Interactive Advertising: Banner Advertisements

One of the first banner ads was introduced in October of 1994 by HotWired and was eventually purchased by AT&T. However, according to many reports, this was not the first time a banner actually appeared on a web page. Many credit the founder of Global Network Navigator, Dale Dougherty, which to many was the first commercial website. Regardless of who created the first banner ad, it has only been in use for roughly 15 years.

While banner ads have fallen in popularity in recent years, it is still important to use a quality banner ad in many instances. Most of the time, the banner ad is the first thing a potential client may come across in regards to your website. A quality banner ad design will often increase your income and provide potential clients with an idea of how your work will look. Most often, it is important that your banner ad be stylish and professional looking. In many cases, you should employ the use of professional design software or contract the work out to a firm that specializes in graphical design.

The main problem with banner ads is the fact that nearly all web users hate intrusive marketing methods. While banner ads are not as intrusive as pop-ups, they are still in many cases unwanted by many users. Banner ads take up space, are distracting (even more so if they are animated), hog bandwidth, and can come off as unfriendly to many users. It is important to weigh the benefits of banner ads with that of the negatives so a balance can be achieved.

Google AdWords and Net Visibility Go Hand in Hand

Late in 1999, Google began testing a program to sell advertisements but instead of using banner ads, Google decided to sell only unobtrusive text ads. These text ads were to be targeted based on what a user searched for in the Google search engine and were also kept separate from the main search results. These text ads were sold on a CPM basis and didn’t generate very much money at the beginning. AdWords was developed in October 2000, and while it still sold ads on a CPM basis, it was very successful. It took Google until 2002 and a new version of AdWords to finally utilize pay-per-click for advertisements which really made the service take off.

The above information is the general history of Adwords and how it began to affect net visibility. AdWords increases visibility by displaying an advertisement that is related to a users query in the Google search engine. For example, say a user searched “west coast fishing.” The text advertisements that will appear will be related to the words searched which gives users advertisements they will most likely be interested in, and provides websites with a means of generating specific site traffic.

Google AdWords increases net visibility, but how does it know what ads to display in relation to a users search? This is accomplished by utilizing key words on a website and imputing these keywords into Google Adwords. Keywords are words or phrases found in a website that when searched by a Google user, will bring up specific advertisements related to what was searched. This helps increase net visibility for a website and also helps to direct users to a site that they may already have an interest in.

Hopefully Google will continue to refine and improve on its AdWords service since it is easy to see just how important of an innovation the AdWords program really is in regards to increasing net visibility.

Search Engine Optimization is Crucial

It’s one thing to have a great website that presents detailed information to consumers or sells them a certain product or service. However, if users can’t find their way to your website then all the effort put into the actual website will have been wasted. This is why search engine optimization has become so important since it makes websites easier to find and locate on the internet. Most users use search engines to find websites for whatever they are interested in and if your website is being passed over by a search engines ‘spiders’, or is not on the first few search result pages, then you are at a serious disadvantage. It has been shown that customers are 5 times more likely to purchase a product or use a service after finding a website through a search engine, rather than through online advertising. Essentially, the easier it is for a potential customer to find you online, the better chance there is of you being able to keep them as a long term customer and diminishes the chance of them finding any competitors.

The most popular search engine as it currently stands is Google, and the competition to be within its top 5 search results is incredibly fierce. Search engine optimization helps sites achieve the highest possible ranking on Google (and of course other search engines). When ranking a website, a search engine looks at a few different factors which help it determine where a website will appear on its search results. How often the searched words or phrase appears in the website is important, but the same words or phrase contained in a title tag or appearing on the site in bold produces even greater results. One of if not the greatest factor is other sites linking to the website. A high number of clickable links in most cases produces fantastic results.

Unless you are extremely confident with the entire process of search engine optimization, it may be worth it to look into hiring a professional firm to make sure your website is optimized for search engines since the importance of field is growing everyday.

Podcasting and Vodcasting – Essential Parts to Net Visibility

The World Wide Web is vast, with countless amounts of data being transferred daily, thousands of new sites coming online, and millions of people using the web at any given time. It is almost understandable how someone can find it exceedingly difficult to get noticed online due to the above mentioned information. One such way to garner attention on the web is to employ net visibility which includes blogging, RSS (Really Simple Syndication), and pod casting and vodcasting.

While all parts of net visibility are useful, podcasting and vodcasting are perhaps the most interesting. Podcasting is online audio content which is essentially radio on demand. Instead of users or listeners tuning in at a specific time to listen, such is the case for conventional radio; listeners can determine the time and the place they wish to listen. Podcasting gives many more options in terms of content and programming and allows users to decide what they want and when they want it. Podcasts are typically delivered through a RSS feed, which allows users access to recently-updated content from a variety of sources. Vodcasting is almost identical to podcasting, except for the fact that video is added to the downloadable sound files podcast listeners are used to. Users proceed much in the same way as podcasting, by being able to choose the time/place and on what media to view the vodcast.

