Check back for weekly news on all things digital, and by all means tweet us @Spyder_Trap to share what you’re excited about in the world of digital marketing and technology. Enjoy!

1) iPhone 6 Release Delayed Until October

If you were getting ready to stand in line to buy the iPhone 6 on September 9th, it looks like you’ll have to wait a bit longer. Unfortunately, Apple pushed the launch back to October 14th. This week, Forbes highlighted pros of the 6; These include a larger screen, which is why tech enthusiasts have dubbed it, “a phablet.” In this article, Mashable speculates on why Apple has delayed the launch.

2) Google Rolls Out Custom Shipping Rates

Google launched new features this week to help merchants customize shipping rates in Google Shopping. The updates were spurred by complaints from customers who reported finding higher shipping costs on a company’s website versus in Google Shopping. The new features will not only make sure shipping costs are more accurate but also offer more tailored shipping options - read on here.

3) Content Creation: Just Like Brewing a Good Beer?

It’s beer o’clock on a Friday, so let’s talk beer! No matter what channel you choose, content is the heart of your brand. That’s why the content creation process is so critical. Check out this infographic that compares content creation process to brewing a whole bunch of delicious beer!

4) 7 Essential WordPress Plugins For Content Marketing

An effective content marketing strategy is key. So too is a great content marketing plugin. Search Engine Journal compiled a nice little list of  WordPress plugins that help improve conversions and enhance site functionality. Check out the full list here.

5) Why You Shouldn’t Google Yourself

We’ve all done it. Unfortunately, Googling your business or brand will not provide a holistic snapshot of your SEO performance. Search engines continue to customize search results based on browser history, caching, previous queries and much more. Google, for example, uses over 80 factors to determine what gets served to a specific person. Steve Slater’s got more details on his blog.

And yeah, I googled myself. Unfortunately, I’m not a bestselling author.

The final graphic was a combination of goals related to how we wanted to visually convey the message:

1. Easy to understand the issue at hand

We wanted to take a very large issue and use a creative layout to make the process of how obesity is affecting the children of MN more understandable.

2. Explaining the issue

Using a variety of different visuals and statistics, we created a flow of information which kept reinforcing the major concern of obesity in children within Minnesota, and the message stays the same as the user moves from top to bottom.

3. Clear statistics

The challenge is taking very eye opening statistics about obesity and designing them in a way that grabs the user and calls them to action. We used large typography and over-sized graphs to help tell the story.

4. Appealing to a larger audience

Rather than speaking only to current parents, we wanted to appeal to all those who are considering having a child and show them how to take measures against obesity as that child grows.

We love the final graphic and we feel it hits very hard on the message Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is trying to get out to the public. We’d really like to hear your questions, comments or ideas on the issue of how the use of infographics can deliver a powerful punch for any type of message.

Infographics are graphic representations of data and information that present complex information quickly and clearly. They can be fun and lighthearted, like one we created for Famous Dave’s last year, or address more serious matters like this latest design.

Infographics Can Educate

Children’s wants to educate the public on the seriousness of the flu and potential consequences for children that do not get the flu vaccine, so Children’s asked Spyder Trap to create this infographic.

An infographic that lives online allows the hospital to share this information quickly, easily and inexpensively with a wide variety of audiences. To create the piece, our design team took the information provided by the hospital and broke it down into attractive and easy to understand graphics. The result is a high-impact piece that tells the “story” of the seriousness of the flu virus.

Children’s has already started to share this flu infographic online with their social media channels, like Facebook, to gain awareness.

Famous Dave's Infographic created by Spyder Trap

Infographics Bring Beauty To Data

As of late, I’ve been creating infographics (information graphics) as a great visual presentation tool for our business development team when they’re meeting with clients and prospects.

It’s a great way to present complex or even basic information in a very clear, helpful and visually pleasing format. Infographics are very popular around the web. I’ve seen numerous posts on some of my favorite blogs that use infographics to help tell the story of a company, a trend, a service or other data relationships.

Here are a few other great examples of infographics that I really like:

• The iPod Revolution
• What kind of geek are you?
• The Evolution of Typography
• How are Mac & PC people different?

As you can see there are many different ways of creating and using infographics for any topic of discussion. It’s a great way to engage your audience in the message you’re trying to deliver.

If you don’t have a designer on staff, take a look at one of these amazing FREE tools for creating your own infographics.