Helpful Advice to Pay-Per-Click Engines

Posted by chris on June 30, 2006 at 08:30 AM

Listen up pay-per-click engines, PICK A REPORT FORMAT AND STICK TO IT!

As I write this I am rewriting the code that I wrote two weeks ago to parse a certain ppc engines report format. Why am I doing this you might ask? Well it turns out that the report format of the moment is completely and totally different then last weeks format. We aren't talking about small changes that I could have accounted for with a regex here or a regex there, we're talking wholesale brand spankin' new format!

How hard is it to export some spend data in a consistent format? Seriously, are you trying to make it harder on us to show our customers what they are spending their money on (keeping in mind, that that money is going to you)?

Trend-spotting: The New Face of the Web

Posted by on June 29, 2006 at 11:55 AM

Web 2.0 is the new black, rounded corners are the new complimentary accessory, drop shadows are a part of the status quo, and you'd better not wear a bevel before Labor Day.

Unlike real-life, looking good online is simple: keep the page layout clean using only a few columns, sprinkle some pictures around and follow a few design clichés. That's right, think inside the box. Find common elements around the web and emulate them. Be trendy. The more familiar a page feels, the happier the user is going to be.

Common design clichés include:

• Rounded Corners

  

• Jelly / Glassy Effects

  

• Drop Shadows

  

• Gradient Backgrounds

  

Look around the web! Just about every blog, portal, online brochure, portfolio, and user interface now uses one or more of these clichés—even Google (drop shadow on their logo). The jelly/glassy button effect gets my vote for the most over-used web trend of the new millennium.

Employing one or more of these clichés is all it takes to give your users that warm, fuzzy feeling. Couple these with a simplistic layout and your website's design will be very, very well received by just about everyone.

Why? Where do these clichés come from? The simple answer is that we all have operating systems that employ these effects and we've gotten comfortable with them. Mac users, for example, expect buttons to look like Mrs. Butterworths got a blueberry infection and sneezed Smuckers onto the page (jelly button). The not-so-simple answer is that as creatures of habit (humans) we'd like to use an interface designed to emulate real-life—simulating texture and depth using only two dimensions.

Bottom line: don't abandon creativity completely, just contain it a bit when you're designing for the web and don't be scared to follow convention. Remember that someone has to create these clichés in the first place, just be careful.

Microsoft Says Google is for Girls

Posted by on June 28, 2006 at 01:30 PM

As a programmer, I do what I can to keep up-to-date with all the hip and happening developments in technology. That is why I was excited Monday, when news leaked out that Microsoft had released a new tool in its AdCenter Labs. The tool allows marketers to predict visitor demographics using sample data from Microsoft itself.

Excited about the new tool, I started playing around! Searches for 'perl', a programming language that we use for most of our development here at Oneupweb, yields a distribution of 72% male and 28% female searchers, with a 36% chance that the searcher is between 25 and 34.

So far, so good; the AdCenter numbers mesh well with my empirical knowledge of other perl users both in and out of house.

I run another test, this time for 'baby names' (one of MSN's recommendations). Once again the results strongly line up with what I'd expect - 76% female, and 71% between 18 and 34 years old.

At this point I'm starting to get that warm fuzzy feeling that a programmer gets when he encounters a project that's been crossing its T's and dotting its I's properly.

So I do some more tests just for the fun of it:

• 'Nintendo DS' 56% Female, 37% 35-49
• 'SEO' 62% Male, 30% 35-49

That's all pretty interesting, so I goof off just a bit more before putting my nose back to ye old grindstone. I click the little 'URL' button, and enter 'http://www.google.com' and get a bit of a suprise: apparently 100% of the people searching for Google's URL are female and between the ages of 25-34.

Now, I'd understand it if the percentage was more like 60 or 75%, but 100%? It seems a bit, umm, manufactured.

Granted, Microsoft does have a little disclaimer at the bottom of the page saying that this is still just a proof of concept, and that MSN isn't sharing the size of its sample data. So it might well be that in MSN's sample space only one or two people actually searched for its competitor's search engine, or perhaps the tool isn't quite ready for prime time yet; I certainly don't know.

I do know that I will have to check back after Microsoft has had some time to apply some more polish, because this could be a very useful tool, someday.

Tags
microsoft
adcenter labs
demographics

Ask.com, MSN, Yahoo! & The National Cherry Festival

Posted by duncan on June 27, 2006 at 08:03 AM

Each year the National Cherry Festival hits Traverse City, Michigan in the first week of July. Cherry Fest (local jargon) brings a series of challenges with it. You can participate in a variety of fun and unique challenges like the cherry spitting contest and sand castle building contest, or team events punctuated by the bed race and the milk jug boat regatta.

