Seo2 India Website magazine SEO2India, Web Site India, India WebSite,

1. >> Video Advertising Venues, p. 14 >> Local SEO in Action, p. 18
A ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
>> Google Product Extensions
in Focus
>> Forming Joint Ventures Online
>> User Experience & Content
Delivery Networks
PLUS: Top 50 Affiliate-Friendly
Internet Retailers
JUNE 2010
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4. 26
Think Design
Cover Story
No matter what your Internet business goals are, website design
and development are critical to achieving them on a multitude of
fronts. Read what some Web design mavens have to say about
usability, SEO, social media and much, much more.
10 Forming Online Joint Ventures Departments
Creating a joint venture can take your business to new heights, which is
why savvy ‘Net entrepreneurs are taking a look. 6 ‘Net Briefs: Twitter’s New
Ad Platform, Changes in
14 Video Advertising Networks in Action Store for Digg, Google
Online video advertising may be the future of content, but it’s moving at AdWords Wins Decision,
dizzying speeds. Don’t be one of those marketers who will be left behind. AOL to Dump Bebo, IAB
Report and more.
32 Success with Google Product Extensions
10 The introduction of Google Product Extensions can be a game-changing
development for e-commerce search marketers, if you know how to prop-
9 Mobile Minute: Mobile
growth, iAd and iPhone 4.0,
Apps to the Rescue.
erly harness these enhancements and accordingly shift your strategies.
16 Top 50: Affiliate-Friendly
Internet Retailers
34 Improving User Experience with Content
Delivery Networks 18 SEO Corner: Quick Guide
Search engine optimization (SEO) has changed over the years. Ken Lyons to Local SEO
points out some old tactics to avoid, and their current alternatives.
20 Conversion Cache:
Understanding Roles,
36 Increase Conversion with Copywriting Basics Personas and Cognitive
Too often do we lose sight of the importance of great copy in our efforts to Styles
36 focus on design, splash, analytics and marketing trends. To meet the end
goal, you still need the right words as much as you need anything else.
22 Findability Makeover:
Set Goals and Watch Your
Findability Soar
40 Second-tier Search
Significant marketing opportunities exist outside of Google, Yahoo! and 45 Website Magazine
Bing. Increase your exposure (and profits) with second-tier search engines. Resource Center
47 Website Magazine
42 Testing Post-Click Success Corner
Testing after the click is a cost-effective way to improve key performance
indicators such as time-on-site, response rates and conversions. 48 Commentary: Do You Have
an App for That?
44 44 Making Sense of Usability Inspections
Understanding what stands in the way of the best user experiences on
your website will help lead you toward making informed decisions and,
ultimately, to better performance and higher profits.
2 | | JUNE 2010

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6. ✐
F R O M T H E E D I TO R With Peter Prestipino
Inside the Online World The Magazine for Website Success
Web design can’t be explained mathematically, no matter how
hard we might try. There is no one single path and no “correct” 999 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018
Toll Free: 1.800.817.1518
solution to success. Web design reflects the uniqueness of a web- International: 1-773-628-2779
site, and the business and people behind it.That’s not always easy Fax: 1-773-272-0920
to express artistically.
PUBLISHER:
To be an effective Web designer or manage a website with an effective
Susan Whitehurst
design, the interfaces we present must be both meaningful to the audience susan@websitemagazine.com
and flexible enough for Web professionals to continue improving the envi-
ronment where our brand resides. Design is far more than just helping users EDITOR-IN-CHIEF:
reach their goals or our objectives — it must also accommodate different Peter Prestipino
peter@websitemagazine.com
approaches to the varied tasks at hand. This requires that design both
Visit these organizes content for easy access while also incorporating the right combi- SENIOR EDITOR:
upcoming nation of technologies, art and interaction techniques to allow the user to Mike Phillips
industry work in their own style. No easy feat but as you will see, not impossible. mike@websitemagazine.com
trade shows: The feature story in Website Magazine’s June issue is “Think Design”
ASSOCIATE EDITOR:
Streaming
and offers readers an exciting and informative roundtable discussion about
Linc Wonham
Media East Web design today. Senior Editor Mike Phillips and Associate Editor Linc linc@websitemagazine.com
May 11-12 Wonham asked several top Web designers insightful questions about
New York, NY *CONTRIBUTORS:
the state of Web design today, how designers work, and what you, as a
Website Magazine reader, should know about your own design. Tim Ash
Search Marketing Mike Evans
Expo (SMX)
As in every issue of Website Magazine, an incredible lineup of articles
Martin Hayward
Advanced and information briefs from some of the Web’s leading minds fill this issue. Brian Lewis
June 8-9 In addition to our popular regular contributor columns (Tim Ash and Heather Lutze
Seattle, WA Conversion Cache, Dante Monteverde’s SEO Corner, and Heather Lutze’s Dante Monteverde
Findability Makeover), this month’s editorial lineup includes Mike Evans on Michelle Quintana
Search Engine Amber Speer
Strategies
making the most with joint ventures, Amber Speer on second-tier advertis-
June 6-9 ing networks, Martin Hayward on content delivery networks, Brian Lewis ART DIRECTOR:
Toronto, Canada on Google Product Extensions, Michelle Quintana on the value proposi- Jesse Erbach
tion presented by long copy Web pages, and a whole lot more. jesse@websitemagazine.com
Social Networking Enjoy this issue of Website Magazine and share your stories of ’Net
Conference PRODUCTION MANAGER:
June 16-18
success online at WebsiteMagazine.com.
Janet Crouch
Los Angeles, CA www.grafikadesign.net
Best Web Wishes,
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/ADVERTISING:
Troy Pickett
troy@websitemagazine.com
Peter Prestipino — Editor-in-Chief, Website Magazine
Peter@WebsiteMagazine.com Kelly Springer
kspringer@websitemagazine.com
Website Magazine, Volume 5, June 2010, (ISSN# 1942-0633) is
Want more? Scan That published 4 times per year in February, May, August and
November with 8 special issues (January, March, April, June, July,
September, October and December) by Website Services, Inc.,
Throughout Website Magazine, readers are able 999 E. Touhy Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60018. Periodicals Postage Paid
at Chicago, IL and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:
to scan two-dimensional barcodes (also known as Send address changes to Website Magazine, 999 E. Touhy Ave.,
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QR — quick response — codes) and access infor- Canada Post: Please send undeliverable items to: 2835 Kew Drive,
Windsor ON, N8T 3B7
mation directly from their smartphones. To scan
Copyright 2010 by Website Magazine. All rights reserved. Mate-
the 2D barcodes you encounter in the magazine, simply visit GetScan- rials may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written
permission. For reprints of any article, contact the editor.
Life.com to download the barcode reader to your mobile device. You will *The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those
of WebsiteMagazine.
then be able to scan the barcodes and access the resources.
www.websitemagazine.com
4 | | JUNE 2010

