I hate being beat by Mediapost!/Stay Closed Alpha's

 

I was just reading Mediapost and they spoke about a search engine that I had not heard of called Cha Cha. Now, I realize that they do this for a living but when it comes to search and start ups, the only person who I like to be ahead of me is (and of course he is where I get most of my info on start ups and I doubt I will ever know about anything he does not know).

On first glance looked like the About.com of search. As I dug, perhaps it was more like (a real winner!).

When I test its true functionality as a search engine I realized that Alpha's should stay home (or at least remain closed). I did a search for something that i have been having problems with (the query was "problems importing rwz files into outlook). I got 0 results!

Next I search for "cat" then and got nothing. Something was obviously awry. Perhaps this engine does not work on macs (not likely).

Bottom line, I know this was not the true functionality of this product but, BAD FIRST IMPRESSION!

In this day and age you cannot afford bad first impressions as the options for difference are so plentiful. I know what Cha Cha is trying to do with this product and I applaud them for it but, guys, think about how many people you may turn off!

Anyhow, I will check Cha Cha again (maybe, probably not though) in a few weeks and see how things are going.

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First Post of The Next Era of The Circus

A Media Circus (A Value Circus)…adding value to brands through media in the 21st century


The increasingly robust media landscape of the 21st century has turned into a virtual circus. Technologists, advertisers and marketers alike find themselves in a time where there is a new “media act” everyday. From podcasting to blogs, AJAX to Social Networking, it seems that there is a new “freak show” for everyone to look at all the time.


There are a dozens of blogs and podcasts out there that talk about new media, social media and other related matters (and many of them are great. I will make reference to my favorites over and over again). The goal of this blog/podcast is not simply to join the conversation, it is to try and take a different angle (where possible) and potentially spawn new conversations.


A Media Circus will look at how marketers are using media in order to add value to their brands (or not add value in many cases). There are a lot of advertising blogs out there as well. This is not another advertising blog. This blog is dedicated to the medium and how it effects the message but. It is not a blog dissecting the message itself (I will leave that to those who do it best). I hope you find this to approach unique and fruitful.


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West Elm, as a single helpless male, I salute thee!

Let's face it, sometimes a man needs a woman! This statement is overly general and in modern times decreasingly true (in the sense that I am about to expand upon) but, in my case it is true as ever!


I just moved in a new place. A true bachelor pad outfitted with 42 inch plasma and black leather couch (I know, I know). The next step was some useful furniture and, as a single guy what do I do, call on my girlfriends of course!


Now, what happens when no one is around. That was the case today. I went and bought a media unit from West Elm (www.westelm.com). I got this 100 plus mammoth home, unpacked it and realized I had a wrong part. Argh~!


I called the store and they were less then helpful. They connected me to the catalog department (it is my understanding that this store was a cataloger first and a store second but I could be totally wrong. Anyhow, I knew when I heard the options to push 1 for this and 2 for that, that I was in trouble.


...and along came Crystal (I Hope that is how you spell her name) and the wonders of CRM. She spoke to me like a person, a person who cared. She was empathetic about my situation and knowledgeable about the products. She made me feel...good. That was what I wanted as a consumer. I know people make mistakes but, I want to know that there is someone on the other end to correct them and Crystal was my knight (or knightress) in shining armor.


As a good marketer should do, I asked to speak with Crystals boss. I told her that everyone at West Elm should be proud. I told her Crystal did a great job of acting as a mouthpiece for the brand and the consequences would be that, whenever anyone asked where to get nice furniture, I would say West Elm!


Now that is true marketing and great CRM, cheers!




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Blog Editor SoftwareNewsGator

So, I guess these past few days have been a testing period for blog editor software. So far, Live Writer from Microsoft is the best (and this is coming from a long time apple fan). I am using Mars Edit right now and am not really enjoying it. I do not see a place to add my categories (or at leat the categories that are already on my blog) and, although I am very comfortable with code, my father is starting to blog and it may scare him (just kidding dad). I guess that this really is not a bad solution for mac users although, it does not come close to iWeb and i see not reason to use mars edit if you have iWeb on a mac. Sorry Newsgator, I love you guys but, i need to be honest, this is power user software and will not catch on in the mainstream.


NewsGator
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(Via .)

May Every Landing Page Be A Home Page

In the age of database driven asp based web design, who needs a home!

I just got out of a meeting with Bill Binan of AllBusiness.com and he told me of Peter Horan's web strategy and, I was quite impressed.

By leveraging a robust and highly intelligent CMS, All Business.com is providing web advertisers with very targeted solutions!

To all my Media Planning homies, I suggest you take a look at AllBusiness.com

Adotas » Cash Creates Questions at PayPerPost: Can the Nascent Paid Blogging Network Actually Succeed?

There are two things  are going on with this post.

1. I am "blogging" an article I saw on Adotas about blogging (self Reflexive)

2. I am doing what makes the topic in this article (pay per post) a disturbing one

I am blogging right now because I want to share my thoughts on a topic and I am being "naked" about it. How can someone be transparent and honest if they knew that they were getting paid each time they wrote?

 

I don't think I like it but, as always, I try to add initial thoughts on this blog and then revisit them after thinking things through so, I may be back to this topic soon!

Link to Adotas » Cash Creates Questions at PayPerPost: Can the Nascent Paid Blogging Network Actually Succeed?

