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The Promotion World Informer
Issue #58 February 22, 1999
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This issue of the Informer is sponsored by:
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================================================================
Contents Of This Issue:
- Editor's Notes
- Cool Quotes
- Building an Online Community - Part II
- What's New At Promotion World
- Image Is (Almost) Everything
- Bits and Pieces
- The Discussion Board
- Sponsor Message
- Website Usability
- News Headlines
- A Small Request
- Misc. Information
=========================== Editor's Notes ======================
We have the last part this week in Gordon Currie's excellent two part series on building community at your website. It is a very important subject that all webmasters need to addressO and one that requires creativity!
For those of you that haven't discovered this great new resource: If you head on over to the Website Reviews section of Promotion World's discussion forums you can have your website reviewed by many other webmasters! It's completely free, as well. All that you need to do is review two other websites in exchange for all the reviews people will give you.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/discus/>.
The Informer is sent only to those who have expressly requested it. If you
no longer wish to receive it, simply follow the simple unsubscribe
instructions at the end of this newsletter.
============================ Cool Quotes ========================
I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.
- Thomas Watson, chairman of IBM, 1943
Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils.
- Hector Berlioz
Its amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.
- Harry S. Truman
Download all the past Cool Quotes by sending any email to
<mailto:quotes@promotionworld.com&> Enjoy!
==================== Building Community ====================
~ Editor's note: If you missed Part I you can read it in the archives at <http://www.promotionworld.com/informer/99feb14.html>
Building an Online Community - Part II
(C) Gordon F. Currie
In Part I of Building an On-line Community I talked about setting up a
On-line Community on the web. RivenGuild.com, a large, successful
gaming site we created was used as an example of what could be done.
This is a continuation of Part I.
1) RUNNING CONTESTS & CONTEST QUESTIONS -
One of the most successful ventures on our Rivenguild.com website has
been contests. It allows us the opportunity to give back to the fans
and create lots of traffic. But it goes further than that. It also
allows us to capture their names, email addresses ( with their
permission )so that we can announce other events. But the truly
secret weapon is the fact that in addition to the entry form, we
always ask 3-5 questions. These questions can relate to the site
itself ( how did you hear about us ) to questions that are focused on
specific data ( "Do you purchase games over the net" or "What was the
last game you played and how would you rate it"). We also learned
that our entries were greater if we asked an odd number of questions
versus an even number. We don't know why but this came out during our
testing of different forms.
2) ADDING STREAMING AUDIO - Early on we added Emblaze
( Emblaze.com ) streaming audio to the website. We used the
background music from Riven ( with special permission ) and were able
to create a really unique mood with the site. Fans liked it as it was
something they could listen to without a special plugin ( java
support required ).
3) WEBTRACKING - In part one we discussed analyzing your web logs. We
went one step further and subscribed to the Web Tracking products at
BellaCoola Software Corporation ( www.bellacoola.com ). These products
( their Webhound and Adios specifically ) allowed us to track all
traffic on the sites ( cache corrected ) and tell us what links off
the site were busy. The best part....we could actually track visitor
behavior and then make changes to the site that moved people around in
different ways. We also started paying closer attention to people
linking to us and tracking what sale promotions or marketing campaigns
worked the best results. HIGHLY RECCOMMENDED!
4) ALTERNATE FORMS OF SPONSORSHIP AND SITE INCOME -
Like most high traffic sites, we were suddenly hit with the higher
costs of bandwidth and the costs associated with extra harddrive
space. We sold banners for a while ( and continue to do so ) but
found more success in selling sponsorships where in addition to
banners, they got mention on our email newsletter, mention on our
mailing lists, and even links in our signature files when we did
group email broadcasts. We heavily encouraged people to send us
demo's or sample software or gifts we could giveaway. So far, this
model has worked well. What has NOT worked is trying to charge
subscription fees or going with a business model that requires people
to register to see the entire site.
5) PARTNERSHIPS THAT WORK - As we started soliciting ads and
sponsorships we asked visitors to our site what sorts of things they
would like to see advertised on our site. One of our more recent
experiments was partnering with a company that sold ancient fonts and
really cool maps ( RagnarokPress.com ). These guys products were
unique and suited to the audience. The lesson here was getting
feedback from our site visitors....its worth the effort and the
advertisers get much better click thru's and interest.
