Copyright Infringement & the Real Meaning of "Google"
Posted by vern on April 27, 2006 at 01:34 PM
Being the true search marketing professional that I am I have to admit that Google is my home page. The artwork that frequently adorns the Google logo adds a bit of welcome distraction as I start my workday. I seldom click on the decorated Google logo because the event the adornment is commemorating is usually very apparent. But last Thursday was different. When a colleague viewed the page before me and asked, "What happened to the Google logo?" I took a quick look and replied, "Some artist's birthday probably." I clicked on the logo and learned of the birthday of a Spanish artist I had never heard of. Little did I know what a firestorm Google would create (again) over a copyright issue.
Back in February Google had a copyright dispute go against them by displaying thumbnail images from an adult-oriented website in its image search results. And now the family of Joan Miro, the artist, is all up in arms about Google displaying his artwork without permission. They say copyright infringement - I say free publicity! Sure, displaying images and art without the creators or owners permission may be against the law, but forcing Google to replace the Miro art logo or remove some racy thumbnail images is short sighted. To maximize exposure and publicity, a better strategy could have been employed.
In the case of the Miro art Google logo I think it would have been wiser to let the logo run the entire day, commemorating the great artist. Many people, millions likely, could have been exposed to Miro's work and inspired to learn more. The result could have been a huge surge in interest in the artist's works, inflating values for art auction houses and collectors alike. Publishers could have been compelled to publish new editions of books devoted to Miro's life and work. Limited edition prints, greeting cards, t-shirts, coffee cups could have flooded the market with profits being funneled to non-profit art outreach organizations. Then and only when interest waned should the family have brought to light the fact that Google did not have permission to the copyrighted art, if only to restart the free publicity machine and continue to reap the benefits. Marketers should embrace Google's zeal to catalog every bit of information on the planet, and use it to their advantage.
According to wikipedia.org, the word "google" was first used in the 1927 Little Rascals silent film "Dog Heaven", to refer to having a drink of water. Movies are protected by copyright aren't they? I wonder if Cabin Fever Entertainment, the owner of home video rights for the Rascals film, knows about all the free publicity?
del.icio.us is delicious
Posted by on April 26, 2006 at 01:52 PM
So I have stumbled upon something quite wonderful on the web, my little hidden gem if you will, although it’s not that hidden anymore. A colleague of mine introduced me to del.icio.us a few months back, proclaiming his love of social bookmarking. To be honest I thought “cool, a place to store your bookmarks… what’s so special about this again?‎ Obviously, I had not witnessed del.icio.us in all of it’s wonder and glory.
For anyone unfamiliar with social bookmarking, it’s an online repository which allows users to store and tag their favorite links with content relevant keywords. Users are able to not only store their bookmarks online, but search for the favorite bookmark of others’ favorites based upon tags. In essence, it becomes a human search engine, capable of not only identifying keywords, but comprehending content. Now when I want to search for “CSS‎, I can see what pages people consider important enough to tag.
As a designer, this has become a lifesaver! A society is only as good as its citizens, and lucky for me, the del.icio.us crowd are my kind of people. The del.icio.us/popular page has become a main staple in my daily online consumption. I’m embarrassed to admit, my neatly organized bookmark collection has risen to over 300 sites in just a few months. It’s become my search tool of choice. Not only do I love it, but my mom has begun checking my del.icio.us account, sending me regular emails with feedback on different site’s that I have tagged. “Nettie I liked that flash animation, but what’s with you tagging Treehugger.com? Has my daughter become a treehugger?‎
Will social bookmarking replace search engines? No way. Is it worth watching on the radar? Absolutely. Social bookmarking provides a glimpse into the surfing habits of its users. It provides instant access to the immediate trends of the web, and becomes an incredible marketing research tool. Give it a try.
Relevant Search Results Deserve Relevant Content
Posted by on April 25, 2006 at 11:08 AM
After performing a recent search online, I started to realize one of my major pet peeves with the Internet, search engines and especially those advertising online: the relevancy of advertisements and the content for which they lead us to. Working on the sponsored search pay-per-click side of search engine marketing, I run into this type of situation all too often. A user performs a search for a specific item, "buy sky blue widget", to fit their application and the search engine serves up all sponsored ads relevant to the users search criteria. From here the user selects the number 1 sponsored result that reads:
Sky Blue Widgets
Save on large selection
of widgets. Free Shipping.
