Google To Fight delicious
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Posted By Keith Ort on 09/20 at 01:49 PM |
Google will be joining in the social bookmarking arena with Google Shared Stuff in the near future. While the beta has yet to come, it does exist on their web servers completely incomplete or ready for any significant amount of use. As far as I am aware, it was first uncovered by Google Operating System. This could be the next product they launch now that their Powerpoint fighter, Google Presentation, has been integrated with Google Docs. Now if they’d only add some new features to Gmail and bring it out of beta.
Vroom, Vroom... Increasing Traffic Online
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Posted By Rochelle Knight on 02/06 at 03:46 PM |
In the spirit of my post-Super Bowl glow (yay Colts!), I came across this blog about Toyota Tundra’s commercials’ “actual demonstration” disclaimer.
Now, I usually don’t pay too much attention to the ads unless they’re pretty funny but I did in fact see one and thought something along the lines of “Actual demonstration? That’s weird they’d put that there since that would take a lot of work.”
Turns out I was wrong as well. More interesting to me now is that the end of the video had no compelling call to action to go to toyota.com to see the behind-the-scenes video.
Well, I went to the site today and the video -- although shorter than I expected -- is surprisingly interesting. Even though it's a great idea, I just can't help but feel that if you were going to spend money on an ad during the pricey Super Bowl timeslots, then there should have been a call to action to push viewers to go online for the video. By using a cross-media reference, the web site's traffic would have increased as well as audience exposure (to more than just the one truck) without costing any more.
Though I’m now promoting the video myself, I would be curious to see the ad campaign results in relation to the behind-the-scenes page views and compare the ad's success vs. how many people will “happen across” this page. It’s not likely I’ll find out, but I’m still curious.
Big changes in the realm of search
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Posted By Keith Ort on 05/16 at 11:41 AM |
We’ve had a few large products go out the door recently so I’ve finally been able to catch up on many of the things going on in the world of search engines. The major search engines have all been trying to do what they can to get your advertising dollars. I'd like to highlight the biggest things for you.
Google
Google has unleashed a few new products that are really cool. 1st off would be Google Calendar which, when combined with GMail, competes head to head with Microsoft’s Outlook. The interface is very slick and it offers a lot of convenience. The latest entry into the battle is Google Notebook. Essentially it’s a way to categorize and organize your research and notes and make it accessible publicly if you wish. The last new tool is a utility called Google Trends. This is more of an extension of Google’s infamous Zeitgeist (which also got a nice makeover) that allows you to search and compare trends for searchers. It’s a great tool for web marketers and SEOs.
Yahoo
The biggest news for Yahoo has to be their long overdue redesign for their home page. It’s not 100% live yet however they are letting anyone view it. It’s a great, modern look with lots of integration of their various products and services. The new page fuses AJAX programming seamlessly and makes for a very enjoyable user experience. The other thing Yahoo has done is reawaken the beast known as AlltheWeb. They have brought some very slick AJAX coding to the search engine world which is a refreshing change. The AJAX functionality adds a new dimension to searching through Yahoo’s massive index by giving vertical search suggestions. Even if you prefer another search engine, it is definitely worth the time to take a look at.
MSN
Microsoft has been pretty quiet as of late. They are slowly rolling out their online advertising program called adCenter. This will be replacing their current model of using Yahoo’s sponsored listings and help give MSN its own identity. With Microsoft putting a lot of money into the Xbox360, I expect them to invest heavily into MSN in the near future. Amazon recently dumped Yahoo in favor of Windows Live search (which is another great AJAX based web site). Steve Balmer has stated he wants to compete more heavily against Google for the online advertising dollar.
PapaJohns Targets the Tech-Savvy
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Posted By Matt Certo on 04/25 at 03:58 PM |
I am a Sirius Satellite Radio subscriber and enjoy the commercial-free content when I'm on the road. I heard an ad today for PapaJohn's Pizza and its online ordering system. The commercial makes mention of the fact that satellite radio subscribers are 'tech savvy' (I'm paraphrasing here) and directs them to a special URL to try out the online ordering system (which I wrote about some time ago). Seems like a pretty smart media buy to me. Naturally, those who are early/eager adopters of satellite radio technology are more than likely going to be open to ordering pizza online. I think it's a very sensible business tactic and would imagine that the conversion rate would be better than that of a parallel effort implemented on terrestrial radio or some other traditional medium.
