There are so many things that make this time of year special. So the Iceberg team decided to share some of our favorite holiday traditions.

There are so many things that make this time of year special. So the Iceberg team decided to share some of our favorite holiday traditions from our childhood and today.

CeCe Talbot- Web Designer

My favorite tradition growing up was the days leading up to Christmas, snooping around my parents’ closet to get a preview of the presents. There were times me and my brother tag-teamed it! But the best part was Christmas morning waking up my brother (he sleeps in). What makes holidays the best are your siblings, families, and pets!

Jessie Gutzwiller- Customer Service Representative

My favorite tradition growing up was getting and decorating our tree, we would always go out and get a real tree, and it had such a lovely smell and was so pretty to look at. Also, we mastered the craft of making the gifts look like they had not been opened for a teeny tiny little peek!

Mariann Martin- Project Manager

My favorite Christmas tradition growing up was the advent calendar.  We had one that told the Christmas story and counted down days until Christmas, and then we had one with little doors that my mom would put little treats and trinkets in.  We would rotate who read the storybook for the day and who got to open the door.

Hattie McCoy- SEO & Marketing Strategist

For many years of my childhood, my family insisted on getting a real tree. We would go to a different tree farm almost every year, sometimes as far as an hour away. My sister and I would cram into my dad’s truck, have hot chocolate, and pick out a tree. Then, we had an obligatory picture of us dragging the tree into the house. Then we all would avoid Dad, as he usually had a heck of a time trying to get the tree into the stand. It was best just to keep a distance, ha-ha.

Shane Bader- VP of Sales & Marketing

Growing up, I loved all the amazing food everyone brought—and of course, opening gifts.

Kyle Teeter- Website Developer

One of my favorite holiday traditions actually starts several weeks before Christmas when my family starts to read a little portion of the Christmas story every day leading up the Christmas Eve.

Jessi Gurr-Owner & CEO

When I was young, one of my favorite things to do around the holidays was listening to records in front of the Christmas tree. I would turn off all the lights in the house and turn on the tree lights. Then I’d put on the old holiday classics – The Osmond’s, The Carpenters, Johnny Mathis. I could listen to these records for hours.

Heather Erickson- SEO Content Writer

Growing up, my sister and I had enormous Christmas stockings! I always imagined they had been Santa’s stockings (I also thought he was a giant). So, when I had kids, I took my childhood stocking, used it as a pattern, and made every family member a giant quilted stocking. My third child was born just before Christmas, so we took a photo of him inside his stocking. Last year my kids decided to put our gifts in our stockings and skip the larger gifts. It saves on wrapping paper, and it’s like going back in time to when we were children.

Jessie Gutzwiller- Customer Service Representative

Today, my favorite tradition is mine and my daughters’ annual ornament party. It is the perfect chance to get together with friends and family you may not see at Christmas and is ALWAYS filled with laughter! I really love this because I know my daughter will continue this tradition!

Kari Sletten- VP of Operations

My favorite Christmas Tradition is lighting the Advent candles. I love starting with four brand new candles that are all the same size and then watching them get smaller and smaller as it gets closer to Christmas. When I was growing up, when we would light the new candle each Sunday, we would also read part of the Christmas story from the Bible and then add the corresponding characters to our Nativity set. For my family now, our tradition is a little bit different.

When we light the candles, we sing “O Come, O Come Emanuel.” We start with the first candle on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, and we sing only one small part of the song. For the whole week, whenever our whole family has dinner together, we light the candle and sing the first verse. Most of the time, it is goofy and terribly off-key. Then on Sunday, we light the first and second candles and add a verse to the song. By the time it is Christmas Eve, we light all four Candles and finally get to sing the entire song. I just love everything about this tradition. I love looking back at the candles and seeing how much we were able to be together as a family. Some of the weeks have many more family dinners than others, and you can tell by the difference in candle heights. I also love putting together the Advent wreath, trying to find the right size and shape of candles each year, and trying to get the dang things to stand up straight, which usually involves Play-Doh, gum, fancy space adhesive, or a hot glue gun.

Joshua Smith-Senior Web Developer

Our Christmas traditions have changed a bit over the years. Still, there are some Christmas traditions that I always enjoy… lighting candles & singing Silent Night at the Christmas Eve service, watching old Christmas movies, baking Christmas cookies, and gathering with family & friends.

Kyle Teeter- Website Developer

Another tradition that I really love is the actual Christmas dinner. Instead of doing a traditional menu, we typically try to make dishes that we haven’t tried before or comfort food from our childhoods.

Shane Bader- VP of Sales & Marketing

These days, my favorite traditions are being able to spend so much time with your family, our gift exchange, and cooking something non-traditional on Christmas. We’ve done crab boils, had oyster stew, and even steak!

Hattie McCoy- SEO & Marketing Strategist

My favorite tradition now has to be putting up the tree (even though I haven’t had a real tree in years). I like looking at all the ornaments and what different years represented by the decoration.. I look forward to sharing some of the memories with my son as he grows up! I also have to say baking gets an honorable mention, as some favorite cookies, this time of year are a must! 