WidgetSaver.com
From this sponsored ad, the user is directed to a landing page for WidgetSaver.com’s nice selection of green widgets. Although it’s a nice landing page that features excellent pictures and descriptions of widgets, along with a strong call to action, including free shipping on any order, the advertiser failed to direct the user to a landing page that is relevant to the exact search query. The end result: User clicks back button on the browser and WidgetSaver.com loses a sale from their own ignorance.
Let this be a lesson learned. As an advertiser, never assume your generic landing page or "one size fits all" product page is good enough to use on every sponsored search ad. A web page that converts well for “general widgets‎ may not convert well for "sky blue widgets". Provide the user with what they want: a landing page that supports the user’s search query and the ad creative.
Tags
ppc landing pages
paid search
sponsored search ads
Expanding Resources with Help from Keywords
Posted by anne on April 24, 2006 at 12:10 PM
Keywords play an important role in the Online Marketing process. As an employee who works for a search engine marketing company, I hear this word often throughout the day by my fellow colleagues and coworkers. We offer Keyword Research & Analysis to our clients as a means to attract targeted traffic to their website, in addition to marketing their service or product to generate potential revenue.
Over the last few years, I have found that not only are keywords important in search engine optimization and marketing, but also hold value in relation to employment. Not that I’ve stood in long lines at the unemployment office or found this information on the tongues of those looking for the "perfect" job; I’ve learned this from my own experience as a human resources professional.
For example, Wayne State University allows its students and alumni members to post resumes on its website for potential employers to peruse. If that resume does not include those specific keywords that employers select as job qualifications and skills in a query, it’s very likely that resume will be overlooked by the "perfect" company. Of course, we can equate this with a company that forgets to include the right keywords in its website copy, thus making it difficult for search engines to position the website for specific search queries.
Michigan Works, also known as Michigan Talent Bank, which is the State of Michigan’s Unemployment Office, offers resources to both employers and job seekers to assist them in expediting the employment process. Unemployed workers are now required to post their resume on the Michigan Works website to be eligible for benefits, in addition to using many available resources offered in various Michigan Works locations.
Over the last several years, technology has changed the face of employment search. The days of filling out an application in person, on site and in the human resources department is virtually non-existent. We have ventured upon an era where speed, efficiency and response are in the forefront of every industry. For those who are in the job seek mode, having company data at your fingertips has become an important tool in deciding whether a company is a good fit or not. It’s common practice for company websites to include “Career Opportunities‎ with alluring and brief descriptions of pending job vacancies within the company. It’s as easy as 1-2-3 for an employee-to-be to submit a cover letter, resume and level of interest through the company’s website, only to be successfully retrieved within a few short moments.
So the next time you update your resume, make sure that you have included those keywords that will draw the eyes of a potential employer. And yes, please remember that the standard rule of one page for a resume still applies, so you may want to change your font size if necessary! But then again, sometimes less is more.
Tags
keywords
keyword usage
Michigan 50 Companies to Watch 2006
Posted by duncan on April 21, 2006 at 09:31 AM
Wednesday was a pleasurable day to say the least. Several Oneupweb staffers, company CEO and Founder Lisa Wehr among them, traveled south from our Lake Leelanau global headquarters to the Kellogg Center on the Michigan State University campus. The Oneupweb crew made the trip to pick up our award as one of the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch 2006. I spoke with great people from several other 50 Companies to Watch. I was enthused to see so many proud and successful innovators. Together our companies span industries and the geography of Michigan. Happily I took it all in with co-workers who are among the best people I have known. Spending the night on the campus of my alma mater didn't hurt too much either.
Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's address at the front end of the event was spirited, optimistic, and delivered with the role-up-the sleeves polish we have come to know her for. Check out Oneupweb's press release on the Michigan 50 Companies to Watch, and learn more about key sponsor The Edward Lowe Foundation.
With over 50 companies and 700 attendees, I couldn't possibly have talked to as many of the lively crowd as I'd wished. I did have the pleasure of meeting Jack Aronson, President of Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa, Inc. His tortilla chips and salsas have been gobbled by the Oneupweb crew innumerable times, and are especially satisfying at our summer Friday BBQ's.
Mobius Microsystems Inc. was recognized for innovation of the year for their patented tiny semi-conductor technology that generates electrical clock signals. The device could fit inside the printed period at the end of a sentence in most magazines. I know the search marketing industry I love so much can get technical, but one has to stand back and marvel at people like Mobius' Michael McCorquodale who explained some of the details of their pioneering tech component.
