
• It stops being fun when it becomes tedious
• I wish I could just update them all at once from one place with one click
• I realize there are different audiences in each social network, therefore I might isolate people if I don’t join one

The Solution

Fortunately, I’ve developed an easy to use solution that is built into all the WordPress sites built by 2Active Design. Social Media Optimization allows automatic updates from your blog to be sent to all your social networks. You only need to add your friends and they can immediately start to enjoy your constant updates from your blog full of rich content and pictures. All this is valuable attention and publicity which will drive many of them to see your site.

Social media optimization (SMO) is a set of methods for generating publicity through social media, online communities and community websites. Methods of SMO include adding RSS feeds, social news buttons, blogging, and incorporating third-party community functionalities like images and videos. Social media optimization is related to search engine marketing, but differs in several ways, primarily the focus on driving traffic from sources other than search engines, though improved search ranking is also a benefit of successful SMO.

Compiled from Wikipedia

Here at 2activedesign.com, we don’t spend hours and hours on social networks, working to promote the blog or the business. If I have an idea for this blog, I simply have a small logical thought that I know will benefit people and business owners in Honduras, I just start writing and publish it. Within the hour of typing that first letter, the blog post has been recognized by Google and other search engines. In addition, it is posted to all my profiles on many social networks. I can’t even remember how many I have. I update them all quickly in a matter of seconds. I only log onto them individually if I absolutely have to, or if I want to contact someone else on that network. But if I want to publish a message, I can broadcast just by clicking on that “Publish” button in the WordPress back-end. It’s that simple.

Everyday, more and more people join a social network. The social media revolution already happened years ago. If you haven’t hopped on, you’re missing out, and so are some of your potential sales. Check it out, and if you have any questions, you know how to get in touch! (Form at the bottom of the page! )

Marketing is an integrated communications-based process through which individuals and communities discover that existing and newly-identified needs and wants may be satisfied by the products and services of others. Internet marketing, also referred to as i-marketing, web marketing, online marketing, or eMarketing, is the marketing of products or services over the Internet. Internet marketing has had a large impact on several previously retail-oriented industries including music, film, pharmaceuticals, banking, flea markets, as well as the advertising industry itself. Internet marketing is now overtaking radio marketing in terms of market share.

Compiled from Wikipedia

Since I began attending the Savannah College of Art and Design, I’ve been an active participant and researcher in the extremely competitive Internet Market of the United States. My experience and analysis of the market and SEO trends bring enormous benefits to anyone interested in Internet Marketing in Honduras. I would strongly advise them to contact me to have a free analysis of the current operations and then as a Consultant for marketing projects based in that country and with the possibility of going international. Even though this kind of service is beneficial to anyone in the world, I can offer more personalized service to people in Honduras as part of my commitment to improve the country’s economy by promoting business in the most effective and affordable way.

I do not reveal very much about my techniques as of course, they are trade secrets acquired through my own experimentation and research. However, there are several tips and tricks that are wide known that anyone that is slightly interested in SEO can learn about quite easily. Please contact me personally for this data. I will be glad to give you a personalized analysis and explanation at no charge. Most of the benefits are easily achieved using the themes I’ve developed for the WordPress CMS system. It has been designed to allows for some very efficient publishing and high search engine rankings. It even allows for automatic Social Networking updates to all of your social networks by simply updating your blog, thus saving you valuable time! I use it myself for my own publicity and press releases.

If you are in Honduras and thing your web presence could benefit from Internet Marketing, you should definitely consider consulting need me to get all the necessary information and perhaps use some of the tools I’ve developed to make that process even easier. Use the form below to send a message directly to carlos@2activedesign.com.

Yesterday, in the morning of May, 28, 2009, a 7.1 earthquake struck in the northern coast of Honduras and was felt throughout Central America. This caused several deaths and structural damages. This is a relevant event for Web Design in Honduras because it puts focus on all forms of media, and puts them all to a very real test. The media is something we want to take advantage of in business and one we want to use in case of emergency to find firsthand accounts quickly. Much the same way you might want to instantly communicate an emergency, it would be convenient to publish a press release or other business publication for immediate release.

First, I muss address several issues. This was actually a 7.3 earthquake. The number was later revised by the USGS after the 7.1 had been widely publicized. Also, this was not an isolated incident. At the time of this revision, 11PM on Friday, May 29, there have been 7 earthquakes recorded this week alone. The 7.3 quake off the coast of Roatan was by far the largest, but there was also another which struck this morning that was quite powerful because it was on land. This one was to the south of Ceiba and was probably felt with the same force as the 7.3, even though it was a 4.6.

Without question, Twitter, and other social networks were the quickest to expose the earthquake tragedy. These were all firsthand accounts of the people that simply stated that they felt a very violent tremor that lasted for several seconds. They would then chronicle the events and damages following the initial event. All this was published worldwide in a matter of seconds. The mainstream media did not pick up on this until a few hours later and were then able to present a documented response from multiple sources, but not nearly as rich as the firsthand accounts.

In the meantime, there were people that had no electricity and all they had were battery powered devices. Fortunately, the cell phone network was still functioning and I was able to get in touch with my mother and inform her of the situation she was in. It was not clear to them what was going on, and there was a Tsunami warning which wasn’t clear to them. I was able to read all the available news, check the USGS website that detailed the earthquake, and then keep an eye on various local news organizations that publish online. I was subscribed to all the local media RSS feeds and found out about their publications as soon as they were available. And the amazing part is that this took me a grand total of 30 minutes right after I woke up that day.

