Articles by Cindy Brummer

WordPress vs Drupal: which should I choose?

What’s the difference between WordPress and Drupal? That’s a question I hear often, and it’s an understandable question. WordPress and Drupal are both open-source content management systems (CMS) that are very well known. Both have their strengths and weakness.  But which one you choose really should depend on your site’s needs. Standard Beagle specializes in […]

How to Enjoy Austin like a Local – SXSW Edition

It’s SXSW time!!!  First off, let me welcome you all to Austin, the live music capital of the world! Secondly, I am sure you have heard a lot of people ask you to not move here.  It’s kind of a paradox we suffer.  We welcome people into our city, bestow them with kindness and friendly […]

5 Questions to Ask When Deciding Between a Freelancer or an Agency to Build your Website

When it comes to hiring someone to build your website, cost is one of the biggest factors that clients face. Everyone has their own idea about how much they think web design and development should cost. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand why the cost is typically higher than they expect it to be for a […]

5 lessons I’ve learned in the past year

You know how you go through a roller coaster ride, and then you get off, and your head is spinning? That’s how I’ve been feeling after the past year. In the past year, my role has changed dramatically at work, and my responsibilities as a manager have grown exponentially. Sometimes I feel like I’ve learned enough […]

How to have more impact at work (but do less work)

Managers who are struggling tend to fall into three different vicious cycles, but there is hope out of at least one of them, and it isn’t hard. At least that’s what I learned from Michael Bungay Stanier, who taught one of the Master Classes at the 2016 99U Conference. According to Stanier, author of The […]

5 Qualities of a Good Client

Being a good client leads to a partnership that creates a great product. It’s in your best interest as well as the agency’s.So how can you be a good client?

Learn the 9 Mistakes Not to Make When Hiring a Digital Agency

Have an idea for a technology project for your business? Need help making it happen? Learn what not to do when hiring the right firm.

Our biggest blind spots (and what to do about them)

You know what’s really hard about being in the position I’m in now? I feel like I’m the last to know. I know my team isn’t trying to hide things from me – not maliciously at least. I think I have a great relationship with everyone on my team– better than most leaders. But no […]

5 tips for navigating bad days as an entrepreneur

I had one of my worst days recently. It was one of those days that one disappointing thing happened right after another. The hits just kept on coming. By afternoon, when I got yet another message about bad news, the camel’s back broke. It was the last straw, and I had a very difficult time staying […]

Part 1: How to Build Teamwork – The Foundation of Trust

I have become a firm believer that trust is the foundation for a strong team. And that’s why my team is actively working to build trust in ourselves, between each other, and as an organization. That probably sounds a little cheesy. Trust is often considered a “soft” skill. What good is it in an agency, […]

Losing the Standard Beagle

 I have felt a little awkward lately when people ask me why we named our company Standard Beagle. I feel like – how do I say this? Andy and I named Standard Beagle after our Treeing Walker Coonhound. She looked like a giant beagle, and it became kind of an inside joke when people […]

Content Strategy 101: Part Two

Continuing on from our previous blog post on ‘Content Strategy 101,’ there are several ideas for approaching Content Strategy throughout the UX design process. The different phases of the design process include: Discovery Analysis Build Maintenance Keep in mind that this is a cycle and not a linear process. Just because you have started the […]