Shooting for… Reality
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Posted By Rochelle Knight on 04/14 at 10:46 AM |
Almost everyone looking for a new Web site wants it to be the latest and greatest, to be better than the competition. But more often than not, the wow factor is not practical and you have to bring them back to reality gently in order to achieve a successful online presence while remaining practical.
MSN has a great example of a wow factor that is not realistic for this type of media: high-definition videos online.
Things like bandwidth and filesize are constant concerns for those involved with online media. In this case, high definition filesizes almost triple the standard filesize – resulting in enormous delays during download, a much slower internet speed, and poor quality of video… It would be hard to find a practical reason for using that level of clarity online for most Web sites out there.
One part of the article that stuck out in my mind was a comment by Josh Martin, an analyst for IDC:
"Is that story less compelling because it's not high definition?" Martin said. "I don't think so."
When it comes to the Web, the ability to browse through sites quickly is one of the most compelling reasons to go online. While you should always want to shoot for greatness, it's more important to accomplish your users' goals successfully than to overshoot your own.
RSS - Marketers Take Note
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Posted By Matt Certo on 04/14 at 09:33 AM |
I just read an interesting post from Seth Godin about Google and someone wishing that it didn't exist. Not sure I really understood his point (still on today's first cup of coffee).
But something further in his post made me think a bit. He talks about RSS and how it should be added into sites everywhere. I tend to agree. The promise of RSS is pretty powerful, and not just for headlines. I was on Amazon.com the other day and noticed that I could now subscribe to someone's personal wish list. Guess I can now be notified when friends or family members add the latest book or DVD to their lists.
One problem, though, with this trend of "RSSing" everything. I've gotten pretty overwhelmed by all of the content. For example, I haven't opened my newsreader in a few days. When I did so today, I was behind on something like 700 posts. Steve Rubel's blog, for example, had over 200 posts that I had yet to read. Frankly, I don't know how anyone keeps up with this guy!
It occurred to me that RSS needs to 'deepen.' Perhaps it already has, but noone's bothered to tell me. Let me explain what I mean...
RSS should enable a content creator to prioritize his/her content. For example, Steve's post that IceRocket has been acquired is probably higher priority than his quick tip about Flickr. Why not allow a content author to prioritize posts (ranging from urgent to trivial). This would allow me, as a reader, to be able to cut to the chase after a long vacation. To some degree content categories allow me to segment my subscriptions, but I'm not sure that most authors (or subscribers) think of it this way.
I love the move toward more active/dynamic content, but how do we help people to manage the information overload?
Whats old is new again: Google Page Creator
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Posted By Keith Ort on 02/23 at 10:14 AM |
Google is reaching into the past to gain users. A new lab project called Google Page Creator has come out of hiding recently. It reminds me of how GeoCities and Tripod used to be in the mid to late 90's except Google has now thrown their best AJAX developers at it to give this an intuitive interface. This looks to be an excellent way for people to create a quick and simple Web page for pictures while on an extended vacation or planning that family reunion.
Connecting with the fans
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Posted By Keith Ort on 01/31 at 03:48 PM |
Last year I became addicted to The Ultimate Fighter and by association, Ultimate Fighting Championship. I cannot get enough of this competition. The UFC has really turned around from what I remember watching in the late 90’s with Ken Shamrock and Dan “The Beast” Severn. Recently I was trying to get the latest news on the 3rd season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and noticed that the UFC has created individual blogs for many fighters. This is amazing to see. How many NFL teams have created this feature? None that I am aware of. The UFC has always been a grassroots organization with a rabid fan-base and having blogs for fans and fanatics to get the latest news straight from their favorite fighter really brings everything together and creates more excitement.
What can we learn from a Rhino?