This is what sets the Internet apart from TV and radio. You can find the information you require much faster since it is not a linear presentation. TV and Radio are linear, therefore, we do not chose what is presented to us. While the Internet is no substitute for Radio or TV, it does provide a way for anyone to publish to the world, it allows you to pick what content you want to view and skip whatever is irrelevant.

Though most of the time in social media networks, this seemingly unimportant daily account of a friend’s life might not matter much to the average person, sometimes, they may experience something extraordinary, and they will be the first ones to publish it, followed by reporters and journalists. Remember, that it is important to get news not only from third parties, but also people that actually experienced the event. Twitter and Facebook both allow you to do this without actually engaging people directly simply by reading their updates if you are their friends. You do have the option to interact with them and inquire about anything they have mentioned.

Overall, I’d have to say I was well informed about the entire event even thought I wasn’t present, and I did not talk to anyone directly until I called my parents. By the time I did call them, I was able to clear up any doubts they had about what was going on since they had no access to useful information. I can say this would not have been the case if I had not been so well connected online. This also allowed me to still get to work on time and have a normal day since I was able to find the information I needed quickly and efficiently.

I believe it’s a valuable thing to be well informed quickly. Cut out all the commercials and other irrelevant non-sense. If you are focused on what you want, you will not get sidetracked. Why wait for important information you could get delivered to you instantly? Contact me for a consultation on how you can take advantage of these tools and resources to use that technology for your business or for your own personal use.

Having an effective marketing campaign is extremely important for a business. You could be selling top quality products, better than your competition, but if no one knows about them, you simply won’t sell. If you feel this way, it is definitely time to make an investment in online marketing.

Now, you may think marketing is about TV commercials, radio spots and magazine ads. You would have been correct if we were in the early 1990s. But the fact is, radio, TV and magazine ads are expensive. We’re talking thousands of dollars here in a single month. How do you even know anyone is looking at them? There’s really no accurate way to track your visitors. The most you can get is an approximation. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a cheaper alternative? One that could tell you exactly how many people saw your product? One that would stay up for years and years without paying through the roof? Read on for a brief comparison between TV, Radio, Print and a Website.

Value

Having a website for a year is way cheaper than a temporary monthly TV or Radio spot. A website is something you own and control. You can put whatever you want on there and change it at any time. There are no restrictions for content. Put as much information there as you want! If you organize it right, the more information you have, the better. Analytics will also tell you exactly how many people are visiting your website, and what they are looking at. Furthermore, you can use your website as a tool to gather information or facilitate transfers with your customers by adding interactive forms they can fill out.

Perhaps you own a hotel. Wouldn’t it be nice if a customer could fill out that reservation form for you? Tell you exactly what day and time they are coming in, and when they leave? Remember, efficiency is in automation. 2Active Design can help automate your business.

Flexibility

Got a TV or Radio ad? What if you have a new product that’s not on there? You know you’ll have to pay a large sum to make a new commercial. With a website, you could upload pictures of the new product to your own website with the same ease that it takes to send email. You could have this up in five minutes. If you already have a TV ad, you can run your TV ad on your own site, 24/7 for free! If you have a mistake on TV, Radio or Print, you’ll have to wait a while to correct it. If it’s online, it will just take five minutes to upload a new file. Hopefully you are starting to see how much money you’ll be saving with a website when compared to television. It is safe to say, you should first have a website before attempting a TV campaign.

Two Way Communication

Not only is a website affordable, it is interactive. It is a tool your audience can use to get back to you. The static nature of a newspaper and the “one-way” communication barrier of television prevent you from utilizing these as a two way communication tool for your clients to reach you while this is extremely easy in a website.

So you have enough marketing knowledge to know that you need a website, and the logic that you also need someone to make it. So when you go online to search for one, you will have several options of finding someone to design your site:

• A site where you post your budget and various studios bid for it
• A reputable design studio
• An individual freelancer
• A “do it yourself” solution

Lowest Bidder

Some have had success with the bidding sites. These do require a lot of effort on your part to communicate what you want in your ad. However, most of the designers that participate in these directories have intermediate skills at best. Otherwise they would have their own site where they could show off their work rather than depending on a pre-built system. You might also find it to be a waste of time since you’ll have to wait until your bid is over rather than receiving an instantaneous and educated response from a reputable studio or a freelancer.

Overhead

A design studio usually involves several different people. This tells you that they make enough to earn their salary for that time. However, their prices will also be inflated since they need to cover the salary for everyone working there. Nonetheless, studios are great for large companies that can afford them but if you need a deal with more value and more flexibility you might want to consider a freelancer.

Hit or Miss

Under no circumstances should you trust a freelance web designer that has no portfolio and no work to show. If you find a designer that has a portfolio, look at it carefully and also go ahead and visit the sites themselves to make sure they are up to par. The advantage of a freelancer is that they have flexible hours and can take your calls at any time. In addition, they usually do not rent office space or pay salesmen, so your cost is going to be lower, while you could still get the same level of work you would get from a studio. Of course this is assuming you find an experienced designer that you can trust. Even if they are fresh out of design college, this does not mean that they are ready to build good websites.

