U2R1 Media

U2R1~What does that mean to me?

2009-10-12T17:13:00.001-07:00

Time and again I'm asked what does u2r1 mean? This weekend I've had the fortune of being able to watch the movie "What the Bleep Down the Rabbit Hole" an extension of "What the Bleep Do We Know" for the 4th time now?. It's a documentary about Quantum Physics, those of you who don't know about Quantum Mechanics and Science I highly recommend you googling and doing some research into the profound knowledge and vastness of what it embodies.

One aspect of Quantum Physics is that we are all connected on a molecular level, like it or not whatever you do or say to anyone that action is actually effecting a part of you. Kinda like the childhood rhyme of "I'm the ball and your the glue.." isn't it amazing how kids are sometimes so much more in tune and connected than adults? Probably because they don't yet have the imprints and habitual cellular reactions based on ingrained belief systems and emotional experiences that comes with adulthood.

So u2r1? Energy connects us all and on a sub atomic level we are actually all intertwined. The idea translated into my business model is that if I share my knowledge and experience and creativity with you then you as my client will take that experience and share that knowledge and inspiration and growth with your clients and so on and so forth. So in term my success is your success is your clients success etc.

However we translate success be it via finance, or happiness, or accomplishment, health, love... As long as the intent of our establishment goes beyond just closing a deal and doing the job, but indeed the intent for the project is to manifest positive outcomes that will channel an energetic line that connects multiple people and lives, that is what we want to achieve at our level of creative development... That is U2R1!

Check out "What the Bleep Do We Know" learn how to be the creator and manifest your reality and your life movie.

www.u2r1media.com

New Diggs

2009-09-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

It's almost closing time on our first day at the office and needless to say the day didn't end without drama! All in all it was exciting to leave my house for the first time in 7 years and travel to work! Hopefully the novelty won't wear off fast although I think it may once the bitter cold days of winter arrive.

The office environment is great! what a space! The decor is coming together wonderfully and I signed a deal on our first day in! :)

We did however manage to crash a computer, lock ourselves out of our kitchen area and freeze under the over zealous AC system. I'm hoping all that will be resolved tomorrow as another day and another adventure arises!

It's an exciting time for U2R1 Media! I have to say I'm quite giddy and loving the fact that I'm in the heart of the posh Yorkville area. Hat's off to our first day and here's to many more less dramatic adventures!

Come visit us on Oct 8 from 1-5 where we will have our open house celebration!

RSVP katherine@u2r1media.com

Sari

www.u2r1media.com

We're Moving!

2009-09-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

It's been the month of surrealism in my life and it's just getting more and more exciting. Gone are the days that I say "that will never happen." Never is no longer part of my vocabulary, after this month I believe more than ever that anything and everything you can imagine can manifest into reality. (but more on that would be discussed on www.sarissuite.com)

I'm happy to announce that we are moving offices! After searching long and hard for the perfect space I found a great location right in the heart of Yorkville. The journey has been fast and high energy, but do I ever do things any other way? Once my mind is set, the wheels are in motion.

On Friday everything comes together and we are finally officially moved in on Monday Sept 21. The irony of that? it's a new year for me! (being that I celebrate Rosh Hashana the Jewish New Year) and what a way to start!

We are all very excited and this year is already showing a lot of promising projects and exciting ventures! Stay tuned for what's coming up next with U2R1 Media! Always fun, always creative and always exciting!

Come visit us any time! 110-114 Cumberland St. Suite 300

:)

www.u2r1media.com

Sari.

The trials of Branding!

2009-08-20T14:51:00.001-07:00

We know all to well how hard it can be to brand your company. Talk about an inner struggle! After much brainstorming we decided that instead of creating sub domains we would develop two brand new names for the divisions and maintain them as an entity U2R1 Media.

Like the saying goes, "if it aint broke..."

So after many hours and brain cells I would like to introduce:

LiteStyle ~ for the low budget solutions, custom developed templates.

and

Moxy ~ dedicated to the development of online communities and social media websites!

Join our fan site on Facebook! "Moxy ~ A Division of U2R1 Media"

We'll update you on the latest and greatest in social media sites. Some amazing ground breaking websites are about to be launched in Fall/Winter 09/10 You are not going to want to miss what's coming up! It's mind blowing!

