Blogcritics Author: Scott Frangos

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Web Chew: Contracts, Free Toolbar, Podcasting Trends, and Paid Blogging

Scott Frangos — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:04:51 EDT

Welcome to Web Chew, a digest of web trends and tips for BlogMasters, podcasters, and webmasters. In this addition we'll review contract pointers for freelancers, paid blogging, SEO techniques with a new toolbar, podcasting trends, and income from pop-up advertising.Contracts, Free Toolbar, PodCasting Trends, and Paid BloggingContract Tips. Donald Hammond wrote about some great ways to protect yourself as a freelancer, which any web developer who works on a contract/project basis should know about. Speaking of "contract work", you do get a written contract for every job, don't you? Come on -- sure verbal contracts are binding, but when it comes down to a dispute in court, it is "he said/she said," -- your word against theirs, unless you have it in writing. Get it on paper. Remember the daytime Peoples' Court judges? The only way they could tell if someone was telling the truth or not was to review receipts and other evidence on paper. At the very least, send a registered letter outlining your agreement, to your client... before the work begins. And, Mr. Hammond has some other good advice for you in his article.Copywriting... What's "Copywriting"? So many times web developers and webmasters are called upon to wear hats for work in which they have little or no training. What about the words, or "copy" that go on your websites? Well, "everyone knows how to write," right? Sure, but not everyone can command a top paying job as a copywriter for an ad agency, PR firm, or corporation, and there's a reason why. While most college-trained people can write, few can write well. But you can learn the tricks of the trade -- just Google copywriting tips and techniques. Maybe you should consider hiring a professional when your background and focus is on programming code. One good way to locate a professional copywriter for your projects is to review successful bidders at the freelance technical project websites online. Do a search there for "technical writers," or just post your project, then read carefully the reviews and qualifications for those who make bids to work for you.Podcasting: Where should you "host" your podcasts? Writer Marshal Sandler does a good job of not only profiling three top podcast hosting companies, but also giving a brief explanation of what podcasting is, and two success stories in the field, in his article, "Hosting Your Podcast & Podcast Stories." One of the success stories details how podcasts, or "GodCasts", are reshaping how the Baptist Church reaches the faithful. Hmm... now here's a new market for Apple's iPods. See also our "Firefox Trick" for this column which analyzes the SEO for two podcast Hosting companies using the new WebWinX.com WebHelper Toolbar.The Gurus At Google Are At It Again: Did you know that Google has this development department called "Google Labs," and that their interesting and valuable work often spills out of the "lab" and into the public Internet? One such project they've let loose on the world of late, is called "Trends", and it "aims to provide insights into broad search patterns." Then they give this disclaimer: "As a Google Labs product, it is still in the early stages of development. Also, it is based upon just a portion of our searches, and several approximations are used when computing your results. Please keep this in mind when using it." Duly noted. But even with that under consideration, this "Trends" tool looks to be very helpful for online marketing analysis. Let's take a look at the results that came up when I entered "podcasting". What came up at first is a chart of a timeline for the search volume for "podcasting," with links to articles corresponding to points on the trend graph. For example, the chart showed a big spike in search volume for the term "podcasting" in January of 2005 with the article "Apple Adds Podcsting to iTunes" linked right to the top of that spike. Both before that time (2004) and after (2006), search volume tapers off. Does this