So why not bring another challenge to the Cherry Festival? I announce the Cherry Fest Local Search Engine Challenge. I'll be the only judge, and I'll make the rules as I go. Let's see what the local search engines can tell us.

Only 3 of the 4 titans of search currently provide a local option on their homepages, so we'll be talking about Ask.com, MSN, and Yahoo!

Over at Ask.com I clicked the local link on the right navigation. Then I entered my the word festival in the business/service search box. After that I listed my local Traverse City zip code of 49686. I was given a single listing that said National Cherry Festival. Only one listing? Hmmm, could there be other festivals in my zip code? I clicked the link expecting to go to the official site for Cherry Fest. Instead I was taken to City Search. Back on the Ask.com results page they did provide a map in case I wasn't sure where the Fest was. They showed it down at the Open Space by the Bay. Works for me. Overall, nice job Ask.com. I like the clean straight-to-the-point results. Ask.com wasn't too busied by ads either.

I pointed my Firefox browser next to Yahoo.com. I clicked the local link on the homepage and then entered festival in the business/services box and typed the same zip code I used at Ask.com. Kablammo. Ads galore. I received ten numbered natural results surround by Yahoo! Search Marketing ads. The map on the left side of the page was crowded with markers for each of the numbered listings. After the sponsored links there was a listing for National Cherry Festival. This listing itself was surrounded by a plethora of links. I clicked the largest one and it showed me that the festival is on the intersection of Sixth Street and Union. Hmmm, I guess you'd find your way into the festival if you showed up at that address, but no local would point you there as a first answer. Yahoo did give several other useful results, most in the restaurant arena. Good. You can get pretty hungry at Cherry Fest. Yahoo's results were a little busy, but once you dig in they worked. I even found a link to the official Cherry Festival site.

Finally we visit our old pal MSN.com. I clicked the local link off the homepage. The next page that came up already knew I was in Traverse City. Nice. The search box simply asks the word What. This is a departure from the previous two engines I reviewed. They were essentially the same in their initial presentation. I typed in the word festival to stay consistent. Then I clicked the green button that said local. I received some unobtrusive ads at the top of the page. There was a nice list of results down the left side of the page. MSN also returned a Cherry Fest link as its top listing. Additionally, MSN handed me links to 4 other festivals within a 60 mile radius. I hadn't even heard of two of them. This is good stuff. Only MSN showed me any festival listing other than the Cherry Festival. Anyone who knows northern Michigan knows that during the summer festivals abound. Smart MSN. Smart. I clicked the top link and was again given a map with the Sixth street address. Come on. Everyone knows the real Cherry Festival takes place in the beer tent, ahem, I mean beverage pavilion, down by the bay.

Well this concludes my Cherry Festival Local Search Engine Challenge. The winner is MSN. They gave me the best local search results for my single word festival. I never said I only wanted Cherry Fest information. The other local search engines just didn't have enough else to offer. Do your own local search challenge sometime.

Soothe Purchase Paranoia with Smart Site Security

Posted by Christopher on June 26, 2006 at 11:42 AM

During a darker period in my life I held a Customer Service position in the call center of an antivirus software provider.

While the benefits of my position were few (time spent in the bathroom was included in call metrics, analyzed by a Quality Assurance Group, and discussed during performance reviews - I'm serious) I was frequently exposed to the fragile psyche of the American computer user.

The 90 to 120 calls I answered each day translated into a beautiful rainbow of neuroses that constitutes the mass mind of our nation's computer owners/operators.

While I can produce no statistical data, I can infer from experience that a marked percentage of people using computers are terrified. Terrified of viruses. Of "destroying" their computers by hitting the wrong key. Of the Internet in general.

Being trapped in a state of blind terror, they develop a mythological concept of computers and computer safety that approaches religious fervor.

For a while, the myth of the computer virus that actually caused your hard drive to catch fire was popular. Were I a social psychologist, one not attempting to quell user paranoia while maintaining an acceptable call length average, I'd have been fascinated.

A personal favorite was the man who was convinced that computer viruses could travel through his new computer's power cord. Therefore, he was hesitant to plug it in and turn it on to load his antivirus software.

Against regulations (I should have sent him to tech support--a toll call) I gave him some advice:

"No, sir; that's untrue. You can plug in the computer. Further, you can turn it on. Further, there is no way you can get a virus if you're not connected to the internet or are loading files from an infected computer. When you load your software, you're going to be safe even when you're on the web."