6) BE CREATIVE - This is a pretty straight forward statement but I
will provide an example. My business partner on Rivenguild.com and I
traveled to CYAN Inc. headquarters ( creators of RIVEN and MYST games
) and we visited and took pictures. We then returned and dreamed up a
series of pages called the EDGE series. Edge stood for the Extreme
Disk Golf that is played at CYAN but we changed the acronym to stand
for "Experience Doug & Gordon's Experience". Each week we put up
pictures and through our on-line tour released some information and
graphics we discovered on our trip. The result... about a 40% increase
in site traffic.
7) BREAK THE RULES - Being innovative means breaking rules.
One rule that we break daily is the size of the pages we have on our
site. Our site is very graphics heavy and download times range from
fast to painfully slow. The rule of thumb is going with faster
loading pages. So....we cut back and created faster loading, less
graphic like pages. The result was lower traffic and interest. We
went back to higher file size, graphic rich pages....you guessed
it...the traffic went back up!
In closing, there is a great deal you can do when creating an On-line
Community. Don't be afraid to innovate and experiment. Remember to
always put yourself in the eyes of the visitor. Think about what sort
of content would encourage return visits and build on the relationship
with the viewer.
Good Luck,
Gordon Currie
--------------------------------------
G.F.Currie Consulting
Web Site Design, Internet Marketing Services
Your Online Community Specialists.
Email gcurrie@gfcurrie.com (250) 782-6388
http://www.gfcurrie.com
================ What's New At Promotion World ==================
~ Review: LinkBuddies
Searching for a good banner exchange to join? This is your best
choice as far as impression based exchanges go. Why? Read the review.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/reviews/linkb.html>
~ The homepage this newsletter has been completely redone, and is
now a lot more up to date.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/informer/>
~ If you were thinking of advertising here at Promotion World, you
will be happy to hear that we now accept checks over the Internet!
No more mailing of checks. Remember this for your own site: Make it
easy for your customers to order.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/sponsor.html>
================= Image Is (Almost) Everything ================
Image Is (Almost) Everything
by Jennifer Johnson
The other day, I was talking to a friend of a friend when the subject of the
Internet came up. This gentleman owned a small business and was interested in
developing a web site, but had no idea where to start. I assured him that he
was speaking to the right person; in fact, I told him, I specialized in
designing and promoting sites for small businesses.
He seemed very enthusiastic and asked for my card. I didn't have any with me,
so I ran back to my office and discovered I was completely out! Being a quick
thinker, I grabbed a sticky-note and scribbled my name and phone number on it,
but in my haste to get it ready, I knocked over a can of soda which splashed
(wouldn't you know it?) all over the sticky-note. I wiped the note off and
luckily the words were smeared, but still readable. Whew!
All of a sudden, I became very reluctant to give this "card" to the man. After
all, it represented me - and my business - was this the image I wanted to
portray? No, definitely not! I snatched a crayon left over from a visit by my
niece and drew a little computer and a web. I added a periwinkle smiley face
for good measure. Voil#224#!
Now this is the part of the story you just won't believe: when I was talking
to my friend the other day she said that the man never called me because he
felt uncomfortable about doing business with me; he actually said I was
unprofessional! Can you believe that? The nerve of some people! I'm great at
what I do!
Of course, I'm sure you've gathered by now that my little story is completely
untrue... but how did you know?
The first clue was probably the fact that any serious business owner wants
*anything* associated with his or her business to convey professionalism,
right?
Many people judge by appearances. It's not fair, but it's true. You can be the
best in the world at what you do, but oftentimes unless you portray a
professional image, people will be reluctant to do business with you.
Your web site says a lot about your company. It may be the first and the last
chance you have to make a good impression. Don't underestimate the importance
of this; potential customers' perception of your company may be directly
related to the quality of your site.
There are a few things you can do to help ensure a professional appearance for
your small business site - most won't cost you anything but time. These may
seem like minor issues, but I feel you'll reap major benefits from
implementing these suggestions.
DESIGN OR INVEST IN QUALITY GRAPHICS
There are endless ways to acquire quality, professional-looking graphics for
your site. You can design them yourself, you can hire someone else to do it,
or you could buy a graphics/clipart package.
Whatever route you decide to take, it's imperative that you obtain decent
graphics for your web site. I'm going to put this as delicately as possible:
if you design your own graphics, you might want to solicit an objective
opinion on them just to be safe. We all get attached to our own creations and
sometimes our opinion is, shall we say, skewed.
Don't balk at the idea of hiring a designer either, it may not be as expensive
as you think. Most of the text graphics/logo graphics I design for customers
are under $30. A small investment when you consider the potential value of
such items.
