Short update
Posted by josh in Agency Web News on April 14th, 2010
We have a new website up for AgencyWeb. Still working on a few things to finlaize it but the design is set. Let us know what you think!
Also here are a few links to articles that we have been mentioned in.
Google Super Bowl ad
Posted by josh in Industry News, Local Search, technology on February 9th, 2010
I’m sure many of you saw the Google Ad on the Super Bowl. I have to admit I was rather excited and impressed to see the ad running along side the usual suspects of Bud Light, Doritos and GoDaddy. This was the first time I have ever seen a Google ad and wonder if they will start to showcase more.
1,238,584 people had viewed the ad again on YouTube before the Vince Lombardi trophy was even presented to the Saints! This again only reinforces the power of search – over 1 million people to took time away from the Big Game to search online for an ad they had just viewed.
The ad is simple, almost Apple like in production. It shows the progression of different searches and results as a young mans life starts off traveling abroad to eventually settling down with a family. Google did a great job of adding emotion to something as technical and sterile as search. The ad brilliantly illustrates how these days we truly rely on search for so many different aspects of our lives wither we realize it or not.
The ad showcases many different uses Google has – regular search, spell check, language translation, flight status, and local search. During the 60 second spot they featured local search in 3 of the results.
Cafe’s near the louvre
Chocolate shops paris france
Churches in Paris
Think about it – Google spent millions on this ad and featured local search results 1/4 of the time during their sop. If this doesn’t show how important local search is I don’t know what else would.
What did you think of the ad? Watch the Google ad.
Foursquare – Social Networking Goes Local
Posted by jake in Agency Web News, Industry News, Local Search, Search Engine Optimization, Social Media, technology on February 1st, 2010
If you’re anything like me, when you hear “social networking” you probably think of Facebook, Twitter and Myspace. Accounts that you may or may not use to keep up with forgotten high school buddies, collect thumb-nailed friends you’ll never meet and keep track of exactly what your favorite celebrity is doing at any given moment.
For most business owners it’s been a struggle attempting to leverage social networking sites and an even greater challenge trying to measure their value. Yes, the potential to reach a massive audience through Twitter and Facebook is undeniable, but are people listening? I can only speak for myself and those I associate with, but in my experience people won’t pay much attention to branded social networking. If a product or service isn’t extremely groundbreaking and VERY specific to someone’s tastes, they’ll just ignore it.
This could soon change with a new kid on the scene called Foursquare.
The basic premise of Foursquare is similar to Twitter; updates from a phone are sent out to all your subscribers to let them know what you’re up to. The key difference is that Foursquare is location based; users ”check in” at various places to let their friends know what they are doing. Foursquare also uses a point system to reward its users with badges irreverently named things like “crunked” for discovering new places or becoming the most frequent patron of a particular spot. Foursquare will even let you see tips people have left for the locale you’re checking into and suggest nearby spots you might enjoy. Twitter on the other hand is primarily used to find out what Ashton Kutcher is having for lunch.
Foursquare essentially makes life into a game.
Who cares?
At AgencyWeb we’ve seen some potential in Foursquare. There are ways for business owners to leverage this service and to *gasp* measure its value!
The most obvious use for Foursquare is basically to do the Twitter thing. Start an account for your business, talk your customers into subscribing and then blast them with updates about sales, events, renovations, whatever. You might find that this annoys people however, and besides, it’s boring.
Try this: If someone becomes the most frequent patron of a specific spot on Foursquare they become the “mayor” of that spot. Why not offer a 5% discount to the mayor? Others may start coming through your door more often just to claim the title.
How about instating a “bring a friend” incentive. Perhaps you own a bar. You could have a Monday special where if someone brings five friends through the door with proof of the Foursquare message that got ‘em there, the one-person street team gets a couple of free drinks.
Use tips to your advantage too. Have a “secret” mixed drink. The only way to find out about it is to check in on Foursquare and receive the tip. This type of “game” will keep people coming back.
These are just the tip of the iceberg with Foursquare. Since it is specifically geared towards local communities, there are countless ways businesses can use the service to their advantage. I find myself checking in to spots I wouldn’t have even glanced at on Twitter or Facebook.
I guess my point is to keep an eye on this thing. If you like friends, and you leave your house occasionally, you’ll probably end up using Foursquare.
Just some advice from your friends over at AgencyWeb.
iPad – The future of computing?
Posted by jake in Agency Web News, Apple, Industry News, iPad, technology on January 28th, 2010
As many of you reading this already know, Apple announced their new “iPad” yesterday (January 27, 2010). The iPads resemblance to Mr. Job’s ever popular “iPhone” is striking, as well as its touch sensitive user interface. All of us here at AgencyWeb were pretty excited when we first saw the announcement, but more due to the omen presented by the iPad than what the iPad is.
