Mar
16th

Oneupweb : 10 Years in Traverse City

Posted by Maureen on March 16, 2010 at 12:35 pm

Break out the cake, it’s time to celebrate! Oneupweb has officially been headquartered in the Traverse City area for 10 years.

I thought it would be fun to see what was going on in the world when our CEO, Lisa Wehr, picked up and moved from Alaska to Northern Michigan back in 2000. Here’s what I discovered:

Justin Timberlake was still at the top of the charts with ‘N Sync. (That was well before he brought sexy back. So does that mean sexy was still going on?)
Mel Gibson showed us What Women Want (great quote – “I’m the man-eating &%^$# Darth Vader of the ad world”).
Bush defeated Gore.
Richard Hatch won the first US Survivor.
Y2K (need I say more?).

Ah, yes. Remember when. Anyway, in 2000 Oneupweb had seven employees. That number grew quickly, requiring five moves over the past decade. The last move was to where I am currently writing this blog post from today—a 30,000 square foot facility overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. We currently have 43 employees, and (always growing) a couple of open positions we’re looking to fill. Here’s a pic of our current digs:

It’s been an amazing decade, one full of growth, awards, technologies and community giving. Here are a few highlights for Lisa and Oneupweb over the years:

Named to BtoB’s Who’s Who for six consecutive years for being a key thought leader in the search marketing industry.
Named a top search marketing agency in the world three times by AdAge.
Created two of the nation’s leading proprietary analytics tools.
Featured as a thought-leader in more than 400 articles.
Honored with numerous industry awards including ADDYs, Tellys, Communicator Awards and a BMA Sledgehammer.
Named an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year.
Completed a 5-day tour of the state offering our services for free to any business that needed them.

Being headquartered in Traverse City, far removed from a bustling metropolis like New York or LA, has proven to be good for Oneupweb. It’s here in our hometown that we can really focus on our clients, dig in and get to work. And being in Northern Michigan has probably also helped us stick to a policy that Lisa instilled from day one—writing it on a piece of notebook paper and sticking it to the wall with duct tape.

Be humble, be honest, be professional.

It’s simple, which is something you don’t find a lot of lately. With the amount of communication options at our fingertips, everyone is clamoring to be the most advanced and have the newest gadgets. We long for things that are complex, and as a result, are quickly leaving simple behind. I was reminded of this today by Lay’s potato chips (random, I know). They just started a new campaign that “happiness is simple“.

It’s the minute you get to spend watching a beautiful sunrise over the bay. That quick break you take to play a game of ping pong. That moment when you get home, take your shoes off and relax knowing you’ve put in a hard day’s work. Yes, simple is good. A simple promise, faithfully followed, has propelled one woman’s dream from a small basement office to one of the nation’s leading digital marketing agencies.

And you can bet, when she looks back on it all, she can’t help but be happy (no, I didn’t have to consult Nick Marshall on that one).

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Mar
16th

Oneupweb : Do You Remember When?

Posted by Jak on March 16, 2010 at 8:28 am

I was sitting around my house trying to figure out what to do. I was bored and there was no place to turn to for information. I asked my wife, she had no ideas. I asked my kids, nothing. Turned on the TV and both channels only had the President’s speech. I couldn’t contact any of my family, as they were out of the house doing other things—other things that I could be doing, if I just had some way of getting the information…

Yes, that was all made up, but do you remember those days? I’m getting a bit older, but I almost remember them and am surprised by how things have changed so much. Today, I can get everything I need with a click of a mouse, a tap of a screen or a quick call to a cell phone. I can log on to my computer and see where my kids are with GPS tracking if need be. Heck, I can even see who won an Olympic event four hours before NBC broadcasts it.

The question is no longer “what is there to do?”, it’s “what are we going to do next?”.

With information and communication so readily available, you can just about keep track of anyone at any time. When I was a teenager, I lived ten miles outside of town. When I got in trouble, my parents only had to take my keys and I was done for. The phone was attached to a cord, so there was no place to plot and plan my escape. If I did get out of the house, my parents would have no idea where I was until I came back.

Today, you have to take the keys, take the cell phone, and block the social networking sites and e-mail. I’m sure I missed a few other means of communication, but you get the point. I haven’t gone as far as the GPS tracking yet, but it’s nice to know it’s available if I need it. Of course, the kids these days will find ways to get around that, too.

But all this begs the question—is there just too much information out there? I say, who knows, and who cares. The only thing that really matters is whether the information you want to share is what people are finding. With the proper SEO or PPC campaign, your website can be found as easily as your kids on a Friday night.

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Mar
15th

Oneupweb : Magazine Design—Stand Out in the Checkout Aisle

Posted by Heather on March 15, 2010 at 1:03 pm

Designing a magazine is no easy task. Creating a piece that is cohesive in typography, illustration style and layout can become a nightmare, and that’s only just the beginning. It typically takes readers about five seconds to flip through and decide if they want to keep reading a magazine or put it back on the rack. That means your magazine design has to be something your target audience will remember and continue to look for when combing through the goodies at the checkout aisle. That’s why it’s so important to have a plan in place before you ever start designing.

Here are a few steps you should take:

Decide who your audience will be. Are they in their early 20’s or their early 40’s? Male or female? What’s the interest of the magazine; science, fashion, art, business, sports, food, home-making, or even a magazine about surfing? It can be a good idea to come up with reader personas that you can look back to later on.

Develop a budget. Decide if you will be developing a magazine every month, annually or semi-annually. Can you afford to do any cool printing techniques on the cover, or use a paper that might set you apart? Having a budget in place can help you when it comes time to design.