mean that the overall interest in podcasting is sliding way down after a peak in early 2005, or that only the excitement of the early adapters is tapering off after major firms have signed on? You'll probably need to do more research elsewhere to answer such questions, but you can vary the trend graph results by regions, years, and months, and even languages. Looking at just 2006, I see mostly a flat trend for "podcasting" but higher than it was in previous years. This analysis just scratches the surface, since the Google Trend engine also lets you compare searchs for related, or different terms. "Podcasting, microphones" (you separate terms with a comma) could tell you more about what's going on with podcasting, for example. But wait, what about inputting "Koran, Bible", or "Democrat, Republican", "Liberal, Conservative", etc. Strikes me that most Podcasting hosts could use this tool for some very interesting talk show topics.New Poll:Is Paid Blogging A Good Way to Advertise? What do you think? Vote and discuss this at that link (WebMaster-talk board), and read a review of a blog advertising company below, in this issue of the Web Chew column.FireFox Trick: WebWinX.com WebHelper Toolbar for SEO and Web DevelopmentFor this column's trick, I'm pleased to present the new WebWinX.com WebHelper Toolbar, which we'll use to analyze and compare SEO for two podcast hosting companies. Just click on the link to download your free toolbar -- it's crossplatform (works on Windows and Macs in Firefox, and also is available on Windows for IE). Here's your trick (click to enlarge it):In Sites from WebWinx.com:Most webmasters I know are looking for ways to boost their earning potential at their websites. This column's "In Site" focuses on a company called Adversal that will buy up all -- that's right, all -- of your pop-under inventory each and every month. They pay up to $1.20 per 1,000 page views, so for high-traffic sites, this can be a good option. According to the company, their system will evade most pop-up blockers, enabling you to earn ad revenue even if your visitors are trying to block your ads. Hmmm... how many visitors will this system make angry?The Verdict: You can make some extra money with this program, though lower traffic sites will not earn too much, and you should be able to sell your pop-unders for a higher CPM -- 8 diamonds (out of 10). Traffic Bite: Advertising in Blog Posts -- Good or Bad? What if you could hire bloggers to post reviews of your product or service? Now you can, with PayPerPosts' blog advertising service. This can be a great way to create "buzz" for your company and what you offer. Here are some important points about the service:You post "opportunities" and, if your post is approved, and relevant, bloggers will determine if the price is right, then blog about what you have postedYou can require a link to be posted to boost your search engine rankingsYou can require a photo or graphic to be postedIf the bloggers use RSS, your content will be syndicated throughout the internetHmm... does this mean that the end has come for the free exchange of ideas? What about the separation between content in a blog and advertising in a blog? Depending on how you answer these questions, this kind of service could anger folks in the blogging community. Then again, why shouldn't bloggers get paid for their passion, since you may also sign-up with this service to get paid to blog? Aren't bloggers really journalists, and don't publications cover stories, and accept press releases from their advertisers? And paid bloggers are not prevented from giving an honest review of a product or service, nor are other bloggers prevented from criticizing same in comments regarding a blog post. Is it a conflict of interest? Depends on the stated purpose of the blog, and its posts. If the blog states that its mission is to provide an "independent" review of products and services, then this is a deceptive practice. If, however, the blog discloses that it sometimes reviews affiliated products, services, and companies, then it is not. And in the latter case, it's a great way to advertise. What do you think? Take our poll: Is Paid Blogging A Good Way to Advertise?