You might want to check out Art Today <http://www.arttoday.com> which is an
online graphics site. I use them myself and have more than regained the annual
fee (only $29.95!).
MAKE IT EASY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU
Before people go shelling out their hard earned cash, they usually want to
know there is a "real person" behind the site. Why shouldn't they? What if
they have a problem or a question? You need to make it very easy to get in
touch with you.
On my site, I list 4 ways for visitors to reach me. I would recommend giving
at least one other way to contact you in addition to your email address.
In my opinion, I think that this signifies you're not a fly-by-night
organization. Anything you can do to allay your visitors fears about doing
business online should certainly boost your sales.
CHECK YOUR SITE FOR ERRORS
I'm not going to dwell too long on this area, because it should be obvious
that having spelling errors, grammatical errors, etc. is detrimental to your
image. Do you think Microsoft would allow something like this on their site:
"Wher do you want too go taday"?
If your editor doesn't have a spell checker, go to Web Site Garage
<http://websitegarage.com>. One of the free services includes spell checking
your page.
The only reason I bring this up is because I've seen this flaw on a few sites
in the past: if your business has to do with web site design, be sure you
don't have any HTML errors on your site.
CONTENT
Your goal is to attract visitors and entice them to come back. How do you
expect to do either if your content is stale or, even worse, you have NO
original content?
If your content is fresh and unique visitors will have a *reason* to return.
Let's be honest...do you think people will come back to your site if it is
simply a collection of links to other sites? Last time I checked, neither you
nor I own a site called Yahoo! (There are of course some exceptions to this
rule. One being if you operate a site that functions as a "start page" for a
particular niche group.)
I guess what I'm trying to say is that you have something no one else has:
your own particular point of view; *your* opinion, *your* insight, *your*
tips, etc. - I think most successful online entrepreneurs have found a way to
market that.
These are just a few simple suggestions to hopefully help you improve your
site, and in the process, improve your online sales!
PromotingYourSite.com
<http://www.promotingyoursite.com>
Articles and online resources to help you effectively design and promote your
site. Free site review and free newsletter. To contact Jennifer directly, send
email to: jenny@promotingyoursite.com.
======================= Bits and Pieces =========================
My favorite newsletter mailing service, OakNet Publishing, just got better! They now have a detailed account management page, where you change your user's subscriptions, file issues in the archives, download your address list, get the latest subscriber count and much more! I use their services each week to send out this newsletter. I couldn't be happier with them... if you are serious about your newsletter, you should get a professional server like OakNet to handle the mailing of it for you. It will save you headaches in the long run.
<http://www.oaknetpublishing.com/services/welcome.cgi?47>
______________________
The FFASubmitter is a new program the will automatically submit your site to 100 free for all pages for free, very quickly. These things don't usually generate that much traffic, but who knows, it is worth a try.
<http://www.virtualpromote.com/ffapenance/>
______________________
You have probably heard of the much hyped book by Corey Rudl. It is a very well spoken of book that is packed full of information to help you market your site. Well, they offer a very generous associate program, paying $65 per sale. This is an associate program that I have been a part of for about three months now. I just plunked a couple of their banners on my site (which, by the way, is something I never recommend you do, as it doesn't generate nearly the response you could get doing a personal review), and have received over $300 in cheques from them. Not bad for just displaying their banner!
What's more, they just released a new two-tier program whereby you refer other webmasters to them and earn $20 for every copy of the course that THEY sell. If you want to join this program, I would appreciate it if you would use my link:
<http://www.marketingtips.com/sr/t.x/5343/>
If you are interested in learning more about the Internet Marketing Course, you should visit their website. They have a informative free newsletter you can sign up for while you are there. I will be buying the course in the next month or two myself, and will give you all an in depth review then.
<http://www.marketingtips.com/t.cgi/5343>
===================== The Discussion Board ======================
This week's quote from the discussion board:
"Hello everyone,
The Happy99.exe virus is spreading rapidly over North America and is not a hoax! I received an e-mail the other day with the virus on it, but did not download it. For more information and how to clean your machine of the virus visit this site:
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2208275,00.html
Never download a file attachment if you don't know who it came from.
Always make sure you scan for viruses on programs before you run them.
Regards,
Jim Conley II
A-1 Merchant Systems -- http://www.process-credit-cards.com "
Visit the message boards to comment on this quote or just to catch up on the
other exciting discussions going on!