7. MARKETING CHAMPION:
Craig C.
COMPANY:
Online Travel Service
EMAIL ACHIEVEMENT:
Even though Craig’s company was
seeing some steady growth, he knew It’s time to mobilize your marketing
he needed to find new and innovative
Does the idea of making your marketing emails “mobile-friendly” scare you so much
ways to reach customers and entice
you think it’d be easier to revert back to stone tablets and chisels? Don’t be afraid.
prospects if he wanted to continue
Designing or adapting your campaigns for a mobile format isn’t that daunting at
to drive healthy sales.
all — and the mere thought of it shouldn’t prevent marketers from traveling to
Enter mobile marketing. Although Craig the not-really-so-foreign world of mobile marketing campaigns.
had never rolled out a mobile market-
ing campaign before, he knew that this Mobile communications have become a key component of today’s marketing
approach was one of the best ways to scene — don’t be left out. It’s time to enhance your email program to market to
reach people where they “live”. Know- the ever-growing numbers of mobile users — introduce mobile messaging into your
ing that most people are reading and marketing mix by extending current promotions with mobile-only offers. Encourage
downloading content on their mobile mobile user interaction by emailing or broadcasting special offer access codes with
devices, Craig set forth a marketing a free download, or use mobile messages to drive people back to your website,
campaign that played right into how generate brand awareness and promote your services all at the same time.
people want to receive product news,
or hear about promotions or upcoming Need a little help to get started? Yesmail has your back — our award winning
events — on their mobile device. Professional Services team is here to help. We can assess your current email
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By adapting his marketing campaign
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8. Twitter Rolls Out Promoted Tweets
From startup to a social phenomenon in a few short years, Twitter has made the
announcement Web watchers have been waiting for — and one that may finally
help the company reach profitability. Twitter unveiled its long-awaited advertising
platform, Promoted Tweets, on April 13, 2010, in which marketers can place ads on
Twitter search results pages. The sponsored tweet model will eventually expand
into Twitter’s regular streams of real-time conversation. Those tweets that do not
garner enough interest from users will simply disappear.
It’s a relatively low-risk initial step into monetization that aims not to disrupt the
existing user experience. For a more detailed review of Twitter’s new ad program,
visit http://bit.ly/daAEMw
Signs of Recovery? ONLINE
Internet advertising revenues in the U.S. hit a record high of TALENT
$6.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, fanning speculation IN DEMAND
that, at least in the digital arena, economic recovery is in sight.
While the latest national unemployment figures
The report from the Internet Advertising Bureau remain near 10 percent, a report from Elance
(IAB) also found that search advertising revenues shows that demand for Internet professionals con-
($10.7 billion) comprised 47 percent of the 2009 tinues to grow steadily in the U.S. A Web-based
total, and that digital video display advertising grew network for freelance Internet workers, Elance’s
39 percent. company data revealed a 40-percent increase in
That data was supported by the recent annual earnings by its professional community.
release of AdGooroo’s Q1 Search Engine Elance workers earned more than $20 million
Advertising Update that showed in the first quarter of 2010, demonstrating that
higher overall spends for the businesses are increasingly turning to online
first quarter of 2010. Yahoo! talent. The biggest rise in demand came in the
was one of the big winners area of mobile development, which catapulted 21
according to this report, showing spots in the IT category. Workers in the IT sector
a 12-percent increase in first-page remain in high demand globally, as the U.S. is only
advertisers and a corresponding the fourth highest IT-performing country in the
increase in its total share of advertisers world behind India, Ukraine and Pakistan, and
during the quarter. ahead of Russia.
6 | | JUNE 2010

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rights reserved. Google and the Google logo are trademarks of Google Inc.