We are focusing our marketing initiative on Moxy and are very excited to branch out into the social networking development community as leaders and experts.

Watch for U2R1 Media to make a big splash in the industry!

www.u2r1media.com

Sari.

Is Social Media just a Fad?

2009-08-19T13:36:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if facebook was a country it would be the 4th largest in the world? Social Media online communities is the new revelation of communications. Trying to avoid it is like saying "I don't have email".

If you don't believe how vast and effective this viral entity is becoming then listen to this crazy story. A few days ago I tweeted "It's CIBC vs TD and TD is losing!". Today I get a phone call from CIBC customer service asking me if I sent someone an email. I said no I did not and asked what the email said. She quoted my tweet word for word, she seemed a bit confused as well because it wasn't really in any traditional format.

I soon explained to her that I actually posted that message on Twitter and was shocked at how it got to her office and I was even more shocked that she actually called me. She said she was happy that TD bank was losing! I told her time will tell :)

Need I say more?

We have just expanded 2 divisions of our company, one is called U2R1 Moxy geared toward developing social media websites. We are currently developing 4 sites not including our infamous www.toquesandbeavers.ca which has already launched and proving to be quite successful! the others should be launched by winter 2010.

It's an exciting time! marketing is becoming easier and faster. We are communicating directly with Hollywood where in the past they were like fantasy figures that were untouchable.

The world is getting smaller and your either a part of the evolution or on the sidelines. Personally I believe you can only grow by communication and expansion.

So on that note!

Follow me: CreativeCo_U2R1
Facebook me: Sari Gabbay
Join my Facebook Group: U2R1 Media Creative Consulting at its best!

and let's bridge the cyber gap together!

www.u2r1media.com
www.u2r1moxy.com
www.u2r1micro.com

Buyer BEWARE!

2009-08-13T07:12:00.001-07:00

Time and time again I have people come into my office with unrealistic budgets and misguided ideas of what it takes to build a company's brand and website.

It's not the client's fault though, because there is no industry standard when you have all these self proclaimed web developers promising the world to people for pennies.

I'm so tired of having to explain quality vs. bargains. You know that the saying "you get what you pay for" is true. It reminds me of my grandfather, when I was young I used to live at their house in the basement apartment while I was studying at Ryerson University.

I would watch as my grandfather would hire all these contractors to fix odds and ends around the house. He was the man who would hire the cheapest service provider, to him it was always the bottom line. Well needless to say he spent more money fixing the mistakes of all these incompetent workers than he would having hired someone who charged a bit more but actually did the job well.

This is when I decided that in my business I was always going to provide quality and with that came a price, a value and a service that I could be proud of. The people who would pay for my quality would be ecstatic because they would see the results of their investment. They would realize how their own clients respond to their professional image, they would see the growth in their sales and ultimately their return for doing things properly would be faster and higher.

So, 7 years later, I am running a company setting my own industry standard. My prices are fair but not cheap, the quality surpasses the competition and our skills are exceptional, most importantly because the clients I have see the value in us and put their faith in us, it makes us strive and work all the more harder to satisfy and impress them.

Jeremy, my developer knows the pains we go through sent me this comic today which I knew I had to share as it is so hilarious and so true!

Toques and Beavers Case Study

2009-07-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Challenge

While Canada's premier athletes rigorously prepared for the most prestigious international sporting event on the world stage, so too did a local philanthropist who rallied in support of their extraordinary journey. Inspired by the willpower and aptitude of these young individuals, our client's vision was to establish an online venue where citizens could donate directly to support their gold medal aspirations. Our client visualized incorporating a Canadian travel game as the websites main attraction. U2R1 was sourced to dismantle unavoidable problems such as the inability to utilize any official Olympic terms; this alone had the capacity to deter prospective contributors not to mention that the websites theme called for an innovative angle to pull in donations.