Scott Frangos is a technical writer, web developer, author, college instructor, and marketer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with is wife and business partner, Pepper, and their three dogs (Spirit, Wisdom, and Steggman). Watch for his "WebMaster Skills Guides" to be published in Fall of 2006 by EO Press. Reach him at webchew [at] webhelpernow.com

Web Chew: Podcast Marketing, WordPress Extensions, and AJAX Tools

Scott Frangos — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 15:16:16 EDT

Welcome to Web Currents, a digest of web trends and tips for BlogMasters, podcasters, and webmasters. We'll review tools and techniques, learn about color in web design, and examine a new AJAX tools site. We'll wrap things up with a way to keep people at your websites.Podcast Marketing, WordPress and AJAXDo you think using podcasts for marketing is important? We took a poll on the subject (see below), and it appears that a number of savvy web developers are using podcasts as part of their marketing mix. Mr. Nicosia points out in an article at WebHelperNow that Apple has sold 40 million iPods since 2004 (when they were introduced), and features podcasts prominently at iTunes. That's a huge market, not to mention all of the other ways to listen to podcasts, including through your good old PC. Write to me (see bottom of this column) if you have a podcast on web development that we should review.Hey BlogMasters... Don't you love WordPress? Danny Wirken wrote a good overview article with a list of valuable plug-ins to extend WordPress (perhaps the leading open source blog software). We use WordPress at WebHelperNow, and love its ease of use, and well-programmed interface. Extensions only make it better, and Wirken gives you both a list of recent plug-ins (did you know there's one to enable your blog to be read on Wap-enabled cell phones?), and a list of extensions in development including a "Palm Usage Manager." The evolution continues. Two more extensions I like a lot, are the PodPress plug-in -- a great publishing tool for podcasters, and the Translator extension that automatically translates your blog into eight different languages.What principles can you steal from YouTube to help your site development work? Answering that question is the goal of an excellent article we published by Tammy Ames. Ms. Ames, in her article, focuses in on the concepts of viral marketing, visitor interaction, connection, and community. And she's right -- if you can implement a site that caters to and builds on those concepts you should have a very successful web community on your hands. Have you visited YouTube.com yet? Among other things, you can use it to host a video or two for display on your site (saves you the bandwidth), and if your visitors like the video, they can e-mail it to other folks around the world. Now that's a "virus" that's good for your marketing efforts.RESULTS: Web Chew Survey PollHow important is podcasting for marketing? Is it very important, or just a passing fad? This poll originated a couple of weeks ago (it's still open for voting and discussion), and here are the results so far:66.6% - Very Important33% - Just a Passing FadRelated podcasting survey: This one is much longer (a grad student is working on a thesis - in Germany, but there is an English version), but asks many important questions for PodCasters. Plus, you should get acquainted with SurveyMonkey, where this poll is hosted -- a great service that helps you learn more about what customers and users think of your web efforts.Past Web Chew Polls (still open for discussion and voting):Is HTML dead, as XML rises?What’s Your Favorite FireFox Extension?Firefox Trick: All About ColorWhether you're redesigning a site, or starting on one from scratch -- it's very important to understand the principles of color theory and apply them to your work. We'll use the Web Developer extension for Firefox (a great extension) to determine the current color palette for a website, then take a look at our "Color Wheel Harmony" chart (click on it to open large version and print if you wish), and the WebHelperNow Color Laboratory to explore some color palette options on the free web sample template you can download over at FastStartTemplates. Here's your Firefox Trick - (click it to enlarge it): Site Provides AJAX ToolsHere's a site with an interesting URL/name -- script.aculo.us -- and a valuable mission for web developers: provide a free package of "Web 2.0" tools. No wonder Austrian developer Thomas Fuchs has achieved a pagerank of 7/10 on Google for this site (each listing at WebWinX.com reports PageRank and Alexa Stats). And if you haven't found the site yet, you will love how these tools increase your ability to use JavaScript and AJAX methods to enhance your websites.The verdict: This is a great tool set for Web 2.0 designers -- 9 diamonds (out of 10). Traffic Bite: Adding Sticky Content to Your SitesIt's one thing to get traffic to your website, and quite another to get folks who visit it one time to return again and again. One way to build this key repeat traffic is to add content to your website that brings people back. That's why I like FreeSticky. Want to add a game to your website? You'll find several here. What about financial calculators? Yup. Plus there are over 25 other content categories for your review. And some of them are "revenue bearing", which means you can enjoy income from their usage on your websites. Getting people to come back (and "stick" to your website), plus the opportunity to gain some extra income -- how can you lose? Well, you have to be careful that some of the items don't detract from your site mission, or pull people away via a clever link or two in the content. Just implement these sticky content items smartly, and you should do well.Note that while most of the content options at FreeSticky is true to its name - free, that is - there are some content items that will cost you a fee. But what are repeat visitors worth to you?