Microsoft, I must say, I am coming around

I Just downloaded Windows Live Writer and Onfolio and, I must say this is a great blogger/user experience. Also, I was able to import my OPML files with ease.

 

The one thing that I am noticing as I type my first blog post from Live Writer is, I am not getting the functionality of Word but, I will give you guys the benefit of the doubt!

Some Analytics and Usability at Etail

Chairpersons Remark
Jeff Ernst VP Marketing Fatwire

The Theme-Relvenacy

Brad Wolansky, Director of eCommerce for the Orvis company
Increasing Sales and Conversion via Analytics Driven Active Merchandising

SPV Key Metric- sales per visit

1. Identify the issue
2. Create a clear and succinct statement (an IFB “I firmly believe”)
3. Need to prove IFB with a test
4. Report on the results

Geoff Ramsey giving the eTail Awards in the General session

The Winners:

CRM- Finalist include Chrysler Group and Avon
Winner is…Avon Products

Fulfillment- Headsets.com (and one others I missed)
The winner is…Custom Inc.com

Search- I am just going to give the winners now!
Lalain Vernon

Visualization- The Winner is…The Home Depot

Email- Smart Bargains

Web Analytics- and the winner is…Overstock.com

eTail Day 2 (electric boogaloo)

I got off to a late start in my blogging today due to the fact that my new mac was syncing up with my treo for the first time (it was not successful).

Anyhow, I am back in the conference with my computer and ready to bring you the best of eTail.

Some Key Topline topics thus far:

Multi Channel Marketing
Ecommerce and Web 2.0
Usability & Analytics

Great disjunct Tidbits from eTail!-Anne Holland, Marketing Sherpa

Anne Holland
Marketing Sherpa

So far this was the highlight of the conference for me!

Here are some disjunct stats, I will point you to the actual presentation when it is posted online:

25% growth last year in e-commerce
The fastest growing commerce sites are the ones who are measuring the most

Paid Search- The Marketers who are growing the most are spending the most money here
Email is number 2 in terms of what the successful marketers are spending on
3 is SEO
4 is Affiliate
5 Banners
6 Shopping Engines

Predicts that comparison shopping engines are on the rise due to the ability to bid at the sku level

She recommends running an eye tracking test
Horizontal vs vertical navigation- you have to have both!!!
How many tabs can you have? 20 or so max data point
If there an inviting image at the fold, you may get users to go below the fold- worth playing around with
A test was performed giving people 200 to go shopping online- People are not shopping as they do in stores, it is not an entertaining experience like what people do in a store
People are taking the 200 and getting what they want and getting it out. They are treating it like a search engine

People who use the search box on your site are more than twice as likely to convert
Search is not an IT thing anymore. It has become the central way that people shop, regardless of search engines. This is how people navigate sites


Market Testing

Shopping cart testing was the most lucrative testing
Search function testing was number two


Copy Testing was more effective than bells and whistles. It is all about the copy

60 % of people that are adding something to cart are bailing before they are getting to the checkout

how do you get these people back?
Dynamically generated emails calling them back to the abandoned cart

What is motivating consumers?

32% Shopping comparison sites- Perhaps people are using these are price comparison engines for that reason only and not buying there

How quick and relevant are consumers getting your first welcome message? This is the time that consumers are most welcome and eager to here from you

eTail Maximizing Limited eCommerce Resources “Again, taking notes as I listen”

Todd spoke about how the ability to market online is a privilege although some see it as mandatory (um…whatever☺ ).

He showed a slide about the disadvantage of uncoordinated web initiatives and unfocused websites (hmmm….)

Let me take this time to tell you that, while I was waiting for Shenan Reed to get out of the bathroom, I heard a frantic call for me. It was Shenan dragging me towards to the women’s room to help a lady she had meet make a “bigger” tie (what the….)

I think that I am going to end this blog post as; I do not think that there will be any useful info. If I do hear something however, I will post again.

Making Web 2.0 Work in eCommerce at eTail- “Just the facts as I listen”

Sucharita Mulpuru Forrester Research
Peter Cobb, President and Co-Founder eBags
Kenneth Dotson CMO TicketsNow

“6% of consumers using RSS on a regular basis” Forrester
Peter Cobb- eBags and 6PM.com

“RSS where the consumer can decide what they want (information on)”

Cobb speaks about the user centric focus of RSS over email and how users do not want emails loaded with products that they may or may not be interested in. He brings up the concept of Brand Alerts, which is a bit different than the more common use of RSS.

He also spoke of tagging and AJAX technology on 6 PM.com. Although he distilled what AJAX is to merely a super fast algorithm, in terms of what AJAX means to commerce, this is a main attribute.

“AJAX Brings things to the consumer”


Kenneth Dotson- TicketsNow

“Web 2.0 as Philosophy”

Kenneth talked about how he used consumer feedback in order to redesign the home page.

Consumer Personalization-m

Localization
Different Search Products
Search Memory

-Consumer control an extraordinary control over the types of information they want via email, many ways to slice information in the emails. As a result they have a very low opt out.

-Suite of tools to help attendants of events. Nearby restaurant reviews transportation etc.

-Use of Google Earth mash up in order to help drill down parking for an event

-The ability to remember and share events. Consumers can post pictures and reviews for other consumers to see.