Solution

Using high quality enhancement and creativity, U2R1 spun the potential roadblocks into Canada's first online trivia game: Toques and Beavers, from EH! to ZED. We developed the initial travel game idea into the trivia game to entice a wider range of active participants and promote essential Canadian knowledge! In addition, we contacted The Canadian Athletes Now Fund to partner as the official charity. CAN Fund is a non-profit organization founded on the exact premise Toques and Beavers set out to support. U2R1 media successfully took on the challenge of developing the websites using FLEX action script and a custom Flash online game while having it communicate with a PHP backend system, a rare combination. The next task was enhancing the mascot, Edgar Eager Beaver, to harmonize with the website's quality. Soon to be Canadian icon, Edgar was produced in adobe illustrator and animated using Flash. The game itself, designed and developed entirely by U2R1, is not only an interactive and animated sphere but it most importantly provides an educational experience for users of all ages. As participation incentives, Touqes and Beavers prize packs are delegated monthly to users who battle it out for the grand bonus prize. From Canadian politics to Canadian entertainment and landmarks, the game covers a wide range of trivia topics which guarantee to amplify both your competitive streak and patriotism. Ultimately the goal is to finish the game and to receive "Certified Canadian" status, integrating on various social media platforms like Facebook, Friendster and Twitter.

The marketing and PR initiative is constantly growing reaching national awareness and incentive to band Canadians together in patriotism and unity in support of all our athletes that are going to compete world wide in 2010 and beyond.

Toques and Beavers

2009-07-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note and shout out to whomever reads this. We're low on donations for www.toquesandbeavers.ca we've got a lot of players but we need to show our support for our athletes. This is going cross country in the news and people will be watching Canadians. (yes i'm going to lay the guilt a bit :) )

donate! and spread the word! even $10 it's a great cause.

Sari

www.u2r1media.com

From Eh to Zed!

2009-06-24T11:35:00.000-07:00

So U2R1 Media has been extremely busy for the past several months developing this online 100% Canadian Trivia Game called www.toquesandbeavers.ca Honestly I can't believe how little I know about my home and native land, it was definitely made apparent to me after going through all the trivia questions and getting stumped time and again.

I challenge all of you out there to test your wits on Canadian Trivia, I'm wondering who's going to be the first to finish the game and become our official Certified Canadian.

Oh did I mention that we give away $1000/month to the highest scorer?? Oh and did I also mention that if you opt in to compete for the Grand Prize not only do you become a Certified Canadian but you also win $2000!!

Wait there is more! The main purpose of this game is to give back to our amazing Canadian athletes who work so hard to compete and represent our truly amazing country.

These athletes do not get much support from our government and have to pay their own way in travel costs, equipment, food and board etc. Only the very famous ones get sponsorships from big corporations. So we partnered with Can Fund, an amazing non for profit organization who raises money for athletes and all the proceeds go directly to them!!

This is a great cause, we need to show our support and solidarity as Canadians, now that all eyes are on Canada in 2010. So please donate as you play, every small amount adds up, spread the word and the love and challenge everyone to match wits as you out smart other Canadians a like. Let's show the world that Canada really is a strong and unified country with amazing people.

follow us on Twitter for all the media updates on Toques and Beavers. https://twitter.com/CreativeCo_U2R1

or even play the game as a facebook application!
http://apps.facebook.com/toques_and_beavers/

keep in mind we are still in Beta so if you see any bugs please let us know so we can fix it up quickly to make this a smooth launch!

let the games begin!!

Sari

www.u2r1media.com

Out with the Old

2009-06-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

There is something to say about Spring cleaning, I find that spring is a time of rejuvenation as I'm sure most people do hence the terminology and the act of cleaning itself. Not only am i cleaning out the office but it seems to be manifesting into a mental cleanse as well.

As I look back over the 7 years of files which have just kept piling up, i've noticed which old clients have sustained their business and which have just evaporated into the background of life.

Everyone has dreams, unfortunately not everyone's dreams come to be. As I my garbage bags continue to expand, I reflect on where my company was 7 years ago, where we are today and the future that is before us.

In the next few years I plan on opening a branch in California. I know what I have to do to get there and it's a little overwhelming but very exciting. Up until now I guess you could say I've been winging it, you can write business plans and marketing plans but at the end of the day what really gets you to where you want to go?. I've been progressing on the graces of passion, determination and the attitude that failure is not an option. I'm proud of where we are, we have amazing clients and a very successful business in the prime of its growth.