We laughed and talked Up-North with some of the folks from Strathmore Development Co. out of East Lansing. Strathmore Founder and President Scott Chappelle was on hand Wednesday. Chappelle and his team are a dynamic and conversational bunch. All were enthusiastic about their developments in Petoskey, Grand Ledge, and Bonita Bay, FL to name a few.
I had the pleasure of meeting CEO Craig Bush and President Craig Harden of Viewpiont Mobility LLC of Kalamzoo, MI. A film shot of Viewpoint Mobility's rear-entry wheelchair accessible van offered stunning imagery for the MI 50 Companies to Watch attendees. Bush explained that his customers have been satisfied with the benefits of Viewpoint Mobility's design over the more traditional side-entry approach. Look for Viewpoint Mobility customizations of GM, Ford, and Chrysler chassis.
I look forward to spending the time to learn more about the other companies I didn't have the opportunity to connect with. Surely we all deserve a hand for leading the way in the new Michigan economy. Let's all keep working together to keep our state vibrant!
Nothing beats a spring day on the campus of Michigan State University. The temperature was a comfy 72 degrees giving the students a chance to show their summer faces a couple of months early. I felt their excitement as I strolled with them along the Red Cedar River near the Library. Cliché as it sounds, these Spartans are the next group to innovate and usher Michigan ever forward. I couldn't have asked for a better place to be recognized with Lisa and everyone at Oneupweb. We thank everyone involved as we can now say, "Oneupweb is one of the 50 Companies to Watch in Michigan!"
Tags
50 Companies to Watch in Michigan
Michigan 50
Usability and the Retail Website
Posted by admin on April 20, 2006 at 10:06 AM
The ability to shop without leaving the comfort of your home - what a wonderful time to be alive!
With more and more businesses starting websites, optimizing websites, and advertising websites it's like having the world at your finger tips. Literally.
Shopping has never been easier, or at least that's what would be expected. The problem is that so many businesses drop the ball when it comes to website usability, that shoppers who go to a site to shop often feel one or more of the following: frustration, annoyance, distress, anxiety, disappointment, irritation, vexation, etc.
Working with paid search campaigns specifically, website usability is front and center. No matter the efforts that are put into keyword research, ad creative, choosing destination URLs, bidding strategies and so on, the site ultimately has to pull through. For website usability in the context of paid search I feel that there are three major areas of focus:
1) Organization - In order to make a great first impression a site needs to be well organized. For PPC every keyword and ad in a campaign should be associated with an appropriate page on the site. Having a well organized site allows searchers to see the products targeted to their search, together or in a clearly defined area of the site.
2) Navigation - Once you have a shopper at your site, clear navigation helps with the up sell and instills confidence that the site is professional and trustworthy. Ideally a shopper who comes to your site in search of one product will enjoy their shopping experience so much that they will want to buy more. Good navigation is key.
3) Shopping Cart - Close the deal with a simple and short checkout. The final moment of truth happens after a shopper comes to your site, finds what they are looking for (and hopefully some other goodies), and enters the shopping cart. Simplicity please! Anything that can be done to make the checkout process as easy as possible the better.
Improving the usability of any website will improve user experience and user action. This is important for Paid Search because getting a shopper to your site is only half the battle. In truly effective PPC campaigns all aspects work together for a great user experience. So for any of you out there thinking of creating, optimizing or advertising a site, please keep the people who are going to be USING your site in the forefront of your mind.
Tags
usability
website usability
Investing Google’s $10 Billion
Posted by admin on April 18, 2006 at 11:47 AM
Recently, CNN.com ran an article titled “What should Google do with its $10 billion war chest?‎ It mentioned that Google’s $10 billion coffer is predicted to grow to $12 billion by the end of 2006.
What kind of a number is that, anyway: $10 billion, or even more so, $12 billion? The ‘B’ word does get bantered about quite a bit these days. Try $274 billion (and running) for the war in Iraq. Or Bill Gates’ net worth of $27.83 billion. Goodness! That is more money than the total global population of 6.5 billion.
But I digress. The original question was what should Google do with this $10 billion, give or take a couple of billion.
Of course the analysts have some ideas, none of which sounded very interesting, frankly: Saving for a rainy day (are they expecting an apocalyptic flood?), buying a bunch of small tech companies, international expansion, adding travel search, venturing into social and user-generated content, bla, bla, bla.