11. No Dogg
Days at Digg
On the same day that Digg CEO
Jay Adelson announced his
immediate departure from the
social news site, new CEO (and
founder) Kevin Rose blogged
about forthcoming changes that
he hopes will reverse the stagna-
tion of the once powerful social AdWords Has
media destination. The first
things on Rose’s agenda, he said, (another)
were to unban all previously
banned domains and to replace Day in Court
Digg’s somewhat controversial
toolbar, the DiggBar. Those and The U.S. Court of Appeals has
other changes were to take place affirmed that neither Google’s
over the next few months as AdWords/AdSense nor AOL’s
Digg tries to get back to its peak Search Marketplace search
numbers of the past year, when
advertising systems infringed on a
it had nearly 44 million unique
patent owned by another company,
visitors in September, 2009.
Bid for Position. The court ruled there were important functional differences be-
According to Compete.com’s
research data, Digg had 38.5 mil- tween the systems used by Google and AOL and the bidding system described
lion unique visitors in March, 2010 in U.S. Patent #7,225,151, titled “Online Auction Bid Management System and
— up 3.2 percent from the Method.” Two other companies, Microsoft and Miva, were named in the original
previous month but still with suit by Bid for Position, but were dismissed as defendants before the case was
plenty of room to climb. decided. Google has already weathered another patent infringement case and a
class-action suit involving AdWords.
Social Deadpool?
AOL to Unload Bebo
Unable to effectively compete, AOL announced its intention to either sell Bebo
or shut it down altogether. AOL gave itself until the end of May to “evaluate
strategic alternatives” for the property it purchased for $850 million in 2007,
and potential buyers were not exactly lining up at the door.
Facebook dominates the social networking space with 462.7 million unique
visitors in the month of February, while Bebo ranked sixth with 12.8 million
unique visitors. Whatever equates to the winning formula on the social media
playing field right now, Facebook has a firm hold while Bebo has lost its grasp
under AOL.
J U N E 2010 | | 7

12. RANKING THE
COMPARISON
SHOPPING
SITES
Comparison shopping and data feed
management agency CPC Strategy
released its first-quarter rankings of
the U.S. comparison shopping mar-
ketplace. The survey, the fifth taken
since CPC began doing the research
in January 2009, allows e-commerce
Sliding Down the merchants to understand how each
Search Funnel
engine compares in terms of size and
volume, cost, return rates and overall
service. Below are the overall rank-
Google released a new report for AdWords accounts in late March and it could ings released in April, 2010, marking
encourage you to rethink how you are advertising on the Web. The AdWords the first time Amazon Product Ads
Search Funnels reports provide advertisers with insights into what cracked CPC’s top ten.
advertisements consumers see during the process of shopping or product 1. Google Product Search
research. The reports, currently in beta, aim to provide paid search marketers 2. Shopzilla
with information about what AdWords ads are contributing to a conversion 3. Nextag
and which “upper-funnel” keywords are assisting conversions. 4. Shopping
Up to this point, conversions were attributed to the last click of an end-user. 5. Pricegrabber
The problem is that advertisers don’t know how much time passed since the 6. Bing Cashback
first time that customer/client clicked an ad or how many other ads were 7. Amazon Product Ads
seen during that timeframe. The Search Funnels report, generated from
8. Become
users’ conversion path data, will show how keywords and campaigns work
9. Smarter
together to get conversions and the sequence of ad clicks and impressions.
10. Pronto
E-mail Unsubscribe Benchmarks
According to a March report from Responsys, Internet retailers have plenty of room
for improvement when it comes to their unsubscribe processes. According to the
Retail e-mail Unsubscribe Study 2010, 39 percent of major online retailers require
three or more clicks to opt-out, up from 7 percent in 2008. Also, only 30 percent of
retailers sent one or more e-mails following a user’s unsubscribe request, although
that percentage is up from 26 percent in 2008. There was some good news, as
marketers are giving subscribers more control over e-mail frequency (with 35% of retailers
allowing subscribers to reduce the number of e-mails they receive, up from 16% in 2008).
8 | | JUNE 2010

13. ws m m o b i l e [ m i n u te ]
iAd and
iPhone 4.0
Apple recently revealed plans to upgrade its
iPhone operating system with version 4.0. One
of the most important upgrades will be the
ability to multi-task - a glaring problem with
Mobile:
earlier iPhone operating systems. Now, users
will be able to operate multiple apps at once.
So, while a user will be able to play a game
while listening to Internet radio, the real magic
The Tsunami
of the Future
for developers (and the overall app economy)
comes in the form of iAd.
Multi-tasking means that developers can
offer rich media adds within apps - images or Forget minor progress. Mary Meeker, head of the global technology research team
videos, for instance - where users can interact at Morgan Stanley (among other illustrious titles), believes that the mobile Web
with the advertisements without shutting will overtake the desktop Web within the next five years, according to her latest
down the app in use. “The user can return to “State of the Internet” report. Meeker says that five key trends will fuel this
their app any time they want,” said CEO Steve explosive growth: 3G mobile networks, social networking, Internet video, voice-
Jobs. “We think the user will be much more over-IP (VOIP) and top-of-the-range mobile devices. Mobile’s breakneck pace is,
interested in clicking on these things because “unprecedented, I think, in world history,” said Meeker.
they won’t pay the penalty for doing so.” She also suggests looking to Japan for trends in investment opportunities,
Speculation is running rampant that iAd where 66 percent of mobile Web revenue is from data access, 21 percent is from
might clear the way for a Google acquisition of e-commerce, 11 percent is generated by paid services and only 2 percent comes
mobile ad network AdMob. You might recall from mobile advertising.
that the FTC has been vigilant about blocking Need further convincing? Quentin Hardy, National Editor of Forbes Media,
Google’s acquisition of AdMob, citing concerns conducted an interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt in April, where he advised
over a mobile monopoly. iAd just might allevi- businesses to put their best developers to work on mobile applications.
ate those fears.
Apps to the Rescue
Apps are not all fun and games. Amos Gichamba is a developer who grew up on a dairy farm in
central Kenya. He saw a problem — local farmers being exploited by local merchants and dairy
companies. So, Gichamba developed an app to help local farmers get fair prices for their cows’ milk.
African farmers have little information available as to market conditions both globally and in sur-
rounding villages. With this simple text-message-based app, they can request and receive reliable
data and respond accordingly, ensuring fair market prices. And because this app (and other, similar
apps) runs via SMS, they can be used on simple mobile devices — no need for $400 phones here.
This is but one example of the true power and reach of mobile. It’s accessibility and affordability
when compared to desktop computing shows just how far-reaching the impacts of mobile can be
on a global scale — economically and socially.
J U N E 2010 | | 9