<http://www.promotionworld.com/discus/>
Things are really picking up at the boards, stop by and join in!
======================= Sponsor Message =======================
Bob: I got a top ten position on Alta Vista the other day.
Joe: Really?! I've been struggling with that engine for months! How
on earth did you manage it?
Bob: Ah, that's my secret!
Joe: Come on, I tell you everything! I even told you about the time your
goldfish accidentally got...
Bob: Okay, okay, you don't have to bring that up! I use WebPosition, an
amazing piece of software.
Joe: Oh. I bet it costs a fair bit, doesn't it?
Bob: Well, it does cost a bit. But you can improve your rankings dramaticly
just by using the completely free trial! Just go to
<http://www.webposition.com/cgi-local/index.pl?DS1=RP&DS2=89R-55CB>
======================= Website Usability =======================
The Web for Your Company: Magic Bullet or Poison Pill?
By John S. Rhodes
I have about a million things to do in the next few weeks. I have interview questions to develop, articles to write, conferences to prepare for, and even papers to grade. There are many other issues I am wanting to write about. I would be tackling one of those issues, but a recent conversation with some business executives made me realize that many people still do not see the Internet for what it is -- a new paradigm.
The word paradigm is perhaps overused and meaningless, but it is the only word that really describes the impact that the Internet will have, and is having, on corporations. Day in and day out, more and more companies are jumping onto the Web bandwagon. It's hip, it's hot, it is everything to everyone. Companies want a piece of the action. Because of this profound level of exuberance, there are several problems we need to explore.
All too many Web sites are developed with a "billboard mentality". That is, companies throw a Web site out onto the Internet thinking that people will stop by and browse. Well you know and I know that people don't browse or view, they interact. Users don't want ads, they don't want mission statements, and they don't want to hear about how cool the company is. Users want information, they want results, they want interactivity. The kind of information they want, and the kind of interactivity is a mystery. Testing is required. Surveys need to be conducted. Analyses of users and their preferences are necessary. The bottom line is that simply displaying corporate information on the Web is a formula for business failure.
In my experience, there are basically two types of companies. The first see the Internet as a poison pill, the rest see it a magic bullet. The poison pill companies fear the Web. They see the rush of companies onto the Internet, and they feel that they must join the stampede. They are bitter, they feel slow, and they are angry that the Web has changed the game. The magic bullet companies see the Web as a new frontier, they embrace change, and they capitalize on the Internet hysteria. Rather than simply throwing a Web site out there, they are making the Internet part of their business. They are building the Internet into their strategic plans, and they are taking it for a ride.
I'm sure you'll agree that the poison pill companies are legion; they are currently infesting the Web at an ever-increasing rate. They are there, but they have been dragged into it kicking and screaming. These (usually larger, older, more established) companies are angry that the business model has changed, and they are trying to redefine their image. On the outside they are bold; they want to join the Internet club. On the inside, they lack focus and strategic vision. (Note however, that they are on the move and they have deep pockets. Their progress depends on their vision and strategy.)
What about the users?
Too many companies are thinking about how they put their image on the Web. They are telling the world about how great their products are services are. For example, currently on their home page, Hewlett-Packard has a link to some information about the awards their products has won recently. While Hewlett-Packard's awards at <http://www.hp.com/pressrel/feb99/11feb99a.htm> are certainly noteworthy, bravo!, they don't address what their users want. What would be better for users? Tell us about the benefits of these products. Tell us about how these products will save us time, energy, and frustration. These things are valuable to users; information about awards isn't (although I admit it helps build branding, but that is another issue). HP should consider this: We are already at their doorstep (we are at their site), and we probably already all know they have great peripherals. Go from there.
Now don't get me wrong, Hewlett-Packard has plenty of fine links on their homepage, and they are a great company. But the example above illustrates the problem that many companies are having with Web thinking. (Just to be clear, I don't think that Hewlett-Packard is a poison pill company.)
What do the magic companies understand that the poison pill companies don't? They see that the new economy is based on human intelligence, digital thinking, user-centered design, and a future-is-now vision. The new economy is fast, and companies must think fast. They must not only embrace change, they must like it so much that it becomes part of the company culture. A company can be conservative, with conservative people, and conservative products. However, its thinking must be outside itself, and it must be beyond the brick-and-mortar walls of the company headquarters.
Old thinking must be thrown out, but old money and power should not. I say, capitalize on old strengths. Work with your old customer base, leverage your superior products in the marketplace, use old support networks and sales personnel. If you have an old-style company with old style thinking, consider partnering with new Web-thinking companies. At the least, hire those people that have Internet vision, or a vision of the Internet. Hire an Internet Strategist if necessary, the price is probably worth it.