I got him up and running, but severely screwed up my call-length numbers (we were supposed to keep calls under 2.5 minutes; this one took forever).

Then we reached the topic of virus updates, and that, in a year, he'd have to pay for them. To pay for them, he could go online and securely enter his credit card info.

Whoops.

After another ten minutes of sheer speaking-in-tongues panic he essentially stated that there was no way in h-e-doublehockeysticks he'd ever put his credit card number in the computer.

He even asked if he could just give it to me, now, and then get the updates automatically sent to him in a year.

For all he knew, I could have been serving time for check fraud and identity theft, working in an outsourced prison call center. But he was way more comfortable giving me his data than entering it into that infernal machine.

So, my plea to ecommerce site owners is simple: do a little hand holding.

* Make sure your site's purchase process is completely secure, and that there are no holes in that security, such as duplicate non-SSL-encrypted purchase pages. Take care of your customers' data as though it's your own. It's like a baby, this data.

* Even though some of them will never believe it, let your customers know their personal data is secure - display your SSL certificate proudly and blatantly, and live up to your secure status.

* Remember that there are still people out there who think their computers can cause them physical harm, and that these potential customers are hearing internet horror stories on the news. You're going to have to do some convincing, but it'll be worth it.

Now let me tell you about the time a guy fell, somehow smashed his face through his laptop, and insisted I replace all his software for free... Ah, the salad days.

Google + GPS = Google Positioning System

Posted by on June 23, 2006 at 05:12 PM

What do Google and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) have in common? Apparently a lot.

It seems Google can pretty much track you wherever you go online and GPS technology can track you wherever you go on foot or in your vehicle.

This might be a bit of an ironic correlation, but I'll leave that for you to decide.

Recently, there have been discussions about Google jumping into yet another offline media channel to offer its AdWords users - radio advertisements.

Radio?

Perhaps Google anticipates radio advertising to go over better than its print media initiatives.

It seems Google had an extra $1.13 billion kicking around back in January and decided to cut a check to acquire dMarc Broadcasting. Although Google has been fairly quiet about its radio advertising plan, I was able to muster up some information from the dMarc corporate website announcing the acquisition by Google.

dMarc connects advertisers and agencies directly to radio stations with a robust advertising platform that automates everything from sales to scheduling, delivery and reports. This enables advertisers to, among others things, purchase and track their campaigns effectively -- and significantly reduce the costs associated with processing broadcast ads.

Sounds like AdWords broadcasted over the radio.

The part that I have a hard time understanding is Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt's vision of streamlining the radio ads with GPS location-based technology for in-car radio use.

Let me get this straight, an advertiser can select an ad to play over the airwaves to the demographic of their choice, whenever they want to, by their latitude and longitudinal position? Sounds ingenious, expensive and annoying all at the same time.

I'm not downplaying Google's efforts with dMarc's technology. However, a couple of things come to mind when thinking of location-based advertising via GPS.

First, listeners must have a GPS enabled radio in their vehicle. I understand that many of the new cars on the market are being delivered with GPS and navigation systems built right in. But let me ask this question, how many people do you know with a GPS enabled radio currently installed in their vehicle?

Prices for a typical aftermarket radio featuring some form of GPS navigation begin around $1,400.00 plus a monthly subscription fee. For that kind of investment, I hope you drive a lot, or enjoy AdWords streaming live into your car.

Second, to date, GPS technology is not fool proof. Though GPS has been used by the military for years, it continues to have its share of glitches and problems, mostly in the form of accuracy. In order for GPS to work properly, three measurements must be in place, your current time, satellite positioning, and time delay in signals. Most importantly is the accuracy of positioning and time delay.

Without going into further technical detail at the risk of being grilled by GPS aficionados, the point I'm trying to make is this: If anything were to interrupt the satellite signal coming and going from the radio, how is the advertisement going to be prompted to play over the airwaves? Are you going to receive an advertisement for specials at Joe's Bar and Grill that you passed five blocks ago, while stopped at a red light in front of Starbucks? Perhaps!

This will definitely be an interesting journey for the Google-dMarc partnership and I'm sure the technology behind their GPS location-based advertising is phenomenal.

In the meantime, I think I'll wait until it becomes a proven form of advertising to reach my target market, and use my GPS unit for what it was meant for, navigation.

The PPC Numbers Game

Posted by on June 22, 2006 at 12:50 PM

The following statement will likely send my seventh grade math teacher reeling:

I love numbers and everything about them.

Sorry that it took nearly 20 years for me to realize this, Mr. Gioe.

