Tulsa web developer Redhead Labs noticed the summer days winding down (but still hot!), and fall is just around the corner. A new school year is quickly approaching and that means back to school shopping. Pencils, books, and new clothes aren’t the only must-have items this year. Gadgets, such as laptops, tablets, USB flashdrives, are among the hottest items for the new semester, and more people are shopping online for their needs.

Recent polls show an estimated 40% of this month’s back-to-school shopping will be done online. Those are big numbers for those in the right E-commerce business. The autumn and holiday seasons may see big boosts for numerous online retailers, but the new school year can be just as impacting for your online store.

Google Olympic Doodles

Google is renowned for its often creative and entertaining usage of its homepage. Over the years hundreds of iterations of the Google logo honor birthdays, memorials, special events, and more. The 2012 Summer Olympics was a shoe-in for the same special treatment. Recent updates to the Google Doodles include interactive games right on the page, such as hurdles and basketball. Keep checking back daily for simple but fun games!

Olympic Update

The 2012 Summer Olympics are wrapping up this week. After NBC’s hard-learned lesson, more drama ensued on the world’s stage. Some athletes were disqualified for intentionally trying to throw a match. Controversial referee decisions have also plagued recent events.

On the other end of the spectrum, Team USA is meeting each challenge handily. The men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams both face Australia (the men in the quarterfinals, the women in the semifinals). The US women’s soccer team won an electrifying match against Canada and are set to rematch former World Cup finalist Japan. The stakes are never as high as they are in the last week of the Olympics, and Redhead Labs is excited to see Team USA continue to dominate on the field!

We’ve been documenting the 2012 Summer Olympics briefly here at Redhead Labs. This Tulsa web developer is enthralled by a recent story not involving events on the field, but off. With the advent of social media in our every day lives, it is now even easier to catch up on your favorite athlete, your countries top performers, and all other Olympic events. And therein lies the problem.

Tape delays and Twitter have been at the forefront of this weekend’s events, with vocal critics lashing out against NBC. Tape-delaying events has enraged American sports fans, oftentimes spoiling the outcomes on newscasts before they air. Problematic online streaming has angered even more. NBC is learning the hard way that digital freedom comes at a price.

So while the Twitter feeds light up with angry tweets, NBC has realized firsthand the mighty impact of social media. The powers that be at NBC have taken this online lesson to heart, altering their newscasts to reflect the primetime events, and even taking to Twitter to converse with critics and fans alike. Using social media to sift through the good and the bad is a necessity for any large business to succeed in today’s economy.

Olympic Update

The Olympics are into the first week after an exciting weekend of international competition. Team USA women’s soccer and basketball teams both came away from very convincing victories and have matches set for today. The men’s archery squad pulled off a nail-biting semi-finals finish, but were unable to overcome their Italian opponents in the final match. And the women’s gymnastics team captured the gold after a 16-year drought.

As of this writing, the United States  is neck and neck with China at the top of the pack, with 19 medals so far!

BigCommerce is changing. They’re making a lot of changes, actually. This new image is indicative of all the great new changes for this #1-rated shopping cart software!

Similar to Redhead Labs’ recent transformation, BigCommerce felt the need to spruce up their website and software, delivering something fresh and astounding to their clients. BigCommerce has constantly been on the threshold of cutting-edge upgrades and performance tweaks to deliver its already stellar shopping cart to new heights. The results come as no surprise to this Tulsa web developer!

Along with a new website and new logo, the interface for BigCommerce stores is going to be changed for the better. New BigCommerce templates are being created, new and sleek features included, and plenty of additions are on the horizon. With improved navigation and userability, this high-rated shopping cart is determined to stay at the top!

The new designs and upgraded features should be rolling out within the next month according the official BigCommerce blog. Follow it for more updates and information – we will watch here at Redhead Labs eagerly!

Olympic Update

The Opening Ceremony for the Olympics starts today, officially kicking off two weeks of global competition. Earlier this week the USA women’s soccer team led a roaring comeback to win the opening match against France 4-2. We’re behind the team %100 and eagerly awaiting the results of the rest of the games!

