Last week’s response to our announcement of TheCosmeticChannel.com caused the biggest response to a product announcement in Dog Star Media history. As I predicted, this new web video service is going to be HUGE. Thanks to all the early adopters who have signed up already to be part of the first wave to introduce The Cosmetic Channel. (To take advantage of early pre-sale pricing, email me here.)
I am amused at how our competitors are scrambling to jump on the video bandwagon. I am equally amused at how they have not been able to touch our ability to create custom video for Flash. I guess those Film degrees our team has are good for something afterall.
This goes back to what I have been saying for almost a year. In order to have the best video on the web, you need a company that is expert in both web design and video production. Luckily, Dog Star Media has both and it really shows when you are comparing apples with apples.
So, the video battlefield is emerging. Thus, I have summarized all the interesting and frequently asked questions from the last week that regard The Cosmetic Channel™ and web video in general. Read this to be an educated consumer.
Q: What is the price structure for TheCosmeticChannel?
A: Early pre-sale price is $200/month for Season 1. Season 1 is 12 months long.
Q: Can I add my own video to my player on The Cosmetic Channel™?
A: Yes, we can adapt your player to offer your own video. You can even customize the main greeting video. We shot a custom greeting for Dr. Reginald Rice last week where he introduces The Cosmetic Channel™ personally.
Q: How does the video search on Google work? Is this Google Universe?
A: (From Mischa Gorrell of Redbud Search)
As you know, the great majority of searches are done through the main Google search page, as opposed to their other properties (including video, image and local search). Google Universe is Google's new program to integrate these results where appropriate. For example, if you did a search through the main Google search page for "Shakira" (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=shakira&btnG=Search), you will see not only web search results, but music, news and video search results as well.
(We detected a competitor in Canada misinforming one of our clients about this.)
Q: Does The Cosmetic Channel™ help with organic search engine optimization?
A: Yes. Your player for The Cosmetic Channel™ will pull video from our main site. Therefore, it is linked externally to a relevant, free-standing site. (See previous blogs about linking).
Q: Should I be adding my videos to YouTube?
A: (From Mischa Gorrell of Redbud Search) YouTube officially states in its Terms of Use (http://www.youtube.com/t/terms) that "use of the Website as permitted is solely for your personal, noncommercial use". This is where the line gets blurry. You will find thousands of commercials and testimonial videos on YouTube. I would suggest using YouTube if you have a quality video that provides useful information to your customers...and only as part of your overall online marketing plan. Keep in mind this is also something that needs to be monitored. Unlike your website, anyone can comment on your video and you have no control over your marketing message. This is obviously very important for brand and reputation management.
My answer is a pretty firm no. First of all I do not like that others can comment without your control and, secondly, I do not suggest knowingly violating use rules, even if they are not enforced. Clearly you can do this and YouTube is not going to track down your small business video and remove it. In general, I think it is bad form and we can do better on your web site.
Q: Can see the broadcast schedule for the shows on The Cosmetic Channel™ before I sign up?
A: Yes. This week, we will be publishing the episode lists for the shows in Season 1 of The Cosmetic Channel™. Keep checking the web site. It will evolve more than once a week for the next few weeks.
Q: Can I pick and choose the episodes I want to show on my web site’s version of The Cosmetic Channel™?
A: No. The episodes are on a schedule that will not be changed.
Q: What will the regular prices for subscriptions to The Cosmetic Channel™ be?
A: Just like subscribing to cable or satellite television, we will have subscription levels. Packages will be released after the episode schedules but right now, we have price levels set between $300-$500/month depending on the package. Try to focus on the early pre-sale subscription price of $200/month.
Q: When will The Cosmetic Channel™ launch?
A: Launch is scheduled for September 15, 2007. This is a conservative estimate. We are trying to launch early if we can.
Keep watching The Cosmetic Channel™ and keep checking this blog. You really are watching a groundbreaking project roll out.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Introducing The Cosmetic Channel™
The wait is over! Dog Star Media proudly presents a new, online video service that can vastly IMPROVE THE CONTENT OF YOUR WEB SITE WITH NEW VIDEO EACH MONTH. We have been hard at work for nearly six months developing and preparing to release this new objection-free offering for cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists. The landing page is ready and it will be changing over the next few weeks as we continue to develop the launch site but you can go there now for a first look at TheCosmeticChannel.com.
