Marketing Tom - Internet Marketing

Web 2.0 Explained

There's been a lot of hype surrounding Web 2.0 and how it is going to change the Internet landscape. Well, you can get the low down on Web 2.0 from an in-depth article in .Net Magazine, written by Ivan Pope. Here's an extract from that article:

While no one can pin down exactly what makes a Web 2.0 project (possibly because the name itself is already controversial), most commentators agree they can recognise it when they see one. As forecast by The Cluetrain Manifesto (www.cluetrain.com), everything is a conversation. The internet has become the transport layer for that conversation, and the conversation is increasingly happening in real time. We are all able to participate and choose when and were we do it: blogging, podcasting, publishing, programming, all have become almost omnipresent in a relatively short period of time.

Technorati Tags: Web 2.0

How to Get People to Complete Online Surveys

Boy! The number of times that I get asked to fill in an online survey every week. Well, today I got an email from the Business Development Institute inviting me to take part in an online survey for the City of Amsterdam but with a difference. This time I was told that for taking part in the Online Survey $25 would be donated by the City of Amsterdam to a charity called A Little Hope which:

provide grief counseling and bereavement support services to children and teens who have experienced the loss of a parent or loved one

How could I refuse?

This is the script they used to hook me:

Business Development Institute is conducting a brief online survey on behalf of The City of Amsterdam . The objective of the survey is to determine your interest level in global expansion opportunities. This can range from expanding your company's operations to lower cost locations, to growing your revenues by tapping into overseas markets. As a way to say thank you for your time, the City of Amsterdam will donate $25 to A Little Hope charity upon completion of the survey.

This is a great idea - it's a win win prospect for all. The City of Amsterdam gets higher participation from a targeted audience, the City of Hope gets more funds, BDI generates revenue for its business and people like me just feel good!

Technorati Tags: Surveys, Amsterdam

You're Fired! - The Apprentice Returns

Tonight sees the return of the successful BBC series The Apprentice (first aired in the States I believe). 14 hopefuls will compete against each other for a six-figure salary working with Sir Alan Sugar. The last series was quite enjoyable and I'm sure that this one will be equally the same. If you don't know what the series is about, here's a brief synopsis:

Fourteen hopefuls, two eagle-eyed advisors and one self-made millionaire. Yes it’s the show that pits Britain’s hungriest business brains against each other to see which one is worthy of a six-figure salary and the chance to become Sir Alan Sugar’s apprentice.

Over twelve weeks the candidates will take part in the toughest recruitment-drive on television. Sharing a luxury townhouse on London’s "millionaire’s row", they will be split into two teams and given a weekly task with which to expose their entrepreneurial nous.

The BBC has a mini site dedicated to the series where you can view previous episodes, get clips from both this and the last series, biographies of the hopefuls and the latest news.

So, which of the 14 will be the first to hear the words: You're Fired

IBM Truck Ad

I just saw a great ad on TV tonight which I felt I had to blog about - I think it was doing the rounds in the States a good few months ago. The ad is from IBM and shows a truck screeching to a halt before a woman sitting at a "customer services desk". Here's the dialogue:

Trucker 1: Would you kindly tell me what you're doing in the road?
IBM Helper: I'm with the Help Desk. You're lost. You're headed to Fresno.
Trucker 1: Fresno, right.
IBM Helper: This is the road to Albuquerque.
Trucker 1: How'd you know we were lost?
IBM Helper: The boxes told me.
Trucker 1: The boxes?
IBM Helper: RFID. Radio tags on the cargo. Helps track shipments.
Trucker 1: (to trucker No. 2, all under end titles) The boxes knew we were lost.
Trucker 2: Maybe the boxes should drive.
Trucker 1: Very funny.

I think it's just a very simple way of getting across what this technology stands for.and it probably makes people want to find out a little more about the technology.

View IBM Truckers Ad

Google's New Tool - Click to Call

Seth Godin has come across an example of Google's new enhancement to Google Adwords, Click to Call. According to the Google site:

We're testing a new product that gives you a free and fast way to speak directly to the advertiser you found on a Google search results page – over the phone.

Here's how it works: When you click the phone icon, you can enter your phone number. Once you click 'Connect For Free,' Google calls the number you provided. When you pick up, you hear ringing on the other end as Google connects you to the other party.

It's interesting to see that Google will actually foot the bill for phone calls. This is a great innovation as it brings customers much nearer to the marketers. Instead of deliberating whether they should email or phone once they get to the destination page, Google is now offering the best call to action: voice communication. I feel a bit left out though as, being based in the UK, I couldn't actuallly see his example in action!

Steve Jobs - The Master of Disruption

Fortune Magazine has an interesting article on Steve Jobs, which not only looks at how the stories surrounding Disney linking to Pixar, but takes a closer look at Steve Jobs, the Master of Disruption. It discusses how Steve Jobs has managed to create two different  models :

Apple's trick has been not just its game-changing tech breakthroughs (music and computers made easy) but its relentless push to disrupt itself before others have a chance to do so. "The thing that most people don't realize about Steve is that he is not only really good at taking technology and turning it into good-looking, easy-to-use products, he's really good at doing it faster than anyone else," says Paul Saffo of the Institute of the Future in Palo Alto.