So, yeah I didn’t always have this great affinity for numbers, stats, figures, or whatever you want to call them. I was one of those junior high kids shrieking to his parents “when am I EVER going to use the Pythagorean Theorem in real life?!‎

Well, last weekend while rigging my sailboat, guess what, I unleashed my inner Pythagoras and calculated the length of the hypotenuse of a triangle on the back of an envelope.

At some point after the seventh grade it occurred to me that, when used for good, numbers can solve problems and communicate information like nothing else. Perhaps working as a database manager directly under the CFO of a mid-sized retailer awakened in me this deep, abiding appreciation for all that numbers can do. I know my time here at Oneupweb has further cemented this affinity.

In the world of paid search, numbers are everything. Sure things like keywords, ad creative and landing pages are important too, but without solid statistical reporting, the performance of these elements goes unchecked.

There’s been much discussion (consternation might be a better word) about marketing metrics, different analytics tools, why they don’t match, and who’s right.

As much as I love reviewing, comparing and analyzing campaign results, getting mired in the game of “which analytics tool is right‎ usually amounts to a bunch of wasted time.

Employing different analytics systems is not a bad thing so long as the person interpreting all of the results has a good understanding of the theory and methodology behind each different marketing analytics platform. Rather than trying to figure out who is “right,‎ consider each tool for what it really is: one company’s measurement of your campaign’s success based on their practices and algorithms.

Evaluating data from each analytics source and using it to establish actionable information and trends is a far more effective use of time than trying to figure out why your WebTrends figures don’t match your Google Analytics numbers.

My crystal ball might be a little hazy on this one, but I don’t see the entire search marketing industry agreeing upon one, standardized system of metrics anytime soon. Until that happens, marketing professionals the world over will be well served by tabling the old apples versus oranges argument and realizing that if the fruit is fresh and delicious, someone – somewhere is doing something right.

Tags
analytics
paid search
marketing metrics

eBay Takes Online Auctions Mobile

Posted by chip on June 21, 2006 at 12:01 PM

It seems that there are more features, services, websites and applications available on mobile devices every month. With the rapid advances being made in this market, I guess it was only a matter of time before eBay joined the crowd.

Your typical eBay users are a vigilant group. It was probably inevitable that they would demand the ability to manage their bids on the go.

Anticipating this need, VeriSign and eBay announced an agreement that will allow eBayers to use VeriSign's Intelligent Messaging Network (VIMN) to receive mobile short message service (SMS) alerts, similar to a typical text message, containing important auction information.

These messages will notify a user, actively bidding on an eBay auction, if they are either out-bid on an item or if an auction is nearing the end.

Dedicated users will now be able to take eBay with them wherever they go and be able to manage their bids from any location.

Best of all, they will also have the ability to adjust their bids and receive top-bid notifications all from the convenience of their cell phone.

Just imagine the heartache that will now be avoided. I pity the fool that loses those gold chains originally owned, and worn, by Mr. T to someone bidding $1 more simply because they were out grocery shopping or picking the kids up from daycare.

Thanks to VeriSign and eBay this nightmare will never need to occur.

VeriSign's VIMN service will eventually be available across all major domestic wireless networks in the United States and interested eBay enthusiasts can learn more at eBay.

As significant as this is, it is just the latest in a series of mobile advances, many of which have been highlighted right here at StraightUpSearch:

• Who's Going Mobile? - 4-13-06
• One Small Step for PayPal, One Giant Leap for Mobile Commerce - 3-9-06
• Haunted By A Super Bowl Ad - 2-20-06
• The Whole Weird Wireless World – Mobile Search’s Future Is Now - 2-3-06
• Mobile Search: Coming to a Screen near You - 1-10-06
• Turn Signals, Window Wipers & Touch Screens: Mobile Search Fuels Up for the Long Haul - 11-9-05
• Tiny Screen, Big Opportunity: Mobile Search Today - 11-7-05

Tags
ebay
verisign
mobile ebay

The ART of the Podcast

Posted by on June 20, 2006 at 12:55 PM

I remember sitting on the floor as a child, holding my very first record album: Styx - Paradise Theater.

While I listened to my new favorite band on my Montgomery Ward record player, I'd trace the intricate artwork of the album jacket. My eyes would take in all the details of the glamorous theater facade on the front, contrasted by the decapitated marquee on the back cover.

At that moment I was hooked on cover art.

Several months ago when podcasting started coming into its own, I started checking out the new audio landscape and its accompanying graphics. I was constantly disappointed by the "Cover Art" podcasters were attaching to their work. As a designer I kept asking myself, what were they thinking!

The Apple tech notes tell everyone quite clearly what size graphic to make and even what format to use. Yet many graphics were a hodge-podge of layering, bad text, and poor color choices made in Microsoft Paint.

