Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program

CADM Luncheon: Cloud Computing and CRM

2009-11-08T13:28:00.001-06:00

CADM has an upcoming luncheon that may be of interest to you:

Cloud Computing and CRM: The Effect on Sales & Marketing of On-Demand CRM and Salesforce.com

What is "cloud computing" and "on-demand CRM"? What role do they play with sales and marketing? What effect is Salesforce.com having in the marketplace, and why is it transforming so many businesses?

Join us on Wednesday, November 11th, as we explore cloud computing and its effect on the current practice of CRM. We'll explain how on-demand CRM - and better distribution of customer information - is changing the practice of sales and marketing as we know it. Finally, we'll probe Sales 2.0, show how on-demand CRM supports the integration of sales and marketing, and then pull it all together with a case study demonstrating the impact of Salesforce.com.

Speakers:

Dan Strunk, Managing Director, Center for Sales Leadership, DePaul University

Kevin Turner, Principal, Model Metrics (one of the nation's leading Salesforce.com partners).

Click here for more information and to register

Day: Wednesday, November 11th

Time: 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM

Location: Petterino's Restaurant (entrance at 50 West Randolph)

Cost: $44/CADM members, $59/non-members.

Google Accounts Hacked

2009-10-06T19:32:00.003-05:00

The BBC is reporting that phishers have been able to harvest thousands of Gmail, Yahoo and AOL e-mail passwords.

Now would be an ideal time to change your password. If you are changing your password, you could do worse that follow the advice of Bruce Schneier. Back in August of 2009, Schneir posted advice on secure passwords. The post and commentary is definitely worth reading.

CADM Event "Chicago Sports 2.0: How Chicago Sports Teams Score Through Interactive Marketing"

2009-08-19T14:55:00.001-05:00

The CADM is holding the perfect event for the interactive marketer who is also a sports fan. On Wednesday, September 23, 2009 the CADM has an impressive panel of luminaries sharing their expertise.

Naturally enough the event will take place at Harry Caray’s Restaurant in Chicago.

The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and concludes with an open bar and hors d’oeuvres.

Moderator: Josh Grou, Business Development, Branded Entertainment Google/YouTube and Instructor, Sports Media and Broadcast Relations, Kellogg MSA program

Panelists:

Joseph A. Inzerillo

SVP, Multimedia & Distribution at Major League Baseball (MLB)

Ryan Huzjak

Director of Corporate Sales, Chicago Bears

Mike Maguire

Digital Sales Director, Midwest Region, ESPN Chicago

Elly Deutch

Marketing and New Media Manager, Chicago Red Stars

Valerie Waller

Director of Marketing & Communications, Chicago 2016

When: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 (5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.)

Where: Harry Caray’s Restaurant – 33 West Kinzie Street (State & Kinzie), Chicago

For more information visit the CADM's website.

O'Reilly Webcast: Twitter Power Tips

2009-06-02T10:53:00.003-05:00

Tim O'Reilly and Sarah Milstein recently presented a webinar on Twiter Power Tips. The presentation has just been added to YouTube.

You can view the video by either following the link above, or watching the embedded video below:

Get Your Web Browser On

2009-03-19T12:58:00.003-05:00

Microsoft starts to officially roll out the new version of Internet Explorer (version 8) today. Google Chrome has just been updated. With that in mind now would be a good time to test that your website works in the major (and perhaps minor) browsers:

Good luck!

Viral Marketing on Twitter: MacHeist TweetBlast

2009-03-05T12:06:00.002-06:00

MacHesist is offering a free license for DEVONthink if you follow them on Twitter, Tweet a specific response and then wait for a direct message.

MacHeist on Twitter now has over 25 thousand followers. This is an interesting use of Twitter and I see other companies experimenting with similar approaches.

The cost of this campaign should not be too expensive – the DEVONthink license is for a version that will soon be supplanted by a version 2. Users of the older version can upgrade for $20….

Social Networking on the Blackberry

2008-11-21T10:07:00.000-06:00

MySpace released their mobile application for the Blackberry last week. This seems like a perfect time to list some of the core social media applications that you can run directly from the Blackberry (rather than accessing through a web browser). For Internet marketers using the Blackberry here are the tools I would recommend downloading:

Facebook Client
One of the best ways to access your account. The application focusing on the core areas of FB without any of the distractions.

