Website Magazine

Paid Search, Traffic Syndication and the Big Three

One of the main misconceptions those new to PPC advertising have is that where they place their budget is the source of the traffic. In reality, most paid search solutions utilize some syndication sources to increase the total number of searches available. That's pretty much standard practice in the paid search advertising industry. But how does advertising that is syndicated compare to pure search referrals? Efficient Frontier has released some incredibly interesting insights showing where click referrals are coming from and the ROI for each of the big three networks - Google, Yahoo!, and MSN.

Interesting to Note:
You've probably heard advertisers complain that using the content network at Google results in poor conversions, while utilizing the search network alone yields the best results (especially if you understand match types). This seems to hold true based on the chart above.

Site Of the Day: Addictomatic.com

If you've ever had writers block, then today's Website Magazine website of the day is sure to please. Addictomatic is a service which searches the best live sites on the Web (e.g. Del.icio.us, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Technorati and various other sources.) for the latest news, blog posts, videos and images. It's a powerful tool to keep track of specific topics. After a search is conducted, users can personalize the results dashboard by moving around the source boxes. When you're done, the page can be bookmarked so you always have quick access to your very own personalized results. Addictomatic was founded by Dave Pell, who founded Rollyo.

Freelancers: Time Tracking, Invoice and Expense Solutions

In the fast paced world of the Web, time is the rarest and most valuable commodity. That's why managing your time as a freelancer is so important! Here are a few online time tracking, simple invoicing and expense solutions that you may want to look into to help you get more out of your virtual day as you head down the path towards Web success!...(read more)

Friend Connect: Your New Frenemy

Is Google's FriendConnect your friend, enemy, or frenemy?...(read more)

Event-Based Social Media

Today’s online culture is about participating in conversations and creating communities where people can share ideas. Similarly (and more traditionally), conferences create conversations between people with similar interests and common goals. As marketers, we spend a lot of time attending conferences – it seems logical that we should connect these two like items together. There are many ways to create and leverage event-based social media to generate Web site traffic and brand awareness long after the conference has ended.

Read Media Trust's Creative Director Christopher Smith guide to leveraging Event-Based Social Media to generate Web site traffic and brand awareness.

Mobile Analytics at Bango

If you decide to venture into mobile advertising and marketing you better have a solid analytics solutions in place to help you determine what's working and what's not.

Mobile marketers can now use the Bango tool for Mobile Analytics and its new goal comparison feature to see which mobile ad campaigns and mobile marketing sources deliver the best conversion rates. Bango claims its User ID technology offers a level of precision not found with other mobile analytics products by providing a reliable and persistent identity for every mobile user. It tracks real people as they enter a mobile website from different sources and reach a defined goal – such as click to call, buying content or downloading an application. “It’s not the number of hits on your site that ultimately matters but whether they convert into value for the business,” said Ray Anderson, CEO of Bango. “Being able to measure ROI of your mobile advertising through accurate tracking can make the difference between success and failure.”

SharePoint Driven Web Templates

Those of you using SharePoint for content management will be able to spruce up the look and functionality of your portals. PixelMill.com, a provider of design solutions for Web site builders and content managers, last week unveiled a series of new content management system Web templates that gives users the ability to quickly edit Web site content areas directly from within ordinary Web browsers.

From the release: "By combining the professional graphic design of pre-designed Web templates with the power of Microsoft's SharePoint-driven content management system (CMS) interface, PixelMill has introduced an unprecedented level of Web design and content management simplicity. With support from Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) experts B4Contact to develop the new Web template products, PixelMill crafted for business professionals a site building and content management solution that enables virtually any staff member with minimal Web experience and training to contribute to and dynamically edit and update a company's Web presence."

"With today's tightening economy and the rapid decentralization of employees and business partners, establishing a Web presence built on a centralized collaborative tool like SharePoint makes good business sense," said PixelMill CEO Jason Reckers. "This new approach removes virtually all obstacles for businesses to quickly create, deliver and manage a world-class Web presence."

Local Internet Marketing Summit from Evision

Evision Worldwide, a Chicago-based search marketing agency,will be offering a series of local Internet Marketing Summits, the first of which will be on May 29,2008 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Two of Evision's founders, Ronnie Soud and Vikram Singh, will lead the first local summit entitled Basic and Advanced Search Marketing Strategies. The seminar is free of charge, and will offer search marketing education and real-world advice to small- and medium-sized business owners.

Check out the events page at Evision for more information.

PRWeb Media Digests Available

PRWeb announced that customers can now distribute their press releases directly to hundreds of regional media outlets and trade publications through its new Targeted Media Digests feature. These "new media digests" will allow customers of the popular press release distribution service to increase their media exposure in local news outlets as well as trade publications. Ahhh.... old meets new - sweet!

"Our aim is to help our customers communicate to as broad an audience as possible," said Bill Wagner, Chief Marketing Officer of Vocus, Inc. "Now we can provide our customers with traditional online visibility benefits, such as search-engine optimization, pick-up on major news sites and RSS and social media distribution, as well as increasing their visibility within their local outlets and industry trade publications."

But will it work? Distributing press releases is only half the media relations battle. Getting picked up is another story entirely. Let's hope that PRWeb has established formal connections with the recipients of these "digests" to ensure that what customers are paying for (exposure) ends up as a genuine mention on the Web and in print.