The Cosmetic Channel™ adds high quality, feature-style video to your web site. It offers separate programming for cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists. You can see the first season’s programming options on the landing page. The video content is available on a very affordable subscription basis and a subscribing doctor or dentist will be able to pick and choose video content for the version of The Cosmetic Channel™ that plays on his/her individual web site.
Each show has six four-minute episodes that will be changed every two months for a year. When we change the video on TheCosmeticChannel.com, it will change the video content on subscribers’ web sites, assuring that new video is posted to subscriber sites each month. For instance, one show for cosmetic surgeons is About Face, a show about facial surgeries. Here is a description of the show:
About Face
This educational program features an overview of cosmetic surgical procedures for the face, head and neck. Shot in a feature style, each four-minute episode of About Face focuses on one specific procedure. Episodes include: Blephroplasty, Facelifts, Rhinoplasty, Otoplasty, Genioplasty and Cheek Augmentation.
Just like subscribing to cable or satellite television, you can pick and choose the show content for your web site at the time of subscription. Based on the amount of content you choose, prices are an affordable $300 or $400 per month for a full season. And, between now and our September 15 debut, early subscribers can get a full season’s subscription for $100 off the monthly price. Our goal is to end the early subscription period sometime in August when we launch the first shows on The Cosmetic Channel™. Once the first shows are broadcast on the web, the early subscription period will end.
The Cosmetic Channel™ broadcasts video on subscriber web sites in Flash. This means no media players are needed. In addition, we can add The Cosmetic Channel™ to any web site. If you have made the choice to design your web site with another web designer, we can still add The Cosmetic Channel™ to your site. We can add The Cosmetic Channel™ to any web site or we can show your current web host how to do it. So, all of you with sites from our competitors can add the superior content of The Cosmetic Channel™ to your sites, too.
The Cosmetic Channel™ was born in some internal discussions at Dog Star Media. Our team listed out several of the issues related to our clients when it came to web content. One issue is that everybody wants video but not everybody can afford it. Another issue is quality of message. Not everybody is the best at accepting real sales and marketing language in their marketing materials. Another issue is our clients’ desire to portray their practices as part of a bigger movement. In most cases, either part of the neuromuscular dentistry movement or the cosmetic surgery movement. Yet another issue is the ever-present search engine optimization (SEO) issue. And, of course, everybody wants the latest and greatest.
The Cosmetic Channel™ answers all of these issues. It is affordable at only a few hundred dollars per month in subscription. The videos are professionally designed by Dog Star Media and are hosted by professional on-camera talent. The medical and dental parts of the script will be proofed by doctors and dentists to ensure accuracy. The videos will present this material in a fun, educational and entertaining style. Special videos will be available for AACS members and LVI alumni describing the merits of those schools of thought and practice. For SEO, The Cosmetic Channel™ on a subscriber’s site will pull video content from the main site, TheCosmeticChannel.com, providing a high-quality, outside link to the site. This will help subscribers with the all-important linking elements of SEO. And, of course, this is the latest and the greatest for web content. What could be better than having new, relevant, educational and entertaining video that renews itself on your site?
Wow. The Cosmetic Channel™ is open for business. You can inquire about early subscription right now at TheCosmeticChannel.com or you can email me directly at donald@dogstarmedia.com. We look forward to hooking you up to Beauty’s Home on The Internet.
The Cosmetic Channel™ adds high quality, feature-style video to your web site. It offers separate programming for cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists. You can see the first season’s programming options on the landing page. The video content is available on a very affordable subscription basis and a subscribing doctor or dentist will be able to pick and choose video content for the version of The Cosmetic Channel™ that plays on his/her individual web site.