MySpace Client
Similar to the Facebook application in functionality (homepage, inbox, friend requests, comments, friends and photos). Clean and snappy interface.

TwitterBerry
Tweet with relative abandon from your Blackberry

Viigo
The best RSS reader for the Blackberry.

ShoZu
Upload photos and videos to social media sites.

SEO Book Chapter - Now on Amazon

2008-11-20T09:59:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to contribute a chapter to the IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) Handbook on Search Engine Optimization. The book is now available to order via Amazon or the publisher (Racom Books). The chapter follows a similar structure to the SEO Seminar I present (the next session will take place on Friday December 5 in Chicago).

SEO is a moving target. However, most of what I wrote still stands. A planned approach to relevance, utility, quality and web standards is more than half the battle.

Top 10 ideas for Century 21 Real Estate

2008-10-10T12:18:00.000-05:00

David Meerman Scott (author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR) recently wrote "Top 10 ideas for Century 21 Real Estate to implement The New Rules of Marketing & PR." Many of these suggestions translate to other business. The suggestions are well worth reading (and following).

Honda Fit - Internet and Mobile Ads

2008-10-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

According to The Wall Street Journal Honda will buy all of Sony Pictures Television's advertising space for a week starting October 15th. This will be done to promote the launch of the Honda Fit.

The deal will cost Honda a cool half-million dollars and will cover all Sony's mobile and online entertainment and third-party sites in the U.S.

Social Media and the Marketing Campaign

2008-09-15T13:46:00.000-05:00

The Chicago chapter of the American Marketing Association is promoting a great event on the 25th September - "Social Media and the Marketing Campaign. Powered by Google"

This looks like an excellent event and is highly recommended. For more information visit the Chicago AMA's website

When: Thursday, September 25, 2008

Time: 5:45 - 7:45 p.m.

Where: Google Office -
20 W. Kinzie, Chicago IL

CADM Special Breakfast Meeting: “The Next Generation of Behavioral Targeting”

2008-08-05T12:51:00.000-05:00

Current behavioral targeting is little more than contextual targeting—presenting ads based on sites a consumer visits or retargeting consumers who saw a particular ad before. To truly live up to its promise, behavioral targeting should be based on much more, including actual transactional behavior, both online and offline—taking advantage of an offer or making a purchase—and should factor in demographic data for the most complete picture of each individual consumer. This allows us to predict behavior - the holy grail of every marketer.

On September 19th CADM is offering a special breakfast meeting featuring Matt Wise, CEO of Q Interactive, a 10-year-old, industry-pioneering company in targeted online marketing. Hosted by the Interactive Marketing SIG, this event is open to the CADM community as well as guests, clients, and non-members.

7:30 a.m. - Registration and networking
8:00 a.m. - Program

When: Friday, September 19, 2008 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM

Where: Q Interactive Headquarters, One North Dearborn, 12th Floor

Contact: George Buckley

Speaker: Matt Wise, CEO Q Interactive

Host: Interactive Marketing

Register:	CADM Member	Non-Member	SIG Member
by 9/18/2008	$25.00	$35.00	$25.00
after 9/18/2008	$30.00	$40.00	$30.00

EFF Releases "Switzerland" ISP Testing Tool

2008-08-05T09:03:00.000-05:00

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is releasing Switzerland, a software tool for customers to test the integrity of their Internet communications.

Upcoming CADM Event: Getting More Out of Your Online Budget

2008-06-17T13:25:00.000-05:00

Topic: Getting More Out of Your Online Budget

Moderator: Ellis Booker – Editor, B2B Magazine

Panelists:

Jason Ferrara – VP Corporate Marketing, CareerBuilder.com
Cliff Langston – Director of Global Marketing, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation
Barbara Mousigian – Senior Director of E-Commerce, CDW
Karen Breen Vogel – President/CEO, ClearGauge

When: Thursday, July 10, 2008

5:30 p.m. Reception
6:00 p.m. Program
7:00 p.m. Open Bar (Beer & Wine) & Appetizers

Where: Fulton’s on the River, 315 N LaSalle St – Chicago, IL

Hosted by: B-to-B and Interactive Marketing SIGs

SEO Comic

2008-03-31T13:59:00.000-05:00

Ranked Hard is a webcomic for those of you looking for some SEO humor in your life. Plenty of in-jokes that will resonate with Internet media types. You can read online at:

http://www.bigoakinc.com/rankedhard/

SEM Rap

2008-02-15T10:15:00.000-06:00

Chris Campbell of GreenWerks (a Chicago-based eco-friendly contractor for painting and handyman services) sent me a link to a fantastic SEM (Search Engine Marketing) rap. The YouTube video is embedded below. Something to add to the iPod….