Cleaning up and clearing out has allowed me to recharge the energy of my company and my mind. Moving forward with a very spotless slate I'm excited to see where the next 7 years will take us. Hopefully people will look at us, our clients, colleagues, readers and take note as to how anything is possible when you keep your eye on the goal and your mind on the task. Focus is the way to success and Doubt is the way to failure.

Welcoming the next 7 years! I'll keep you posted along the way and who knows what spring cleaning in that time will unravel! :)

Happy spring!

S.

www.u2r1media.com

Across the Web Universe

2009-06-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Welcome Jeremy Lichtman our head developer posting his first blog post on our site!

If you're anything at all like me, you've got a whole bunch of different social media websites, in addition to a blog. Wouldn't it be nice if you could post something in one place and then have the information show up on all of them? The good news is that its now possible to do this.

The specific problem was getting info from our blog (what you're reading right now!) onto our Twitter and Facebook pages. The idea is to update our status with a link to any new blogs that we write.

Here's how you can do it:

1. Make sure you know the URL of the RSS feed of your blog. Most blogs have RSS feeds these days. You can often find it by looking for the orange RSS icon and clicking on it. A funny looking page will open up in your browser, with the headlines of your recent blog entries. Copy the URL at the top of the browser and paste it into a document for later on.

2. Go to http://ping.fm and sign up for an account. Once you are logged in, you can add in your social media profiles - i.e. you can plug in your Facebook profile information, and then from ping.fm you can update your Facebook status. Put in as many (or few) social media profiles as you want.

3. The last step is to make the information from your RSS feed send updates to ping.fm, so that it can update your status. To do this, go to http://twitterfeed.com and sign up for an account. Then add in an updater for ping.fm,using the URL of your RSS feed that you saved before (don't connect directly to Twitter here, unless you want duplicate copies of your blog to appear there, because you've probably already set up ping.fm to post to Twitter as well).

There are lots of options you can play with in all of those websites, and you may need to fiddle around with them to get them to do exactly what you want. Don't be alarmed if you post to your blog and you don't immediately see your Twitter or Facebook status change - each step along the way has a built-in delay, and it may be an hour or more before the change goes through.

Good luck! if you have any questions contact us at www.u2r1media.com

Jeremy

Twilight Zone, Fear? or Fabulous?

2009-05-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

I often ponder what I'm going to blog about, I mean sometimes for me I would rather talk about life's challenges than just marketing, design and websites. Funny thing, I realize that most of what happens in our day to day lives also reflect our behaviours and practices in our business.

It occurred to me a few days ago that many people are so afraid of stepping out of the comfort zone and into the "unknown". What amazes me is that the fear becomes so apparent on their faces even when they aren't facing the situation themselves but just by them hearing it from someone else's life!

It saddens me, how society's definitions of normalcy really confines people to their boxes and cubby holes of comfort. Growth happens when people are uncomfortable, when you step into the challenge head on, when you dare to be different and be your own person.

I realize this a lot with clients I deal with. The fear to do something different, to not look "corporate" enough, or using a colour that's "too bold" although they want to stand out they still want to look the same as everyone else. Empowerment comes from the knowledge and actions that you are taking a stand and holding your own.

Sometimes it's just baby steps. If you are working with designers then perhaps take the plunge and use a colour like RED, or PINK and make a statement with your company. Something that says NOTICE ME! Why do we want to assimilate with the rest of the same when we are trying so hard to get noticed? Decide which side of the coin you want to stand on and then take the actions to do so and put fear in the corner - you will see it will slowly disintegrate there as you realize the success in your risks and feel the exhilaration of being someone different, special, RELEVANT!

I won't be that one with the big white wedding and the white picket fence and the three kids... You'll see me with my bright yellow shoes, my feathered earrings, traveling around the world, career woman with a big smile on my face KNOWING I'm doing what I want and not what people expect me to be.

I dare you to try it. I dare you to be a little bit of you today.

S.

www.u2r1media.com

Designing your Brand

2009-04-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

The most important element of brand development is designing a logo and concept that targets your target market audience. Too many times my clients get caught up in wanting to design a logo that depicts their personality or what they like visually. Unless you are your target market this is MISTAKE NUMBER ONE.