Customers can choose from four regional digests, North, Midwest, South and East, as well as from four Industry-focused digests, Business, Information Technology, Health Care and Travel & Hospitality. Inclusion in one Targeted Media Digest is complimentary for customers who purchase the social media visibility ($140) package or SEO visibility ($200) package. Customers who purchase the media visibility ($360) package can choose two Targeted Media Digests in which to include their news release. Customers can also purchase inclusion in individual media digests for $50 per digest.

Ad Unit and Rich Media Creative Guidelines

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) announced the release of some Revised Ad Unit and Rich Media Creative Guidelines, which is expected to eliminate "points of friction" in the online ad buying process. The guidelines cover standard Web applications including e-mail, static and dynamic Web pages and address ad formats such as banners and buttons as well as transitional and various over-the-page units such as floating ads, page take-overs and tear-backs.

“Marketers understand that in the new digital ecosystem, the consumer expects an enhanced level of interaction and engagement with both content and advertising,” said Randall Rothenberg, President and CEO of the IAB. “By defining certain ad formats and offering creative guidance for execution, we are paving the way for even greater adoption by marketers and ongoing innovation by agencies and publishers—that’s exciting for the industry and consumers.”

Net Squared Donate Now Challenge

Network for Good has partnered with the Case Foundation (aka Steve Case, founder of AOL) on a contest that challenges developers to build mashups that make it easier for nonprofits to raise money online. The two best projects will each receive $10,000 prizes from the Case Foundation.

There are two categories to enter. Developers can either build mashups using Network for Good's donation API (focusing on enhancing the donor experience) or use the same API to improve a nonprofit organization's ability to fundraise. In addition to the 10K prizes, winners are given a one-year license for the Network for Good API to be donated to an organization of their choice. Learn more about the DonateNow Mashup Challenge.

If you're a Web 2.0 enthusiast, strategist, or developer interested in giving back and using the Web to make it happen for social good, this one's for you!

Google Custom Search Gets Deeper, Includes AdSense

Every website needs some sort of search funciton - users expect it. And, of course, Google is there to help you out and make a little money in the process. They have announced that AdSense for Search is now powered by Custom Search. This means that when you have the Google Custom Search function in your own website, AdSense ads will be tailored to the specific content searched on your site.

Also, using sitemaps, Google says they are able to now provide even better results through your Custom Search Engine (CSE.) They will look at what sites and URLs are included in your CSE and use all of that information to provide a better search function for your site visitors. Read more at the official blog, and also check out the video below.

Website Magazine Issue 11 Is Now Available!

Website Magazine is very pleased to announced that our most recent issue is now online, should be arriving in your mailbox soon, and will be available in our popular digital flipbook format early next week. I know I say this every time an issue is completed, but Website Magazine has again assembled an insightful and talented group of contributors who have provided a collection of information for our readers that I am confident will positively impact your Web success!

Take a look at the lineup in the current edition of Website Magazine now and if you like what you read, please share it with your friends, colleagues and throughout the Web on social networks of all kinds.

If you're not yet a subscriber, please sign up today to start receiving Website Magazine.
130,000 readers in pursuit of Web success can't be wrong!

Website Magazine would also like to bring your attention to some amazing companies and our esteemed advertisers: GoDaddy.com, 1and1, IntaBill, CPX Interactive, Multicast Media, Quova, Voxant, Ezanga, Search Engine Strategies Toronto, First Light Net, DigiPawn, Rick Latona, Widget Web Expo, SMX Advanced, Business In A Box, Ad-tech Chicago, ABCsearch, Web Award 2008, Easy Anti Spam, Panama Staffing, eLocal, Klein Zelman, Associate-O-Matic, GetClicky, Bulldog Copywriting, Who's On, Search Engine Workshops, eLab, SitePal, VersoChat, Engine Ready, Mission Web Marketing, Panopta, BannersOnline.com, High Speed Web, Laredo Group, IfByPhone, InternetSupervision, 7Search, Authenticated Testimonials

Morning Wire : 5-8-08

ISM Announces Winners of 2008 Top 15 CRM Software Awards, Sun Adds Video Capabilities to Java Platform with On2 Technologies, Tool Makes BI For the Masses a Reality, SplashCast Hits 300 Million Milestone, Online Community Unconference...(read more)

Email Marketing: Comcast Feedback Loop

A pretty substantial announcement has been made in the area of email deliverability. Comcast, with support from Return Path, will be launching a complaint feedback loop which forwards mail reported by Comcast users as spam back to the enterprises sending the mail.

Comcast offers the Feedback Loop Service free of charge to parties sending large amounts of mail to Comcast members. According to the site, "the feedback loop (FBL) will forward any mail reported as spam originating from the associated IP addresses back to the listed email address." Comcast recommends the use of a dedicated e-mail address for this purpose.

A feedback loop is a system used by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) that notifies message senders that one of their subscribers has reported that email as spam (often through the 'report spam' button through a client's email interface). The benefits for senders are that 1) they can identify which customers no longer want to receive email, and 2) become able to diagnose problems originating from their networks, such as virus-infected spam-producing machines.