"You want to start SEM well heres what to do
focus on a product and find a niche too
you want to get the listing
I'll give you some assisting
SEO & SEM, they are coexisting
to cover all the bases
you must have patience
research all your keywords and your phrases
they all sound good but they may not be a factor
several ways to check and I prefer word tracker
very vague phrases should get denied
longtail keyphrases are more qualified
check the cpc, that's the cost per click
make a judgement call, is is worth that hit
if it is then keep it
if its not then delete it
stay within your budget, that's not a big secret
track your results, reporting is critical
and set your goals right be Google analytical
Google Adwords and Yahoo Search Marketing
if your business local make sure you geo targeting
the user only clicks on what sounds best
make sure you use very descriptive ad text
its a must that you use correct landing pages
if they see what they want, they easily persuaded
when they convert that's a win win
when your site is bookmarked they'll come back again
cpc will go, ctr will skyrocket
roi will get better, that's more money in your pocket
and if you smart, you'll invest in more phrases
but that's up to you, I'm just giving you the basics
you got it then fine, if you don't hit rewind
listen closely and play it back 1 more time
that's just the start anymore might cost
I have to deal with my boss
if I tell you the secret sauce
like using paid search to enhance seo
and revolving ad text is the way to
uh oh, I gotta go, that's too much for you to know
but if you want more, wait for the next video."

The harbinger of the Internet Apocalypse: Hello Kitty Online

2008-02-15T09:31:00.000-06:00

Hello Kitty is now an online MMOPRG (Massively Multiuser Online Role Playing Game). The site is accepting beta testers….

How (and why) to hide your webpages from search engines

2007-10-26T10:59:00.000-05:00

There are two main reasons to hide some of your webpages from Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs)

You have information that you do not want turning up in search results: private data, family pictures, coupon codes, limited offers, test/demo pages, etc.
You have duplicate content: landing pages for e-mail campaigns, highly-templated pages, etc.

Extensive duplicate content will hurt your search engine rankings. Search engines are looking for relevant pages. Duplicate content reduces your relevancy. There are two ways you can fix this:

Use the robots.txt exclusion file to tell the search engine spiders crawling your site not to index particular pages or folders
Add appropriate metatags to your pages which will then tell search engine spiders to exclude those particular pages from their results

Creating the robots.txt file is generally more efficient than crafting individual metatatags. Information on how to properly create your robots.txt file can be found here. Remember to create only one file for your website.

You may chose to use the metatags if you do not have the ability to upload files to the root of your webserver (for example pages on a shared site like Yahoo! Geocities). The code you should use is:

This code should be pasted into the content of your HTML.

Featured in the Sun-Times

2007-10-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

Sandra Guy wrote a nice feature in the Chicago Sun-Times that covers some of the podcasting and vodcasting work we have been doing to enhance our College of Commerce MBA courses at DePaul University. We still have plenty of work to do but it is gratifying to get exposure like this.

Not mentioned in the article is the IDD (Instructional Design and Development) department here at DePaul. IDD helped us create greenscreen introductions for staff and faculty. They do great work.

I cover some of the podcast/vodcast creation process in the Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program.

Guests and prospective students can view some of the DePaul vodcasts by going to DePaul’s iTunes U site. Here is a direct link that should get you in to see our videos.

Podcasting…From Music To Marketing Success

2007-10-23T10:46:00.000-05:00

A little bit of shameless self-promotion:

I will be presenting a short session on podcasting (Podcasting…From Music To Marketing Success) for the CADM’s 8th Annual Bob Stone Education Day. This will take place on Wednesday, November 7, 2007. I will be presenting from 9:00 a.m. until 10:15 a.m. but the event will be all day.