However, if you do find an experienced freelancer, and they always act professional every time you communicate, you also have the added advantage that they will stay in the business as long as you need them. In studios people will come and go. The financial crisis caused many jobs to be lost at studios, but freelancers remained steady as tough times require more efficiency. The low overhead of a freelancer translates into flexibility and staying power.

All of these are options and they could all be successful if you find the right people. The safe thing to do is to ask for a portfolio of work.

You have a great new website, but only a small group of people know it exists. Get the world to know about it with competitive SEO and Web Marketing!

How to be competitive when it comes to Web Marketing:

• Have a website with valid code and a solid markup (Web Design and Development)
• Generate relevant content at least once a week (Blogging)
• Create links to your content in popular social networking sites (Web Marketing)

2Active Design uses a CMS system with optimal code made focused on search engine rankings. I’ve done extensive research over the years on how Google, Yahoo, Live Search and others rank websites. I’ve also studied the top SEO firms to gain inspiration and learn best practices in the industry. Soon I learned that I could even outrank them! This is all due to the fact that the CMS system used is coded so well and that the content generation is ongoing and contains quality copy-writing. While perfect code can get your foot in the door, quality writing is what will keep you there and take you way beyond your competition.

La Ceiba, Honduras can have local help. 2Active Design can tell you how to improve your site and take full advantage of the two-way, multilingual communication it is capable of. Isn’t it time you upgraded your business to the 21st Century?

La Ceiba is a premier destination for tourists. Business based here should have a world class website. 2Active Design can help. While many locals know the city quite well, visitors will probably look to the Internet for information before trying to ask local folk. For this reason, it is imperative that businesses in La Ceiba have a beautiful and informative website in Spanish and English.

Stuck in the 90s

When a Google search is done for La Ceiba tourism, it reveals a plethora of 90′s style websites that do contain a wealth of information, but look very outdated. It is important to note that the Internet is constantly evolving. Web design has changed substantially since the 1990′s. Primarily, the biggest change is that new content is always welcome and takes precedence over static content that never changes.

La Ceiba has been fortunate in that it is constantly growing. There is lots of new business popping up all over the place. Many restaurants and hotels, which are the primary tourist attractions, have no website, or simply choose to advertise on other websites, paying hundreds a month, and tens of thousands of dollars per year. They do not realize that making their own website is much cheaper and actually reaches a much wider audience.

Another overlooked factor is design. We don’t want overdone sites that look too busy and are useless because they have no clear navigation or just seem too cumbersome. It should be easy and intuitive to navigate a site and find all the information it provides. Usually, we like to keep things simple, straightforward, and intuitive, but still provide  class and style to make the website look professional.

2Active Design has helped many companies reach their target audience online and is pleased to offer it’s services locally in La Ceiba, Honduras.

Being born and raised in Honduras, I have grown with the Honduran market and advertising. After college in the United States, I have a clear understanding of both markets. Because of this experience, 2Active Design is able to differentiate between both markets and cater to their specialized needs.

First and foremost, Honduran business tends to have Spanish speaking employees and a great deal of decision making is done in Spanish. However, they want to work fluidly with the English speaking client-base and even other languages if necessary. Honduras has always depended greatly on investment from other countries and it would be quite limiting to work with clients in only one language. It is very desirable to have employees that speak at least two languages. Why should their website be any different?

Many design studios will say that making a website in more than language would hike up the price significantly since they will have to essentially create two copies of the website and translate everything. Here at 2Active Design, we take pride in the fact that we can offer the bilingual or multilingual feature in websites for less than $100 on top of the base price of a website. The system we use is quite capable of handling multiple languages, thus making multilingual web design a breeze.

While we use an automatic translator for 2Active Design, we always offer better technology to our clients. Dipshipping.com is the best example. That site uses manual translation, but it is much more natural than the automatic variety. When making new sites, I would stress for businesses that care for their international client-base to go with the manual translation feature. For businesses that want a redesign and already have plenty of content, it might be more effective to go with the automatic translation, as we did with 2Active Design. However, machine translation is not always the best, but most of the time, it will get the point across.

The best part is that 100% of the website is translated, not just the content. It’s as if you had two separate sites, but really only paid for one, and only manage one to add or edit content. This saves a great deal of money down the line for updates.

Honduran businesses need to have a bilingual web design at the very least. Spanish is the native language and is necessary for the local business. English is spoken to a higher extent around the world and is considered to be very important to handle in the international market. We should try our best to embrace other languages as much as possible. This will translate into more exposure and therefore, potential for more clients, and more profits.

In this challenging economy, the safest course of action to take is to diversify your client base. What better way to do it than by offering a multilingual tool that can be seen worldwide? Best of all it can handle incoming questions, requests and comments automatically and automatic translation can be used to have a regular conversation with your clients even if you don’t even speak the language!

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These terms and conditions strive to form a social contract that balances the organization’s interests with a set of rights granted to the client.