According to Amanda Watlington, podcasting and vodcasting are useful since they provide another way of engaging with the customer. She explains further how someone can do a pod/vodcast on almost anything and they are very easy to do for the most part which is good for individuals or small companies since it is relatively cheap.

The amount of individuals releasing podcasts and vodcasts is continuously increasing. The list includes radio stations who have turned some of their programs into podcasts, large corporations such as General Motors who create podcasts and vodcasts about upcoming products, and museums who create broadcasts for users to listen to as they walk through, replacing the human guide that would do tours. Pod and vodcasts are not limited to the above mentioned few however, and include many more businesses and individuals that what is listed here.

Viral Marketing Can Be Useful, But Watch Out

Viral marketing has become a popular method for large and small firms to advertise their products/services or ideas. One of the main benefits of viral marketing is the fact that it costs almost nothing to implement. This allows smaller companies with large amounts of creativity to create and spread a message about a product or service without having to rely on spending vast amounts of money on an advertising campaign. The catch, however, is that whatever is trying to be made to go viral has to be remarkable. As Tim Ferris points out, you need some kind of hook to get people interested. This could be a remarkable product or idea, something cute or funny, or even a highly bogus claim. It just has to be something that grabs people’s attention and encourages them to spread the word about it to others. The worst response you can receive is that of none at all.

That’s not to say that viral marketing campaigns always succeed. In fact a large majority of them often fail. For example, a web site surfaced two years ago called alliwantforxmasisapsp.com (now defunct) and was supposedly created by a young fan of the PSP and Sony in general. The site featured an older teenager raping in a video about how all he wanted for Christmas was a PSP. Almost immediately, people were suspicious and after a few months Sony admitted that they had created the site and not a fan. They had wanted the video to go viral, but it backfired horribly. It didn’t help either that the video was terrible, annoying, and the rapper looked like he should have moved out of the house long ago. It was also a huge embarrassment to Sony that they had actually created such a poor video and hoped it would go viral.

It’s clear that viral marketing is a powerful tool, and when implemented properly can garner serious benefit to an individual or firm. However, just like anything else on the internet, you risk annoying potential/current customers when viral marketing campaigns are not thought out very well or poor ideas are used.

Building a Strong Community Is of Great Importance

The 7c’s are a fundamental part of the customer interface for any website. However, one of the most important is that of community. Community gives users a feeling of membership, involvement, and shared common interest. In a way, it can almost be like belonging to an exclusive club. Being part of a community is also a great way to learn. For example, most users love to be up to date on the latest and greatest things and will often post and share things as soon as they become available. If a community is large enough, it can be an incredibly powerful tool in regards to being up to date on just about anything.

One aspect regarding a websites community that should be thought about is establishing a personality for the community. Being unique is very important since it helps a website differentiate from others. An individual can help establish the type of community he/she wants by how the content is handled on the site. For example, is the grammar and spelling correct in any updates? What type of tone are you using in your posts/written sections? Is any vulgarity used? Do you charge users a fee to access the message board/certain content? All of these questions are important in shaping the community and culture of the website since individuals who are attracted to your updates will continue to come back.

An example of a website with a very unique community is the comedy based website somethinawful.com. Somethingawful was created in 1999 and prides itself on mocking anyone who takes the internet too seriously. It also has humorous reviews and many other articles available. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of somethingawful is the forums. While they’re open to the general public, you are unable to post unless you buy a user account for $10. This also disables the majority of the sites advertisements. So by paying $10 you can suddenly become part of a very large online community, which has over 110,000 registered users with roughly 10,000 logged into the forums at any given time. Simply buying an account doesn’t mean you will be accepted however. Unlike many other websites on the internet, poor spelling and grammar are frowned upon along with low content posts. There is even a rules section which all new users are encouraged to read since breaking any rules can garner suspension of your account by the moderation team or an outright ban from the forums. This in turn has created a very large and tight knit community of users.

It is easy to see just how important community is to a website and there is no doubt this will continue to be the case in the future. Users, and the communities they become a part of, will continue to help drive websites forward and those who create great communities will garner a great deal of success.

Developing a Web Presence – Take the Time to Plan and be Thorough

As the internet has expanded, so has the ability for even small companies to garner a presence on the web. It is understandable that website design represents an issue of considerable importance to firms. An increasing number of businesses are choosing the web as an alternative channel for developing a brand reputation, for transacting with and servicing customers and investors, or simply for public relation purposes.

Although it is easier than ever for basically anyone to garner a web presence, it has also increased the amount of poorly designed and thought out web sites. It is very important for a firm, especially if it’s their first time, to plan and research their potential web presence. Otherwise, the endeavor may not turn out as expected.

Before starting the process of making a web presence, there are a number of rules that should be followed. The first step is to learn as much as you can about a web presence. It should be noted that online design is much different from print design and a strong understanding of the medium (the web) and how internet users interact with it is essential to developing an effective web presence. Such questions as “How do you fit in?” “Should we make the site ourselves or hire outside help?” “Are we going to let our information systems or marketing teams lead the way?” are all imperative to figuring out how you wish to proceed. The more you know the more prepared you will be for creating an effective web presence.