Each show has six four-minute episodes that will be changed every two months for a year. When we change the video on TheCosmeticChannel.com, it will change the video content on subscribers’ web sites, assuring that new video is posted to subscriber sites each month. For instance, one show for cosmetic surgeons is About Face, a show about facial surgeries. Here is a description of the show:
About Face
This educational program features an overview of cosmetic surgical procedures for the face, head and neck. Shot in a feature style, each four-minute episode of About Face focuses on one specific procedure. Episodes include: Blephroplasty, Facelifts, Rhinoplasty, Otoplasty, Genioplasty and Cheek Augmentation.
Just like subscribing to cable or satellite television, you can pick and choose the show content for your web site at the time of subscription. Based on the amount of content you choose, prices are an affordable $300 or $400 per month for a full season. And, between now and our September 15 debut, early subscribers can get a full season’s subscription for $100 off the monthly price. Our goal is to end the early subscription period sometime in August when we launch the first shows on The Cosmetic Channel™. Once the first shows are broadcast on the web, the early subscription period will end.
The Cosmetic Channel™ broadcasts video on subscriber web sites in Flash. This means no media players are needed. In addition, we can add The Cosmetic Channel™ to any web site. If you have made the choice to design your web site with another web designer, we can still add The Cosmetic Channel™ to your site. We can add The Cosmetic Channel™ to any web site or we can show your current web host how to do it. So, all of you with sites from our competitors can add the superior content of The Cosmetic Channel™ to your sites, too.
The Cosmetic Channel™ was born in some internal discussions at Dog Star Media. Our team listed out several of the issues related to our clients when it came to web content. One issue is that everybody wants video but not everybody can afford it. Another issue is quality of message. Not everybody is the best at accepting real sales and marketing language in their marketing materials. Another issue is our clients’ desire to portray their practices as part of a bigger movement. In most cases, either part of the neuromuscular dentistry movement or the cosmetic surgery movement. Yet another issue is the ever-present search engine optimization (SEO) issue. And, of course, everybody wants the latest and greatest.
The Cosmetic Channel™ answers all of these issues. It is affordable at only a few hundred dollars per month in subscription. The videos are professionally designed by Dog Star Media and are hosted by professional on-camera talent. The medical and dental parts of the script will be proofed by doctors and dentists to ensure accuracy. The videos will present this material in a fun, educational and entertaining style. Special videos will be available for AACS members and LVI alumni describing the merits of those schools of thought and practice. For SEO, The Cosmetic Channel™ on a subscriber’s site will pull video content from the main site, TheCosmeticChannel.com, providing a high-quality, outside link to the site. This will help subscribers with the all-important linking elements of SEO. And, of course, this is the latest and the greatest for web content. What could be better than having new, relevant, educational and entertaining video that renews itself on your site?
Wow. The Cosmetic Channel™ is open for business. You can inquire about early subscription right now at TheCosmeticChannel.com or you can email me directly at donald@dogstarmedia.com. We look forward to hooking you up to Beauty’s Home on The Internet.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Summer Movies... of course!
I have had a lot of marketing posts lately so I wanted to shift gears and give you a couple of great movie recommendations. For those of you how are new visitors, we want you to think of Dog Star Media when you think about video. After all, most of us here have degrees in Film and Video production so, we kind of know what we are doing.
I have three great movies set in Summer season to recommend, all for a different taste in movies. So you are bound to find something here. Remember, try one or more and then keep coming back for more great tips.
For the sports or comedy lover... Try Long Gone. This is one of the best baseball movies out there. I even like it better than Bull Durham. Long Gone is a funny story about standing up for what is right set in the deep south of the 1950s. The team is a small minor league franchise and a young William Peterson (from CSI) stars. If you like Penn & Teller, Teller has a small role in this movie playing the comic genius Henry Gibson’s son. Teller talks in the movie.
For those of you who want a tense drama on the adult side, I highly recommend Summer of Sam. This is Spike Lee’s movie set in NYC during the unbearably hot summer of 1977. The movie focuses on the impact the Son of Sam killer (David Berkowitz) had on the city. However, I think this is Lee’s best movie to date. I lived in New York state in the summer of 1977 and I remember that time very clearly. This movie captures the cultural clashes of the time, such as the rise of the Punk music culture vs. the indulgent, drug-driven Disco culture, with a remarkable clarity. Watch this movie and you will never be able to hear some disco hits again without getting a chill down your spine.