Well my friends, I'm pleased to report that the tide has turned and real artists are back, making the iTunes browser a more aesthetically pleasing place to be. And the new art that's being created is elevating some good podcasts that would otherwise be forgotten.

Take for example Tiki Bar TV -- simple sex appeal and a clear case of why not to judge a book by its cover. Well designed, the simple composition, enhanced bright green eyes in Photoshop and a sultry smile fit nicely into the tiny cover art box. Unfortunately, the podcast itself left me disappointed. But... I still clicked on it. Goes to show, they understand the art of promotion. Literally.

Next, I was drawn to the simplicity of NPR's podcast art. Their logo is easy to read and I love the simplicity of the artwork. By changing the banner color and adding an understated graphic, each Podcast has its own understated flair. Simple and well done, all designers should take note of this classic design approach.

Browsing iTunes has been a pleasure lately. With the improving quality of "Podcast Art", I find myself surfing the categories and selecting whatever interesting graphic catches my eye. I read the description and often subscribe to the podcast whose nice graphics first attracted me.

There it is -- conversion based on good design and maybe a catchy title.

I was reminded of my old album artwork when I came across a podcast for Defected in the House. Just like the old days, sitting on the floor.

I still have my Styx Paradise Theater album, edges scuffed and worn. When I look at it again, it reminds me: there's still a lot that can be borrowed from the old days of album design, when each cover was truly a work of art.

Even though we designers have the luxury of computers to aide in successful design, I encourage every podcaster to take a look at classic album art and remember what it was like to feel moved by a cover design... and the desire to hear the magic behind it.

Tags
podcast cover art
podcast artwork
itunes podcasts

Google Calling: Click-to-Call & the Future of Paid Search

Posted by admin on June 19, 2006 at 10:26 AM

You may notice a new icon while cruising the Google search results this summer. Once again, Google will be testing a Click-to-Call feature.

Expected to be in place by the end of June, the Click-to-Call phone icon will appear to the right of select paid search results. The phone icon indicates that the searcher can speak directly to the business indicated in the ad.

Here's how it works: when a searcher clicks the phone icon they will be asked to type in their phone number. Then the searcher clicks 'connect' and Google calls the number they provided. Once the searcher picks up their phone they will hear ringing on the other end as Google connects them to the company running the ad.

The call itself is free to the searcher and the company. However, the company will be paying on a pay-per-click (to-call) basis.

For the searcher, Google Click-to-Call will provide an alternative to traditional internet sales and service by allowing the searcher to speak directly with the company of interest. The feature will also give skeptical searchers an alternative to purchasing online with a credit card.

For the company, Google Click-to-Call will provide the opportunity to reach new customers via the web and speak with them directly. The ability to use both internet and traditional sales techniques could be a great combination.

However, a few questions come to mind that Google has yet to answer:

• How will Click-to-Call affect Pay-Per-Click?
• Will bids increase across the board?
• Will Click-to-Call ads be cost-effective?

Because Google Click-to-Call will be available on a limited basis, only time will tell, but it will be interesting to see how this new advertising option affects paid search.

Tags
google
google click-to-call
paid search

What's Wrong with Podcasting?

Posted by on June 16, 2006 at 09:00 AM

Metrics! I remember the day I first looked at online banner tracking. Metaphorically speaking, two dozen doves broke heaven-ward from my computer screen, angels singing in the background, and the Holy Grail revealed itself to me.

I knew which ads worked, which didn't. I could test to see if it was the creative, the promotional offer or the medium that failed. As a marketer I could finally see what I was doing.

Intuition is useful, but it's a lot easier to find your way with a map.

Hey, who turned off the lights! Podcasting takes me back to those dark days of yore. Will the slang evolve into "eardrums" instead of "eyeballs"? What kind of an impression does an impression make?

How many eardrums experienced that 10-second sponsorship identification line at the end of the 42nd episode? The producer tells me that 1,400 fingers subscribed to it. He fails to mention that the ears got bored and tuned-out when he got dull somewhere around episode 36.

Why am I paying for fingers, when it's hearts and minds I'm hoping for?

What's the best indication that I'm not the only one stressed about podcasting ROI? I offer you the launch of a pay-per-call model by Ingenio, distributed through PodBridge.

PodBridge attempts to track its audience by asking them to install software to make the tracking possible. I think of it like those shows where the celebrities invite the Insider to come video tape their house — they do it as long as everything's clean and cool.

And so I'm wondering if everyone's so eager to install, do you really need the pay-per-call option? I suspect installation evasion prevails.