Internet thinking is the only option you have. You must integrate your operations with the Web, and the Web must be brought into the company. The Web is more than a tool to use, it is the ultimate expression of how your company must now think.
How else do magic bullet companies think?
They see the truth. Magic bullet companies realize that the Web site for a company is literally that company to many users. Let me restate that. Magic bullet companies understand that many of their visitors will only interact with their Web site. No phone calls, no newspaper ads, no TV promotions, only the Web. One more time: The Web site of a company is the same thing as the company itself.
The Consequences
Where is Amazon? Where is their bookstore? Where are they?
They are really only on the Web. Your faith in companies like Amazon is based on virtual faith. The business model for the Internet is more like mystical religion than traditional business. You are made to believe that these companies are "real" even though you can't touch them.
What does this mean?
~ Service must always exceed users' expectations (e.g., rapid e-mail
responses are crucial)
~ Gaining user trust on the Internet is at least twice as hard versus
any other media Users drive the company; think demand-pull economics,
not supply-push
~ Respect and honesty are priceless assets, along with goodwill
~ One-to-one, user-to-company interaction is key
Poison Pill Versus Magic Bullet Thinking: A Recap
Poison pill companies ask about assets and price-to-earnings ratios. They want tangible things, even though tangible is less valuable than the virtual. They think that products should be forced on users.
Magic bullet companies talk about user-centered design, page views, and newsgroups. They speak, act, and think about the Web. They see that profits follow users.
Is your company going to swallow the poison pill or is it going to fire the magic bullet?
=========================================================================
John S. Rhodes -- mailto:john@WebWord.com
Human Factors Engineer and Usability Professional
Internet Usability and Web Site Development: http://www.WebWord.com/
========================= News Headlines ========================
Here is a compilation of URLs to interesting news pieces on an Internet or
website promotion theme.
~ More Fireworks Erupt At Microsoft Trial
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/msftdoj/TWB19990222S0018>
~ Intel Case May Be Expanding
<http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB19990222S0026>
~ AOL home page service bombarded
<http://www.news.com/News/Item/0,4,32720,00.html>
~ New bug hits Communicator
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,1013941,00.html>
~ What's the cost of free Net service?
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2212993,00.html>
~ No Deposit: Internet banks struggle
<http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2213788,00.html>
~ More About Writing Email
<http://www.searchz.com/Articles/0222991.html>
More Internet related news headlines at
<http://www.promotionworld.com/news.html>
========================= A Small Request ========================
If you enjoy reading this newsletter each week, why not tell a friend about
it? Even better, why don't you recommend The Informer on a discussion list?
After all, you wouldn't want to keep all this free information to yourself.
Just tell 'em all to subscribe by sending a message to
<mailto:informer@oaknetpub.com> with SUBSCRIBE in the BODY of their message.
======================== Misc. Information =======================
To comment on the issues covered in this week's newsletter, use the
appropriate forum on our Discussion Boards.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/discus/>
Browse the archives at <http://www.promotionworld.com/informer/archives.html>
If you are looking for some good advertising deals, you might like to
consider Promotion World and the Informer as places to advertise.
<http://www.promotionworld.com/sponsor.html>
To subscribe put SUBSCRIBE in the BODY of an email to
<mailto:informer@oaknetpub.com>
To unsubscribe put REMOVE in the BODY of an email to
<mailto:informer@oaknetpub.com>
I appreciate all your mail with your comments and suggestions!
<mailto:webmaster@promotionworld.com>
Newsletter Credits:
Joshua Reimer, Editor
<mailto:webmaster@promotionworld.com>
<http://www.promotionworld.com>
Jennifer Johnson, Feature Writer
<mailto:jenny@promotingyoursite.com>
<http://www.PromotingYourSite.com>
John S. Rhodes, Usability Specialist
<mailto:john@WebWord.com>
<http://www.WebWord.com/>
Ryan Adams, Affiliate Program Specialist
<mailto:webmaster@clickquick.com>
<http://www.clickquick.com>
Hayden Mitchell, Search Engine Specialist
<mailto:hayden@webthemes.com>
<http://www.webthemes.com>
And now for the mandatory legal stuff:
This newsletter is copyright 1997, 1998, 1999 Joshua Reimer. No part may be
reproduced in any way without prior permission.
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