As much as you want to like and appreciate the brand that you develop a smart business owner knows that the main focus is what appeals to his/her clients.

Do yourself a favour and trust the professionals, the worst clients (and I mean clients who are their own worst enemy) are those who try to micro manage our job and our designs. The reason you are paying money for someone to design a logo and brand for you is not because you have an idea and can't do it yourself. (although that may be the initial thought it is a very dangerous way of thinking)

Everyone is a specialist in their own specific field and unless you are in the field of marketing or design, it is impossible for you to know the constant evolution in marketing and design trends.

The point of hiring a professional brand company is to get their experience and education as to what works and what doesn't. The most successful brands put their trust in the company's that know what they are doing. Those are the businesses who will really engage their clients and consumers.

The following are tips to consider when developing a brand for your company.

1. Who is your target audience? Do you really know your clients? knowing your service/product does not mean you know your clients emotional reactions. Try to get into the minds of your potential prospects and if you feel like you can't then this is something your branding company should be doing for you.

2. Design modern and clean. Logos that are ornate and overly designed do not capture the audiences 10 second attention span. Clean logos i.e. Apple, IBM, Nike, etc. are the ones that are remembered and can manifest into any design and brand campaign that you initiate in the future. Also simple designs are the logos that transcend time and become iconic and memorable.

3. Detach emotionally from your brand. If you become too emotionally involved with the development of your logo you will all of a sudden feel the need to manage the designers so that they develop a design that represents you and your characteristics and emotions which may very well be counter-active. The best way to choose a design is create a small focus group of your ideal clients, offer them a gift in return and let your target audience decide what attracts them visually and emotionally.

In a society saturated with brands fighting for your attention where do you want your brand to be? Follow these steps and you will be on the right track to an everlasting branding image.

Sari.

www.u2r1media.com

Team players

2009-03-26T05:58:00.000-07:00

I was just talking to a friend of mine about this woman who works for a law firm that expects her to be at the office at 6am, stay till about 7pm and work weekends. The funny thing is the owner of this firm is finding a hard time getting employees and can't understand why!.

How do you find a company that will best suit your needs? Look at their employees, are they happy? overworked? passionate? All this will reflect on production and quality. I never believed in the notion of living for work, life is about enjoyment, sharing and fulfilling your talents and if you are lucky getting paid for what you love to do.

Employees who work around the clock and don't have time for their own lives will be resentful and open to the next bigger and better opportunity. IMHO the North American 40 hour work week regulations are absurd. Now I enjoy my career so working 40 hours a week is more like fun and excitement for me. However I can't imagine having to work at a job that I hate for that much of my lifespan. This is time we never get back! It's strange to see how people live their lives as if they will have the opportunity for a do over one day when they wake up to the reality of their lives. (now on a spiritual realm if you believe in reincarnation then perhaps that would be the case but it will never be the same life, so this is all you get for who you are today!)

It also says a lot about the owner of the company who respects their employees need for freedom and a social life, a life outside their job. A company is made up of the team that plays for them, yes employees are replaceable but the day will come that you will compromise your quality and service when you have alienated all of the people who realize that they will be appreciated somewhere else, that their are company's out there who do value the team players.

Of course that doesn't mean let your employees run amok and just do whatever they want. Unfortunately we are not living in Europe where 2-4 in the afternoon is siesta time. So we have to comply with mainstream society to be successful in this country. That being said though, it's in everyone's best interest to make the work environment enjoyable and fun!

So today, do something nice for the people who help your company grow and be the success it is today. Show them appreciation and it will go a long way towards the future of your business. PLUS it never hurts to make someone, anyone, smile.

Sari.

www.u2r1media.com

Social, Viral, Send the Message!

2009-03-18T16:48:00.000-07:00

So this is my first blog that will be sent out to my facebook and Twitter accounts! How exciting! Technology just get's better and better! Don't be afraid to progress with the times, there are outlets everywhere that teach you ways to learn the basics in technology and once you get the hang of it, boy is it fun!

Just a quick tip for today's positive energy message.

It's spring! So if you have been following my blog for a while you know what that means to me, growth, rejuvenation and success!