Is the pay-per-call method a way of calming my reservations as a marketer? I'm uncomfortable already trying a new-to-me medium. I'm also suspicious of some self-proclaimed experts as producer/ hosts. Who are the audiences of these pundits?

Pay-per-call is sort of like a risk-free guarantee, pay only if it works. Seems reasonable. Might even be fair. If I don't get any calls, no metric to say, "successful!", so no money out of pocket. And still no data. I still don't know if anyone heard the messages.

What if someone does hear my message, but uses a search engine to find me later? How will I know that the podcast is a good place for my branding? The producer, who doesn't get diddly for my branding successes that pay off on other media, may go broke and disappear. I lose a valuable conduit to my audience.

Seems like we've got a ways to go before podcasting tracking is resolved.

Tags
podcast
analytics
marketing
metrics

Yahoo! Answers & the Proverbial Spaghetti Sauce Question

Posted by on June 15, 2006 at 10:10 AM

I work for a progressive company that wants its employees to always be in the know. To that end, we all do routine industry reading to make sure we're in touch with the latest and greatest trends in online search behavior. So I just had to write a short blog post about my latest fun discovery: Yahoo! Answers.

Yahoo! Answers isn't a new service by any means, but it's one that I only just recently had the pleasure of discovering. I'm also not the only person; according to one analysis, its popularity has been skyrocketing.

So what is Yahoo! Answers? It's an online question-and-answer site where you can ask a question, and then people write back with an answer.

Why do I like it? Answers are provided by regular ol' people, which means suggested solutions can be accurate as well as opinionated, controversial, amusing and even just plain bizarre. People love to dish out advice, so it's marvelous fodder for all sorts of debates about extremely important questions such as, "How long can an opened glass jar of spaghetti sauce last in the fridge?".

I was on the phone the other night with a good friend of mine who asked this very question. He's not the greatest cook. His name is Graham, he's a single guy, and he tends to cook things we call "Graham food" (boxed mac & cheese, microwave fish sticks, etc). I wasn't sure as to the answer, so I said, "I know! Let me go ask Yahoo! Answers."

Experienced searcher that I am, I typed Spaghetti Sauce Last into the "Search for Questions" box (this box lets you search for questions that have already been posted and answered). I was relieved to find that we are not the only pathetic people who need guidance in such situations - the spaghetti sauce question had already been asked a few times.

Perhaps one frustrating thing about Yahoo! Answers is that even though people vote on the best answer, it's still hard to know if you really got the right answer or not. But at least you're able to scroll down through every single answer that was posted, and not just the official "best" reply.

In the case of the spaghetti sauce - all sorts of replies poured in with a variety of date ranges, making me wonder about the gastrointestinal health of our nation. The general advice I gleaned is that if the sauce has meat in it, chuck it after 3 days, but if it's just tomato sauce, it can keep for up to a week.

But again, it's debatable. And being debatable is what makes Yahoo! Answers so much fun in the first place.

P.S. Graham's sauce was over three weeks old. He threw it out.

Tags
yahoo answers
yahoo

Are Brand Name Retailers Ready for Online Shoppers?

Posted by teal on June 14, 2006 at 08:44 AM

Having worked at a J.Crew store awhile back and now working as a project manager at a reputable SEO firm, I want to shine some light on how heavily branded and well-recognized retail shopping sites can benefit from SEO.

I know I have spent a fair amount of time (and money) shopping online, and usually, because of heavy advertising and branding, I choose a few recognizable retailers and go directly to their websites. But now I'm curious. I need a new suit for an upcoming meeting - so let's see if any of those well-known retailers know how to get me through the virtual front door. I search for "women's business suits" and "women's suiting" on Google. To keep this study relatively simple, I only consider the top ten results for my searches.

For the term "women's business suits" I get some recognizable name brands in the paid results, including Ann Taylor and Liz Claiborne. But on the natural side, I get some interesting results. The first natural listing for "women's business suits" is www.vintagevixen.com, which seems to specialize in vintage clothing for women. Not what I am looking for when meeting potential clients. The second result seems to be a sort of online department store: www.nextag.com. Again, I am WAY to impatient to even physically shop in a department store; I'm not interested in shopping online in one either.

The rest of the results include information about how to shop for women's business suits, and plenty of price comparison sites and such. Exploring the natural listings is like walking a shopping mall that's missing the popular anchor stores. Not interested. Sorry. I apologize for the inability to widen my perspective on brands, but where are J.Crew, Banana Republic, and other mid-priced brands? I know I will like these suits, I know they fit me, and I know their quality.