And, finally, I highly recommend Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing for those of you with a liking for Shakespeare and a taste for art-house films. Sunsplashed and magnificent from the first scene when the men ride into town, this is by far the best Shakespeare adaptation to film. That includes Olivier and Gibson as Hamlet, by the way. A fantastic cast including Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale and Michael Keaton only helps. This is an art film with all the commercial trappings. The slow motion montage of Branagh’s Benedick and Emma Thompson’s Beatrice privately celebrating their realization that they are loved midway through the film is one of my favorite scenes of any movie. Just pure joy on film.
Writing this, I realize how much I love all of these movies. I will be seeing them this month. Give yourself a bonus. Pick a genre or two and treat yourself.
I have three great movies set in Summer season to recommend, all for a different taste in movies. So you are bound to find something here. Remember, try one or more and then keep coming back for more great tips.
For the sports or comedy lover... Try Long Gone. This is one of the best baseball movies out there. I even like it better than Bull Durham. Long Gone is a funny story about standing up for what is right set in the deep south of the 1950s. The team is a small minor league franchise and a young William Peterson (from CSI) stars. If you like Penn & Teller, Teller has a small role in this movie playing the comic genius Henry Gibson’s son. Teller talks in the movie.
For those of you who want a tense drama on the adult side, I highly recommend Summer of Sam. This is Spike Lee’s movie set in NYC during the unbearably hot summer of 1977. The movie focuses on the impact the Son of Sam killer (David Berkowitz) had on the city. However, I think this is Lee’s best movie to date. I lived in New York state in the summer of 1977 and I remember that time very clearly. This movie captures the cultural clashes of the time, such as the rise of the Punk music culture vs. the indulgent, drug-driven Disco culture, with a remarkable clarity. Watch this movie and you will never be able to hear some disco hits again without getting a chill down your spine.
And, finally, I highly recommend Kenneth Branagh’s Much Ado About Nothing for those of you with a liking for Shakespeare and a taste for art-house films. Sunsplashed and magnificent from the first scene when the men ride into town, this is by far the best Shakespeare adaptation to film. That includes Olivier and Gibson as Hamlet, by the way. A fantastic cast including Denzel Washington, Kate Beckinsale and Michael Keaton only helps. This is an art film with all the commercial trappings. The slow motion montage of Branagh’s Benedick and Emma Thompson’s Beatrice privately celebrating their realization that they are loved midway through the film is one of my favorite scenes of any movie. Just pure joy on film.
Writing this, I realize how much I love all of these movies. I will be seeing them this month. Give yourself a bonus. Pick a genre or two and treat yourself.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The Future of the Internet - Follow these links
When we design web sites for our clients, they always ask us to give them “the latest” in web design. But, what about the future of web design? In our business, that prompts the eternal questions about form following function.
We have reached the point on the web where content is everything. There is written content, graphics/animation and video content. (All of you who still are having SEO questions, pay attention.) All the market forces on the web are driving us into more of TV-mode on the Internet. Google will be rolling out searches that document more than just keyword text as a response to the market move toward video. ( See this article for some details http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/emt/?p=133)
So, when it comes to the future of web design, we have to look at video as major player. We are going to have to design around it. Just think how much more video content is available on the web right now? Want to watch a full episode of Friday Night Lights? Click here to watch it online. Want to see... well almost anything? Click here for YouTube. And, if you need a laugh, try DotComedy.com.
And, if you have not watched my video on Internet Strategies, you can click here to see how business-to-business communications are moving to video on the web.
Other than video, what ways will we have to account for more content in future designs? We have friends who are in R+D at a major telecom company who debate the same question at their jobs. The answer is more, more and more specialized content for any one person. In other words, imagine a web page that you set up that allows you to access everything that interests or concerns you... even your favorite television channels. Several years from now, remember you heard it here first.