We Were Young, We Were Happy, We Heard the Wind... (About Two Great Horn Bands)

Scott Frangos — Sun, 31 Jul 2005 16:29:42 EDT

We were young and we knew And our eyes were alive Deep inside we knew our love was true...-- From "After the Love has Gone", EWFCan you remember? Songs in the '70's -- the power you felt when you first heard a group that stirred something deep, something down where your wild spirit lives? Were you lucky enough to attune your heart to the clean sound of wind blowing poetry through brass and woodwind instruments? I was lucky. I had a band leader in Junior High School, who loved Chicago, one of the greatest horn bands of our era. He wanted us to play it, to "punch it out," clearly, powerfully, as he directed. "No! It's not dah, dah, dah," he would admonish, "it's dah, DAH, D A H!". "Now let's do it again." And we did it again, and again, until the music came out cleanly, like a stream of fresh, cold water from the student's stainless steel and porcelain fountain in the hall.As time goes on I realize Just what you mean To me...--- From "Color My World," ChicagoBecause he couldn't find a score of their music written for a "stage band" of five trumpets, four trombones, five saxaphones, a drummer, a pianist, and a bass player -- he wrote out the pieces, by hand, with a pencil. He put those hand-composed charts in front of us. Then he pulled the music right out of us, with an alternating clenched and open fist, standing on a podium in a hot gymnasium during warm 70's Fall days. We won the Stage Band competition in Vancouver, Washington USA, that year. I asked him once why he loved Chicago so much. Mr. Klien told me that he loved what the musicians were doing; how they managed to make such popular music with horns; how he loved the tempo transitions they made from an even four beats to a five/four rythym. Then he said, "hey, why don't we put down our axes, and make the scene down at Dollies with a coke?" Yes... he really talked like that, but then the 60's had just melted into the 70's. That was when Coke still meant sugary pop. When pop cans had to be opened with a can opener. Do you remember? Make a scene we did -- Mark, the short, skinny kid who could belt out a brilliant trumpet riff, with a larger sound than any other band member; Chris, the funky tromboner, who later played in a military band; "Buffer," the large baritone sax player, a bit goofey, but who kept rythym at a deep lively beat. We laughed and teased -- we were kids. We were musicians, and we were happy. I remember older folks dancing to our music when we played at a hotel one night. And I do remember, very clearly, how even with mouths pressed to horns, the faces of those kids smiled when they played... as they gave out the music. You've given me something I can't understand Being a happy man...--- From "Happy Man", ChicagoJust as the "crazy man" memories of pushing the right wind, at the right tempo, through a saxaphone were fading, I went to college in the late '70's. The confusing Vietnam War was just over, the new age of Aquarius was just dawning, and youth was discovering stereo equipment with a vengeance. Armed with a 50-watt amplifier, a smooth turntable with custom diamond needle, and two, "tower", speakers standing four feet high, I discovered a number of albums popular in that day. I remember first hearing George Benson, on his album, "Breezin," and thinking how incredibly smooth that music was. His was a gentle, rythmic guitar that spoke to your soul. It was relaxing, and I never tired of hearing it, Benson's musical voice, even after 3 concerts. There was a kind of peace in the music of that time. Stevie Wonder spoke of Sunshine in your Life it a way that made your mind forget any troubles. Remember?Somethin' happened along the way What used to be happy was sad" --- From "After the Love has Gone," EWF I don't know... maybe that's what music is -- a dialog with your soul. In this day, it really seems like more of an argument. Like the musicians have forgotten how to celebrate. When I hear a lot of today's rap music, I lament -- why doesn't this reach the place of clear heart? Are our hearts that clouded? Have we lost our soul? Sure it's a trying time -- I hear that. It didn't used to be that way. Hear this: it doesn't have to be that way now. We just have to remember. You will find peace of mind If you look way down in your heart and soul...--- From "That's the Way of the World," EWFThere was a group, popular in that time, that had power -- the power to call you to your feet without you knowing why. Another horn band. This group cleanly told your heart to sing. They punched out songs of the spirit that you danced to, not because someone asked you to dance, but because when you heard their sound.. you went spontaneously into the dance. You just went. They told you your soul was good, and that you could be whatever you wanted -- that you could win. Celebrate that. When Earth, Wind, and Fire played, I believed. I believed I could run the fastest race. I would listen to them before I laced up my new "jogging" shoes (remember when "jogging" was a new concept?), and went on a run. I knew the party would be a success when we slyly scheduled Earth, Wind, & Fire tunes into the mix with just the right breaks in between. "Play it again," our friends would ask of a beloved EWF song. And we did. We played it again, not to get the music right, like we did in the stage band, but because it was right already. It was pure, and we knew it. You have to celebrate when musicians work and struggle to make something right, and do it again and again, until it comes out through that discipline, to set you free. Slow tunes that manage to mix sadness and happiness. Fast songs that capture the spirit beat of universal dance. The University had separate girls and boys dorms back then. Some students came from Africa, some from Europe. Some studied engineering, others art. But the dance floor knew no separation, no labels, when the music was right. People all crowded onto the tiles in the dorm basement when that music played. And, when you looked across the sea of dancing faces, the celebrating souls in movement, you could see again the same smiles that the musicians faces gave when the stage band played. Not just on the faces, but even in the curves and postures of dancers in moves to the beat. Joy echoes. Your body smiles. Bah dee Ahhh.How did they do that? How are musicians -- how is their music -- able to touch into us like that? Isn't that what we ask about magicians? How do they do it? I think, perhaps, that music is magic -- pieces of wonder that we can hear. And every magician I have ever known, has admitted that the secret to how it's all done -- is always very simple. Simple? Maybe with honest soul music from horn bands and singers, it comes down to this: remember your magic spirit and celebrate that. Simple. Play it... then dance. I remember that. And now I have to thank them. Thank those musicians who worked it out. Thank them for giving us that pure heartfelt dance in the newness of youth, and for being there still when we can dance again. When we can dance again, and for the first time, dance a dance that remembers. We heard the wind. They are playing it still... can you hear them? Do you remember?Our hearts were ringing In the key that our souls were singing. As we danced in the night, Remember how the stars stole the night awayBa de ya - say do you remember...--- From "September", EWFBy Scott Frangos, a web developer, canoe enthusiast, music player and listener, and whose spirit leaps at the thought of attending a concert -- 35 years later -- featuring two of the best horn bands to ever play in the '70's -- Earth, Wind, & Fire, and Chicago. Yep, they're on tour together nationally -- imagine that. Google them... and you can hear them too. He thanks his wife Pepper, for remembering, too... and buying the tickets. Let's dance.