Frustrated with these results, I search "women's suiting" (Actually, I'm cheating because I know this is what J.Crew calls its women's suits - I am testing them). Okay, they pass - J.Crew is the first natural result - although I am sure this has nothing to do with SEO. Looking down my list of natural results, I see JCPenny, Blue Fly (seller of overstocked and outdated designer threads), some comparison shopping sites, and a little further down the list, Target. My paid results include, who else but Ann Taylor - and another site called Ladies Church Suits.

Now, my only problem with this is that the term "women's business suits" is searched almost 100% more often than "women's suiting"!

Again, branding is an important consideration when speaking of online shopping sites, however, it's not the complete picture. Many, many retail firms do have good branding and recognition within their industry, but also would like to increase their customer base. SEO can do this!

I am confident in J.Crew's ability to increase its online recognition. After a quick analysis of J.Crew's site, I find that basic, common knowledge SEO tips could help the situation. The site has technical issues that could hinder a proper site crawl, but I say there is potential. Regardless, my first suggestion would be a simple investigation into what keyword terms people are actually searching and go from there.

Until then J.Crew, please, please keep making jeans that fit me.

Tags
retail shopping seo
brand recognition
j.crew
ann taylor

Instant Gratification

Posted by on June 13, 2006 at 08:37 AM

The world of search engines seems to move faster than you can say, “Froogle on Google.‎ We’ve become accustomed to broadband-enabled search and I fear I may have become a little spoiled.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a call with one of my reps, another colleague or at home on my cell phone with my parents while simultaneously searching for background information, a detailed article or that recipe from dinner the other night. I turn to my trusty search engine to seek instant detailed information on everything. My searches are returned promptly and that’s the way I like it.

Now that I think about it, all of my tech gadgets are quick, streamlined, with personal navigation and they all give me that instant gratification I’m seeking. Think about the frustration that occurs when you have one of those days when your cell phone takes a little too long dialing or when the server at work is running a little slow. “C’Mon!‎ you curse.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the ole’ boob tube. Yeah, it’s definitely advanced in the last 30 years. But a recent iMedia article, The "Googleization" of TV, got me thinking about the delayed gratification of this medium in the sense that I don’t have as much control over what I want to see and when I want to see it.

The article points out that searching for your favorite show, actor, channel or game on TV should and could be done with the same ease and promptness as online. It also suggests the possibility of an iTunes-like homepage with tags such as recommendations, recent searches, what’s hot, etc. Now, that’s more like what I expect from my personal electronics.

As a marketer, these types of search-enabled advances in TV could bring about a whole new ad opportunity, looking closely at contextual ad messages. It could be very fun for this media manager and creative content maven. And for the consumer, it just might be another way to become even more spoiled as we reach that sublime moment of instant gratification.

TV of the Future? ABC.com Streams Full Episode Flash Video

Posted by on June 12, 2006 at 04:45 PM

I never find myself around the television when the popular shows are on. As a result, I have continually been out of the loop on those proverbial morning water cooler conversations regarding last nights Office, Lost, or Desperate Housewives episode. I did, however, find a quite delightful, and may I add LEGAL, solution to downloading TV shows.

You have probably already heard about ABC.com streaming full length episodes for free. ABC.com is just over half way done with its internet trial, which streams episodes of Lost, Desperate Housewives, Alias, and Commander In Chief from May 1st through June 30th.

Who doesn’t love free stuff? And I really love it when I can get free stuff legally. So when I read on digg.com about the free episodes, I thought that this could be my way to get in the loop at the water cooler.

I decided to start out with Lost. I was not surprised by what happened next. I fell in love. Not only with Matthew Fox, but I fell in love with ABC.com’s full episode flash streaming amazingness.

I had never seen any episodes before, and after one episode online I was hooked. I am a bit embarrassed to say that I watched all of this season's Lost episodes within 3 days.

I didn’t have to fill out any forms, or create a new username. The show started out with one, ten second sponsorship message and had three 30 second commercials, and that was it. And because it is flash video, so it can go cross–browser and cross–platform without any kinks, it looked beautiful on my Mac.

ABC already has their episodes of Lost on iTunes for $1.99 per episode or $34.99 for the complete season, all of which are commercial free. While ABC.com is not commercial free, at least its not like normal T.V. with 5 minute commercial breaks. I find myself in a position where I don’t want to pay $1.99 per episode, but I don’t want to go running to a torrent.

About a week after I had viewed the episodes, I knew I was just a pawn in a very successful advertising campaign when I was asked to fill out a questionnaire about the episodes. I could recall all 5 of the ads I saw. Still, in the end, I would rather sit through the commercials and watch the episode for free, legally.