What to do with $10 billion dollars, indeed. I have a few ideas: stop world hunger, provide quality education for all our children, save our forests, stop global warming, and make the use of non-petroleum, non-nuclear, non-hydro alternative energy a reality.
The ramblings of tree-hugging dreamer you think? Perhaps. Just pick one, then. My choice would be quality education for all our children. Google could endow the nation’s schools an internet-connected computer for every student. The students could benefit from the enormous breadth of information available on the internet. There is power in knowledge. Put that power in the hands of our children. And, by providing this resource, Google would even make a good start of fulfilling its mission “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.‎
The Birdies & Bogies of Online Marketing
Posted by on April 17, 2006 at 09:25 AM
The Masters wrapped up recently with everybody's favorite lefty (Phil Mickelson) taking home his 2nd green jacket. And at the same time, warm weather is starting to break here in the Midwest. Time to think about pulling the sticks out of the garage and loosening up the ole' back for a Sunday stroll. However, it's more like a lost stagger, weaving from fairway to rough to out-of-bounds back to fairway, than it is a stroll. Yes, it's the time of year when all of us average Joe Weekend golfers suddenly think we should be shooting par when we haven't picked up a club in 6 months.
In order to be at the top of your game, whether it is a sport, or your business, takes commitment, the ability to see the big picture, and the willingness to work on all the mechanics that make up the big picture.
Phil Mickelson didn't win the Masters by luck and Tiger Woods is not the top rated golfer in the world after simply dusting off the old clubs and jumping into the '06 PGA season. These guys are the best at what they do and at the top of their game because they are committed to hitting balls and practicing everyday. They understand what their swing (the big picture, if you will) should look like in order for consistent ball striking. They understand that in order to perfect that swing, they need to work on all of the mechanics that are involved. From set-up, through the backswing, to follow through, there are a number of variables that need attention.
How does this have anything to do with online marketing? It's simple - commitment, the big picture, and the mechanics that make up the big picture.
Businesses can't expect to simply jump into the online marketing field because they have a website, by throwing together some Google AdWords, optimizing some title tags, paying for inclusion, running a couple of banner ads, and exchanging some links.
Businesses first need to understand the big picture before diving into the mechanics. What is my online marketing goal? Maybe it's to increase sales, perhaps it's a branding initiative, or it could be to attract new leads. Who are my competitors, where are my competitors, and what are my competitors doing? The same questions need to be asked about the target market, and the products or services being offered.
Once these types of questions are answered, then the mechanics can be addressed. And just like a golf swing, they all need attention in order for the marketing campaign to work. Mechanics may include website usability, targeted media buys, search engine optimization, carefully thought pay per click campaigns, email blasts, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, useful analytics, and PR. The list goes on and on, but you get the idea. This is not easy! Just as hitting a golf ball off the tee 350 yards with a gallery of thousands, a TV audience of millions, and large sums of money on the line is not easy either.
My point is this - Don't expect results just because you're dabbling with online marketing and because you have a website. I shouldn't expect to shoot par just because I'm out golfing and I have a nice set of Ping irons.
It takes understanding the big picture, identifying the mechanics involved, and being able and willing to make the commitment.
Tags
online marketing
web marketing mechanics
Are You Convinced?
Posted by on April 14, 2006 at 10:02 AM
I recently read an interesting Marketing Sherpa case study on a successful search engine marketing (SEM) project. Before the project manager was able to proceed, she had to formally pitch search engine marketing to the company management, as opposed to other advertising mediums of trade show booths or direct mail.
Say that again? You heard me correctly; she actually had to convince her corporate associates that search engine marketing was a worthwhile endeavor. To me, the thought of even questioning the value of search engine marketing is a completely foreign concept. It's like questioning the value of food or exercise. (Okay, so I tend to be a little dramatic, but still...)
Dig a little deeper, and you'll find tons of online articles about how to justify a search marketing budget.
Of course, I appreciate that any new marketing endeavor will require a proposal and budget approval. But because it is so extraordinarily easy to track ROI from search marketing - and also because the ROI that search engine marketing generates is always so extraordinary in itself - the question of "whether" a company wants to invest in SEM should instead be changed to "when" or "how much".
Although we may be reluctant to admit to their power, search engines can have a huge impact on the success of your website. If search engines are the #1 way users find new websites, then search engine marketing makes the difference between whether you receive qualified traffic, or not. Effective search engine marketing can double your revenue. I've seen it happen- and you can also look through some of our testimonials and case studies to see positive results for yourself.
