Grit Design:

We are often approached with a need for an ‘app’.

Here’s the thing – apps are great - they are fabulous – they rock.   Heck, we’ve built several.  We love to build them.   And with all their greatness – they are not always where your budget should go.

Content is still king – and the mode by which that content is found and created still rules the digital space.  Think SEO, think Social Media – think about your Customers or the one’s you’d like to make your Customers.  Think about the ‘device’ last.  And please, don’t go into a build just to check off the ‘I launched an app this year’ box.

When considering Web, Mobile and Native Apps, we must determine:

1. Target Audience
2. Audience Objectives  (this is ultra important)
3. Business Objectives (this is second to Customers folks)
4. Content to meet Objectives (based on relevancy to audience)
5. Tasks to meet Objectives (based on relevancy to audience)
6. Best Channel(s) / Device(s) (based on usage by audience)

Did you know that only 20% of all Branded apps have been downloaded over 1,000 times?  This is most likely because they were developed to ‘check off the box’ and not necessarily because they were the best solution or channel for a Customer.

Native apps aren’t searchable like web or mobile content – meaning – you’ve got to put some money behind launching them and they work best with a campaign.  Native apps still need to be developed for each platform – meaning multiple builds for 1 branded piece.  It makes sense to do this OFTEN.  It does not make sense to do this OFTEN.

The best approach is to look at your overall digital strategy – look at your tactics last – they must support your strategy.  They must only be developed if they meet a specific need – of your Customer.

The widest net is still the web and the broadest with mobile web content closely following at a narrower level – then with an action oriented / task devoted / value prop native app.

Remember - not every smartphone or tablet has your app, but every smartphone does have a browser.

The days of waiting for the Sunday paper to clip coupons are numbered. The rise in mobile couponing offers is growing exponentially and those seeking a good deal have never had an easier go of it.

Not only can consumers go directly to coupon sites to get their deals, there are also numerous coupon blogs that will find the best deals for you. And companies like Groupon and LivingSocial can deliver deals directly to email addresses.

Now with the growing popularity of geofencing technology, advertisers can achieve a new level of personalization. As a potential customer enters a targeted area they could receive promotions sent directly to their phone. One company in Colorado is allowing customers to opt in to receive texts of deals to their phone when they enter the shopping center, allowing retailers to “call out” to nearby shoppers.

Another newer technology with advertising potential is Augmented Reality. With an AR app, you would aim your phone at a specified target and using the camera, images or scenes would be overlaid onto the images on the phone’s screen. Starbucks used this technology with their Cup Magic app over the holidays, in which animated characters came to life when special codes or images were scanned. I could see this becoming a creative new outlet for marketers to give special offers or extra information on services when considering a product.

Whether you have the budget of a large company or that of a small establishment, these are merely a couple new ideas to consider when allocating advertising dollars.

The world is changing rapidly…but you did not need us to tell you that.

We are always looking ahead to the technological advancements of the future in the mobile space. We are already in a time where we find ourselves inundated with amazing technology – devices, apps, software, etc. – that enhances our everyday life, with more and more unearthed all of the time. New technologies are changing the way we think about “mobile.”

One of our original blog posts “Flexible Screens: Finally!” posted back in 2009, explored the emerging tech of these screens noting, “Mass production would be costly as of yet.” It seems now that mass production could soon become a reality in the near future.

In founder and CEO of Mashable Pete Cashmore’s special to CNN, we get a little of his insight into and hopes for the immediate future of mobile devices using the flexible screen technology and what could lie beyond as it is refined and enhanced. The ubiquitous nature of mobile devices truly takes on a new meaning!

Be SURE to check out the link to a video of Microsoft’s vision of the “near” future at the bottom of the article…Can you imagine? It’s slowly but surely becoming fact that pretty soon, you won’t have to.

Why your next phone might be bendable

I often get requests to provide our client partners with a “Guide” for SEO for their websites. However, providing a one page version to try to explain the very base science of SEO just never seemed to cut it for me. There is too much to explain and the relationships between the base elements of SEO were just not easily at-a-glance in a white paper.

Today, I stumbled the Periodic Table of SEO on Search Engine Land. Completely digestible, clean, and clear.

Check out the complete Periodic Table Of SEO Ranking Factors on the Search Engine Land site, there is also a great guide to the basic rules of SEO that goes along with this.

Something about flying does a body good.

Not merely the promise of sailing through the air with the greatest of ease, but the idea of being forced to shut down, from all our devices, if only for a short time.

While on a flight recently I had no Internet connection, so I began playing with apps on my smart phone.  It is amazing the amount of work that is put into concept, creative and development that often goes unnoticed.  Having the luxury (no Wi-Fi) of being able to focus on one thing, for an extended period, brings this to light.

I was impressed by the Biophelia app.  As a user is navigating through a virtual universe.  I truly appreciate the insight into the idea behind the app.  The developers provide this with an essay about the music; liner notes if you will.

Although a very different type, the utility of Jamie Oliver’s Recipe app also helps fill the gap of connectivity.   Users can browse recipes complimented by photos, add or delete items from a shopping list and view videos.

There are many others of course, these two I found particularly helpful in filling my latest boredom void.

I appreciate that both development teams found the nice blend of online and offline content.  Granted, there are hardly times anymore where we don’t have access to Wi-Fi, but when we don’t, based on my most recent flight, I want to make sure the things we are producing can still be functional and aren’t merely window dressing.

-Brad

Thank-you Tom Walsh for spending time in our Detroit office.

We are proud of our team. We are honored and humbled that so many smart and hard working people took the ‘risk’ with us to start this company.  It’s pretty awesome coming into the office everyday knowing that a group of talented and thoughtful people are working to make Grit a GO.

We’ve said before we like to create good work with good Client Partners and that’s really what drives us – doing what’s right with the right people.

The results we’ve been able to provide from the e-commerce sites, websites, mobile apps and more is due to our team.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110717/COL06/107170441/Tom-Walsh-Friends-create-their-jobs-start-up-design-firm-Detroit

Newly launched Stahls' ID website

There’s nothing like having a great Partner relationship with a Client – one that you can learn from as much as they can learn from you. A relationship that welcomes honest, open discussions that allows you, the actual partner (not vendor) to deliver true solutions – not one’s painted over for the sake of approval and budget.

We at Grit have been fortunate to have such a solid Client Partner relationship. We’ve been working with Stahls’ ID for the last 2 years. Stahls’ ID is a one stop shop for all things heat printing and more. From team uniforms to fancy graphics to elaborate vinyl signs. They even have a solid plan in place to help entrepreneurs start their own business in the Industry. Not only do they provide quality products but they excel in customer service.

Grit and Stahls’ ID teamed together to release the latest Stahls’ ID website yesterday. Because of their extensive product offering, their are many variables and customizable products to buy – this isn’t a 1:1 cart.

This new site is using the new Grit CMS tool – the first of our Partners to launch the tool behind the scenes. We thank Stahls’ ID for trusting Grit with their site and for being the first to try out our new tool. We look forward to many more successes with Stahls’ ID.

Check them out: http://www.stahls.com

Thank you to Wendy Targus from www.after5detroit.com for the feature article about Grit Design on their website.

We are proud of the work we are doing and of our new space.

Come check out our new offices! Wednesday, May 25 from 4-10 pm. 1938 Franklin St. Detroit.

Email Andrea or Carrie to RSVP!

Grit Design has officially moved to the Elevator Building on the Detroit riverfront.

The Detroit News did a feature today on the revival of the Detroit riverfront. Andrea was interviewed for the video. Check it out for a preview of our new space!