My site would have movie news and trailers, sports news, major news services and more. One way of accessing new content is using the widget format for web services. A web service provides content in small, headline-style bullets or images. You can see an example of how this works at yourminis.com. Any of you Apple users out there will immediately recognize this as your System X Dashboard, where you can program your personal widgets on your computer. I can tell you from using the Apple Dashboard, it is very convenient for always having your interests at your fingertips.
You can see how this will affect web design but there is a much bigger question here. On all of these video sites, you play the video on the site when you visit. For those of you who have video on your sites now, it only plays when people visit your site. What if... somehow video content and web services came together?
Next week, Dog Star Media will have a major announcement about web services and video. This ground-breaking new concept, designed for cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists, will change your web content forever. For anyone who wants to come with us, we are going to jump you just far enough into the future of the web to make a huge improvement in your web strategies. Again, anyone who asks me (donald@dogstarmedia.com) can find out early.
We have reached the point on the web where content is everything. There is written content, graphics/animation and video content. (All of you who still are having SEO questions, pay attention.) All the market forces on the web are driving us into more of TV-mode on the Internet. Google will be rolling out searches that document more than just keyword text as a response to the market move toward video. ( See this article for some details http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/emt/?p=133)
So, when it comes to the future of web design, we have to look at video as major player. We are going to have to design around it. Just think how much more video content is available on the web right now? Want to watch a full episode of Friday Night Lights? Click here to watch it online. Want to see... well almost anything? Click here for YouTube. And, if you need a laugh, try DotComedy.com.
And, if you have not watched my video on Internet Strategies, you can click here to see how business-to-business communications are moving to video on the web.
Other than video, what ways will we have to account for more content in future designs? We have friends who are in R+D at a major telecom company who debate the same question at their jobs. The answer is more, more and more specialized content for any one person. In other words, imagine a web page that you set up that allows you to access everything that interests or concerns you... even your favorite television channels. Several years from now, remember you heard it here first.
My site would have movie news and trailers, sports news, major news services and more. One way of accessing new content is using the widget format for web services. A web service provides content in small, headline-style bullets or images. You can see an example of how this works at yourminis.com. Any of you Apple users out there will immediately recognize this as your System X Dashboard, where you can program your personal widgets on your computer. I can tell you from using the Apple Dashboard, it is very convenient for always having your interests at your fingertips.
You can see how this will affect web design but there is a much bigger question here. On all of these video sites, you play the video on the site when you visit. For those of you who have video on your sites now, it only plays when people visit your site. What if... somehow video content and web services came together?
Next week, Dog Star Media will have a major announcement about web services and video. This ground-breaking new concept, designed for cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic dentists, will change your web content forever. For anyone who wants to come with us, we are going to jump you just far enough into the future of the web to make a huge improvement in your web strategies. Again, anyone who asks me (donald@dogstarmedia.com) can find out early.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
3 Truths about Search Engine Placement
First, let me introduce you to the latest new web site from Dog Star Media: www.smilestudioweb.com. Congratulations to two great Texans, Guy and Jena Waldron!
Okay... there has been a lot of chatter about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the last few weeks. Dog Star Media has a new SEO partner (which we will introduce formally to our clients and friends later this month) and, together, we will give you the definitive word on the latest in the changing world of SEO.
I thought it might be fun to start with a little myth-busting. So, here are 3 truths our DSM team learned in a little coaching session we had with our new partner this week.
Truth #1: On major search engines, linking is more important to search engines than site content.
How about that? With the growth in content that is viewed or heard... not read... the major engines have been raising the value of external linking in search algorithms (the way search engines rank sites) for years. Myth-busted: HTML is superior to Flash for SEO. The fact is that the value of all that HTML code has been shrinking in the eyes of the search engines. If you are hanging onto your HTML site for that reason, you have permission to explore what Flash can do for your.
Truth #2: Changing your web site or web server does not affect your prior organic ranking. At least it doesn’t have to affect it.