Did you have a goal this year and you let the media get you down with all this recession talk? Take charge of your life! Post your goals around your house and manifest your reality. You decide how you want to live, make sure you are the master of your domain (domain being your body, soul, and existence) the only one who ultimately defines who you are and what you can do is YOU!

So go out there, take advantage of the generous banks and loans today and start your dream!

Make it a day full of Multi-Sensory Experiences!

Sari

www.u2r1media.com

PPC vs SEO

2009-03-05T09:41:00.001-08:00

I'm constantly hearing the same comments regarding Pay Per Click campaigns (PPC) "No body ever clicks on the right of Google, it's a waste of money" I'm here to set the record straight about PPC listings and organic SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Yes the truth is everyone wants to be on the first page of Google as an organic ranked link. But getting there can be a long, tedious and an expensive battle, one that may drain you before you actually see the return that so many claim to reap!

PPC or Google Adword Campaigns are effective! People are spending thousands of dollars a month to be found on the side ad campaigns and if they weren't seeing a profit and return from it why would they continue to do so?

Here are the benefits of PPC vs SEO.

PPC

1. You can launch your PPC campaign within 72 hours of your website launch, therefor starting to build your ROI immediately.
2. You set your monthly budget based on the competition in your industry and can adjust it according to your return.
3. No contracts with Google! If you see that it's not sufficiently benefiting you then you can cancel at any time and haven't taken on a huge investment.
4. The more you see the benefit the more money you can invest into your campaign to increase your visual impressions therefor always expanding and increasing leads.
5. Yes people actually do click on those links!
6. You can control which keywords get the stronger impressions and monitor which ones are profitable and which are not.

SEO

1. On a new site it takes about 6 months to a year to start seeing some boost in rankings.
2. In a highly competitive industry you have to spend a lot of money on optimizing your website for SEO and have no control as to when Google will rank you if at all on the first page.
3. Although many company's claim they can guarantee, there is no 100% guarantee you will be ranked (even after spending thousands of dollars) Google has the final say on who get's the lead with them.
4. SEO sites usually suffer in being visually dynamic because they have to be so content driven and rich, so if you do get to the top your site doesn't look as inviting or desirable.
5. Very expensive and long process without immediate results.
6. It's a constant battle, if you don't maintain your rankings someone else will come and bump you down the next day and you'll have to build the campaign again.
7. Not much control over which keywords will get you discovered.

Not to say that SEO is not beneficial because once you do get there and manage to stay on the first page of google then it is like hitting the jackpot! What's funny is when I hear people brag about their site being listed on the first page of google they are so happy like they just won the lottery. Then when I ask them what keywords they are found on it's like "oh just search "moving company in North York, Ontario, Canada"" or some crazy key word string that if you take out one word like Canada they disappear!

Plus to top it off you actually go to their site and it's horribly designed and constructed and has so much mumbo jumbo text just to repeat the same keywords over and over! So your on the first page of Google but your site is annoying and uninteresting to read?

My advice in any case is to use professional SEO/PPC experts who will be able to actually put forth an effective campaign. If you are not the expert at this then you may or may not get the results you want but chances are you'll get a lot of unwanted leads, your site will look amateur because you are over saturating it with unnecessary content and you'll be spending money on keywords that aren't even benefiting you.

Market smart! At the end of the day where you think you are saving money by doing something yourself you are probably spending more money and getting less results!

Sari.

www.u2r1media.com

The Sky is Falling!

2009-02-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

Holiday Blues? or Bliss?

2008-12-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

I often wonder why people get stressed out during the holidays. Holidays are supposed to be fun! Personally I don't have to buy a lot of gifts so I guess that's why I'm always so relaxed, but I see gift giving as fun and an innovative way to get creative! I guess like everything it's all how you see it.

Perception defines reality and reality defines experience.

On that note, for those of you out there who realize the true meaning of what this holiday is meant to be (a little reminder) happiness, sharing, joy, giving.. you know all the mushy stuff that keeps us all human. I wish you all the very best!

May your holidays be filled with multi-sensory experiences, may you be inspired, creative, healthy, joyful, kind and grateful.

Let's focus on the things we have and cherish them rather than the things we desire and which are not attainable JUST YET!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Quanza, Happy Time Off Work, Happy Family Days and most importantly Happy Eating and Wine Drinking! ;)

Lots of light.