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Posted By Matt Certo on 01/19 at 11:11 AM |
I have a little folder in my desk where I put hard copies of articles that are particularly thoughtful, significant, or otherwise. I usually put about 2 or 3 articles a year in there...quality--not quantity. I've got articles from Harvard Business Review (dating back to the 1960s) and BusinessWeek. I have saved articles from espn.com and GQ...and articles from Christian thinkers.
I'm going to add this one today: The Rhino Principle by Paul Johnson, British historian. It appeared in Forbes this month.
Get paid by Bill Gates
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Posted By Keith Ort on 12/14 at 08:50 AM |
It seems Bill has an issue with other companies hording their income selfishly so he is proposing something to change that. In his campaign to prove MSN search as the superior search engine, Bill said Microsoft may kick start a new program where you, the user, is paid to use MSN Search. In the current business model, Bill argues, Google keeps a large chunk of its revenues from advertisements. To my knowledge, Google does not publish an exact figure of how much they distribute to publishers of adSense. So would either a check or free software entice you to change your homepage from Google.com or Yahoo.com to MSN.com or Search.MSN.com?
The Death of Newspapers?
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/23 at 08:59 AM |
Much has been said about the decline of print newspaper circulation lately. John Spiker has a few interesting thoughts as does David Deans on the growing popularity of newspapers' online versions.
Many newspapers are experimenting with various models to monetize the shift from print to electronic. The Palm Beach Post is exploring the use of reporter blogs, seemingly blended with the paper's existing online ad network (as opposed to Google AdWords). The paper calls the effort "The Blog Squad." I wonder if this effort will result in an incremental revenue thrust for the paper. Time will tell.
Web Smart 50/BusinessWeek
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/22 at 01:14 PM |
When I first started experimenting with Web pages in the mid 1990s, most of the educational literature for business folks was fairly 101 in nature. Most of it was purely philosophical with very little to offer in terms of case studies or any sort of results-oriented framework. Most books, magazines, and commericals (think IBM) were pie-in-the-sky and somewhere-over-the-rainbow wrapped in a big bow. More interestingly, most of the hype centered around marketing and sales (i.e. put a widget online and sell a trillion of them overnight). Along the way, the messages of hard work, strategy, and non-marketing benefits were lost. Times have changed.
Dear old Dad turned me onto a great article (full text) from BusinessWeek this week. The article is called 'The Web Smart 50' and it does a great job of showing how 50 organizations are using the Internet for true business results that are definitive and measurable. A few of my favorites are:
- Paramount Pictures using a handpicked selection of blogs to promote the film Hustle & Flow
- Audi's use of a staged car theft to promote the new A3
- NYC Comptroller's office using an online bid system to settle personal injury claims
I encourage you to take a look at the article and start thinking about how the Web can become a more integral part of your company's efforts.
Google is lame?
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/17 at 10:43 AM |
I saw the statement that 'Google is lame' over on A VC. The post praises Google for it search tool but criticizes pretty much everything else (Google Base, Google Analytics, etc.) the company offers. I found the link at Business Pundit, where Rob characterizes the company as a 'one trick pony.'
I think that both posts make some interesting points, but I think there is an important concept being missed here. Let me digress for a second to explain.
I once played a round of golf at Disney with a Disney executive working in the Wide World of Sports group in Orlando. This Disney division brings athletic tournaments, cheerleading showcases, and AAU festivals to Orlando. Seems a far cry from Walt Disney's original vision for a theme park, huh? This exec explained to me that all Disney initiatives are implemented for one thing and one thing alone--increasing park attendance. Whether it's throwing a 'Mickey's not-so-scary Halloween party' or releasing a 'Pirates of the Caribbean' movie to promote the ride, it's easy to see this logic in all that Disney does.
From my perspective, I see Google following suit. It take a core product (search engine w/ AdWords) and makes it the best possible. They've succeeded at establishing the 'one trick pony.' Most everything else--from Gmail to Blogger to Froogle--feeds the pony through keyword volume. These ancillary products may be loss leaders on their own, but the one trick pony becomes a Clydsdale in the process!