The presentation should be fun. I am looking forward to participating.

Online registration is available at https://www.cadm.org/EventSignup.cfm

CADM: Social Networking Communities

2007-08-16T14:57:00.000-05:00

The CADM (Chicago Association of Direct Marketing) will be presenting a Second Wednesday Event titled "Social Networking Communities: A Market of One, A Market of Millions" on Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at Petterinos Restaurant (50 West Randolph Street, Chicago)

More information can be found on the CADM website.

"Social networking is not just for placing banner ads anymore. If used properly and creatively, it has the potential to be one of the most cost-effective, dynamic, and targeted tools for marketers. Not all social networking sites are created equal, though. Learn how to find your target customers and influencers and discover the ways to communicate with them using the many resources social networking communities present."

More People Search Engines...

2007-08-16T12:53:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia Strategies

2007-08-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

If you are using the Internet to market your services (or that of your company) you are going to have to come up with a Wikipedia strategy at some point. Google’s search engine results favor Wikipedia quite heavily. You will find that your customers use Wikipedia to form a view of how you operate.

So what do you do when you discover that articles on Wikipedia present you in an unfavorable light, or are factually wrong?

Here are some articles that present suggestions for the appropriate course to follow:

The Right Way To Fix Inaccurate Wikipedia Articles
The author is a Wikipedia administrator
What To Do When Your Company Wikipedia Page Goes Bad
A slightly Machiavellian take on things. The author suggest ways of circumventing negative PR.
Wikipedia's Business FAQ

Spock: Search engine for people

2007-08-09T10:56:00.000-05:00

Spock, a search engine for finding people has launched in beta form today. The site is a little slow – which is a shame (and probably a very bad business decision). Users have a high level of expectation on the Web. If a site is uncomfortably slow then users are unlikely to return unless they really, really need to.

It will be interesting to see how the engine compares with ZoomInfo, ZabaSearch or even LinkedIn.

And why did they decide to use the name Spock?

How to hide your e-mail address from spam bots

2007-08-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

If you are sick of spam bots harvesting your e-mail address from your websites and then sending you unsolicited mail (and who isn’t) then this resource that Wired has put together may be of use to you.

The article (and the user comments) present some options for obscuring your e-mail address from spam bots (the automated programs that scrape your e-mail address from the Web). Well worth checking out.

FTC Online Advertising Town Hall

2007-08-06T23:12:00.000-05:00

The FTC will host a two-day Town Hall to bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, technology experts, and academics to address the consumer protection issues raised by the practice of tracking consumers’ activities online to target advertising.

The event will be held November 1-2, 2007 at the FTC Conference Center at 601 New Jersey Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC. It is free and open to the public.

More information can be found here.

Gina Gershon Viral Marketing

2007-08-06T21:26:00.000-05:00

CADM: Traditional Techniques in an Online World

2007-07-24T10:35:00.000-05:00

The CADM's Interactive Marketing SIG (Chicago Association of Direct Marketing’ Interactive Marketing Special Interest Group) will be holding an event on the evening of July 26th (this Thursday).

SIG members can still register for $49.

"Traditional Techniques in an Online World", the event (held from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.) will feature 5 senior-level panelists from both the online and traditional channels. They will lead a lively discussion about the similarities and differences that exist between the Direct & Interactive marketing worlds. More details, including a list of the speakers and some
of the topics they will be focusing on, can be found here.

"Traditional Techniques in an Online World" will take place at Fulton's on the River, located in downtown Chicago.

Sucessful Blogging To Increase Winery Sales

2007-06-21T14:22:00.000-05:00

This month’s Baseline Magazine (June 2007, Issue 073) has a fascinating article entitles “Winery Blogs To Turn Browsers Into Buyers.“ The article charts how Stormhoek (a South African Winery) used blogs to promote their wares as they entered the U.S. market.

In typical Baseline fashion there are hard facts and graphs amongst the insight and quotes.

The technologies that Stormhoek used are:

Blog: Movable Type
Video: YouTube
- You can view some of the videos here
Wiki: MediaWiki
Maps: Frappr Maps

The article mentions two downsides to the blogging strategy:

Substantial increase in spam to Stormhoek’s website

Risk of negative comments from customers

Overall Stormhoek was extremely happy with the end results. An article well worth reading.

