Search Engine Lecture

It was another new experience to have a different professor teaching our Internet Marketing class. The topic was all about search engine uses.

Again, since I have learned about designing websites, there was some information that I already knew. However, there was other information that was new to me. I also learned a few helpful hints that I plan to implement soon

First we learned about “site strategies for success.” I won’t go into details about each, but the following were the main strategies.
1. Establish objectives
2. Goals to measure success
3. Identify audience/target market
4. Competition
5. Offer
6. Creative/content

The next big topic was on “search engine marketing (SEM).” We also learned about SEM terminology. A few key items discussed under SEM were:
· PPC (pay-per-click)
· Paid inclusion
· Contextual
· Email marketing
· Blogs

We went on to discuss Google ad words, and AdSense (publishers of ad words). The class ended with the topics of keyword density and keyword prominence.

The helpful web designing tip I learned was the “no follow” tag. I did not know about how search engines take away your points for how many links you have that takes users outside of your site. By using the “no follow,” you can still offer other helpful links, without hurting your search engine position.

Overall, it was a helpful lecture. I definitely missed having lecture in our last class though.

Take care.

ClickZ Article

MTV Rings Up Mobile Content Unit

The article I chose is “MTV Rings Up Mobile Content Unit.” Although the article was surprisingly short, I found it to be extremely interesting. I chose this article because I am a huge fan of MTV Networks. I have been an avid MTV watcher for as long as I can remember. I also truly admire the way MTV reaches out to teach their young target audiences. For example, they have many commercials on educating yourself on such issues as STD’s.

I have noticed that MTV created a marketing campaign to direct their target market online. However, MTV had not utilized the mobile channel. This article talks about MTV’s entry into the mobile world.

The new mobile category is going to be headed up by Greg Clayman, who will be working with other internal employees that will be promoted. This group is going to be called MTVN Mobile Media.

MTVN Mobile Media’s goal will be to create “games, videos, ring-tones and other content from the various MTV brands to distribute to cell phone carriers.” MTV is very excited about emerging themselves into this already popular media format. As stated in the article, several other networks have already had success. “NBC Mobile News, Comedy Central, Accuweather, CNN and E! [are] among the top 12 most watched mobile video channels.”

I look forward to seeing what the new hot media channel will be in the future.

F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content

First, I apologize for this assignment being posted one day late. I honestly just forgot about the assignment, until a classmate reminded me about it in class yesterday.

The article I read was F-Shaped Pattern For Reading Web Content. I found this article to be extremely interesting and useful. It makes sense that people read text on the web in a hurry, but I was not aware that there was an actual pattern to the way they skimmed.

To summarize the article, they did a study and found that people scan web text in an "F" shape. They first across the top of the screen, next they go down a little lower and read across the screen, but not as far horizontally.

I can't say that I agree or don't disagree with the author, because it is a new concept for me.

The implications are:

• People don't read "word-by-word" on the web. Many times users are in a hurry, and only scan as they collect information for prospective vendors.
• It is important to make the first two paragraphs count. Keep the most important information here. You only have a short time to hold your audience's attention, so make it count.
• Make sure to start headings, subheadings, paragraphs, bullet points with key words ("information-carrying words"), that will easily be noticed when readers do the "F-scan."

Overall, this website has lots of helpful articles, that I definitely plan on reading more of.

Direct Marketing & SEM

It was a new experience for me to have two professors lecturing at the same time. It definitely had its positive and negative attributes.

Here are the biggest three concepts/ideas I learned.

1) Being marketing major, the 4 P's are most definitely imprinted in my brain, but I had not heard of the 7 P's. The new P's that I learned of were

• People
• Process
• Physical evidence

The next two things I found the most interesting were about lists. Since I work for my family's small business, I am a big source for marketing ideas. We currently had been working with lists to try and contact prospective clients who may have a use for our software. Learning about working with lists, enabled me to take that information to use it right away in our company.