Peter Drucker (1909-2005)
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/12 at 02:30 PM |
As a son of a management professor, I've grown up hearing quite a bit about Peter Drucker. I heard much about his contributions to (if not creation of) the field of management and business philosophy. Mr. Drucker died yesterday at his home in California. Often called the 'father of modern management,' Drucker's legacy will be an enduring one to say the least.
I've read many articles by Drucker and have always found them to be insightful and helpful as a manager. His teachings on self-management, time management, and fundamental business strategy have really helped me to boil business thinking down to its smallest components. As an author, Drucker had a way of writing that brought complex concepts down to very simple granules of information that one could very easily apply. A couple of my favorites:
- Knowledge workers should develop intimate knowledge about how their time is allocated and spent
- It takes about the same amount of time and resources to sell and deliver a small order as it does a big one
- Management should be based upon objectives (MBO)
Drucker's thoughts and ideas will, in my view, always serve as the basis of successful enterprise.
Orlando Sentinel
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/10 at 05:05 PM |
The boys over at the Freakonomics blog have an interesting post today about their recent trip to Orlando. As an Orlando resident and frequent Sentinel reader, I was a bit defensive at first (seems like a cheap shot to me). Perhaps they have a broader point, though, that's worth looking at. What do you think?
Search Engines: Taking Phone Books Down
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Posted By Rochelle Knight on 11/07 at 02:10 PM |
I was meeting with a client about their Web site redesign and we started talking about how important it is becoming to ensure that your Web site is search engine friendly. So many people (including myself) simply throw out their bulky phone books – preferring to search for companies online (in turn making their homes less cluttered and not quite as bug-friendly – yes, another bug reference, sorry it fits).
Smileycat.com posted the other day on “10 Tips for Search Engine Optimization”. While the article referenced is very sales-y, I think some of the guidelines are important enough to repeat.
- Optimize your site for your target audience, not search engines. [You know what you’d look for to find your site, but what would your audience look for?]
- Research your keyword phrases extensively. [Make sure your keywords have a purpose and will be used by your audience.]
- Program your site to be "crawler-friendly." [If search engines can't properly read your site, they won't list your site... meaning no one will be able to find you from a search.]
- Label your internal text links and clickable image alt attributes (a.k.a. alt tags) as clearly and descriptively as possible. [A picture is worth 1000 words, but not to search engines. ALT tags are your way to tell search engines what that image is about.]
- Incorporate your keyword phrases into each page's unique Title tag. [The Title tag is one of the easiest places you can include a variety of keywords. Don’t be afraid of variety.]
Affirmation vs. Validation
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/04 at 01:05 PM |
Has a budding entrepreneur ever asked you what you thought of his/her business idea? How many times has someone told you that they have a business idea and that "everyone I talk to thinks it's a home run!" One step further, have you ever heard a would-be entrepreneur tell you, speaking of marketplace intelligence, that "I already checked and noone has done it yet..."?
If you're like me, you get this type of conversation quite a bit. I often sense, though, that the person behind the idea is usually looking for encouragement and affirmation, not authentic validation. If I started a business tomorrow I think the first thing I would ask a trusted handful of advisors is not if they like the idea but to tell me what's wrong with the idea. This applies to bricks-and-mortar start-ups, Web ventures, and even Web 2.0 ventures that seem to be catching all the buzz as of late. My thinking is that most folks are going to be reluctant toward giving you the honest scoop (especially if it's potentially negative or deflating) unless you directly ask them to.
One side note to this, which I read recently (but can't remember where), think about the following contrast when surveying your customers:
a. Are you satisfied with our services?
vs.
b. If we lost your business tomorrow, what would be the reason why?
The Big Moo Sound-Off
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Posted By Matt Certo on 11/03 at 03:17 PM |
I recently finished reading a book called The Big Moo, edited by Seth Godin, that looks at the question of how companies and individuals can be remarkable. Seth has enlisted 33 top thinkers (i.e. Malcolm Gladwell, Tom Peters, Mark Cuban, Jackie Huba, etc.) to address this question in a collection of essays. Each vignette is insightful yet none includes an author. Egos have seemingly been checked at the door as you read each piece yet don't know who has written it.