Seventeen Best Practices for (ethical) bulk e-mail

2007-05-10T20:35:00.000-05:00

There are good (and ethical) reasons for you to send bulk mail. You might have a newsletter that your subscribers actually want to receive and read each month. However, there are people who send bulk e-mail for unethical reasons. You want to ensure that you follow best practices to avoid antagonizing your customers or being incorrectly identified as spam.
Here are some general guidelines that you may wish to follow:

Only send e-mail to someone who has provided you with an e-mail address. Never buy e-mail addresses. (who knows how these e-mail addresses were obtained). If you need to build up a distribution lists you can get third parties to send on your behalf (the recipients of these e-mails have either signed up for this service or are content to see appropriate adverts within their mail).   Ensure you validate an e-mail address (confirmed opt-in) before sending out e-mails. As part of this process you should let your subscribers see examples of the type of mail they will be receiving.

Let your subscribers understand:
- The volume of mail they will receive.
- The schedule. When you will send e-mail. How often you will send e-mail.
- Where archived mail is kept. Ideally your website will have an archive of older newsletters. You can always password protect this resource if you need to.

Test your e-mails against a spam filter before you send them. One options is:
- http://wiki.apache.org/spamassassin/AvoidingFpsForSenders  
- Alternatively the software you use to send e-mail may have this functionality built in. MaxBulk Mailer is a great example of this.

Always provide an easy way to unsubscribe. Record unsubscription requests (a good practice is to note the time and day the request came through). Process unsubscribe requests immediately.

Always provide your physical address (and perhaps an e-mail address and telephone number) in all mail that you send. This information has to be on your website as well..

Always send your e-mail from the same e-mail account. Ask your subscribers to add this e-mail address to their address book or whitelist.You are aiming to be trustworthy and reliable. Never use this e-mail account for anything other than the subscription service.

Use a generic e-mail account rather than a personal account (“news” rather than jmoore”). Your employees will change, “news” does not...
- Segment your accounts if you can (and give your audience to sign up for the particular e-mails they want to receive):
  - News
  - Special offers
  - New products
  - Support

Spell check everything you send. Look through your message for grammatical errors.
- The person who checks your e-mail is not the person who writes your e-mail. Try reading aloud to make sure everything makes sense and sounds good.
- Allocate plenty of time for revisions. Your audience will appreciate a well-crafted message.
- Stress does not focus the mind. Make sure you have a peaceful environment to work on this.

Validate any HTML in your message. Simple code is best. Remember some of your audience will be reading mail on mobile devices.

If you send an HTML message make sure to provide a text-only version. Modern e-mail readers will distinguish between the formats
- Use HTML to track message delivery.
- Use HTML to tracks clicks.
- Use HTML to provide alternative landing pages.

Provide a subject line that clearly identifies the content of your message. Examples are
- “Acme Corp: New products for July”
- “Manifold Store: 10% off skin products this month”
- “Event Architects: 5 tips for planning your staff retreat”
- “Prairie Title: Recent changes to Illinois law”

Keep your message short and focused.

Schedule your messages and keep to the timetable.

Ask your audience to add your e-mail address to their whitelist or address book (it is a good idea to ask this twice).

Remove bouncebacks immediately from your distribution list. Bouncebacks are e-mails for which the recipient cannot be found. You may want to record bounceback e-mails in a separate database.

Provide a simple way users can sign up for e-mail newsletters on your website.
- Name, e-mail address
- Send confirmation e-mail to validate subscription (double opt-in)

Create a simple and understandable privacy policy. Make sure you promote your privacy policy. Make sure you follow your privacy policy.

Check the bulk mail policies and guidelines of ISPs:
- AOL 
- Gmail
-  MSN 
- Yahoo

Child-Friendly Search Engines

2007-02-21T19:49:00.000-06:00

Many parents (and teachers) typically have difficulty configuring and installing Web filters on computers that are going to be accessed by children. Typically the children have a better handle on how to administer the PC. However, parents are frequently on the look for search engines that are child-friendly. These are search engines that filter out objectionable material and provide a cheerier interface.