All of the organic ranking history (or what is called “trust” in the industry) you have built up over the years can be transferred by anyone who knows a very common SEO procedure called a 301 Redirect. Just like forwarding your mail when you move, a 301 Redirect is the Internet way of giving you the freedom to manage your site as needed. So, if you want to move your site down the street to another server and paint it a new color, the search engines will know where to find you. Myth-busted: Feeling trapped by a server with rising costs or bad service or hanging onto a bad design is a worthwhile trade for your organic ranking. Feel free to make the web more beautiful with a redesign and improve your tech support by shopping it around. Just remember to ask us for that 301 Redirect. And, come on... you know a good looking site when you see it. If you don’t have one, admitting you need a new look is the first step....
Truth #3: Flash can be optimized for SEO.
While HTML has the potential for more readable keywords because it is code-based design, Flash sites can be built to take advantage of the same keyword strategy. Flash sites can be designed to “call” files outside of the main Flash page. This is how DSM has created Flash sites since we converted to Macromedia Flash (the industry Gold Standard in Flash design programs) years ago. By naming the called files carefully, Flash sites can implement the same keyword strategies as HTML sites. Myth-busted: Flash is bad for SEO. Simply untrue. It is more about knowing the best keywords for your particular field and local market, than the volume of code on your site. Much more.
There is a lot more and I think all our clients and friends will benefit from our new partnership with... Gotta wait one more week. We are almost ready.
If you got anything out of this blog, I hope you feel the freedom to explore what a superior presentation on the web can do for you. It will not hurt your SEO, so why not look at Flash or Flash video? Check out our portfolio at dogstarmedia.com to see some more examples.
And, stay tuned. Dog Star Media will have yet another major announcement to make after Memorial Day. If you are new to my blog this week, you may not know that you can email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. Many of you know if you ask me directly by email, I will tell you early if I allude to a big surprise. Let’s just say, this new concept is the first original product in cosmetic dental and surgical marketing that has been introduced in a long, long time.
Okay... there has been a lot of chatter about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) in the last few weeks. Dog Star Media has a new SEO partner (which we will introduce formally to our clients and friends later this month) and, together, we will give you the definitive word on the latest in the changing world of SEO.
I thought it might be fun to start with a little myth-busting. So, here are 3 truths our DSM team learned in a little coaching session we had with our new partner this week.
Truth #1: On major search engines, linking is more important to search engines than site content.
How about that? With the growth in content that is viewed or heard... not read... the major engines have been raising the value of external linking in search algorithms (the way search engines rank sites) for years. Myth-busted: HTML is superior to Flash for SEO. The fact is that the value of all that HTML code has been shrinking in the eyes of the search engines. If you are hanging onto your HTML site for that reason, you have permission to explore what Flash can do for your.
Truth #2: Changing your web site or web server does not affect your prior organic ranking. At least it doesn’t have to affect it.
All of the organic ranking history (or what is called “trust” in the industry) you have built up over the years can be transferred by anyone who knows a very common SEO procedure called a 301 Redirect. Just like forwarding your mail when you move, a 301 Redirect is the Internet way of giving you the freedom to manage your site as needed. So, if you want to move your site down the street to another server and paint it a new color, the search engines will know where to find you. Myth-busted: Feeling trapped by a server with rising costs or bad service or hanging onto a bad design is a worthwhile trade for your organic ranking. Feel free to make the web more beautiful with a redesign and improve your tech support by shopping it around. Just remember to ask us for that 301 Redirect. And, come on... you know a good looking site when you see it. If you don’t have one, admitting you need a new look is the first step....
Truth #3: Flash can be optimized for SEO.
While HTML has the potential for more readable keywords because it is code-based design, Flash sites can be built to take advantage of the same keyword strategy. Flash sites can be designed to “call” files outside of the main Flash page. This is how DSM has created Flash sites since we converted to Macromedia Flash (the industry Gold Standard in Flash design programs) years ago. By naming the called files carefully, Flash sites can implement the same keyword strategies as HTML sites. Myth-busted: Flash is bad for SEO. Simply untrue. It is more about knowing the best keywords for your particular field and local market, than the volume of code on your site. Much more.
There is a lot more and I think all our clients and friends will benefit from our new partnership with... Gotta wait one more week. We are almost ready.