U2R1 Media Inc.

update! update! update!

2008-11-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

People, it is so important to update your sofware when new versions come out. Websites are constantly evolving to keep up with the current changes in browsers and flash players. Microsoft updates their browser at least once a year, Flash updates their player quite often as well.

Don't be stuck in the archives of old browsers and technology, evolution is key for your own web marketing as well as being in the know!

Most computers offer automatic updates so make sure you have that turned on and check regularly for new software to install.

Here are some key links:

www.microsoft.com
www.adobe.com
www.firefox.com

Take chances or Bow out?

2008-11-20T04:25:00.000-08:00

Well it appears that this economical media frenzy is not going to let up for a while, now that the media convinced everyone that "hard times are upon us" the fear instilled in the public created that reality. *sigh* We have still a long ways to go when it comes to independent thought and behaviour.

In my opinion this is where companies need to step up and invest more in their marketing as opposed to laying off their employees or bowing out to the economic situation. In hard times be aggressive, it pretty much is going to be the defining point as to whether you are going to come out on top when things get better.

Let people know that you are strong even in adverse situations. Show them that your company is vital and can be reliable during good times and bad. This would be a company I would invest my time and money with. Not someone who folds at the first sign of a dip in the system.

Are you defined by the environment around you? Or do you create your own success based on your skills and abilities? That's why they say the rich get richer! Because they know how to capitalize in every situation thrown at them.

Do you want to be the one bowing out? or coming out on top?

Wishing you successful days ahead!

Sari

www.u2r1media.com

You may think you look good BUT... others beg to differ

2008-11-05T13:06:00.001-08:00

So I can honestly now say that redesigning our website has really been an added value to our company and has served its ultimate purpose providing us WITH the increase in clientelle AND the ROI AND the brand awareness.

So this is it, not only are we selling the services and the idea that enhancing your business image brings your more success but we are living PROOF that it works. Our sales have more then doubled since we launched and we get daily inquiries and compliments on our site and mostly the way our company portray's itself as an industry leader.

The message? stop thinking that what you have is good enough, because it is that type of thinking that will get you stuck in a rut and when the economy is down and people are looking to spend their money wisely they WILL shop for the best and most impressive company because they want to feel secure that their money is going somewhere that they will wreep the benefits from.

In addition to having a phenominal business image one must also learn that the idea of business etiquette is essential. Do you know how many people are telling me that they email companies and they get no response back, or they tell them that they are too busy?? Get it together!! At least give people the courtesy of an email. Don't judge a person by the type of business they have, you don't know who has money to invest and who wants to be successful.

To my competitors who have been turning away clients because of initial judgement or time constraints, I thank you, these deals have been quite lucrative and high end :)

Yes we turn away clients, however not without a conversation, guidance and our feedback. Being courteous and gracious gets you far on a human level and on a business level you never know who knows who.

Honestly though, all those people who behave like snobs just make it a hell of a lot easier for me to look GREAT! THANKS!

S.

Rockin a Vote!

2008-10-15T17:51:00.001-07:00

"Who are you voting for?" Aren't you sick of hearing that phrase!! I know I am. Let's all take a moment and welcome Harper back into office, whether you are happy or not about his re-election we have to focus on the fact that this is the current reality and fighting it only creates imbalance in our own personal lives.

I'm personally happy that he is back in office, not because I brand myself as a "conservative" b/c au contrair I am quite the liberal person, however I think he was the best choice out of all the opponents. REGARDLESS of what anyone's opinion is I just want to say that we need to focus on voting for our selves now.

"This is a bad time" "The economy is so unstable" BLA BLA I'm even more sick of this media frenzy! I am a strong believer that reality is what you make of it and I'm not going to let this negative energy impact my livelihood. People have gotten rich in the worst economic times because there are certain types of people that don't let the words "poor" or "struggle" become a part of their vocabulary and especially their reality.

I vote for Rockin it in a turbulent time! It's working for us and it just as well can be working for you! Follow my lead and you won't be sorry, otherwise what's the alternative? living in fear? panicking? TELL ME WHAT IS THE POINT?