I read them all and was inspired by most yet particularly moved by a few. This handful, the titles of which I won't disclose, will likely impact me as we continue to re-shape and re-make our business.
It got me to thinking: are other readers being moved by this same collection of essays or an entirely different collection altogether? If there's a trend, I'd like to see it.
I put together a one question survey that will permit readers to indicate which essays have had the most impact upon them. If you've read the book and have a minute, please take a minute to respond here. I plan to leave the survey open for 30 days and immediately post the results for all to see.
Google takes on CraigsList
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Posted By Matt Certo on 10/27 at 10:13 AM |
It seems as if it's hard to keep track of all of Google's moves anymore. It's almost an odd week when you don't hear of Google launching a new idea or product as an off-shoot of its search engine.
The latest? Google Base looks like a dead ringer for CraigsList, the popular (and free) home of classified ads on the Internet (owned, in part, by eBay). Although the site seems to be going on and offline for testing, a few folks (like Steve Rubel) have snagged screen shots:
While you might ask 'why' Google might launch this product, I ask 'why not?' It's a fairly straight-forward application for them to develop, they have the largest user base in the world, and plenty of capital to invest. How they monetize this service remains to be seen.
The WB Brings Podcasting to Viewers
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Posted By Rochelle Knight on 10/21 at 09:55 AM |
Last night I was watching this week's One Tree Hill which mentioned podcasting not once, not twice, but three (!) times. The third time was during the ending which referenced "For more information on Peyton's podcast, visit theWB.com or iTunes now." If you have no idea what this refers to, Peyton's Dad suggested she talk to a therapist so she decided to broadcast her thoughts to the world via podcasting in an effort to clear her head. Listen to Peyton's Podcast.
Anyways, I just thought it was interesting how all the talk about podcasting is spreading in popularity regardless of an individual's positives or negatives on it.
While finding the actual link for the podcast wasn't exactly effortless (iTunes required), the TV/Internet media integration has many benefits: improving ratings, captivating audiences and giving viewers an opportunity to develop a relationship with the characters. Just something to think about for other media avenues as well...
Released from my shackles... almost
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Posted By Keith Ort on 10/12 at 10:13 AM |
Over the years we have been inundated with news stories talking about how Microsoft has a stranglehold on innovation and a total monopoly on the computer market with their Windows operating system. However the same people that clamor for options are ignoring the 400 pound gorilla named Linux. At home I use an older computer (I use my Xbox for gaming so I have no need to upgrade… yet) to do all my web browsing and personal finances. However I got inspired to do something silly so I acted on it. I researched that curious little ape. After trying a few of the 100+ flavors of Linux (most of which are completely and totally free of charge including getting support), I settled on Ubuntu.
Out of the box, it is great. After spending a few hours reading and learning, I noticed the quirks but I also longed for something out of my control. There are so many highly popular Web sites that embed movies into their pages. Normally this would not be an issue however when the embedded file type is that of Windows Media Player, the Web site becomes pretty useless to me until I spend about a day (still riding that learning curve) to get the work arounds running and figured out.
So this brings me to my point, with so many other people researching and trying out Linux, it's popularity growing (just check the shelves of the computer section next time you are in Borders), and the world opening up, why be closed off to a sect of potential customers and clients. Next time you are working on your project, do not ignore a group because it intimidates you. The open source community typically welcomes with open arms those who embrace them. Now its time for me to teach my new friend some tricks.
Leaving The Flintstones for The Jetsons
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Posted By Keith Ort on 10/05 at 01:28 PM |
The recording industry is focusing on their own full fledged war against thieves and consumers are suffering. However they are a perfect candidate of what happens when a business model antiquates itself over time. In their campaign to "save the artists" and protect copyrights, they are suing people who may or may not be guilty of crimes, instituting protections into cds to prevent copying that affects its compatibility with some cd players, and publicly criticizing both Microsoft and Apple who want to help, all the while, not commenting about the correlation between their reduced output and decreased profits.