In a step that may seem a regression of technology, Facebook now offers printable posters to hang up in your office, around your store, or wherever you do business outside of the Internet! Customizable creations, you can insert your company’s Facebook link to advertise your store…in your store. It’s a great way to continue boosting your online presence to some who may not be aware of it.

Tulsa Web Developer Redhead Labs is excited to see new ways that Facebook is finding to advertise your business. The melding of offline and online marketing can only continue and as social media experts, we’re excited to see what new trends may come to fruition!

You can create edits to put your own store’s Facebook Page here: http://ads.ak.facebook.com/ads/FacebookAds/Facebook_Signs.pdf 

The opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics is a week away! Tulsa web design team Redhead Labs will be eager to kickoff this athletic spectacle after this invigorating if not exhausting summer. Our hearts and our eyes will veer toward the London arenas and stadiums with expectations and questions galore.

Will Michael Phelps continue his dominance in swimming events? How will the women’s soccer team fare after a heartwarming and enthralling gold-medal finish against Brazil in 2008? Will the ever-rainy summer in London ever clear to help our Olympic athletes?

Being an Oklahoma BigCommerce designer, we can’t wait to see how our hometown athletes handle this biggest of stages.

University of Oklahoma gymnasts Jacob Dalton and Jonathon Horton are sure to tackle the international competition with gusto. The Oklahoma City Thunder also has three US Olympians in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden (Serge Ibaka is also on the Spanish national team, heavily favored to contest with the US).

A myriad of other athletes representing the great state of Oklahoma and the United States will take their place as one-of-a-kind athletes for the next few weeks!

We are eager to cheer on our American athletes in this global competition. Our relations with our numerous international clients have led to some verbal jarring (all in good fun of course) in the spirit of friendly competition, and we can’t wait to see all the athletes take the field, lanes, mats, and more to represent their countries this summer!

Echoed’s social goals are simple – let your customers share your products around the globe. After each purchase, your visitors will be offered customizable tweets/status updates to post on their social media accounts, instantly inviting their friends, family, and co-workers to view the great products recently purchased!

The best part of Echoed is its instant rewards feature. For sharing their recent purchases from your website, your customers will garner savings that will be automatically credited to their card. There’s no reason for your customers NOT to share!

You can access the Echoed website here: http://echoed.com/bigcommerce

Some of the best features of BigCommerce are available right from the get-go! This #1 rated shopping cart platform has some great features that you can advantage of the moment you sign up.

SEO Friendly Shopping Cart

Did you know that your BigCommerce website is specially formatted to already bring in great search engine results? You just need to do a little legwork! Creating custom URLs for your products, categories, and pages really boosts SEO results.

Each category, page, and product has SEO optimized capabilities right there within the BigCommerce store – conveniently setup for you to fill in keywords and phrases to help boost traffic!

BigCommerce also has some handy webinars, walkthrough videos, and more to help all their customers struggling with search engine woes. You can also contact Tulsa web developer Redhead Labs for SEO services today!

It’s the middle of summer and it sure feels like it! This Oklahoma web developer caught a cool spell recently, dropping just below 100 degrees in time for the Fourth of July.

Our offices will be closed on Wednesday July 4th, but a shortened work week only means harder work the other four days! We have a habit of making up for lost time around here.

But for tomorrow, the team at Redhead Labs is planning on enjoying some good company, good food, and some good times to honor the nation’s 236th year. We want to wish all of our clients, our friends, and family all a safe and enjoyable holiday!

Constant Contact lets you stay contact your customers – you guessed it – constantly, via email and social networks to really engage customers for return visits. Their email marketing system is used by many BigCommerce customers and is easy to edit, manage, and benefit from for your online store!

You can access the Constant Contact website here: http://bigcommerce.constantcontact.com/index.jsp

Erica Sara Designs, a designer jewelry store, features chic and classic pieces for any occasion. Her designs sell themselves – but her new, sleek website helped a little as well!

Tech-cover case designer XHiBT was also recently featured in the BigCommerce blog, and is another shining example of capitalizing on a great business idea!

The great results don’t lie – Oklahoma web developer Redhead Labs really knows how to create some of the most unique and best BigCommerce templates.