I don’t have any recommendations that I think are perfect but here are some options to investigate if you are uncomfortable leaving you child on Google.

Yahoo Pipes

2007-02-12T09:54:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are fans of the mash-up and RSS Yahoo presents Yahoo Pipes. This looks to be an interesting (and relatively painless) way of combining data feeds from various websites into something new.

To make life easier Yahoo Pipes provides you with a visual editor.

It is interesting to see Yahoo ahead of Google here.

Wengovisio

2006-12-17T13:59:00.000-06:00

WengoPhone has released a new software tool that allows you to embed Internet telephony into your webpage. With a tool like this you can allow your audience/customer to click on a “talk to a agent now” button on your website (providing they have a microphone and speakers on their PC).

Looks interesting….

Installation files and more information can be found on the Wengovisio website.

Fake Your Space

2006-11-30T15:16:00.000-06:00

I spotted this on Slashdot – for just shy of a dollar a month you can add fake friends to your MySpace or Facebook account. Very scary…. or just a joke site.

Opera Mini

2006-11-30T14:49:00.000-06:00

Opera (makers of fine Internet browsers) released version 3.0 of their Opera Mini Browser. I have been experimenting with the new version on my mobile telephone and am very impressed with the results. Opera Mini manages to make surfing the Internet on your ‘phone a more pleasant experience by utilizing a proxy server to pre-process data for you. The end result is smaller downloads and faster page updates.

One of the clever features that Opera has developed is content folding. Long lists (such as navigation elements) have been shrunk and hidden behind a “+” button. Just click on the element to toggle hide/display. This reduces clutter on small screens.

Palm users on Slashdot and other forums have indicated that the software has some flaws on some devices but my experience has been good. I was even able to access MySpace.

The mobile Internet has not really taken off in the United States, hopefully that will change. Opera Mini runs on a multitude of telephones (including some very old models) and installation is quick and painless. If you have a website that you think mobile users might access you would do well to download Opera Mini and test your site.

Google Apps for Your Domain

2006-11-29T09:01:00.000-06:00

Google has just launched Google Apps for Your Domain. The service offers:

Start page- Users can access email, calendar, news, weather and more in a single place.
Email - 2 gigabytes of storage and search tools that help your users find information fast. Instant messaging from right inside their accounts.
Chat - Users can call or send instant messages to their contacts for free – anytime, anywhere in the world.
Calendar - Users can organize their schedules and share events and calendars with others.
Domain web pages - Administrators can create simple web pages and publish them to your domain.

These are services that Google has offered in the past but the interesting angle is that Google now allows you to use your domain (rather than xxx@gmail.com). So far the service is free but I get the impression that this may grow into a revenue stream for Google.

Well worth investigating.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Seminar

2006-11-28T16:03:00.000-06:00

I am presenting a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Seminar at DePaul University on Friday, March 16, 2007. The registration page has just gone live and we are waiting to see what the interest is.

I will be writing the content shortly and the featured topics will include:

Major search engines (such as Google, Yahoo and MSN)
How search engines and directories work
The importance and use of keywords and key phrases
Search engine terminology and jargon
How to get search engines to index your websites
How to check how search engines are indexing your site
How to implement and use website statistics
Best practices writing for the Web
HTML coding best practices (including appropriate use of meta tags, keywords, alt text, anchor text, robots.txt, naming conventions and semantic organization)
Inbound links
Linking strategy
Blogging
SEO strategies to avoid
Paid search (pay-per-click, Google Adwords, etc.)

Featured Site: Audiosnacks

2006-11-28T15:40:00.000-06:00

AudioSnacks is a community site where tourists and travelers can download audio podcasts. It is a perfect place to go just before you jet off to a new city or head down to the museum.

Michael Salvatore (Audiosnacks CEO) was a participant in my Practical Internet Marketing class and used the opportunity to hone his marketing skills and promote the Audiosnacks site. Have a look and find an audio tour:

AudioSnacks: Podcast and MP3 Audio Tours for Travel, Museums and More!

Build a Web spider on Linux

2006-11-15T09:22:00.000-06:00

M. Tim Jones has written a useful article on building a Web spider which can be found on IBM’s website. Spiders are programs that craw the Web and gather information. Search engines use spiders to build their search databases.