1. Definitions

   As used herein and throughout this Agreement:

   • Agreement means the entire content of this Basic Terms and Conditions document, the Proposal document(s), together with any other Supplements designated below, together with any exhibits, schedules or attachments hereto.
   • Client Content means all materials, information, photography, writings and other creative content provided by Client for use in the preparation of and/or incorporation in the Deliverables.
   • Copyrights means the property rights in original works of authorship, expressed in a tangible medium of expression, as defined and enforceable under U.S. Copyright Law.
   • Deliverables means the services and work product specified in the Proposal to be delivered by Designer to Client, in the form and media specified in the Proposal.
   • Designer Tools means all design tools developed and/or utilized by Designer in performing the Services, including without limitation pre-existing and newly developed software including source code, Web authoring tools, type fonts, and application tools, together with any other software, or other inventions whether or not patentable, and general non-copyrightable concepts such as website design, architecture, layout, navigational and functional elements.
   • Final Art means all creative content developed or created by Designer, or commissioned by Designer, exclusively for the Project and incorporated into and delivered as part of the Final Deliverables, including and by way of example, not limitation, any and all visual designs, visual elements, graphic design, illustration, photography, animation, sounds, typographic treatments and text, modifications to Client Content, and Designer’s selection, arrangement and coordination of such elements together with Client Content and/or Third Party Materials.
   • Final Deliverables means the final versions of Deliverables provided by Designer and accepted by Client.
   • Preliminary Works means all artwork including, but not limited to, concepts, sketches, visual presentations, or other alternate or preliminary designs and documents developed by Designer and which may or may not be shown and or delivered to Client for consideration but do not form part of the Final Art.
   • Project means the scope and purpose of the Client’s identified usage of the work product as described in the Proposal.
   • Services means all services and the work product to be provided to Client by Designer as described and otherwise further defined in the Proposal.
   • Third Party Materials means proprietary third party materials which are incorporated into the Final Deliverables, including without limitation stock photography or illustration.
   • Trademarks means trade names, words, symbols, designs, logos or other devices or designs used in the Final Deliverables to designate the origin or source of the goods or services of Client.

2. Proposal

   The terms of the Proposal shall be effective for 14 days after presentation to Client. In the event this Agreement is not executed by Client within the time identified, the Proposal, together with any related terms and conditions and deliverables, may be subject to amendment, change or substitution.

3. Fees and Charges

   Payment plans and rates will be presented in the Project Proposal via email. Email will be used as the preferred method for record keeping purposes and we consider it to be legally binding.

   1. Fees. In consideration of the Services to be performed by Designer, Client shall pay to Designer fees in the amounts and according to the payment schedule set forth in the Proposal, and all applicable sales, use or value added taxes, even if calculated or assessed subsequent to the payment schedule.
   2. Expenses. Client shall pay Designer’s expenses incurred in connection with this Agreement as follows: (a) incidental and out-of-pocket expenses including but not limited to costs for telephone calls, postage, shipping, overnight courier, service bureaus, typesetting, blueprints, models, presentation materials, photocopies, computer expenses, parking fees and tolls, and taxis at cost plus Designer’s standard markup of 15 percent (15%), and, if applicable, a mileage reimbursement at $2 per mile; and (b) travel expenses including transportation, meals, and lodging, incurred by Designer with Client’s prior approval.
   3. Additional Costs. The Project pricing includes Designer’s fee only. Any and all outside costs including, but not limited to, equipment rental, photographer’s costs and fees, photography and/or artwork licenses, prototype production costs, talent fees, music licenses and online access or hosting fees, will be billed to Client unless specifically otherwise provided for in the Proposal.
   4. Invoices. All invoices are payable within fourteen (14) days of receipt. A 1.5 percent monthly service charge is payable on all overdue balances. Payments will be credited first to late payment charges and next to the unpaid balance. Client shall be responsible for all collection or legal fees necessitated by late or default in payment. Designer reserves the right to withhold delivery and any transfer of ownership of any current work if accounts are not current or overdue invoices are not paid in full. All grants of any license to use or transfer of ownership of any intellectual property rights under this Agreement are conditioned upon receipt of payment in full which shall be inclusive of any and all outstanding Additional Costs, Taxes, Expenses and Fees, Charges or the costs of Changes.

4. Changes

   1. General Changes. Unless otherwise provided in the Proposal, and except as otherwise provided for herein, Client shall pay additional charges for changes requested by Client which are outside the scope of the Services on a time and materials basis, at Designer’s standard hourly rate of $30 per hour. Such charges shall be in addition to all other amounts payable under the Proposal, despite any maximum budget, contract price or final price identified therein. Designer may extend or modify any delivery schedule or deadlines in the Proposal and Deliverables as may be required by such Changes.
   2. Substantive Changes. If Client requests or instructs Changes that amount to a revision in or near excess of twenty-five percent (25%) of the time required to produce the Deliverables, and or the value or scope of the Services, Designer shall be entitled to submit a new and separate Proposal to Client for written approval. Work shall not begin on the revised services until a fully signed revised Proposal and, if required, any additional retainer fees are received by Designer.
   3. Timing. Designer will prioritize performance of the Services as may be necessary or as identified in the Proposal, and will undertake commercially reasonable efforts to perform the Services within the time(s) identified in the Proposal. Client agrees to review Deliverables within the time identified for such reviews and to promptly either, (i) approve the Deliverables in writing or (ii) provide written comments and/or corrections sufficient to identify the Client’s concerns, objections or corrections to Designer. The Designer shall be entitled to request written clarification of any concern, objection or correction. Client acknowledges and agrees that Designer’s ability to meet any and all schedules is entirely dependent upon Client’s prompt performance of its obligations to provide materials and written approvals and/or instructions pursuant to the Proposal and that any delays in Client’s performance or Changes in the Services or Deliverables requested by Client may delay delivery of the Deliverables. Any such delay caused by Client shall not constitute a breach of any term, condition or Designer’s obligations under this Agreement.
   4. Testing and Acceptance. Designer will exercise commercially reasonable efforts to test Deliverables requiring testing and to make all necessary corrections prior to providing Deliverables to Client. Client, within five (5) business days of receipt of each Deliverable, shall notify Designer, in writing, of any failure of such Deliverable to comply with the specifications set forth in the Proposal, or of any other objections, corrections, changes or amendments Client wishes made to such Deliverable. Any such written notice shall be sufficient to identify with clarity any objection, correction or change or amendment, and Designer will undertake to make the same in a commercially timely manner. Any and all objections, corrections, changes or amendments shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement. In the absence of such notice from Client, the Deliverable shall be deemed accepted.