In my eyes, the retaliation to the RIAA's campaign shows the power of the Internet. The Internet is giving bands a more direct way to connect with fans and hear their music as showcased by Story of the Year, Weezer, and 1-hit wonders Harvey Danger.
I can only do so much but I must encourage businesses to investigate various technologies before essentially declaring it good or evil. More specifically for us in Web design, technologies such as Flash can be great for the additional pop and wow factor it gives a page. Yet too much Flash can cause long load times for users who tend to be impatient in this evolving world of instant gratification. Just like most things we love to consume such as chocolate and alcohol, use Flash (or any technologies) in moderation.
Google is Going --->Enter Your Idea Here<---
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Posted By Rochelle Knight on 10/05 at 09:31 AM |
Not only have Google's recent adventures been a frequent topic to post on around here, but they are really working hard at spreading the word. Just this past weekend I was looking through Real Simple and saw a feature on Picasa, a photo editing and organizing program of Google - who knew that would be something shared in a women's lifestyle magazine focusing on organization, design and inspiration for everyday lives? Well, obviously not me.
While the online company won't be launching Google Purge to "destroy any information that can't be indexed" anytime soon, there are growing theories on whether the company is "simply exploring different ways to distribute the ads" or "pursuing a much grander plan that ultimately will transform the way people work, communicate, shop, read and even watch TV."
With word out about plans to challenge Microsoft Office and their already long list of tools and services, only those inside the company really know where Google will be tomorrow - leaving the rest of us to fill-in-the-blank.
Convergence
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Posted By Matt Certo on 10/03 at 02:24 PM |
Convergence--the notion that the Web and television will ultimately be one and the same--has long been talked about in the Web world. This New York Times article characterizes Yahoo's position on convergence and the strategic thinking of two of its leaders: Lloyd Braun and Terry Semel (CEO). Perhaps more interestingly, the article talks about Yahoo's 4-pronged competitive strategy:
Semel describes a strategy built on four pillars: First, there is search, of course, to fend off Google, which has become the fastest-growing Internet company around. Next comes community, as he calls the vast growth of content contributed by everyday users and semiprofessionals like bloggers. Third, there is the professionally created content that Braun oversees - made both by Yahoo and other media providers. And last is personalization technology to help users sort through vast choices to find what interests them.
I find the most intriguing element of this strategy to be the content piece. I think that the content (entertainment) piece is one where Yahoo currently surpasses Google. They seem to understand it more fully which come through in the site itself.
I am of the opinion that watching the moves of Yahoo and Google is a wise move for Web marketers. Most know that the two combine for the lion's share of the Web search market. Who better to both (a) understand the behavior of Web users and (b) shape the direction of content.
Local Trends
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Posted By Matt Certo on 10/02 at 03:27 PM |
A recent article in the New York Times confirms what many have long thought: Google is planning to try its hand in the ISP market. It looks like Google has made a proposal to the city of San Francisco to offer wireless access to the entire citizenry, presumably for some specialty advertising access.
Google Local has already gained some traction as a preferred vehicle for those looking for local businesses, events, and announcements. I can see this new wireless effort dovetailing nicely.
Knowing that Google has almost limitless capital, one can only assume that the Google Local will continue to gain momentum. I know that I hardly ever reach for a big clunky Yellow Pages volume when I'm looking to find a phone number or address. While I'm probably still in the minority in this regard, you have to think the trend is moving in the online direction.
Those industries that have always relied on Yellow Page advertising (i.e. plumbers, pest control companies, etc.) will have to really take note here. In the same way that we hardly ever use travel agents for booking trips, the Yellow Pages itself may be preparing for a swan song.
Drudge's Wallet
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Posted By Matt Certo on 09/26 at 08:40 AM |
I'm wondering if Matt Drudge (and those that use the business model of (1) rapidly-updated news and (2) revenue from display ads) will ever go the way of RSS. His site (and others like his) seem a perfect fit for RSS so that readers could enter his URL and be notified when something has been updated. But Matt probably knows that doing this will detract from his revenue (many consumers who now see his ads would no longer do so) since many (if not all) newsreaders don't pull the ads with the content. RSS would be great for his readers but not so great for his revenue.