Jessi Gurr-Owner & CEO

The first silent, magical snowfall of the year. Unwrapping ornaments, remembering where they came from, and hanging them on the tree. Chex Mix. Making lefse. The bright eyes of a child as they come downstairs on Christmas morning. There are so many things that make this time of year special!

From Our Team to Yours

Although some traditions change, the most important things stay the same. We wish you the very best this holiday season and into 2022!

If we can help you with anything, contact us or just give us a call! 763-350-8762

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Happy Holidays from Iceberg Web Design

Everyone knows 2020 has been challenging. This year, more than any, it is so important that we hold tight to the little things that bring us moments of joy. Here at Iceberg, we decided to share some of the holiday traditions that we are keeping alive for ourselves and our families on our company slack. We hope everyone is finding ways to celebrate as we close out the year!

Our Holiday Traditions :

hattie  

Hey Iceberg Penguins,  I would like to finish the month with a small discussion. What holiday traditions are you keeping alive even through the struggles of 2020?

jessi   

I’ve been keeping the magic of the season alive for the kids – though the lack of snow does make that a bit more difficult this year. A new tradition, which I expect to carry on each year now, is hanging cheerful lights outside on the house. Also, at my house in December, elves visit in the night and leave trinkets in little bags for the kids. It’s usually a small ornament, a gadget, or a treat. And while I haven’t talked with him personally, I’m sure that Santa will be making an appearance on Christmas morning.

heather   

We have certain cookies that we make every single year. Today we are going to try to get them done. One is called come drop peppernuts. It’s a German recipe for teeny tiny little cookies. The other is for the most wonderful cookie in the world. It doesn’t really have a name, I like to call it peanut butter patties. You just take two Ritz crackers and smear some peanut butter between them. Then, you dip the little peanut butter sandwich into chocolate or chocolate almond bark. Then you set the coated cookie on wax paper until it hardens. Finally, you try not to eat all of them at once.

mariann 

Day drinking?
Seriously though, when we chatted about Christmas and what our traditions are, neither of us had anything big we could think of.  Although both of our families are big on mimosas on holidays and I did plan to buy some stuff for that.

hattie  

I have to admit that this year, it was a little harder to put up the Christmas decorations and want to do some of the normal holiday traditions, it just didn’t feel like the holidays. I’m glad that I did, and we did take time to wrap gifts and have them sent to our families. We have also frosted cookies and we are going to try a new activity and tye die some onesies for our baby and a couple of shirts for us on Christmas. Here is a picture of some of the cookies we decorated:

jessie   

Even though I struggled with putting up my indoor decorations ( just kind of seemed like there was no point in it, although, I did manage to do it) I always, always decorate outside! Even this year, I did not hesitate even a little bit! I love to send joy to passersby, by decorating the house and yard.

shane 

Last-minute Christmas shopping, we put up a real tree and are having Christmas on Christmas Eve with one side of the family and Christmas Day with the other side although mostly virtual this year.

kari   

Usually, we light advent candles starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas and adding one candle each week. We also have a song we sing and we add on one verse to it each week. It is my favorite family tradition. I measure how many family dinners we have in the month by how small the candles get. This year we have been in a time warp. Every day is the same and time is moving in super speed so it is very hard to figure out what day or month it is. With everything going on we didn’t get the Christmas decorations out until the fourth Sunday had actually passed, but I’ve decided that since this is a favorite tradition we are going to have one nice meal where we do a speeded-up version of the candle lighting and song. It seems fitting for this crazy year.

heather

That was a great idea! And it was so fun to hear everyone’s traditions. I might have to join Mariann’s family for Christmas. Day drinking lol! Seriously, all of them were so heartwarming.

mariann 

LOL yeah Alex’s god mom makes the best mimosas with Tequila and Champagne!

hattie  

great holiday traditions all around!

Let’s talk in 2021

Our passion is to solve your business problems with unique web application development. Whether your goal is increasing leads or helping internal operations we want to work with you. We don’t stop with your website. In addition to custom website development and design, we offer a range of search engine optimization, content marketing, branding, and related services.

Contact us today! 

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In the fourth quarter of 2013, the year’s prime holiday shopping season, a whopping 32% of Google search traffic came from mobile devices. One study showed that 30% of all e-commerce website traffic came from mobile devices in 2013. And with so many holiday gifts being smartphones and tablets last year, it stands to reason that those statistics will only increase for the 2014 holiday season.

Now that November is here, the 2014 Holiday Shopping Season is in full swing. Is your website ready for online customers this year? Whether you have a retail or service business, online holiday marketing is essential. Even though you may not plan to sell products on your website this year, you will likely see an increase in website traffic this quarter. Shoppers are not just looking for gifts this year – they are also shopping for home improvement projects, plumbing fixes before holiday guests arrive, carpet cleaning services, car detailing, restaurants to stop at between gift-buying outings…and the list goes on.