14. Forming
Online Joint Ventures
By Mike Evans This is the year of the joint venture. That is, if you plan on being part of one
of the hottest and fastest-growing niches in the Internet marketing space.
Forming a joint venture (JV) allows you to build on The best JVs can continue for an indefinite pe-
your company’s strengths while spreading your costs riod of time and earn significant revenue for both
and risks and earning a profit. JVs also allow you to parties. However, this is rare. Most come together
get improved access to the financial resources of for a brief period of time to promote a specific
your partner while adding economies of scale and product to a precise audience. This is because the
advantages of size. value that each party brings is usually limited and
WebsiteMagazine.com By creating a JV with a non-competing business, workable only for a set period of time. For example,
you can gain the competitive advantages of pre- it only makes sense to send a sales letter to your
Contact the website or empting your competition while creating a channel partner’s list so many times before the recipients
product owner to suggest a JV to facilitate a greater speed-to-market for your either buy your product or get burned out.
using an introductory e-mail. products or services. Willie Crawford of EasyPushButtonTraffic.com
Visit WebsiteMagazine.com is one of the most respected joint-venture experts in
and search “joint venture
Joint Venture Basics the industry and has over 10 years of experience. He
A joint venture is an agreement between two par- says, “You need to approach any JV from the point
e-mail” for a proven template,
ties to make money by leveraging the assets of of view of what the other person will get from it, not
and more JV e-mail examples,
each. As JVs apply to Internet marketing, this most what you want from it. You need to think of why
or scan the QR code, here. often involves a website owner with a product to they want to do business with you at all; and not
sell partnering with someone with a large mailing only create value for your partner, but for your
list to which the product can then be sold. The list partner’s customers — they are the ones who must
owner sends a sales letter for the product to his benefit for a JV to work.”
recipients and both parties split the profit based There are many ways to find the right JV partner.
on a pre-determined percentage. Discussions for One popular method is to contact a joint venture
this percentage split usually start at 50/50 and broker. (See sidebar for resources.)
are adjusted based on what each partner brings to Joint venture brokers specialize in finding the
the table. right partner for each party. The advantage of using
Continued on page 12
10 | | JUNE 2010

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16. Joint Venture
Resources
JV-Web.com is for Continued from page 10
businesses interested in
any aspect of joint ventur- a broker is to save time and energy by pre-qualifying which he sold a majority stake to a multi-million dol-
potential JV partners to make sure they are reputable lar technology company. Two years later, the technol-
ing and a place for meeting and fit nicely with your product or e-mail list. Bro- ogy company went bust and Khan lost everything,
all the needs of users, from kers earn a small percentage of the profits, customar- including his house.
newbies to experts. ily in the range of two to ten percent. In early 2009, Khan set a goal to make one million
dollars within 12 months — using nothing but his JV
JV-Web.com educates people
Forming a Joint Venture knowledge. Starting without a product or business,
For tax reasons, it’s important to structure any JV and little capital, Khan sought out his first JV with a
about JVs in regards to benefit,
agreement as a joint venture, and not a partnership, as British company that had over four million postal-
strategy and implementation by partnerships include significant legal ramifications mail customers. He approached the company owner,
bringing together businesses, that can make you liable for a partner’s negligence found out what their customers needed and, using
marketers and entrepreneurs or malfeasance, whereas in a legal joint venture your Camtasia and some freelancers in India, created a sim-
within the context of a virtual liability is much more limited. Ask an attorney to give ple Internet training product to sell to the customers
community to encourage you more advice on this topic. of the list owner. A few months and a million dollars
relationship-building, growth The formation of a JV involves the following steps: in gross sales later, Khan partnered with some top
and mutual benefit. Internet marketers and founded the JV University.
1. Strategy Development: Strategy development in- The key, according to Khan, is to “Find out what
volves studying the viability and objectives of a prospects really want — not just what you think they
The Joint Venture University joint venture. This is where you focus on the major
(TheJVUniversity.co.uk) provides
need. Look to create win-win scenarios, and make
issues and challenges involved in putting together sure you know who you are dealing with. Do your
high-level classes to teach the art a JV. due diligence.”
of creating JVs from the ground 2. Partner Assessment: This is where you analyze a When seeking out a JV partner, I suggest starting
up. Their classes provide access potential partner’s strengths and weaknesses, and at the top. Begin with the most respected person in
to the world’s most knowledge- come to understand their motives for working your industry. You might get rejected the first time,
able and experienced JV experts with you. This is also where you address gaps that but at least that person will know who you are and
while they shepherd students might exist for each other in terms of what each likely remember when you come back with more ex-
along, helping them to create their brings to the table. perience and some successes under your belt. There
first profitable JV. 3. JV Agreement Negotiation: This involves making are many stories in the JV world where the top person
sure that each party has realistic goals; defining in a niche was actually in need of partners, and many
Established in 1998, the Associa- each other’s contributions and percentage-splits, as first-timers were able to start and stay there. Don’t sell
tion of Strategic Alliance Profes- well as determining how to protect any confiden- yourself short.
tial information. Another key to making JVs work is to use en-
sionals (Strategic-Alliances.org)
dorsements from respected professionals in your sales
is a professional membership 4. Joint Venture Operation: This is the fun part — material. Promoting any product or service using the
association dedicated to JVs. where you launch the JV and watch the results. power of an e-mail endorsed by a respected authority
They sponsor, conduct, publish Once a JV has begun, this is the stage where you as- in your niche will almost always increase conversions.
and disseminate research regard- sess the performance and shut down non-convert- Having people who are already known, liked and
ing advances and best practices ing tactics and ramp up profitable ones. You may trusted by their audience will make selling that much
in the field of joint venturing.
change e-mail copy or alter the price of your prod- easier. Often, these experts will provide a testimonial
uct based on split testing. for a fee or split of the revenue.
JVbrokers.ning.com is for full- 5. JV Termination: When a JV’s objectives have been For a successful JV you must go through many
,
time JV brokers who want to met (or not), it’s time to shut it down and look of the same steps as in selling any product — know-
for another. Other reasons you might end a joint ing your customer and their problems, and under-
share their strategies, insights
venture could be that the business goals of one of standing how you are going to solve them. By taking
and accomplishments with
the partners have changed, or you have legal or those basic marketing principles and adding the
like-minded people. You can even financial conflicts with your partner. Always in- techniques and strategies of joint venturing, you will
find other professionals to partner clude a way to end a JV when putting together take your business where it needs to be in the com-
with. This is for more a more the agreement. ing years, and beyond.
advanced crowd.
Joint Ventures in Action Mike Evans is the Director of North American Sales for
Joint venturing sounds simple and in many respects KeywordSpy.com, a pay-per-click and SEO research
it is. What you might be wondering about is the po- firm that tracks over 127,000,000 keywords. Log in
tential for real profit. Consider this story from Sohail to your Website Magazine account for a 30 percent dis-
Khan, president of The Joint Venture University: In count code for the service. Contact Mike at Mike@Key-
2006 he owned a large Internet training business in wordSpy.com or (212) 501-2910.
12 | | JUNE 2010