When you do decide to invest in SEM (and please note that I said "when", not "if"), be sure to use a good analytics tool. That way you'll get all the justification needed to prove your search engine marketing was a smart investment, right down to the last penny.
So are you convinced? I certainly hope so. And if there are any corporate marketers out there whose management is still debating the wisdom of an SEM investment, just tell them that Sarah at Oneupweb said it was the most promising idea you've had in ages.
Note: You may also want to read Oneupweb's guide to how to sell SEO internally.
Tags
search marketing budget
search marketing investment
Who's Going Mobile?
Posted by chip on April 13, 2006 at 10:05 AM
With new developments in the mobile market happening almost continuously, I thought it was worthwhile to visit some of the recent highlights. Currently a number of businesses are taking notice of mobile search and trying to carve out their niche. I guess you could argue that we have been slowly becoming more and more mobile in all areas of our life. Take for example the home stereo system giving way to the boombox and the boombox giving way to walkmans and walkmans giving way to iPods. It's not earth shattering news to report that a number of developments have been moving us closer and closer to a world without wires for some time now. That being said, I think there have been a number of very recent advancements that do deserve a nod of recognition for their contributions to the move towards mobile.
Mobile Direct Marketing:
Boston based startup MobileLime is taking advantage of technologies like Bluetooth, infrared, and Wi-Fi to send direct marketing offers via text messages to cell phones and BlackBerries. Along similar lines as the door hangers that have been employed by pizza shops for years, these unsolicited text ads could be considered intrusive and annoying. Also like the old door hangers though, they could prove to be an effective method of reaching customers with promotional offers and spark an increase in sales.
Mobile Google Ads:
Don't think for a moment that Google is going to let the mobile web pass them by, or their AdWords revenue stream for that matter. Recently that they have been testing a mobile ad system in Japan as well as working on voice activated mobile search.
Mobile Product Reviews:
Toshiba has developed a mobile phone enabled technology that allows the user to take a snapshot of a UPC symbol, or a product's bar code, and search the web for product reviews. Once fully operational, Toshiba hopes to provide consumers with the ability to instantly see whether the buzz is positive or negative for just about anything you might buy including toys, appliances, electronics and food products.
The Pre-Packaged Mobile Web:
Side stepping the need for a mobile Internet connection, Webaroo has developed the ability to pre-package web pages that can be viewed from an laptop regardless of where you are or if you can find a Wi-Fi signal. The California based startup's product will be coming preinstalled on Acer laptops worldwide, and can be added to other systems by downloading it from their website. The user is given the ability to store any of their bookmarked sites as well as selected search queries to the Webaroo program. When the laptop is connected to the Internet it will cache the current version of the sites that are bookmarked as well as the first 20 search results from Google to be available at a later time offline. When offline, the user is able to navigate these sites as well as perform searches within these results, AdWords and all. The SEO slant? Your site will need to be holding a top-20 position in Google for your keywords if you want to be available to Webaroo users.
AOL Makes a Mobile Move:
Not to be left behind, AOL's "Surf the Web" is hoping to take mobile search beyond the world of web pages designed to render on tiny cell phone screens and offers something closer to the original page design, reformatted for your device. Without a doubt, the mobile searchers of the world will appreciate a more attractive mobile web space.
Mobile Profits Continue to Rise:
As would be expected, in the face of several aggressive moves towards the world of mobile, the major mobile phone carriers are continuing to experience soaring profit margins as recently reported by The E-Commerce Times.
Tags
mobile search
mobile marketing
mobile technology
A Common Language for Online Advertisers
Posted by admin on April 12, 2006 at 09:49 AM
Coming from a background of more traditional media, I was used to everything being called the same thing. What do I mean by this? For starters, a :30 commercial is a :30 commercial whether you advertise on ABC or CNN. A 2 column by 4 column print advertisement was exactly that, no matter which newspaper I wanted to advertise in. The bottom line here, we all used the same terminology.
While becoming familiar with the world of search engine marketing, specifically PPC, I quickly discovered that the major search engines have their own terminology. Why is this? On Google I can use broad, exact or phrase match to display client ads. But Yahoo! gives me a choice between standard or advanced match. Also, I can build an account on Google with campaigns full of ad groups and then keywords, but on Yahoo! I can only build an account using categories with keywords. Again, I ask why is this? What is the point? Why can’t the major search engines get together to form a common glossary of search engine advertising terms?