Don’t get me wrong, this thing is very cool. A nice big display, wireless web browsing, familiar apps: the iPad is a titan among entertainment machines to be sure. If one is to use a computer primarily for surfing the web, watching videos and listening to music this thing is great! And the price is tailor made: $500 gets you your own iPad.
Entertainment based industries should definitely be watching this thing. If the iPhone was the catalyst, the iPad very well could be the explosion. And Kindle watch out! I suspect if the publishing industry embraces Apple’s new baby, there could be a bit of literary revitalization.
But at AgencyWeb, our design-riddled brains are thinking of how WE could make use of something like the iPad. At the moment, the iPad’s technical specifications don’t lend to any kind of serious design or multimedia work, though the UI absolutely does!
Imagine being able to draw directly onto a project without anything segregating your stylus and the work. Or being able to reposition items by literally picking them up and placing them somewhere else. This intuitive interface would make creativity far more natural. Perhaps you could give your work to a collaborator simply by “throwing” it to them from across a table or room.
And what about video? Cellphones have cameras exceeding five mega-pixels now, and LG is putting projectors in phones. The ability to shoot high quality video, edit it on the same device and then display it immediately is definitely a reality. Or perhaps a business could project a video on a glass window, and allow customers to visually manipulate it, drawing people off the street and through the door.
Regardless, we’re not quite there. The power of the iPad would have to increase a bit before the creative options would really be viable, but some companies, such as Adobe, seem to be preparing themselves for the future. Adobe has already begun work on an iPhone packager for flash developers with plans to expand the packager for the iPad’s higher resolution. In my opinion, this is a taste of things to come.
So as it stands, the iPad is pretty much a really big, really cool iPhone that doesn’t make calls. But I foresee its release as a taste of what’s next in the computing world.
Google displaying Twitter feeds in SERP
Posted by josh in Industry News, Search Engine Optimization on January 11th, 2010
I recently noticed that Google has started to display live Twitter feeds in their search results page. I was surprised at first to see this, but then again Google always likes to shake things up with their results and how they display information.
To me there are pro’s and con’s of this. On one hand it is a way to deliver real time search and information on what is happening. For some topics that are not really “news worthy” it will be a much easier way to find information and to get a pulse as to what is going on. But on the other hand how credible are these results? Most often times people on Twitter post links to other sites, press releases and sources of information, (like a traditional search engine results page) so it’s kind of an extra step.
Either way it just shows how fast and powerful social media has become and how Google is always working on delivering relevant, up-to-date information to their audience. It will be interesting to see if they continue to implement this for more results or only try it for a short period of time. So far I have only personally come across these results twice but will keep en eye out for them in the future. Have you seen these yet?
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EDIT
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I just updated our twitter to notify everyone that AgencyWeb would be closed on Monday for Martin Luther King day, and did a search on Google, sure enough they had the Twitter feeds embedded. A few minutes later our post came up. I have to admit I thought that was pretty cool!
Local Mojo Website-Redesign
Posted by Jessica in Agency Web News, Web Design on December 2nd, 2009
After the launch of our sister company in June 2009, Local Mojo received a redesign. As we prepared for the launch of the site, our primary focus was on the flow of the entire site. Our goal was to design a user friendly site for our users and potential customers. Once we mastered this task, we went back and revisited the look and feel of the site.
As we examined the original site we began to redesign some of the elements that were not the strongest. We chose to keep the original colors of Local Mojo while enhancing different design elements like buttons, icons, navigation bar, and logo.
As a design agency, it is important for us to stay up-to-date with the latest design trends and techniques. We at AgencyWeb know that once we work on a site and take it live, that it will never be fully completed. We will go back and revisit sites and make tweaks here and there to keep the site fresh and up to date.
As we look back over the year, we can reflect on the numerous changes that Local Mojo has gone through. The original design elements that were used to create the very first layout have changed greatly. The current site is now easier to read with larger type and a layout with more whitespace. Such changes become more appealing to the eye with a web 2.0 style applied to the buttons and navigation bar. The vision that AgencyWeb originally had a year ago for Local Mojo, has changed into something that we could never had imagined. In the design field, trial and error will take one in a direction that could never have been imagined, yet it may evolve into the best direction.
Adobe CS4 Workshop, Miami Beach FL
Posted by Jessica in Uncategorized on October 12th, 2009
In the graphic design industry, it is extremely important to stay up-to-date with the programs and tools that we use on a daily basis. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to attend the Adobe CS4 Workshop in Miami Beach Florida last week.