The article has some additional resources that are worth reading. Of particular note is an article that suggests several ways to protect yourself from the e-mail harvesting spiders that collect e-mail addresses for spammers.

Hot Site Statistics

2006-10-27T16:26:00.000-05:00

Google Analytics has a great feature that overlays click to individual elements on your website. It is a useful way of determining what works well on webpages. Heatmaps can take this to the next level.

Crazyegg provides a free (and paid) service where you can install a small piece of script on your webpages. That script then allows you to view a heatmap overlay of clicks on your page. To a certain extent it is a gimmick but the visual feedback can help in pointing what needs to be changed in the way of link placement and wording.

Crazyegg has been running a little slow of late. There are other options you can consider instead:

ClickDensity has a competing product which has a 30 day demo.
For those of you looking for an opensource choice there is a SourceForge project that has been released under the GPL. The project is fairly new and there is limited documentation but this might be a viable option for some

Number Two on Google!

2006-10-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

I have spent a couple of weeks (ethically) promoting the “Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program” page on DePaul CPE’s website. Whilst I do not have control over the metadata and URL of that page I do have the ability to change Web copy and create inbound links. That work has paid off. If you search for “Practical Internet Marketing” on Google then CPE’s page comes up as number two.

Hopefully this top placement results in registrations for the program. Hoping to reach number one shortly.

Google Analytics

2006-10-11T22:37:00.000-05:00

Looking to quickly and cheaply find out how many people are looking at your website or blog? If you are in serious need of site data, then you could do worse than signing up for Google Analytics.

The process is straightforward and relatively painless. You need to add a small chuck of code that Google generates to your site template (or find an alternative way of adding the code to every page you want statistics for) and then away you go.

Google has a nice little blog to keep you updated on changes and features.

Wiley Publishing has just brought out a book (with the original name of “Google Analytics”) that can provide you with a deeper understanding of what you can do.

Where the Hell is Matt?

2006-10-10T20:44:00.000-05:00

This is not the timeliest piece of news but on each occasion that I watch this video it brings a smile to my face. I think Stride gum should be given some real credit for the down-to-earth and librating way they sponsored Matt to travel a second time round the globe and film himself dancing. Perhaps I will purchase some of their chewing gum some time…

This type of video validates Google’s decision to purchase YouTube. YouTube have made it fantastically easy to share content on the Web. Hopefully Google will just make things easier to search and to categorize. Microsoft Soapbox is unlikely to be able to compete with this.

commandN

2006-10-10T06:54:00.000-05:00

Just come across a great technology vodcast/vlog by the name of commandN. The team cleverly use YouTube of one of the ways of broadcasting their show (which I am sure cuts down on bandwidth costs) but also has the usual option of subscribing via iTunes.

Updated weekly and well worth checking out.

Internet Infomercials

2006-10-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

Joel Comm is probably right about Internet infomercials. Providing the infomercials are less than 30 seconds in length I think they will be successful. I see a significant number of entrepreneurs buying products like Visual Communicator 2 (and a greenscreen) and creating spots at home.

I wonder if Kinkos will start providing this service for walk-in clients?

The vlog GeekBrief has already demonstrated how easy it is to put enticing content together. Providing you have something to say and the right personality for the camera…

Google Reader

2006-10-09T20:50:00.000-05:00

The Unofficial Apple Website had an excellent overview of Google Reader (Google’s online RRS reader service). This prompted me to check it out and I am very, very impressed.

The speed the application runs at is scary. I have now given up on using RSSOwl from my USB thumb drive and am a happy convert.

I am starting to load up my RSS feeds and it looks like Google Reader is my new homepage.

MySpace

2006-10-08T16:26:00.000-05:00

I finally succumbed to MySpace and created a simple account. I had been putting off the inevitable for years and decided that this weekend I would add myself to the masses on MySpace.

MySpace pages have a certain level of notoriety for having garish design and a tendency to overwhelm the senses. I wanted to create a fairly simplified page. More for experimentation than anything.