If you got anything out of this blog, I hope you feel the freedom to explore what a superior presentation on the web can do for you. It will not hurt your SEO, so why not look at Flash or Flash video? Check out our portfolio at dogstarmedia.com to see some more examples.
And, stay tuned. Dog Star Media will have yet another major announcement to make after Memorial Day. If you are new to my blog this week, you may not know that you can email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com. Many of you know if you ask me directly by email, I will tell you early if I allude to a big surprise. Let’s just say, this new concept is the first original product in cosmetic dental and surgical marketing that has been introduced in a long, long time.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Want more brains?
Woodrow Wilson said, “I not only use the brains I have but all those I can borrow.”
Good quote. So why wouldn’t you want to use all the brains you can borrow when it comes to measuring the responses on your web site? We are finishing a lot of web sites these days and I am surprised how few want to use tracking phone numbers on their sites.
A tracking phone number is a specially issued phone number that routes to your business phone number in 1/16th of a second. It is unnoticable to the caller and no calls are missed or dropped. The use of such a number is tracked electonically, rendering all kinds of recorded information about the call: time, date, number of rings, answered or not answered, caller ID info if possible, business call or residential call and more. You can log in online to see the results 24/7.
The best part is, by placing the number in a unique location, you get an idea of how effective that particular piece of media is For instance, we have a tracking number on the DSM web site and a different tracking number on our mailers. I can just look at the tracking number results to know how and when those numbers are being used.... and often by who.
Tracking numbers cost $480/year and we can connect you with a vendor that can issue numbers as quickly as possible. We use these numbers to evaluate advertising response rates and isolated ad buys. However, I find it very useful to have on a web site.
In many of our multi-prong marketing strategies, we have learned (by using tracking numbers) that more people respond after going to a web site, regardless of what pushed them onto the site. For instance, our clients who do direct mail see a more significant response on and through the web, than from the direct mailer that starts the search process. Understanding this part of Internet marketing helps us improve the response rate by improving content on the site, including adding video of the doctor.
Here is a real life application. We have a client that was beginning to lose faith in his web strategies late last summer. He had a Flash video web site, which featured excellent welcoming video he taped and a great, resourceful web site. His placement was good and his cost per click responses were excellent. However, the click throughs on his appointment request and wish list were not up to his expectations.
We made a few cosmetic changes to the site but the biggest change was that we got him to add a tracking phone number to the site. Immediately, we saw that about 20 calls a month were coming from the web site. Knowing this, restored this client’s faith in the web strategy and in his latest report, we see about 40 calls per month for the last few months.
So, is the web strategy working if people choose to call in after seeing the site rather than emailing or filling out a wish list? Absolutely. It is even a stronger validation of the site as these people are obviously getting the number from the site itself.
This is a perfect example of using as many brains as you can get your hands on. The way I like to think of it is: Unique Tracking Number: $480..... Knowing the exact direct response from your web site: Priceless.
Dog Star Media can connect you with a tracking number vendor. Normally, we only refer this for web sites we have designed. But, through the end of July, I will waive that requirement. If you want a tracking number for your web site, whether we designed it or now, just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Good quote. So why wouldn’t you want to use all the brains you can borrow when it comes to measuring the responses on your web site? We are finishing a lot of web sites these days and I am surprised how few want to use tracking phone numbers on their sites.
A tracking phone number is a specially issued phone number that routes to your business phone number in 1/16th of a second. It is unnoticable to the caller and no calls are missed or dropped. The use of such a number is tracked electonically, rendering all kinds of recorded information about the call: time, date, number of rings, answered or not answered, caller ID info if possible, business call or residential call and more. You can log in online to see the results 24/7.
The best part is, by placing the number in a unique location, you get an idea of how effective that particular piece of media is For instance, we have a tracking number on the DSM web site and a different tracking number on our mailers. I can just look at the tracking number results to know how and when those numbers are being used.... and often by who.
Tracking numbers cost $480/year and we can connect you with a vendor that can issue numbers as quickly as possible. We use these numbers to evaluate advertising response rates and isolated ad buys. However, I find it very useful to have on a web site.