5. Client Responsibilities

   Client acknowledges that it shall be responsible for performing the following in a reasonable and timely manner:

   (a) coordination of any decision-making with parties other than
   the Designer;

   (b) provision of Client Content in a form suitable for reproduction or incorporation into the Deliverables without further preparation, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Proposal; and

   (c) final proofreading and in the event that Client has approved Deliverables but errors, such as, by way of example, not limitation,
   typographic errors or misspellings, remain in the finished product,
   Client shall incur the cost of correcting such errors.

6. Accreditation/Promotions

   All displays or publications of the Deliverables shall bear accreditation and/or copyright notice in Designer’s name in the form, size and location as incorporated by Designer in the Deliverables, or as otherwise directed by Designer. Designer retains the right to reproduce, publish and display the Deliverables in Designer’s portfolios and websites, and in galleries, design periodicals and other media or exhibits for the purposes of recognition of creative excellence or professional advancement, and to be credited with authorship of the Deliverables in connection with such uses. Either party, subject to the other’s reasonable approval, may describe its role in relation to the Project and, if applicable, the services provided to the other party on its website and in other promotional materials, and, if not expressly objected to, include a link to the other party’s website.

7. Confidential Information

   Each party acknowledges that in connection with this Agreement it may receive certain confidential or proprietary technical and business information and materials of the other party, including without limitation Preliminary Works (“Confidential Information”). Each party, its agents and employees shall hold and maintain in strict confidence all Confidential Information, shall not disclose Confidential Information to any third party, and shall not use any Confidential Information except as may be necessary to perform its obligations under the Proposal except as may be required by a court or governmental authority. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Confidential Information shall not include any information that is in the public domain or becomes publicly known through no fault of the receiving party, or is otherwise properly received from a third party without an obligation of confidentiality.

8. Relationship of the Parties

   1. Independent Contractor. Designer is an independent contractor, not an employee of Client or any company affiliated with Client. Designer shall provide the Services under the general direction of Client, but Designer shall determine, in Designer’s sole discretion, the manner and means by which the Services are accomplished. This Agreement does not create a partnership or joint venture and neither party is authorized to act as agent or bind the other party except as expressly stated in this Agreement. Designer and the work product or Deliverables prepared by Designer shall not be deemed a work for hire as that term is defined under Copyright Law. All rights, if any, granted to Client are contractual in nature and are wholly defined by the express written agreement of the parties and the various terms and conditions of this Agreement.
   2. Designer Agents. Designer shall be permitted to engage and/or use third party designers or other service providers as independent contractors in connection with the Services (“Design Agents”). Notwithstanding, Designer shall remain fully responsible for such Design Agents’ compliance with the various terms and conditions of this Agreement.
   3. No Solicitation. During the term of this Agreement, and for a period of six (6) months after expiration or termination of this Agreement, Client agrees not to solicit, recruit, engage or otherwise employ or retain, on a full-time, part-time, consulting, work-for-hire or any other kind of basis, any Designer, employee or Design Agent of Designer, whether or not said person has been assigned to perform tasks under this Agreement. In the event such employment, consultation or work-for-hire event occurs, Client agrees that Designer shall be entitled to an agency commission to be the greater of, either (a) 25 percent of said person’s starting salary with Client, or (b) 25 percent of fees paid to said person if engaged by Client as an independent contractor. In the event of (a) above, payment of the commission will be due within 30 days of the employment starting date. In the event of (b) above, payment will be due at the end of any month during which the independent contractor performed services for Client. Designer, in the event of nonpayment and in connection with this section, shall be entitled to seek all remedies under law and equity.
   4. No Exclusivity. The parties expressly acknowledge that this Agreement does not create an exclusive relationship between the parties. Client is free to engage others to perform services of the same or similar nature to those provided by Designer, and Designer shall be entitled to offer and provide design services to others, solicit other clients and otherwise advertise the services offered by Designer.

9. Warranties and Representations

   By Client. Client represents, warrants and covenants to Designer that

   (a) Client owns all right, title, and interest in, or otherwise has full right and authority to permit the use of the Client Content,

   (b) to the best of Client’s knowledge, the Client Content does not infringe the rights of any third party, and use of the Client Content as well as any Trademarks in connection with the Project does not and will not violate the rights of any third parties,

   (c) Client shall comply with the terms and conditions of any licensing agreements which govern the use of Third Party Materials, and

   (d) Client shall comply with all laws and regulations as they relate to the Services and Deliverables.