18. Video Advertising Networks
IN ACTION!
By Peter Prestipino, Editor-in-Chief
You might not be ready for video advertising, but video advertising is ready for you. The
unfortunate dilemma for millions of Web professionals is that the complexity surrounding video
ads (from both a marketing and technical standpoint) is substantial. President of NBC Universal,
Vizi Zigler, once said, “Trying to understand online video is like taking a Polaroid of a moving
train. It’s a blur.” It’s a fast-moving opportunity for sure, but one that can be mastered.
Video advertising proponents believe it to be the future of content, while others have hesitated to test
(
the medium. But proof is in the stats. According to comScore, video is larger than search — with 33
billion video views versus 15 billion searches per month. As consumers, we are watching an immense
amount of video — an average of 12.71 hours per month in the U.S. alone.
Video On the Perhaps the most important reason to consider adding video advertising to your online promo-
Agency Side tional mix is that it will soon be a $4 billion dollar market by 2013, according to eMarketer.
New York-based digital media Online video advertising provides a targeted (demographic, interest or intent), measurable (per
service company Zeitbyte provides creative, per site, per impression, per user) and real-time (dynamic optimization) means to drive
underlying but important performance metrics —impressions, video starts, completions or (gasp)
video, media and online services
actual conversions. The most significant problem facing online video advertisers is not production;
to companies including Universal
it is all the challenges associated with finding the right venue and/or publisher. Publishers struggle,
Music, Kenneth Cole, AIG, UBS and too, with ways to monetize video, and advertisers are overpaying, thanks to poorly packaged video
Neiman Marcus. Though Zeitbyte advertising offers. Below are four video advertising networks for your consideraton.
offers a full array of services, one
of the company’s specialties is Google: While not exclusively a video advertising network, Google’s YouTube provides video
custom media players. Created advertisers the most viable opportunity out of the gate. Advertisers are able to appear on videos (in
in-house to meet the specific needs the bottom 20 percent of the viewing area) with Google’s InVideo ads, or in the video content itself
of each client, the players include through pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll on the Google Content Network. Click-to-play video ads are
features such as ad integration, also an option, as well as Google Gadget Ads. Thanks to two recent acquisitions in Episodic (a live
social media interaction, audience broadcasting platform) and On2 (video compression), the company is clearly giving video the proper
level of attention it deserves.
measurement and playlists.
Zeitbyte integrated advertising
YuMe: This video advertising network might have flown under the radar for a while but its time has
functions for BroadwayWorld.com’s come. YuMe’s ad management platform, ACE, gives publishers and advertisers the ability to identify,
media players, including playing classify and track content to ensure brand safety, contextual relevance, controlled syndication and
pre-roll ads and graphic frame consistent delivery across all digital media platforms; including Web, downloads, mobile and IPTV .
overlays directly from the site. This Key YuMe innovations include the first cross-platform ad solution and the ability to serve multiple
integration allows for total control ad formats and placements through a single, unified system.
and cost savings, versus serving
ads through an ad network. SpotXchange: Performance-based video advertising network SpotXchange is presenting some
Zeitbyte also developed a custom- progressive video advertising capabilities. Not only does SpotXchange offer traditional video overlays
branded media player for AIM TV and video banners, they also offer pre-roll and pre-game video ads accompanied by companion ban-
ner ads. Auction-based pricing and a host of powerful targeting criteria includes geography (to the
(including American Latino TV and
DMA or ZIP-code level), channel and sub-channel, demographics, dayparting and retargeting, mak-
Latination). Using XLM to supply
ing the solution a strong market player.
the advertising and player assets,
AIM TV can change the advertise- VidShout: One of the ways to beat the video learning curve is to consider inclusive packages —
ments, graphics, videos, pre-rolls those aiding in the development process as much as they do syndication and reporting. VidShout lets
and text without being dependent advertisers create videos by uploading images or their own videos, add taglines, choose music, up-
on Zeitbyte. load voice files and include transition effects, then automate the development of call-to-action land-
(
ing pages, syndicate the video on more than 60 sites (including portals, directories and shopping
sites) and provides activity and lead reports. Pricing is relatively modest — a single video will cost
$19.99 while bulk pricing offers 25-500 videos per month between $80 and $450.
14 | | JUNE 2010