Now, I know this isn’t that big of a deal, but it is just one more way the engines have made life difficult for online advertisers. Think about how nice it would be to have one common template to update or start an account. What if you could create an excel spreadsheet that imports into each search engine you advertise with? Think of all the time you could save; time you could spend updating more creative, winning all the bidding wars out there, developing more keywords… and the list goes on.
Tags
ppc terminology
paid search
Customer Service is a Class Act
Posted by steve on April 11, 2006 at 01:27 PM
Here's a question for you: What's the difference between great service and great services? Let me tell you a quick story to help answer that question.
I switched my cell phone provider not too long ago. In the process, I decided to upgrade my plan as well. Not for more minutes, but for more services (my old phone was barely advanced enough to make a call). I wanted text messaging. I wanted 411 service. I wanted telekinetic dialing - apparently they don't have that yet, though. I wanted all of the new, first-rate services. So I got them. What I didn't get, however, was first-rate service. But I wasn't surprised. Finding a company that consistently delivers exceptional customer service is no easy task.
It seems companies are more concerned with offering the latest and greatest services than providing their employees with the training they need to help ensure customer delight. I know from experience - I've worked for such companies. But I don't anymore.
Oneupweb fully understands the importance of customer satisfaction. This is quite evident from the advanced customer service training courses each employee has the opportunity to experience through Oneupweb University, including myself. Now in week 2 of the second "semester," Oneupweb University is making it very clear as to why Oneupweb has gained a reputation for delivering superior customer service. All too often, companies overlook customer service training in order to allocate their resources elsewhere. And it's understandable - after all, training is expensive. But if that investment can lead to a distinct competitive advantage, is it not worth it? More than any company I've ever worked for, Oneupweb appreciates the significance of not only meeting customer expectations, but consistently exceeding them.
So what's the difference between great service and great services? Well it's quite simple. The difference is that great services can be easily imitated, but great service on the other hand, cannot.
Interested in attending Oneupweb University for a semester? Check out our Career Opportunities.
Tags
corporate training
client customer service
Website Usability Eclipses SE Rumor Mill
Posted by Christopher on April 10, 2006 at 11:02 AM
I'm guessing that, were Nostradamus to write a book called Predicting for Idiots, one of his first guidelines to a budding prophet would be "keep it vague, young apprentice." The oracle, generally, only kinda tells the future. The second you predict something concrete, you've let your mouth write a check that your butt might find itself selling CDs to cover.
So, when you read predictions about which search engine is going to fail, which one's going to take over the world, which one you should care about, which one you shouldn't, which algorithm hates complete sentences, which one favors endless blogs about nothing, which one LUVS SPAM, which one's going to penalize you because you're running a 25,000-page catalog site managed by a CMS that's dynamically delivering duplicate content because it's close to impossible to have unique content on each page of a 25,000-page catalog site, you should think "whatever".
When you think "whatever," you should be thinking "whatever" because you know your site is offering a valid and complete user experience. Your site answers visitors' questions; when it doesn't, it leads visitors to where they can find that answer. If someone wants to buy your product, they can get to where the transaction occurs quickly and securely. In short, it does the job it's supposed to do, whether that be entertain, inform, sell, etc. This is what usability is all about, and when you're site's usable, traffic and search engine results will follow. The urge to change everything based upon a normal fluctuation in SE position or some expert's prediction - ignore it. The sky's not falling.
Tags
usability
Can You Hear the Opportunity?
Posted by dave on April 07, 2006 at 04:00 PM
As a continually evolving online marketplace continues to do just that, marketers are always looking for the next big thing. Those untapped markets that can help take them and their clients to the next level.
Now, as technology continues to move us toward an on-demand, on our own schedule media world, a new opportunity to take marketers and their clients to the next level has presented itself. Podcasting.
Podcasting fits in perfectly with our on-demand lifestyle. With podcasts it does not matter if the nightly news is on at 6:30pm. You can just go to CNN or NPR and download the latest news stories and listen to them when it is most convenient for you.
From finding a recipe to getting the latest sports scores, there is podcast out there for just about everyone. So now the question becomes, "How can marketers use this expanding form of media?" Unlike more traditional forms of marketing such as TV or Radio where you are marketing to a large and diverse audience that may or may not have any interest in your product or service, podcasts provide you with the unique opportunity to market directly to a captive, targeted audience. After all, if you are advertising running shoes on EnduranceRadio, it's hard to find a more target audience.