   By Designer

   (a) Designer hereby represents, warrants and covenants to Client that Designer will provide the Services identified in the Agreement in
   a professional and workmanlike manner and in accordance with all reasonable professional standards for such services.

   (b) Designer further represents, warrants and covenants to Client that

   (i) except for Third Party Materials and Client Content, the Final Deliverables shall be the original work of Designer and/or its independent contractors,

   (ii) in the event that the Final Deliverables include the work of independent contractors commissioned for the Project by Designer, Designer shall have secure agreements from such contractors granting all necessary rights, title, and interest in and to the Final Deliverables sufficient for Designer to grant the intellectual property rights provided in this Agreement, and

   (iii) to the best of Designer’s knowledge, the Final Art provided by Designer and Designer’s subcontractors does not infringe the rights of any party, and use of same in connection with the Project will not violate the rights of any third parties. In the event Client or third parties modify or otherwise use the Deliverables outside of the scope or for any purpose not identified in the Proposal or this Agreement or contrary to the terms and conditions noted herein, all representations and warranties of Designer shall be void.

(c) EXCEPT FOR THE EXPRESS REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT, DESIGNER MAKES NO WARRANTIES WHATSOEVER. DESIGNER EXPLICITLY DISCLAIMS ANY OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS OR GOVERNMENT RULES OR REGULATIONS APPLICABLE TO THE PROJECT.

10. Indemnification/Liability

    By Client. Client agrees to indemnify, save and hold harmless Designer from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, losses or expenses arising out of any claim, demand, or action by a third party arising out of any breach of Client’s responsibilities or obligations, representations or warranties under this Agreement. Under such circumstances Designer shall promptly notify Client in writing of any claim or suit;

    (a) Client has sole control of the defense and all related settlement negotiations; and

    (b) Designer provides Client with commercially reasonable assistance, information and authority necessary to perform Client’s obligations under this section. Client will reimburse the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by Designer in providing such assistance.

    By Designer. Subject to the terms, conditions, express representations and warranties provided in this Agreement, Designer agrees to indemnify, save and hold harmless Client from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, losses or expenses arising out of any finding of fact which is inconsistent with Designer’s representations and warranties made herein, except in the event any such claims, damages, liabilities, costs, losses or expenses arise directly as a result of gross negligence or misconduct of Client provided that

    (a) Client promptly notifies Designer in writing of the claim;

    (b) Designer shall have sole control of the defense and all related settlement negotiations; and

    (c) Client shall provide Designer with the assistance, information and authority necessary to perform Designer’s obligations under this section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Designer shall have no obligation to defend or otherwise indemnify Client for any claim or adverse finding of fact arising out of or due to Client Content, any unauthorized content, improper or illegal use, or the failure to update or maintain any Deliverables provided by Designer.

    Limitation of Liability. THE SERVICES AND THE WORK PRODUCT OF DESIGNER ARE SOLD “AS IS.” IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE MAXIMUM LIABILITY OF DESIGNER, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, DESIGN AGENTS AND AFFILIATES (“DESIGNER PARTIES”), TO CLIENT FOR DAMAGES FOR ANY AND ALL CAUSES WHATSOEVER, AND CLIENT’S MAXIMUM REMEDY, REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE NET PROFIT OF DESIGNER. IN NO EVENT SHALL DESIGNER BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST DATA OR CONTENT, LOST PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE MATERIALS OR THE SERVICES PROVIDED BY DESIGNER, EVEN IF DESIGNER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, AND NOTWITHSTANDING THE FAILURE OF ESSENTIAL PURPOSE OF ANY LIMITED REMEDY.

11. Term and Termination

    1. This Agreement shall commence upon the Effective Date and shall remain effective until the Services are completed and delivered.
    2. This Agreement may be terminated at any time by either party effective immediately upon notice, or the mutual agreement of the parties, or if any party:(a) becomes insolvent, files a petition in bankruptcy, makes an assignment for the benefit of its creditors; or(b) breaches any of its material responsibilities or obligations under this Agreement, which breach is not remedied within ten (10) days from receipt of written notice of such breach.
    3. In the event of termination, Designer shall be compensated for the Services performed through the date of termination in the amount of (a) any advance payment, (b) a prorated portion of the fees due, or (c) hourly fees for work performed by Designer or Designer’s agents as of the date of termination, whichever is greater; and Client shall pay all Expenses, fees, out of pockets together with any Additional Costs incurred through and up to, the date of cancellation.
    4. In the event of termination by Client and upon full payment of compensation as provided herein, Designer grants to Client such right and title as provided for in Schedule A of this Agreement with respect to those Deliverables provided to, and accepted by Client as of the date of termination.
    5. Upon expiration or termination of this Agreement:(a) each party shall return or, at the disclosing party’s request, destroy the Confidential Information of the other party, and(b) other than as provided herein, all rights and obligations of each party under this Agreement, exclusive of the Services, shall survive.

12. General

    Modification/Waiver. This Agreement may be modified by the parties. Any modification of this Agreement must be in writing, except that Designer’s invoices may include, and Client shall pay, expenses or costs that Client authorizes by electronic mail in cases of extreme time sensitivity. Failure by either party to enforce any right or seek to remedy any breach under this Agreement shall not be construed as a waiver of such rights nor shall a waiver by either party of default in one or more instances be construed as constituting a continuing waiver or as a waiver of any other breach.