20. 50Take a look at the top
Internet retailers today
TO P AFFILIATE-FRIENDLY INTERNET RETAILERS
WEBSITES
1.
2.
3.
Amazon.com
Apple.com
Netflix.com
Netflix.com
and you will find a 4. Dell.com
common characteristic 5. Walmart.com
These e-commerce leaders do not 6. Target.com
— affiliate programs.
offer partnership opportunities 7. BestBuy.com
because it is trendy; they do it because having an independ- 8. Overstock.com
ent pay-for-performance marketing team can drive revenue 9. NewEgg.com
and branding to a much larger segment of the Internet pop- 10. Macys.com Target.com
ulation than could be achieved alone. 11. HomeDepot.com
eMarketer recently forecasted that 2010 US retail 12. Sears.com
e-commerce sales (excluding travel) will climb by 12.7 per- 13. BN.com
cent on volume of $152 billion. This follows the US Cen- 14. GAP.com
sus Bureau’s release showing that online sales in Q4 2009 15. VictoriasSecret.com
grew by 14.6 percent over the year prior — the biggest gain 16. VistaPrint.com
in eight quarters. While the increased velocity of the econ- 17. Staples.com
omy has certainly contributed to this growth, retailers
18. Toysrus.com
continue to offer and promote their affiliate programs be-
19. TigerDirect.com
cause they are inexpensive to operate and, quite simply,
20. kohls.com
because they work — despite the slew of recently estab-
21. real.com VistaPrint.com
lished tax laws that directly impact marketers and the
22. buy.com
merchants that operate affiliate programs.
23. Nordstrom.com
Website Magazine’s Top 50 list of Affiliate-Friendly In-
24. OfficeDepot.com
ternet Retailers is the proverbial who’s who of e-commerce
25. Shutterfly.com
leaders. If you are an Internet retailer, it is essential that
26. SonyStyle.com
you examine the affiliate programs these vendors offer
27. HSN.com
and compare them to your own. If you’re an affiliate mar-
28. drugstore.com
keter, use this month’s Website Magazine Top 50 to identify
top-tier retailers that you can confidently promote on your
29. AE.com
own website. 30. REI.com
What was most intriguing about our research was that, 31. MusiciansFriend.com
while some of the top Internet retailers had affiliate pro- 32. Avon.com
musiciansfriend.com
grams, others did not. That alone is quite revealing. For 33. OfficeMax.com
example, Netflix has an affiliate program while Block- 34. jcrew.com
buster does not. The smashing success of Netflix and 35. bidz.com
gradual fall of Blockbuster has plenty to do with savvy 36. Scholastic.com
Internet marketing — including Netflix’s use of affiliate 37. OrientalTrading.com
programs. Also interesting from our research was the 38. LLBean.com
number of Internet retailers that outsourced their affiliate 39. footlocker.com
or partner program to one of the leading affiliate networks. 40. sierratradingpost.com
The Google Affiliate Network, LinkShare, Commission 41. 1800flowers.com
Junction and ShareaSale are used by a preponderance of 42. BassPro.com northerntool.com
those listed here. Only two of the fifty companies listed 43. CircuitCity.com
here manage their affiliates in-house. 44. LaneBryant.com
45. FTD.com
ABOUT THIS RANKED DATA
46. northerntool.com
Website Magazine’s Top 50 rankings are a measure of a website’s popularity. Ranks 47. ShopNBC.com
are calculated using a proprietary method that focuses on average daily unique vis-
itors and page views over a specified period of time, as reported by multiple data 48. ColdwaterCreek.com
sources. The website with the highest combination of factors is ranked in the first 49. ebags.com
position. Conducting research, making formal comparisons and talking to existing
clients and users before making any purchase decision is always recommended. 50. fingerhut.com
16 | | JUNE 2010

21. Discover the ‘Net’ popularity of the top 1 million websites with Ranking.com and leverage
one of the largest databases of FREE Web metrics available. Review traffic history, detailed
website information and search by country, language and category absolutely FREE. What
possibilities does your website have? Visit Ranking.com today!
Visit Ranking.com to check out Access full website details such as
YOUR website ranking phone number & address
Research websites by country, View website trust scores from
language & category TrustGuageTM
FREE ranking report by e-mail Submit and modify your website’s
listing anytime