Thumbnail, thumbnail, thumbnail. Go through and figure out a grid, and thumbnail for a content page, contributors, featured articles, a letter from the editor, and the first few articles. Be sure to include ads and how they will fit in, such as double page spreads, full page ads, or even 1/4 page ads. And don’t forget to be consistent when it comes to ad sizes and placement. Because magazines are so heavy in content, organization and consistency are vital. And don’t forget those reader personas you pulled together. Make sure you are using them as you build out your plan.

Gather your copy. Make sure the articles are relevant to the reader personas you created earlier.

Now it’s time for The Hunt (the hunt for images, that is). This might be the hardest part of designing for magazines. Do you have to commission illustration or photography? Is it even in your budget? If not, you might be the one to come up with concepts relating to your article, and pen and inking them yourself. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Also, be sure to check out some great stock image sites where you can do some photo manipulation yourself. You might even want to plan to shoot some photography yourself. Just make sure your images relate to the copy and bring the article to life.

Putting it all together. Once you have a good idea of what your images will be, you can really start to lay out your articles. Your images may dictate how your copy can be laid out, but don’t let that discourage you. Create a central focus. Editorial spreads contain a lot of information and many different elements, but be sure you give the reader one element they can focus on. Guide the reader through the chaos, in a planned and organized fashion.

Add enhancements. Pull quotes can help guide the reader through articles, and work as a great way to draw them in for a closer look. Be sure to use quotes that engage the reader and keep them coming back for more.

Pay attention to typography. Make sure that there is enough leading, or vertical space, between the lines of copy.

Last but not least, the cover. This may be the most important part of the entire magazine. It has to say, “Hello, I’m a good read, and you really want to pick me up.” It’s important that you use quick and short headlines that grab the reader’s attention. Make sure your cover image is a good indication of what is inside. The cover of a magazine is the reader’s first impression; don’t let it be the last.

Magazine layout is not easy, but it can be fun. Do you have any other recommendations to make the process go a little smoother? Feel free to post them in the comments. I’d love to know your thoughts and discover new tips.

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Mar
12th

Oneupweb : Franchise iPhone Apps–Hungry for Pizza and Applications

Posted by Duncan on March 12, 2010 at 9:19 am

This is going to be a self serving blog in a couple of ways. The first self service here is a mention of Oneupweb’s iPhone application development services. The second is that I, and many other people, are hungry. We are hungry for pizza, subs, pretzels, ice cream, coffee and other delectable delights sold by franchises. We are also hungry for a way to use our smart phones to find locations, grab coupons and to place orders.

Oneupweb recently developed an iPhone app that can be easily modified to help franchises go viral with a fun and useful tool. The app allows you to have fun with a game, share the results with your friends (who will, in turn, share with their friends, and so on), find a location, get a coupon, place an order, and even request information on franchise opportunities. How can you lose with all that? Here’s a nice demo of the app:

So (now that I’m done with the Oneupweb pitch), here is my frustration. I have scoured Google and the iPhone app store trying to find apps for some of my favorite food franchises. Very few are in the game. This is troubling for the late adopters because the companies that are in the game are succeeding and leaping further ahead. At this point, if you are a pizza chain and you don’t have an app, you are behind. I suppose a day may soon come that franchisees and their customers will group together and explain to the franchisor what is missing. Perhaps then some of you will catch up.

Having an iphone app will help you stay in front of your busy, on-the-go customers (and maybe the couch potatoes, too). Give them what they are hungry for—a tasty quick meal that is easy to come by.

Now, let’s see, almost time for lunch. I will just load my Pizza Hut iPhone app and place an order. I will be eating soon. Thanks, Pizza Hut, for being modern!

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Mar
11th

Oneupweb : Oh, Be Careful …

Posted by Doug on March 11, 2010 at 4:44 pm

What do we do when we’re squeezed? When the pressure is on?

I’ll tell you the first thing I am tempted to do, every time: hide. Instead, I’m sure to do the right thing, because I’ve been taught to do it, practiced doing it, and been rewarded for doing it.

And the truth is, if you are doing anything significant, it will be noticed by others, for better or for worse.

You notice, right? There are people you expect to be smart enough to know when they are about to do something frightfully stupid—and to stop. Examples on my list with which we are familiar include the “grocery shrink-ray”, out-of-control congressional spending, and (as a software developer, I have to mention) software patents. The fallen companies, would-be heroes or respected leaders in today’s news are only the most recent in a long line.

When I notice these things, I had better quickly remind myself, “Hello! They probably are as smart as you are! So what’s the difference?” The first difference has got to be that humble self-recognition, and the second, equally important, is accountability. Because no matter how smart you are, you will never see your own faults like someone else will.

If you don’t listen to your friends when they advise you to change course, any guess to whom you will soon be listening? That’s right, your enemies who are capitalizing on your lapse now that it’s gone public. I’m glad I have had people in my life (starting with my parents) who had the nerve to hold me accountable. Those times are some of the most painful memories in my life, but without fail ushered in new and exciting opportunities.

The same lesson holds true in online marketing and for digital marketing agencies. Accountability is key. You should be working with an agency that is accountable for their work and the results it does or doesn’t provide. And, when working with an agency, consider the outside perspective they’ve been hired to bring to your brand. Do they provide adequate analytics package that gives a holistic picture of the digital marketing campaigns you’re paying them to create and manage? If not, they certainly should. And with the hundreds of platforms available today, there’s no excuse not to. That, after all, is the beauty of digital marketing. It can be tracked and the results, good and bad, accounted for.

“So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” – Saul of Tarsus

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