2) Specifically, I found the 13 rules for lists to be very helpful. Some of the items are common sense, but there were other ideas I had not thought of. For example, rule six was "your house list is rarely as good as you think it is - clean it." It may be common sense to realize you need to clean your house list, but it is good to be aware to not put too much confidence in it. As we learned about a working example from Alon Hartuv, a company can waster millions of dollars on lists they think are good and are really not.

3) The other thing I found very useful was learning about other companies that you can purchase lists from. Currently, my company is using lists from the Post Office. Once those resources are drained, we may look into Experian. It was also very helpful to have been given a step-through process of how you would compile your list.

4) Lastly, there was one more thing I found useful, although it was not a leaning concept. It was finding out about the book Don’t Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability (2nd edition). Since I do design websites, but can definitely improve my skills, I am very eager to purchase the book and find out helpful hints.

1). Converse All Star Slip

2). The reviews were extremely helpful. I had never thought of ordering shoes online, because of the inability to try them on. After reading the reviews, I am just about sold. I learned that, as expected, the shoes are not that comfortable. From personal experience of always wearing Classic Chucks, I already knew they are more for looks then style. However, a lot of people suggested buying inserts. I had never thought of buying inserts. Also, they warned other shoppers that the sizes run big. That is a definite benefit to know before-hand in order to purchase a size that will definitely fit.

3). Reading the reviews would definitely make me more likely to buy the shoes. As I said earlier, they gave great insight into purchasing the right size and to guarantee better comfort.

4). The advantage to shoppers is to know how what to expect from the product (shoes) before you even buy them. It will help you make better purchasing decisions, because you can learn from others’ mistakes.

5). The advantage of having reviews, is that Zappos.com customers know exactly what to expect. Yes, negative reviews will affect the sales of some shoes, but this way you can better avoid having angry/disappointed customers.

6). Well, a site like Kencole.com may not benefit from having reviews. The benefit of Zappos.com is the variety. However, it might work out well for them to have reviews. I would suggest that if Kencole.com sold quality product, they would have nothing to fear from having their customers give reviews. Those who would pay the premium for the brand name would most likely have positive feedback.

7). Yes, I often check recommendations before I buy products. If it is not me specifically, my family will research the product. We have a small family owned business, so we make a lot of major purchase, as well as minor purchases that require reliability. For example, after reading the blogs from the last assignment, I had more insight to help me make my decision this weekend for a major purchase; my first laptop.

8). My general recommendation would be to first make sure you have quality product. If you are ripping your customers off, you shouldn’t be in business. If you have products/services you believe in, definitely include product reviews. You gain nothing in the end from hiding information from your customers.

3) Uses for blogs

• marketing research to see how effective products/services are
• marketing research to find out what new product/services to develop
• advertising
• product/service reviews
• maybe even starting a new company based on research found in blogs
• just to see what the gossip and trends are and where they may be going

4) The look of blogs - Well, I think that blogs should not look like traditional advertising. The look and feel of blogs should be geared towards the generation that uses them. As the years go by, the generations are becoming more and more meshed as one with technology. The younger generations, mine included, are very visual people. With video games and even cgi in movies, we expect more and more. I simply think that using a "traditional" marketing look would be ineffective. If we use blogs to market to our target audience, we need to reach them somehow and I think there needs to be a WOW factor. That WOW factor will be what then leads them to take the desired action (buying our product/service).

5) Blogging a fad - Sure, blogging is a fad, but what's wrong with that? Almost every type of marketing is a fad, just some last longer than others. For example, before television and radio, marketing was in another format. Even now, TV commercials are not as effective. Thanks to Tivo and DVRs, people can skip right over those expensive commercials. To succeed in business, you need to be able to morph with the times. If blogging is just a fad, we business folk should ride that wave as long as possible. After all, it's pretty cheap.

6) Marketing Department and blogging - To be honest, I haven't "blogged" until now. It might be useful for the marketing department to have a blog, but I am not sure if people would have the time or interest to read and respond. I think a marketing blog that was run by the students might be more beneficial, because we could share useful info with each other.