In many of our multi-prong marketing strategies, we have learned (by using tracking numbers) that more people respond after going to a web site, regardless of what pushed them onto the site. For instance, our clients who do direct mail see a more significant response on and through the web, than from the direct mailer that starts the search process. Understanding this part of Internet marketing helps us improve the response rate by improving content on the site, including adding video of the doctor.
Here is a real life application. We have a client that was beginning to lose faith in his web strategies late last summer. He had a Flash video web site, which featured excellent welcoming video he taped and a great, resourceful web site. His placement was good and his cost per click responses were excellent. However, the click throughs on his appointment request and wish list were not up to his expectations.
We made a few cosmetic changes to the site but the biggest change was that we got him to add a tracking phone number to the site. Immediately, we saw that about 20 calls a month were coming from the web site. Knowing this, restored this client’s faith in the web strategy and in his latest report, we see about 40 calls per month for the last few months.
So, is the web strategy working if people choose to call in after seeing the site rather than emailing or filling out a wish list? Absolutely. It is even a stronger validation of the site as these people are obviously getting the number from the site itself.
This is a perfect example of using as many brains as you can get your hands on. The way I like to think of it is: Unique Tracking Number: $480..... Knowing the exact direct response from your web site: Priceless.
Dog Star Media can connect you with a tracking number vendor. Normally, we only refer this for web sites we have designed. But, through the end of July, I will waive that requirement. If you want a tracking number for your web site, whether we designed it or now, just email me at donald@dogstarmedia.com.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
SEO for Flash
I am going to write a lot on search engine optimization (or SEO) this month.... and at the end of the month I will have a surprise for all of you who care about this part of your Internet strategy. I’m going to start with my favorite SEO topic: The uninformed opinion that Flash sites are not good for search engine optimization.
An important part of Search Engine Optimization is the concept of on-site factors vs. off-site factors. On-site or on-page factors, obviously are factors related to the content and composition of your web site. Off-site or off-page factors have nothing to do with the content or composition of your site. Instead, these are factors related to how your site is linked on the web. In short... what leads to your site on the Internet.
This is what is called Link Building and it is a major element of search engine ranking algorithms these days. Here is a good article online about the concept:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Linkbuilding---Off-Site-Search-Engine-Optimization&id=528311
Without making any changes to your Flash site, you can still improve your search engine presence. Link Building should be an integral part of promoting any Flash site. Rather than struggling with search engine workarounds, a better strategy is to concentrate on building a network of quality inbound links. The potential is virtually limitless.
So, are Flash sites bad for organic search engine rankings? Clearly not, so stop listening to the Organic SEO fear mongers. You now have enough knowledge to let yourself choose the superior online presentation of Flash.
What you need is a SEO partner that can explain the logic of their strategies and then execute strategies you understand in an efficient way. If you want a SEO partner that will take the mystery out of this rapidly-changing science, just wait... and keep watching this blog.
An important part of Search Engine Optimization is the concept of on-site factors vs. off-site factors. On-site or on-page factors, obviously are factors related to the content and composition of your web site. Off-site or off-page factors have nothing to do with the content or composition of your site. Instead, these are factors related to how your site is linked on the web. In short... what leads to your site on the Internet.
This is what is called Link Building and it is a major element of search engine ranking algorithms these days. Here is a good article online about the concept:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Linkbuilding---Off-Site-Search-Engine-Optimization&id=528311
Without making any changes to your Flash site, you can still improve your search engine presence. Link Building should be an integral part of promoting any Flash site. Rather than struggling with search engine workarounds, a better strategy is to concentrate on building a network of quality inbound links. The potential is virtually limitless.
So, are Flash sites bad for organic search engine rankings? Clearly not, so stop listening to the Organic SEO fear mongers. You now have enough knowledge to let yourself choose the superior online presentation of Flash.
What you need is a SEO partner that can explain the logic of their strategies and then execute strategies you understand in an efficient way. If you want a SEO partner that will take the mystery out of this rapidly-changing science, just wait... and keep watching this blog.
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