22. SEO CORNER With Dante A. Monteverde
QUICK GUIDE TO LOCAL SEO
Thanks to the tremendous
growth of Internet-enabled
smart phones over the Local search enables Web However, thanks to its control of 70 percent of all
past few years, it is now users to find everything — searches performed on the Web, Google is by far the lead-
from restaurants to retail ing local search vendor and should be your primary focus.
clear that local search and
stores — in mere seconds. Almost all Google searches involving a region or city in the
optimization has quickly As a local business with a search query (or searches that Google has determined to be
Dante A. Monteverde
is a search strategist become an essential part website, local SEO should local) will result in listings displayed in what is referred to
specializing in Search of Web success. be a primary focus of as the “Local Onebox.” There are several different variations
Engine Optimization. your overall marketing including the Local 7-pack (where seven companies appear
He founded plan. Even if businesses for a generic term), the Local 3-Pack (a brief version of the
SpiderBait.com in don’t have a website, local search seamlessly connects Web 7-pack), and the single listing, which most often appears
1996 and has more users to the brick-and-mortar locations where a majority of when users search for specific companies.
than 13 years of transactions still take place. So, understanding the basics Business listings can be submitted directly to Google
SEO experience.
— where to go and what to do — is imperative. Maps through the Google Local Business Center
Contact Dante at
With more businesses planning to use local search as a (google.com/local/add). The key to local SEO on Google is
dante@spiderbait.com.
means to acquire new customers, this edition of SEO Corner to include your website address along with corresponding
provides a quick overview of the local search space and pro- business information and verify that the listing and contact
vides important guidance on how you can create, claim and information is correct (more tips on local search optimiza-
optimize your local search listing before your competition tion are provided below). In lieu of an existing listing,
does the same. Google will often use data from Yellow Pages listings that
can often be out of date. So, take the time to claim your list-
The Major Local Search Players ing and verify or update all of the information.
Google, Yahoo! and Bing still drive the majority of local Another important task is to check that your actual
search exposure but know at the start that there are many location is marked correctly on the map. You want to make
alternatives. A list of these second-tier local search vendors sure you are sending your prospective clients to the right
is featured at WebsiteMagazine.com (http://bit.ly/bEHPfR). location and that your business is properly displayed within
If you are just getting started with local search optimization, the Street View of Google Maps. If it’s not 100 percent
these opportunities are viable and should be included in your accurate you can fix it here: http://bit.ly/bSNFhU
marketing mix. Of course, Google is not the only game in town. Yahoo!
Local (http://local.yahoo.com) remains a major player in the
world of local search but, as you might expect, has far less
LOCAL SEO - Did you know? traffic than Google. Yahoo! openly features local listings in their
organic search results within a map, recently shifting from a
Google, Yahoo! and Bing grab a significant amount of their listings from three-listing display to a more detailed five-listing display.
InfoUSA and Acxiom. Much of the data is pulled from the standard print If your website or local business is not listed (as deter-
Yellow and White page directories. If your business is already listed with mined by availability within Yahoo! SERPs) you will need to
local search engines, chances are it came from existing yellow and submit it for inclusion here: http://listings.local.yahoo.com.
white pages. Any yellow pages listing (no matter how small the ad) Yahoo! offers a free basic listing and an enhanced listing for
will get your business included in all three major local search engines. $9.95 per month. The enhanced listing includes a company
However, the fastest way to get listed in local search is to go directly to tagline, business description, two links to pages on your web-
the search engines and either add or claim your site, and both edit and site and up to 10 photos. This is a good value for two links
update your existing information. from such a trusted and authoritative website.
18 | | JUNE 2010

23. One important note is that user-submitted business reviews tend Business Category: In order of importance, selecting the appro-
to be weighted more in the Yahoo! Local algorithm than in Google priate category is second only to the title you submit; as it plays a
Local. As such, ask some of your best clients to provide positive key role in determining for what local keywords your business will
reviews of your website on Yahoo! Local and you will boost your rank. Consider using keyword research in tandem with some com-
local search rankings quickly. petitive research to find a category appropriate for your listing.
Also, don’t rule out Microsoft. Bing shows local listings on
Bing Maps (http://www.bing.com/maps/) when users perform a Most of the guidance highlighted above requires little time
local search, and includes three local listings within the organic and almost no monetary investment to get started, so there is no
search results. While it is unknown today what the Bing-Yahoo! reason not to claim your local listings immediately. The local
search and advertising deal will mean for local businesses looking search revolution has arrived and, thanks to mobile, is growing
to generate exposure on the Web, a safe course of action is to rapidly. But it’s more than choosing the right category and key-
submit your business to Bing using the Bing Local Listing Center, words. Local search provides not just an opportunity to find
found here: (http://bit.ly/b3RXgT). new customers, but build a real community around your busi-
Now that we have our three primary targets in our sights — ness. The more you invest in local search, the more locals will
and a long list of alternatives that should be added over time — we invest in your business.
can start creating local search listings.
Happy SEO’ing!
Creating Your Local Search Listing
While many of the tips included below apply primarily to Google,
using these principles when entering your business information
will prove useful on all of the local search engines in your market-
ing plan.
Company Name: Try to include keywords into your listing title.
Although it might be challenging — as most companies don’t
account for this in their branding plans — the presence of key-
words will influence rankings. Avoid stuffing keywords at all
costs, however, as you still want your business title to be appeal-
ing enough for users to click.
Business Address: Make sure the physical address you submit
matches the address displayed on your website and use the exact
same address everywhere you submit your business and/or web-
site. As stated before, make sure this address also matches up to
street level views provided by the major engines’ maps.
Phone Number: List your local phone number (country code too)
instead of toll-free numbers — it’s one more indication of a truly
local business to both users and search engines. You can add ad-
ditional phone numbers but be sure to use your local phone num-
ber first. For businesses with multiple locations, make sure each
address has its own unique local phone number (and of course its
own listing, if necessary).
Business Description: This is your opportunity to shine. Accu-
racy is vital, but try to make the phrasing compelling (adding key-
words sparingly). Make considerations for readability first and
influence on search engines second.
J U N E 2010 | | 19

