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Author: Jennifer Folsom

Jennifer Folsom, Senior Web Designer/Developer, is experienced in conceptualizing, designing, and developing engaging digital experiences with WordPress and WooCommerce. She has a strong focus on user-centered design principles. Never one to pass up the opportunity to help, Jennifer knows that collaborative problem-solving requires patience, kindness, grit, and communication. Specialty areas include: Website Accessibility (ADA/WCAG Compliance and Best Practices) Content Optimization for Search Engines (SEO) Custom Training (Bear Web Labs) Web-Optimized Photography Newsletter Management Jennifer has been a Girls Who Code facilitator since 2017, is the Program Chair at SEFAA, and has been an annual guest speaker for The Arts and Business Council of Greater Nashville since 2021.

Is Your Website Due for a Refresh? Here’s How to Tell

We understand that your website is more than just a digital presence; it’s a reflection of your brand, values, and offerings to the world. Over time, even the most well-crafted websites can benefit from a bit of polish and modernization. Is Your Website Due for a Refresh? As your trusted web design partner, we’re here to review your website and advise on updates, recommended for sites 3 to 4 years old.

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Bear Web Labs: Mastering More Than Content Management

Bear Web Labs is your hub for comprehensive web training tailored to help you. We aim to equip entrepreneurs and businesses with the skills to master content management, social media, and SEO strategies. We use the industry-leading platform – WordPress.

Under the guidance of our dedicated professionals, including Jennifer Folsom, an accomplished Web Designer/Developer, and Sabrina Jewell, an esteemed Marketing Specialist, our training programs delve into the intricacies of WordPress, WooCommerce, and essential aspects of social media and SEO.

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Unlocking the Potential: Reasons to Redesign Your Website

Your website is more than just static marketing; it’s a dynamic tool that can propel your business forward, or hold it back. If you’re considering a website redesign, here are signs that your current site may be due for a makeover.

Outdated Design and Functionality

Digital trends and expectations seem to evolve overnight. If your website looks outdated or lacks modern functionality, it might be turning away prospects. A contemporary design improves user experience and positively reflects on your brand.

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Bear Web Teams Up with Girls Who Code

Believe it or not, I can’t wait to spend the rest of the summer coding with high school students I haven’t yet met! Over the last two weeks, I helped high school juniors and seniors code websites advocating topics they care about passionately. I facilitated a sisterhood of young women lifting each other in praise and graduating from the Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program (GWC SIP) with new skills, newfound friendships, and innovative perspectives on their futures. And over the next 6 weeks, I will see another 60 students, from all over the world, take risks, be brave, and discover how great Computer Science can be.

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WordPress, Gutenberg, & The Classic Editor

The new block editor, also known as Gutenberg, stands to change the way you create and update content on your WordPress site. It’s likely you have experienced the classic WordPress editor. You might use it to post a blog, for instance. It’s also likely that you had to look up how to complete complex tasks like style changes, adding buttons or changing the background color. (You may have also asked your friendly agency for assistance.)

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Web Accessibility

We all visit websites for similar reasons regardless of the technology we use to interact with it. A person who is visually impaired will use a bank’s website to pay a bill with the same intent as someone who doesn’t use assistive technology. A person using their mobile device requires the same functionality of someone using their desktop. Just as a good site design will have considered the requirements of different screens, good site design needs to consider a variety of users’ needs and accessibility issues. This is called Web Accessibility.

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Welcome To Code Club for Girls!

Over the last few months I have been working with the Watertown Wilson County Public Library. We have worked to launch an after school coding club called “Watertown Impact”. Every Wednesday, 7 young women, 6th through 12th grade, spend their afternoons learning to code. This code club for girls helps them develop web design skills.

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