The eye of the storm; where all is calm and peaceful and still, I find it a very comforting place to be.

Sari

Will Flash finally be a part of the Google's Clique?

2008-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Oh praise the day when Google finally sees flash text as index able on their all mighty search engine!

Finally we can say good-bye to lengthy God awful websites saturated with content only to be grasping at the branches of the trees as we hang on the first page of Google flailing and praying that no one will climb to a higher branch.

Sunny days ahead for us designers who value the harmony of perfectly placed content in a wonderfully visually designed website. In a world where the beautiful stay hidden and the unsightly are front and center we can finally let the creative and wonderful websites shine in the light for all to see!

It's about time Adobe and Google harmonized to the synchronization that was so long over due. However we can't bask in the sun just yet! Unfortunately this technology has not been perfected and we have yet a long way to climb when comparing flash text to static HTML placement.

For more information visit Google's post on the topic: http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2008/06/improved-flash-indexing.html

The time is almost here, where I can FINALLY tell my clients that yes! we can design a great flash site for you and YES people will actually see it :)

The revelation for flash is coming... It's a new era for animated websites! Stay tuned!

www.u2r1media.com

S.

What do you want to hear?

2008-09-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

I'm actually getting tired of listening to the media on how the economy is suffering bla bla... Do you know that over the weekend I went to Yorkdale Mall and I swear it was as if it were December 24th that's how busy it was. People are spending money! and if people are spending money that is a good economical sign.

Depression, recession, regression. NEGATIVE! This is not what we want to focus on and those who get caught up in that train of thought will be the ones who receive that experience. Granted numbers don't lie and yes we shouldn't be naive about the fact that the US's economical fall is somewhat effecting the Canadian economy. However lest we forget we are independent! and we are strong! Canada in the last decade has been proving to itself and the rest of the world that we stand alone, apart from the tail end of what the U.S. dictates.

So to all business owners and consumers alike! Focus on fruition and it will come! We can prove that we can be a strong nation in the eyes of an economic dip and that Canada is rich in it's people, resources and Independence.

What a great day it is to be Canadian!

Sari.

The fight over creative control who get's TKO

2008-09-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

I would just like to stress upon some key points here when hiring an expert to do any type of work that you as the individual are not capable of doing. We the experts have been learning for years how to perfect our craft and skills. Not only do we know what visually works but we have learned from experience and research what people want when they visit websites.

Sometimes I feel like we are battling endless challenges about who knows what is best when it comes to a visual layout or scheme. I love it when a client comes to us with their vision and allows us to implement our creative expertise to bring it to life. Sometimes however we encounter creative battles that really can weigh on the over all productivity and success of the project.

Even when working abstract or outside the box there are laws involved in art and creation.

1. Focal point. you can't have a myriad of things happening without a significant focal point otherwise you confuse and overwhelm the viewer.

2. Negative space. There is no such thing as empty space unless you have a blank page, as soon as you add any design even a dot to a page this is creates a positive entity so everything around it now is called negative space. What this means is that the "empty white areas" become an integral part of the design. They allow your eyes to follow the right paths and creates a flow that your brain comprehends. Do you ever find that while looking at a collage you are overwhelmed by the images and don't know what to look at first and probably if you were asked to remember all the images in the collage not one would really stand out in your mind. Think about the Yin and Yang symbol a perfect example of positive and negative space, which "ironically" but not so much so it is the symbol of "two mutually correlated opposites" a.k.a. a reflection of positive and negative.

3. Target Audience. As much as you think you are developing your website for you and your business you are not. What you like and your taste is relevant however the most important element is that you design for your audience, THEY are the ones who are buying your services or product not YOU. So please keep that in mind, decorate your house any way you like but keep the websites to the pros we know your audience and know how to cater to every potential viewer who will see your website online.

We know you will or have hired the experts for a reason which is why it is best to let us do the job we love doing. What's worse? we follow your direction against our convictions and your website fails because you insisted on doing things your way? or we follow our convictions and your site succeeds based on our direction. And should the site then fail at least it isn't you to blame and we can take responsibility.

(just so you know this doesn't ever happen ;)

Its time to take the TKO and let us win the battle, in the end it's your company that will shine in the ring.

Till next time!

S.