So, to all those marketers out there looking for the next big thing, listen up. Including podcasting as part of your marketing plan can help create a comprehensive approach designed to better target and reach your market.
Straight Up Site of Interest for RSS Feed Creation
Posted by keirsun on April 06, 2006 at 01:20 PM
It's time once again for another installment of everyone's favorite, our Straight Up Site of Interest. As explained previously, this post aims to shine the spotlight on websites/services that expand upon forward-thinking internet technologies, and prompt you to ask the question, "How can this help me market my website?"
Straight Up Site of Interest: FeedCraft
In their Own Words: "FeedCraft allows you to create, manage, deliver, and track RSS feeds."
First Impression: FeedCraft is unique from many other RSS feed creators I've come across in that it's an entirely web based service. There's no software to install. FeedCraft also offers a Basic plan that's free, but if you want to keep track of how many people subscribe to your feed and use other reporting features, you have to sign up for a paid plan. See Feedcraft's Plan Comparison Chart.
If you didn't guess already, our theme this month is RSS Feed Creation. If you're not familiar with RSS, it is a format for syndicating and distributing content online. Think of it as another method for placing your brand in front of a targeted audience.
Here's one example of using RSS: Subscribers to the StraightUpSearch RSS Feed receive snippets of our daily blog posts without having to visit our website. The subscriber only has to click on a link in their RSS Feed Reader to see what's new at StraightUpSearch. So instead of relying on the user to make the decision to pay a visit to our website (which is great when they do), we present our fresh content to the user in a real-time delivery format.
Here's another example: Ecommerce site owners who feature specific products/services on a weekly/monthly basis, can use RSS much as they would an email newsletter: to promote specific products directly to recipients who have already identified themselves as qualified leads.
Now more than ever, consumers hold the power. Why not give them the means to use it as they see fit?
There are, of course, a multitude of uses for RSS, and its spin-offs, that I'm not addressing here. Feel free, to do a little reading.
Tags
rss feed creation
The fools of April, May, June, and October, and…
Posted by on April 05, 2006 at 10:51 AM
By now, most of the online community has likely grown wise to the deliciously witty April fools joke, Google Romance. Google posted a press release, Saturday, April 1st, inviting all to view the Google Romance Tour, and learn more.
Okay, I’ll admit to biting, simply because Google seems willing to try its hand at anything in or out of realms of possibility and reason. Someone as jaded as I, however, needn’t read far before realizing that the whole thing is a clever hoax intended to poke fun at Google’s vast array of contextual products and services.
Always in the mood for a laugh, I continued reading the contextually romantic scenario unfolding before me when suddenly the grin left my face.
As the narrative tour described the 8th step of the process “Contextual Courtship,‎ it occurred to me that the rosy picture being painted of the future of the online world wasn’t rosy at all – it was awash with a white background accented, handily, in the primary colors of blue, green, red and yellow.
“User B employs Gmail, Gmail Chat, Google Talk, Google Desktop Side Bar, Picasa 2, Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Local, Google Suggest, Blogger, and an impressive array of highly relevant Contextual Courtship advertisements…‎
As the list of products & services under the Google brand continues to grow… Froogle, Google Mobile, Orkut, Google Finance… it seems that Google’s mission to “organize the world’s information‎ is an ever-so polite description of the homogenization of the wired world. It would seem that Google is slowly doing to the web what big-box stores have done to the retail sales landscape.
Sure, this might make me sound like a harsh, doomsday-er; rest assured that I am not. I have faith that the online universe will forever remain a bastion of individuality, peppered liberally with all sorts of inventive, colorful and unique places to visit.
Search engines are wonderful things; without them most of us would be lost in a sea of information. However, it’s easy to be fooled and lulled into a routine of visiting the good, old one-stop-shop. But it’s up to us, the lonely wanderers of the web, to seek out fresh, independent, and unique content.
Walk a Mile in Those Entrepreneurial Shoes
Posted by on April 04, 2006 at 02:26 PM
You have a client who's driving you nuts. This may be a very successful closely-held first generation company, an entrepreneur on the cusp of greatness, or even an older company with a nervous new owner. Obviously, they know their business and have shown a willingness to take risks, but you wouldn't know it by the amount of time the owner spends second-guessing your work and that of everyone around him. He's constantly questioning your advice, scrutinizing your work and knit-picking your bills. You're the expert, why won't he leave you alone and let you do your job?