There are two great resources that I have come across for improving the look and feel of your MySpace page:

Mike Davidson’s “Hacking A More Tasteful MySpace” provides a CSS redesign and images which you can use to good effect. The CSS file keeps MySpace elements in the same place. Adapting Mike’s files to your uses is simply a matter of creating four new images and minor changes to a CSS file.
Eston Bond’s “The web designer’s guide to MySpace” is a more complex affair (but still straightforward to follow). Eston provides a detailed explanation of how to breakdown and recreate the MySpace elements and create a personalized page.

Both resources are well worth investigating.

Project Management Tools and more…

2006-10-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

Marketing is project based. To manage projects effectively you need to be organized. Many project managers use software tools to keep everything on time and on budget. One of the more interesting choices is 37signals’ Basecamp.

I have been a fan of Basecamp for a couple of years. Basecamp is an online project management collaboration tool. The software allows teams to effectively communicate and manage resources within a project. Since it works through a Web interface you don’t need to worry about installing client software. I like it.

Much as I like Basecamp I have tried to investigate alternatives. Zoho Projects looks like it might be a worthy competitor. Worth checking out. Zoho also has a slew of free/paid hosted software solutions that offer similar functionality to Microsoft Office.

For those of you with access to your own Web server you may want to look at activeCollab. activeCollab is free and Open Source. It does much of what Basecamp and Zoho Projects does.

Online Marketing Blog

2006-10-03T20:19:00.000-05:00

One of the more interesting marketing blogs on the Web is the Online Marketing Blog. It is a recommended site to add to your bookmarks or RSS reader.

Blogging Best Practices

2006-10-03T10:51:00.000-05:00

We are in Week 3 of the Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program and the topics discussed this week are Blogs, Wikis and RSS. Creating a blog has become something that now requires less technical expertise. More and more people are blogging so you need to ensure that your blog has certain qualities that distinguish it from the competition.

A good start is to investigate what are considered best practice. Here are three links to start you off:

Dave Taylor’s Blogging Best Practices
Dave has some sensible suggestions suitable for most blogs

Kari White’s 7 Best Practices for Corporate Blogging
Kari has some excellent advice for the corporate world that wants to engage with the blogosphere.

Joshua Fruchter’s Best Practices for Legal Blogging
Blawgs = Law Blogs.

Lastly David L. Sifry (founder and CEO of Technorati) has osme excellent advice that was published in Wired magazine:

1) React quickly. Commentators like Andrew Sullivan and Michelle Malkin draw megatraffic with immediate rebuttals to A-list pundits at The New York Times and Fox News.

2) Make your posts easy to read. Italian comic Beppe Grillo broke into the Top 10 by setting his key points in boldface.

3) Link, link, link! It’s counter-intuitive, but the busiest blogs in Technorati’s index are those like Insta-Pundit.com that link prolifically to other sites. Linking works because most bloggers reciprocate by sending their readers your way.

4) Optimize for search engines. Put the name of your blog (even if it’s just your own name) in the main URL and the title tag of your site. On Technorati, identify your blog with search topics, like “politics” or “sewing.”

5) Post, post, post! Chinese actress and director Xu Jinglei has the most popular blog on the planet. At first we thought it was a glitch in our system, but it turns out she’s a real-world celebrity who makes time to post almost every day. What’s your excuse?

New dates added for 2007

2006-10-03T00:41:00.000-05:00

We have published the new dates the program will be offered for 2007. DePaul CPE’s website is now accepting registrations. The 2007 dates are:

Wednesdays, February 7 - March 14, 2007
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Thursdays, April 26 - May 31, 2007
6:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Online registration is available for the Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program: Hands-On Techniques for Small Businesses and Nonprofits

The program is offered in Chicago. I am contemplating creating an online version of the program.

Welcome to The Practical Internet Marketing Certificate Program Blog

2006-10-03T00:27:00.000-05:00

Do you have high marketing costs? Want to know how to use the Internet to promote yourself or your business? This six-week certificate program will provide hands-on experience with simple, low-cost Internet marketing tools and techniques. Learn how to blog, podcast and vodcast as well as optimize your web pages for search engines.

Over six weeks this course will explore both the best practices of Internet marketing and simple, low-cost Internet tools. Basic computer experience on either a Windows or a Mac OS platform is expected. Each class will feature a combination of presentation, instruction and class discussion. Each class will end with an exercise due the following week. The course will culminate in class presentations.