    Notices. All notices to be given hereunder shall be transmitted in writing either by facsimile or electronic mail with return confirmation of receipt or by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and shall be sent to the addresses identified below, unless notification of change of address is given in writing. Notice shall be effective upon receipt or in the case of fax or email, upon confirmation of receipt.

    No Assignment. Neither party may assign, whether in writing or orally, or encumber its rights or obligations under this Agreement or permit the same to be transferred, assigned or encumbered by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other party.

    Force Majeure. Designer shall not be deemed in breach of this Agreement if Designer is unable to complete the Services or any portion thereof by reason of fire, earthquake, labor dispute, act of God or public enemy, death, illness or incapacity of Designer or any local, state, federal, national or international law, governmental order or regulation or any other event beyond Designer’s control (collectively, “Force Majeure Event”). Upon occurrence of any Force Majeure Event, Designer shall give notice to Client of its inability to perform or of delay in completing the Services and shall propose revisions to the schedule for completion
    of the Services.

    Governing Law and Dispute Resolution. The formation, construction, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be in accordance with the laws of the United States and the state of Florida without regard to its conflict of law provisions or the conflict of law provisions of any other jurisdiction. In the event of a dispute arising out of this Agreement, the parties agree to attempt to resolve any dispute by negotiation between the parties. If they are unable to resolve the dispute, either party may commence mediation and/or binding arbitration through the American Arbitration Association, or other forum mutually agreed to by the parties. The prevailing party in any dispute resolved by binding arbitration or litigation shall be entitled to recover its attorneys’ fees and costs. In all other circumstances, the parties specifically consent to the local, state and federal courts located in the state of Florida. The parties hereby waive any jurisdictional or venue defenses available to them and further consent to service of process by mail. Client acknowledges that Designer will have no adequate remedy at law in the event Client uses the deliverables in any way not permitted hereunder, and hereby agrees that Designer shall be entitled to equitable relief by way of temporary and permanent injunction, and such other and further relief at law or equity as any arbitrator or court of competent jurisdiction may deem just and proper, in addition to any and all other remedies provided for herein.

    Severability. Whenever possible, each provision of this Agreement shall be interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect and the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid or enforceable provision.

    Headings. The numbering and captions of the various sections are solely for convenience and reference only and shall not affect the scope, meaning, intent or interpretation of the provisions of this Agreement nor shall such headings otherwise be given any legal effect.

    Integration. This Agreement comprises the entire understanding of the parties hereto on the subject matter herein contained, and supersedes and merges all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings and discussions between the parties relating to the subject matter of this Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the Proposal and any other Agreement documents, the terms of the Proposal shall control.

    By sending or receiving payment, the parties agree to all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement effective as of the last date of acceptance of proposal via email, and each signatory represents that it has the full authority to enter into this Agreement and to bind her/his respective party to all of the terms and conditions herein.

13. No Speculative Work

    Speculative work involves performing hours of work with the hopes of impressing the client enough that they will provide further opportunities without any guarantee of payment. This practice seriously compromises the quality of work you are entitled to and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide. While there will always be some designers who are willing to create designs in response to an open call for work, without any assurance of compensation, the buyer immediately relegates his or her choices among those designers who are least likely to be experienced. Knowledgeable designers, who are in demand among clients, work according to the professional standards of the profession. Quite often, this choice of a less-experienced designer results in a client eventually having to bring a more experienced designer into a project in order to execute it. Of course, this change results in additional expenditures that impact your return on investment in design services.
    Alternative Approach.
    A more effective and ethical approach to requesting work is to ask designers to submit examples of their work from previous assignments as well as a statement of how they would approach your project. You can then judge the quality of the designer’s previous work and way of thinking about your concerns. When you select a designer, he can begin to work on your project by designing strategic solutions to your criteria while under contract to you, without having to work free on speculation up front.

14. Intellectual Property Provisions

    Rights to Deliverables other than Final Art

    Client Content. Client Content, including all pre-existing Trademarks, shall remain the sole property of Client or its respective suppliers, and Client or its suppliers shall be the
    sole owner of all rights in connection therewith. Client hereby grants to Designer a nonexclusive, nontransferable license to use, reproduce, modify, display and publish the Client Content solely in connection with Designer’s performance of the Services and limited promotional uses of the Deliverables as authorized in this Agreement.

    Third Party Materials. All Third Party Materials are the exclusive property of their respective owners. Designer shall inform Client of all Third Party Materials that may be required to perform the Services or otherwise integrated into the Final Art. Under such circumstances Designer shall inform Client of any need to license, at Client’s expense, and unless otherwise provided for by Client, Designer shall obtain the license(s) necessary to permit Client’s use of the Third Party Materials consistent with the usage rights granted herein. In the event Client fails to properly secure or otherwise arrange for any necessary licenses or instructs the use of third party art, Client hereby indemnifies, saves and holds harmless Designer from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, losses or expenses arising out of any claim, demand, or action by a third party arising out of Client’s failure to obtain copyright, trademark, publicity, privacy, defamation or other releases or permissions with respect to materials included in the Final Art.