I feel your pain. I was your pain – the nervous successful entrepreneur, the founder and CEO of a growing company. And I had clients like this as well – entrepreneurs that drove me crazy - for I was in a service business. What follows, therefore, is not an excuse but an explanation made from both sides of the fence. Maybe it'll keep you out of therapy.
What it's like from the other side of the table.
Take a look at the world from the eyes of the self-made entrepreneur. These are a few experiences you may never have:
* To start his business he probably risked losing everything – EVERYTHING – including his home, car, children's education, retirement, reputation and future ability to buy anything on credit. If he fails he may never find another job in the industry he loves. For most businesses "venture capital" is a fantasy, until he succeeds and doesn't need it.
* Every time a growth opportunity occurs, the risks and what he may lose increase exponentially. And it's not always clear which decision will be the deal breaker.
* He is constantly aware that his decisions can affect many families – their jobs, dreams and futures – not just his own. That knowledge weighs heavy.
* On more than one occasion he has gone without a paycheck so he could pay his employees and/or key suppliers.
* He works longer hours, sleeps less and probably takes fewer days off than the people who work for him... because you can't delegate worry. There's no such thing as a vacation.
* He remembers when he purchased his first desk, chair, computer, copier, phone and lamp... and he can tell you what he paid for them.
* On more than one occasion some "expert" has tried to cheat or seriously mislead him.
* No matter what internal systems he creates, he is always vulnerable to theft by current or past employees; forget the pens and office supplies, his entire financial position and/or customer base may be at risk.
* He used to know every employee and their family by name – even their birthdays. The day he can no longer internalize this information is one of the saddest in his career.
* For no fault of his own, he has lost his most valuable "right hand" employee more than once. Silently, he still grieves the losses.
* He doesn't have many friends outside of the business, and must constantly be on his guard for people purporting to be friends who are only after his money, reputation, expertise or best employee.
* Business, hobbies and family are a two-out-of-three proposition at best.
* For all his flash and bravado, in a quiet moment he just might admit that on more than one occasion his business was one meeting or presentation from closing its doors.
* He is the constant target of scams, aggressive charities and would-be customers who want everything for free.
* He must always exude confidence even when he isn't. Nobody wants to be with a loser; competitors and nervous employees can smell blood in the water... or so he thinks.
* No matter how they act, these entrepreneurs are some of the loneliest people you will ever meet.
So, the next time you're wishing this guy would just chill and let you do your job, think about taking a walk in his shoes. You'll probably find that others don't appreciate his perspective either, but when you do you'll have a leg up on the competition. By putting up with a little institutional insecurity from time to time and doing the best job you can do for your client, you'll earn his respect.
Sooner or later he'll recognize you as an asset rather than a threat... and you may just have his growing piece of business for life.
Tags
Corporate Risk Taking
New Business Management
Small Business Managers
Search for Search
Posted by tim on April 03, 2006 at 12:46 PM
More and more, our clients are telling us about the great deal their hosting company has (or their CMS company, or an outside vendor) on search engine optimization (SEO). Apparently, you can now use internal search servers to create pages that ‘regular’ search engines love to position in their natural results.
GASP!!! REALLY????
Could this be the answer that’s eluded all of us for years now? Has the goose finally laid her golden egg and we can now bask in the warm glow of triumph? Ooo-da-lally, happy days are here at last!
But wait. If you are very, very quiet, you can hear all the warm air leaking from this grand master plan.
Internal search servers exist to facilitate search on a specific domain, within just that file structure. When built correctly, they can be a great tool for customer service. Basic good practice would suggest all sites have some type of internal search function, if only to help customers find a product (and hopefully buy a product) when all other navigation techniques have failed.
What’s curious though, is when did we make this leap of faith that an internal search results page was also exactly what search engines on the outside are looking for? Seems like these pages are either a list of products with a “flat‎ URL, or a list of products with a short and tidy little description, you know, because content is king.
These pages of “great spider food‎ either sit on the domain itself, thus creating duplicate content under new, unique URL’s, or they might even reside on the domain of the internal search provider, with links to their domain, as well as links to some of your products. That’s not a big deal though, right? Few searchers get confused by a lot of domain hopping, and if ultimately you help get your search vendors site positioned a little higher, maybe even on your key terms, that’s ok right?
It’s been said over an over, and maybe one day folks will even start to believe it, but there is no shortcut to positioning a site with search engines for the long haul. It takes a commitment to long term thinking, careful brand positioning, sound design and navigation, and careful message creation to help search engine algorithms understand exactly what demand your product or service meets.