The article goes on to give a an example of how Apple did the unforgvable - making a successful product obsolete within 18 months:

The first one released four years ago had a monochrome screen and a five-gigabyte hard drive. Now it has a color screen and a 60-gigabyte hard drive at roughly the same price. What other business would obsolete a successful product like the iPod mini after only 18 months to introduce the nano?

I think that Tom Peters used to talk about destroying your business before anyone else does. Steve Jobs seems to follow the same mantra and makes sure that he keeps moving the goalposts for his competitors all the time.

Looking Under the Bonnet of Your Website

I realise that I haven't written many articles on Search Engine Optimisation tips for a while now. So, just thought I'd point people in the direction of an article that PJ Fusco has written on what search engines are looking for behind your web page. She looks at Alt tags, Meta Description, etc - all pretty basic stuff but still useful to revisit.

Sorting Out Design Issues

Ben Hunt has put together a superb guide to Web Site Architecture on his website Web Design from Scratch. There are great tips on helping you through the Design Process, Site Architecture, Graphic Design, Usability, Copy writing and much, much more. It's a pity that web developers don't follow some of the simple rules when building client sites. Here's a sample from the "Basics" section:

How designers look at web pages

• We appreciate balance, depth, richness, and surprises
• We enjoy looking at designs
• We stare long and hard at the complete screen

How real people use web pages

• They move quickly because they don't like looking at the screen
• They're impatient - they tend to click the first promising link, and often don't wait for pages to finish loading
• They don't like to read, scanning text quickly for clues
• They're looking for things to help them do what they want to do

Site Architecture is another section that caught my eye and in it he explores the different ways that sites can be strcutured, such as the Multi-Dimensional Hieracrchy:

There are some great pieces of advice on this website, which should be of interest to both those developing a web presence and those who just want to make their site, and the visitor experience, better.

BMW Germany Booted Off Google

Look like BMW's German site has been booted off Google for breaking Google guidelines. Matt Cutts has a very good write-up on the subject and explains how they fell foul of the Big G! Try doing a search for www.bmw.de on Google to see what I mean.

Fon - Spanish Wi-Fi Start Up Gets Investment from Google

As someone who has a keen interest in what goes on in Madrid, I was pleased to hear that a Madrid-based company has just received the backing of Google and Skype to the tune of $21.5 million. According to their website Fon is:

".. a Global Community of people who share WiFi. Share your WiFi broadband access at home/work and enjoy WiFi all over the world! FON: small cost, great benefit!"

Though this idea is not new, Tech Convergence thinks that Fon might have the right formula in that:

One, it aims to be global in scale, rather than a limited local community movement. Secondly, it has a business model that encourages people to build the Wi-Fi access community, and free software that attenuates the security problem of sharing bandwidth.

If you provide broadband for others, you get to keep a small percentage of FON’s traffic revenue. For end users, you either get free or very low cost Wi-Fi access, depending on the area.

The company is only 3 months-old and was set up by Argentine Internet Entrpreneur Martin Varsavsky, who first posted his thoughts on the business on his blog.

Articles
FON Wi-Fi backed by Google, Skype (Tech Convergence)
Google, Skype Fund FON's Wi-Fi (Red Herring)
Start-up opens world to WiFi (Mercury News)
Google, Skype Back WiFi Startup (Light Reading)

Amazon Looks to Blogs and TV Shows for Growth

Even though Amazon posted record earnings for the last quarter, Business 2.0 reckons that the corporation has now set its sights on blogs, videos and ebooks.

Jeff Bezos has a plan, however. If you read between the lines of the Web site's seemingly unfocused forays into blogs, video, and e-books, you'll actually see that he's doubling down on selling books, CDs, and DVDs -- the mainstay of his media sales.
On Wednesday, Amazon.com announced a blog feature on its Web site for published authors to communicate directly to fans on the Amazon.com homepage and on the pages where Amazon lists their books. Nelson DeMille and James Patterson are among the participating writers.

Business 2.0 sees this as Amazon's way of connecting authors and readers, much like book signings and readings do in the offline world. This may well send shivers down the spines of magazines and newspapers, as people may turn to Amazon for their fix of book reviews instead of getting it from traditional media.

Don't Burn the Flag, Throw Tomatoes At It!

If you're a little upset at the Danish (well, 2 or 3 of them!), don't burn the flag. Throw tomatoes at it instead!!

Launch your Tomato Thrower here!!

Technorati Tags: jyllands posten | denmark

Church Marketing That Sucks

I just came across a really neat website (via Kathy Sierra's Creating Passionate Users weblog), called Church Marketing that Sucks. Whatever your thoughts on the website name, it's aim is the following:

"...frustrate, educate and motivate the church to communicate, with uncompromising clarity, the truth of Jesus Christ."

Christian or not; believer or not; I think that there is some real value in this site. Aside from the Christian articles and observations, there are some good reviews of websites, promos, fliers and even radio commercials. Each one is  accompanied with a brief overview of the ogranisation, the promotional tool they're using and some questions for readers on how to improve the site. It's these question prompts that really deliver the value.

Each article does seem to have some pretty good advice from readers, who are both from the 'community' and have expereince in marketing, web design or similar. I love the idea of opening up a website to a comunity which is both passionate (read: Christian in this case) and knowledgeable (read: experienced in their industry) and inviting them to offer their honest opinions.

Just check these out to see what I mean:
Two Rivers E-Marketing
EKG Easter Poster
Easter Art Installation Promo
Church Commercial on Rock Radio
Church Plant Mailer