The next step is to begin with a plan. This should include developing a strategy and is often considered the most important stage of the development process. For example, would you go to a bank with only a couple of notes scribbled on a napkin and ask for a loan? You would most likely be laughed right off the premises. It’s important to take your time and develop an effective plan.

Once the above step has been completed, it is prudent to begin to think about why exactly you need a web presence. Is it to offer your services to users online, or is the site going to be used for simply informing potential buyers of your brick and mortar location?

The following step is to simply be realistic. Don’t let yourself or others promise too much. For example, it’s unlikely that a new site will reach an untapped market which will increase revenue by an unknown percent. Great websites take time and continued effort to be great so it is important to be honest with yourself and others.

A web presence provider is also an important service that is available to just about anyone these days. A web presence provider allows your website to be hosted elsewhere, instead of at your firm. This can save you the cost of purchasing and setting up a server to host your site. When selecting a web presence provider, it’s important to select one that will be able to provide the service you need. For example, if your website is going to include online ordering, you are going to need a provider that offers a secure server and encryption data base services. These types of providers can also assist with registering a domain name, bandwidth and traffic issues, e-mail support and many other potential problems.

Even with the many poorly designed and thought out web sites present on the web, it remains clear that as long as the proper step are taken when researching and planning a web presence it can be a rewarding and beneficial process for a firm.

Web Analytics – Figuring Out What Consumers Want Without Asking Them

Web analytics isn’t necessarily a new field, but recently has begun to grow in popularity. It is essentially the process of collecting data on users who visit your website and this information is then used by the owners of the site to improve functionality and to decipher trends that users of the site may be involved with. The information collected usually includes such data as how users found your site, when they visited, what pages they looked at, and what they bought or downloaded.

It’s one thing to collect user data using web analytics software, but what do you do with it once you have it? There are a few steps which should be taken once the data has been collected. First, the data should be turned into a less tedious format and one that can be changed and manipulated easily. Many web analytic tools do this automatically which can save the user a lot of time. The next step is to analyze the collected data which can, for example, help in the identifying of consistencies between users visiting the site. This can lead to discovering what are the peak times for traffic visiting the site, what pages are the most popular, what is the average length of time users stay on the site/particular page, and do users come from search engines or direct linking. Once the data has been analyzed, website owners and marketers can then begin to think about how to improve their websites based on the data collected. This could be, for example, improving layout, design, or ease of use etc.

Web analytics has become much more popular recently since companies and marketers are spending more and more money on websites; while there is a lot of money to be made online, it is no longer possible to make easy money like in the past. This is according to Avinash Kaushik, who is a leading expert on Web analytics, and describes how there is simply more online these days. This means there is more people, more competition, and more search engines etc. and it is becoming very important to have access to data pertaining to your website.

While Web analytics is important now, it can only continue to increase in importance as owners of websites and marketers try and squeeze even more out of their online investments while at the same time keep and maintain a healthy customer base.

Permission Marketing – Giving the Consumer a Choice

Permission marketing essentially means that advertisers only deliver advertisements to a consumer which they are interested in seeing or reading about which is a significant change from what advertising used to be like. In the past, companies would spend millions on advertising campaigns, which could include television ads, billboards, and radio commercials. However, the problem with this kind of advertising is the fact that consumers will be watching and hearing your ads, whether they want to or not and makes it much more likely that they will simply ignore them. As clutter has increased, so has the likelihood of consumers purposely ignoring an advertisements message.

Permission marketing gives the consumer the power of what kind of advertisements they are going to read and watch from a corporation, as well as giving them the power to stop receiving the ads at any time. An example of this is opt-in email which gives the consumer the option of providing their email address to a business or advertiser, in exchange for advertisements that the consumer will find relevant or interesting.

A term that ties in to permission marketing is relationship building, which essentially means giving a company a human touch/face rather than appearing to be a faceless corporation. A prime example of a company who has done tremendously well with permission marketing and relationship building is Google. Seth Godin, who is a world renowned marketer, recently spoke at Google about how well they have built relationships with consumers, which in turn has built up their brand. Seth’s presentation highlighted this by giving examples of Google’s search engine and Yahoo’s search engine from ten years ago. Yahoo’s search engine page was filled to the brim was advertisements, while Google’s contained only their logo and the area for typing in search requests. Google focused more on simply providing a service to the consumer without submitting them to unwanted ads, which paid of for them in spades and has allowed Google to build one of the top brands worldwide, without investing in any unwanted consumer advertising. This generated positive word of mouth among consumers which were more than happy to tell others about Google’s services.

Google didn’t become more popular than Yahoo by having a better search engine; they both did the same task equally well. Google became more popular by relationship building and by not subjecting their potential users to advertisements until after they had inputted their search request. This allowed for the delivery of tailored advertisements to the consumer based on what they had inputted into the search engine. This greatly improved the odds of the consumer being interested in the advertisements and decreased the chance of any negativity being felt for being subjected to unwanted ads.

It’s clear that permission marketing along with relationship building is a positive step for businesses/advertisers and will undoubtedly become a key factor for success for all businesses in the near future.