The workshop consisted of 200 different professionals ranging from graphic designers to photographers to website developers. Dave Cross and RC Concepcion, the hosts of the workshop, demonstrated the new capabilities and functions of CS4. The workshop was extremely informative with tips and tricks that can be used in my daily work-flow. Not only did they educate me on the new system, but provided helpful links for inspiration, tutorials, and resources.
CS4 Training Tutorials
As Dave Cross and RC Concepcion said, it is extremely important to stay up-to-date with the technology because if we dont, a twelve-year-old will end up taking our jobs. 
So, take any opportunity and attend workshops and/or conferences to better your skills as an artist.
NEW Local Mojo Mouse Pads
Posted by Jessica in Graphic Design on September 17th, 2009
Just received our NEW Local Mojo Mouse pads from Custom Mouse Pads.
If you are ever looking to spice up the office or need a functional/custom mouse pad this is a great place to go. The customer service rep was extremely helpful and quick on emails.
As I distributed the mouse pads around the office, everyone was very pleased with the color and quality. The price was just right for our budget!
Thank you – Custom Mouse Pads!
Follow AgencyWeb on Twitter.
Local Mojo Mouse Pads
MLB At Bat App
Last year I purchased the MLB At Bat iPhone App. At the time it featured stats, play by play through text updates on the screen and showed location of pitches. It also had a “cool” factor with the option to see video highlights. The thing that amazed me with this feature was the fact that the highlights showed up within a few minutes after the play developed.
So why am I talking about a baseball app as the regular season is winding down and with the playoffs approaching? This app is a great example of making a good thing better by listening to user feedback and not resting on their laurels. Other apps should take note of this and strive for improvements much in the same way MLB did.
The 2009 version of the MLB app has incorporated some amazing improvements. At the start of the season owners of the app could now listen to the Game Day Audio, even choosing which broadcast they want to listen to – home or away. Game Day Audio costs $15 by itself and MLB At Bat only costs $9.99. You do the math.
A few weeks after the all star break they added in Game Day Video. This allowed users to watch games live as the video broadcast is streamed into the phone. The quality on a wifi connection is simply amazing, looking like a miniature HD-TV. When on the 3G network the quality diminishes but still plays real time and relatively unaffected. One game a night chosen at random was available for viewing. I subscribe to the MLB.tv package every season for over $100.00 allowing me to watch any game on the computer and thought to myself it would be cool to have the ability to watch any game on the iPhone since I’m paying for it already. Sure enough a few weeks later this feature was incorporated into the app. Simply entering my login information into the phone I can now watch any game no matter where I am at.
This app is a must have for any baseball fan and is well worth the $9.99 price. I must say this is the most expensive app I have purchased though it is clearly my favorite. It would be nice if other major sports copied this model and offered a robust app so fans all over can follow their favorite teams.
It’s Mojo Time
Posted by Jessica in Agency Web News, Industry News, Local Search on August 21st, 2009
As we launch our sister company Local Mojo, we at AgencyWeb are extremely excited with all the hard work and dedication over the past year. We want to thank everyone who was apart of the team who made this all come to life.
The goal of Local Mojo is to allow small businesses to get more customers! Through the brainstorming, the creative process and the implementation of Local Mojo, this was our focus. Local Mojo allows small businesses to create an online presence without breaking the bank. Local Mojo allows small business owners to provide valuable information to its clients such as location with maps, hours of operation, services, payment options, background history and so much more. Small businesses can quickly and easily create a web page that is pushed to over 70 search engines so they will appear when their clients are searching for them. None of these elements just came together over night. It took many months of team meetings, brainstorming sessions, creative-wire-frames, site-maps, and research from different areas to master the needs, wants, and how to implement these elements that would be beneficial to both small business owners and their prospective clients.
Looking back and examining the process of Local Mojo, the most beneficial tasks as a team that we could have done was the brainstorming sessions, the creative-wire-frames and the usability testing. Although the brainstorming sessions may have lasted hours or even days, the outcome of the sessions were worth it. Sitting in a room and creating the flow of the site, deciding what elements would be most valuable, and how the site can be most beneficial to the user began the outline/skeleton of the site. Then came, the transformation of the outlined information from the brainstorming session into visual creative-wire-frames. The visual wire-frames hung on our office walls allowed AgencyWeb, to examine the flow and the design of the entire site before any programming/coding began. Once the wire-frames went through many revisions, and then approved, the programming/coding began. Once the site reached a certain point, we had usability testing with third-party users. We were happy to see that the users were able to easily and quickly build their site within 20 minutes with no major issues. These users ended the test surprisingly happy with a hassle free web site which was now going to get them more customers.
As Local Mojo is now live and ready for small business owners to create their Local Mojo Local Website for FREE! Local Mojo also has offers for those small business owners who wish to go beyond the basics.
So, start getting more customers by visiting LocalMojo.com to sign up for your FREE local web site.