    Preliminary Works. Designer retains all rights in and to all Preliminary Works. Client shall return all Preliminary Works
    to Designer within thirty (30) days of completion of the Services and all rights in and to any Preliminary Works shall remain the exclusive property of Designer.

    Original Artwork. Designer retains all right and title in and to any original artwork comprising Final Art, including all rights to display or sell such artwork. Client shall return all original artwork to Designer within thirty (30) days of completion of
    the Services.

    Trademarks. Upon completion of the Services and expressly conditioned upon full payment of all fees, costs and out-of-pocket expenses due, Designer assigns to Client all ownership rights, including any copyrights, in and to any artworks or designs comprising the works created by Designer for use by Client as a Trademark. Designer shall cooperate with Client and shall execute any additional documents reasonably requested by Client to evidence such assignment. Client shall have sole responsibility for ensuring that any proposed trademarks or Final Deliverables intended to be a Trademark are available for use in commerce and federal registration and do not otherwise infringe the rights of any third party. Client hereby indemnifies, saves and holds harmless Designer from any and all damages, liabilities, costs, losses or expenses arising out of any claim, demand, or action by any third party alleging any infringement arising out of Client’s use and/or failure to obtain rights to use or use of the Trademark.

    Designer Tools. All Designer Tools are and shall remain the exclusive property of Designer. Designer hereby grants to Client a nonexclusive, nontransferable (other than the right to sublicense such uses to Client’s web hosting or internet service providers), perpetual, worldwide license to use the Designer
    Tools solely to the extent necessary with the Final Deliverables for the Project. Client may not directly or indirectly, in any form or manner, decompile, reverse engineer, create derivative works or otherwise disassemble or modify any Designer Tools comprising any software or technology of Designer.

    Rights to Final Art

    Exclusive license, no modification rights for print, online/interactive, three-dimensional media:
    Designer hereby grants to Client the exclusive, perpetual and worldwide right and license to use, reproduce and display the Final Art solely in connection with the Project as defined in the Proposal and in accordance with the various terms and conditions of this Agreement. The rights granted to Client are for usage of the Final Art in its original form only. Client may not crop, distort, manipulate, reconfigure, mimic, animate, create derivative works or extract portions or in any other manner, alter the Final Art.

    Liquidation for unlicensed use:
    Client’s use of the Final Art shall be limited to the usage rights granted herein for the Project only. Use of the Final Art, Deliverables or any derivative works thereof by Client at any other time or location, or for another project or outside the scope of the rights granted herein require an additional fee and Designer shall be entitled to further compensation equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the original Project fee unless otherwise agreed in writing by both parties. In the event of non-payment, Designer shall be entitled to pursue all remedies under law and equity.

15. Support Services

    Warranty Period.
    “Support Services” means commercially reasonable technical support and assistance to maintain and update the Deliverables, including correcting and errors of Deficiencies, but shall not include the development of enhancements to the Project or other services outside the scope of the Proposal. During the first 14 days following expiration of this Agreement (“Warranty Period”), if any, 2Active Design shall provide up to 5 hours of Support Services at no additional cost to Client. Additional time shall be billed at the current hourly rate, then in effect upon the date of the request for additional support.
    Maintenance Period.
    Upon expiration of the Warranty Period and at Client’s option, 2Active Design will provide Support Services for 6 months (“the Maintenance Period”) for either a monthly or hourly fee. The parties may extend the Maintenance Period beyond the six months upon mutual written agreement.

16. Enhancements

    During the Maintenance Period, Client may request that Designer develop enhancements to the Deliverables, and Designer shall exercise commercially reasonable efforts to prioritize Designer’s resources to create such enhancements. The parties understand that preexisting obligations to third parties existing on the date of the request for enhancements may delay the immediate execution of any such requested enhancements. Such enhancements shall be provided on a time and materials basis at Designer’s then in effect price for such services.

17. Additional Warranties and Representations

    Deficiencies. Subject to the representations and warranties of in connection with Client Content, Designer represents and warrants that the Final Deliverables will be free from Deficiencies. For the purposes of this Agreement, “Deficiency” shall mean a failure to comply with the specifications set forth in the Proposal in any material respect, but shall not include any problems caused by Client Content, modifications, alterations or changes made to Final Deliverables by Client or any third party after delivery by Designer, or the interaction of Final Deliverables with third party applications such as Web browsers other than those specified in the Proposal. The parties acknowledge that Client’s sole remedy and Designer’s sole liability for a breach of this Section is the obligation of Designer to correct any Deficiency identified within the Warranty Period. In the event that a Deficiency is caused by Third Party Materials provided or specified by Designer, Designers sole obligation shall be to substitute alternative Third Party Materials.

    Designer Tools. Subject to the representations and warranties of the Client in connection with the materials supplied by Client, Designer represents and warrants that, to the best of Designer’s knowledge, the Designer Tools do not knowingly infringe the rights of any third party, and use of same in connection with the Project will not knowingly violate the rights of any third parties except to the extent that such violations are caused by Client Content, or the modification of, or use of the Deliverables in combination with materials or equipment outside the scope of the applicable specifications, by Client or third parties.

18. Compliance with Laws

    Designer shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that all Final Deliverables shall be designed to comply with the known relevant rules and regulations. Client, upon acceptance of the Deliverables, shall be responsible for conformance with all laws relating to the transfer of software and technology.