With 3 million downloads of the different ABC episodes within just the first two weeks, it won’t be too long before more networks are doing this. I think that this is definitely going to be something that we see more of in the future, and with it the advertising flood gates burst open.

Straight Up Site of Interest - Net Neutrality

Posted by keirsun on June 09, 2006 at 10:37 AM

For the newcomers out there, our monthly Straight Up Site of Interest post is designed to spotlight websites/services that thrive upon forward-thinking internet technologies.

We're getting a little political in today's post, and for good reason. Last night (6/8/06) the U.S. House of Representatives voted against the "Net Neutrality" amendment, which was designed to keep all internet websites treated equal by broadband service providers.

Straight Up Site of Interest: SaveTheInternet.com

In their Own Words: "The SavetheInternet.com Coalition is a real grassroots alliance of organizations, citizens, businesses and bloggers that have banded together to protect Internet freedom."

First Impression: The site's FAQ page offers a good amount of information about the principles behind Net Neutrality, which in a nutshell is the idea that the internet should remain as it is now, an open-marketplace.

The site also provides resources for contacting lawmakers, signing petitions, and an informative page that details which members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee support Net Neutrality.

Back to last night's vote in the House: according to an InternetNews.com article, "lawmakers rejected by a vote of 269-152 a measure to require broadband providers such as AT&T and Comcast to treat all Internet traffic in a nondiscriminatory price manner."

The Net Neutrality amendment was tacked onto legislation designed to boost competition between internet service providers. Here's more info:
* New York Times
* Forbes
* CNet

Don't forget to read about May's Straight Up Site of Interest for Blog Publishing.

Tags
net neutrality

Is the iPod Setting Apple Up for Reputation Sabotage?

Posted by dave on June 08, 2006 at 04:26 PM

Let's play a quick game of word association. If someone is about to sneeze, what do you hand them? If you cut your finger, what do you put on it. Did you say Kleenex or facial tissue? Band-Aid or adhesive bandage? These are just a couple of examples where a brand name has become so recognizable and widely used that it actually becomes a generic name for a product type.

Although this generification of brand names is not the norm, when it does happen, it can actually have an adverse impact on the company. Take for example the Band-Aid example above. If a company other than Band-Aid accidentally sold a batch of adhesive bandages that were not sterile, the story would most likely spread quickly that you should not buy Band-Aids because they are not sterile. Now, this has gone from bad press for a competitor, to bad press for Band-Aid.

Now, with a reported 50 million units sold to date, a seemingly insurmountable lead in the portable music device market, and the Oxford English Dictionary declaring "podcast" the word of the year, it appears that Apple's iPod may well be on its way to becoming the next brand name diving into this potentially dangerous pool. And judging by feverous attempts to trademark everything "pod" related, Apple has already recognized both the potential benefits and drawbacks this brand recognition could create.

So, the question for Apple now becomes, "How do we maintain market share without risking reputation sabotage?"

Tags
ipod
apple brand name

A Peek Behind The Curtain Reveals Wizardry

Posted by on June 07, 2006 at 08:10 AM

As a PR person, I've been backstage a lot. It's our job to make sure that others look good in the limelight. And being backstage, like any concert-goer will tell you, also means getting to meet some of the world's great thinkers and leaders. I've met Tom Peters, the guy who wrote the "Excellence" books; Jackie Joyner Kersee, generally considered to be the world's greatest female athlete; Coretta Scott King, Dr. King's widow and a great voice for her husband's visions; and Tom Kelly, the author of The Art of Innovation and managing partner for IDEO, the company that designed Apple's mouse 20+ years ago, among hundreds of other breakthrough designs. Great humans all of them.

Last week, I was again honored to be invited backstage, to attend a conclave of Leading Ladies as a journalist interviewed the group. Our CEO, Lisa Wehr, was the invitee, as you have no doubt guessed, if you're familiar with our company. And she allowed me to tag along. Since the story doesn't come out for a month or more, I'm not going to steal the journalist's thunder on what the group said. I instead found wisdom in what these high-powered CEOs didn't say:

They didn't describe their individual contributions.
They didn't apologize about being tough.
They didn't care who was right; but what's right.
They didn't dwell in the past or fear the future.
They didn't wallow in the pain of failure; they laughed about it.
They didn't hide the sacrifice of their families, or the importance of the husbands and children in their lives.
They didn't miss an opportunity to defend colleagues or predecessors.
They didn't covet the success of competitors; it was like adrenalin.

In a quiet conference room on a rainy afternoon, I felt a bit like Dorothy, discovering that the greatness of the wizards was something super human after all.