24. CONVERSION CACHE With Tim Ash
Battle of the Brain
Understanding Roles, Personas and Cognitive Styles
There is confusion I would like to set the record relationship with a website. A persona is usually treated as a
in the landing straight and cover the basics. monolithic person with a fully-formed personality that does
not change. In fact, most people play many different roles in
page optimization
Roles their daily life. In each role their competencies, mental frame-
community regarding Roles correspond to specific works and attitudes can shift dramatically.
personas, cognitive classes of visitors interacting For example, I may be confident, gregarious and quick
with your site. They are defined to make decisions during the workday. After work I might
Tim Ash is the CEO styles and roles.
by their relationship to your leave the office to buy a present for a friend’s birthday party.
of SiteTuners.com,
Often these terms web-site and call-to-action. The In this setting, I may become unsure of myself, deliberate,
a landing page
are used loosely or role breakdown can be basic, or tentative and afraid to make the wrong decision. So, even
optimization firm that
it might need to be slightly though I am the same person (and would presumably still
offers conversion interchangeably, with
more nuanced depending on be represented by the same persona), I behave completely
consulting, full-service
unfortunate results. your circumstances. differently in my roles as businessman and shopper.
guaranteed-improve-
Here are some representative In some other circumstances, roles are actually more
ment tests and
examples of possible roles: stable than personas. This is often the case in landing page
software tools to
testing. For example, regardless of the personalities involved,
improve conversion. • Plumbing-supply company Retail customers (looking to
all website visitors to an e-commerce catalog site still need to
He is the chairperson buy an individual replacement part), plumbing contractors
complete the same functional tasks as part of their role as
of ConversionConfer- (need an array of parts for a specific customer job), whole-
shoppers (e.g., placing items in a shopping cart and checking
ence.com and a sale buyers and real estate developers (need large volume
out). So the role of shopper can subsume the specific
frequent speaker at price breaks and extended payment terms).
personas that might be functioning in this capacity.
top Internet marketing
• Dating service Prospective member (has not signed up
conferences. Tim is the
author of the best-
yet), new member (has paid but has not set up a complete Cognitive Styles
personal profile), experienced member (has done multiple Personas are also often confused with cognitive styles. There
selling book, Landing
searches and contacted other members). are many psychological frameworks that divide people into
Page Optimization.
different temperaments. This has been done at least since the
• Educational-saving-plan provider Future recipients (chil-
Middle Ages — the four “humors” or “temperaments” were
dren under age 18), parents of recipients (who typically
called Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic and Phlegmatic, and
establish the plan), relatives and friends (who may con-
corresponded to emotional makeup as well as physical
tribute money to the plan).
constitution of an individual.
• Consumer e-tail company New visitors (who have not For a more modern example, renowned psychologist
been to the site before), returning visitors (who have been David Keirsey classified people into guardians, rationals, ide-
there but not bought yet), first-time buyers (trying to alists and artisans. Other breakdowns include competitive,
complete their first purchase), repeat buyers (who already humanistic, spontaneous and methodical. Tony Alessandra of
have their information stored in your system), e-mail list PlatinumRule.com refers to director, socializer, relater and
members (who have signed up for future special offers). thinker. Other common personality typing systems include
Myers-Briggs and DISC.
Personas The main point of these systems is that your cognitive
A persona is typically a made-up prototype of a person that is style is part of your basic makeup and is unlikely to change.
used to represent important classes of potential users of a It is basically how your brain operates and how you take in
product or service. They are imagined in great detail (behav- and deal with information about the world.
iors, workplace, activities, belief systems, etc.) in order to form In the context of landing pages, you should try to
a more concrete image. The design or use of the product or accommodate all major cognitive styles since they are all
service is then compared to the persona’s needs to determine represented in the population. For example, your pages
if there is a good fit. should be uncluttered for the short-attention-span crowd,
Roles are different than personas — in one sense they but also include links to very detailed supporting information
are more changeable since they depend on the specific for the methodical types.
20 | | JUNE 2010

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26. F I N DA B I L I T Y M A K E O V E R With Heather Lutze
SET GOALS
and Watch Your Findability Soar
After 10 years in the
Many website owners feel they marketing program represented an unrealistic goal. Instead,
Search Marketing
only have a few options: Michael decided to walk his own talk by setting realistic
industry, one of the goals to achieve total Internet Findability over time.
1. Attend a search engine con-
most common
ference, read a large number Problem:
questions I receive of reference guides and attempt How do you brand and build search presence with a new
is, “How can I get to become a search marketing website and very little marketing budget?
expert.
Heather Lutze has my brand new GoalForIt.com’s first goal was to create a community based
spent the last 2. Take out a loan or rob a bank
website found in on building relationships and setting goals online. That
10 years helping in order to hire an Internet mar-
search engines?” part was easy, as his website is set up for just such a goal.
business owners get keting firm to help dominate
their enterprises the search engines in paid GoalForIt’s second goal was to get exposure for their social
noticed on the Web search, search engine optimization (SEO), social media community. After all, if they could achieve domination
by their target marketing, etc. by keyword phrase under terms like “kids goal chart” or
audiences. She is the “kids chore chart,” they could start branding and gaining
author of “The 3. Ignore the problem and watch a beautiful site go to waste. attention from potential advertisers and users alike. We
Findability Formula: developed an action plan designed to slowly build their
The Easy, Non-
As a busy entrepreneur you are limited on time and
online presence:
Technical Approach
resources; especially considering the fact that you just in-
to Search Engine
vested a large sum into a new website. Most website own-
Step 1 – Test, Test, Test – Start Testing PPC Keywords for
Marketing.” Visit
ers are more than willing to learn the ropes of search
best performance
FindabilityFormula.com
marketing, but between pay-per-click (PPC), SEO and
social media marketing there is way too much to do and We used PPC to test every keyword string possible and
for tools and resources
not enough time. then trimmed the list to determine the best-performing
to increase your
Here’s the advice I like to give to new website owners: keywords. We built out a campaign with more than 650
site’s findability.
Consider a “goal-oriented” approach, where
you achieve success by setting and reaching
small, incremental goals over the course of a
year. To do so, make a month-by-month plan
to increase your search engine visibility and
keep pushing for better optimization as you
progress through the year.
With this goal-setting theme in mind, our
subject for this month’s Findability Makeover
is GoalForIt.com.
Michael Murdock created GoalForIt to give
Internet users a free way to set and track goals.
GoalForIt allows users to sign up for a free
account and access awesome goal setting tools
and charts. Their most popular service to date
has been the “Chore Chart for Kids.” However,
they offer goal charts and tracking for users of
all ages. GoalForIt’s marketing goal is to get as
many free signups as possible.
As a brand new website without a huge
marketing budget for search, GoalForIt needed
a gradual approach to search engine marketing
(SEM). Michael knew that trying to implement
all the moving pieces of a complex Internet
22 | | JUNE 2010