Below are 6 simple things you can do to make sure your website is ready for your customers this holiday season:

1. Make sure your website is optimized for mobile viewing.

This sounds like a no-brainer, but so many e-commerce websites are still using software from 2009 (or earlier!), and haven’t yet invested in modern website programming or design. If you’re a business owner with an online storefront, do you know how easy it is for your customers to purchase from their smartphones? Give it a try – pull out your own smartphone, and see how many clicks it takes, and how much you have to pinch-and-zoom just to add a product to your shopping cart.

Mobile friendly websites are not only good for customer sales and retention, but they also increase trust for your business and your brand. Consumers want to feel safe when purchasing from their smartphones, and if your website has been built so smartphone shopping is simple, your customers will know your site has been built with mobile shopping in mind.

2. Update your home page for the Holidays

First impressions are crucial – and your website visitors are going to be influenced to act within 3 seconds of loading your website. Do you have a slideshow on your home page? Incorporate some fun new holiday-inspired photography into it! Showcase some of your products or holiday specials.

A basic re-design of the home page of your content can attract clients without breaking the bank. Looking for ideas? We can help give you some suggestions!

3. Spruce up your SEO with some holiday marketing language

Did you know that you can control exactly what Google displays to your customers? Give your business a search online – the title of your website pages and the description that falls below them are all things that can be edited by your website developer. Marketing a product or a service specifically for the holiday season? Have a great Christmas promo going on? Say so (in less than 150 characters) right on Google’s organic search results.

If you don’t have an online store, but want to encourage people to call or e-mail you for seasonal specials or holiday orders, publish your contact information directly in this description so people can contact you fast.

4. Get your online inventory and shipping schedules together early

Nobody likes it when they purchase a product online, only to receive a phone call three days later to find out that their item is out of stock or won’t be delivered until December 26th. Make sure your holiday shopping schedule, shipping expectations, and return policy are clearly stated on your home page and thought the checkout process on your website.

5. Publish a Holiday E-mail Newsletter

An e-mail newsletter is a great way to contact potential customers directly and inexpensively. A branded e-mail newsletter cost less to send out than printed postcards and letters – and recent research shows that the return on e-mail marketing is actually higher than that of postal mail.

People are more inclined to impulse shop during the holiday season, so if you send out an e-mail newsletter featuring some great, inexpensive holiday gifts or must-haves, you may find some new customers visiting your online store this season.

6. Spice up your Social Media posts

Create funny, themed Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ posts this holiday season. Fun facts, jokes, and information are great ways to engage comments on your social media profiles. And don’t forget the picture! Adding a picture to a social media update will increase the post’s chance of being seen and shared. There are a number of websites that offer free holiday stock photographs (like this one) – or be creative and hire a photographer to come out and take some pictures of your staff dressed in Elf suits.

Need some extra help with your holiday marketing?

You can accomplish a lot of these things yourself, or with a little help from your website developer. Need some more inspiration or help with marketing this holiday season? Contact us for a free website consultation – we would be happy to talk about your current website, offer some suggestions for how you can make improvements, and talk about a long term marketing strategy to bring you more business.

And most importantly – don’t forget to have a happy holiday season yourself!

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We have spent a lot of time researching and developing new strengths this year, and we look forward to continuing to learn the “latest and greatest” website features in the New Year. One of our goals for early 2012 is to take on a new Sales Representative, and we have hopes to add one or two new employees to our staff by the end of 2012. Your continued support will help us to reach this goal.

Our office will be closed for website maintenance/updates December 23rd, December 26th, and January 2nd in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays.

We wish you and your families all the best this Holiday Season. May the New Year bring you happiness and success!

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At Iceberg, our passion is designing websites. We truly love what we do, and we want you to help you fall in love with your website. From a simple facelift to a new photo slideshow, or maybe even a custom Blog or Shopping Cart… there are many ways we can help spice up your website and turn it into something you love.

Remember, your website is the most important marketing tool you have for your business. If you’re not happy when you open up your home page, contact Iceberg to see how we can help add a little spark to your business!

The post Love your business this Valentine’s Day appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

We would like to take some time to thank you for your ongoing business and support in 2010. Best wishes to you, your family, and your business for a wonderful Holiday Season and a successful New Year!

2010 Holiday Hours:

Our office will be CLOSED for design and maintenance:
Wednesday December 22 through Wednesday December 29, 2010

Please have all requests for website updates in by noon on Monday, December 20.

Thursday, December 30
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Friday, December 31
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Thank you again for your ongoing support,

jessi

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The Iceberg Penguin is all dressed up for the holidays this year, and is anxiously waiting to unwrap those presents!

Our office will be closed December 24th-27th, and New Year’s Day.

Thank you for your business and support in 2009! We send warm wishes for a wonderful holiday season to everyone, and we are looking forward to working with our current website clients and on new website projects in 2010.

The post Happy Holidays from Iceberg! appeared first on Iceberg Web Design.

We think the new design is refreshing, and easy on the eyes. Mostly though, we just felt it was time for something new. Web design is our passion, and by giving our own website a new look from time to time, we hope to inspire you to do the same.

Contact us today, or click here to receive a free quote if you are interested in a refreshing new website design or simply changing the color scheme on your current site. Or… maybe your logo would like a witch hat or some turkey feathers next month!

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