RSS Round-up: What's Happening with Simple Syndication? (Part 2)

Scott Frangos — Mon, 30 May 2005 13:15:30 EDT

by Scott Frangos, Managing Partner - WebFadds.com, a modern web development company focused on eCommerce, Content Management Systems, and Blogs Saddle up cow-pokes... we're roundin' up the RSS news. This is the second in a series covering the latest developments with RSS -- Really Simple Syndication. In this overview, we take a look at what Microsoft is doing, a new advertising initiative, and some free and low cost resources for reading and creating RSS feeds.RSS Advertising Continues... BlogKits partners with OverStockBlogKits announced last week that they have entered a partnership with OverStock.com (all sorts of value priced merchandise) to deliver ads in RSS blog feeds. BlogKits.com itself is founded on the concept of providing advertising revenue to anyone that owns a blog. You join BlogKits and plug in their revenue tools. You can see a sample of the ads they provide at the top of this article.This is an interesting alternative or addition to the revenue streams bloggers and other webmasters have been enjoying from Google's Adsense program. Will users accept ads? My take is Yes... if the editorial content offers the right stuff. Another Microsoft Move: "MessageCast" Acquisition Leverages RSSOne thing Microsoft does well is stick its finger in the air to see which way the wind is blowing. Then... they buy what they need to offer people what they want. MessageCast has developed systems that work with real-time networks and RSS content feeds. They broadcast "alerts" which can be delivered via MSN messenger, e-mail, and text messeaging on mobile phones and other devices. For public users, Microsoft now has a way to deliver the content they want to read... anywhere. But what does this mean to blog owners and RSS publishers? If you go to the old home page for Message Cast (www.messagecast.net), you'll find that Microsoft has now revised the page with instructions on how to offer your own blog via MSN alerts!So... your blog served via Microsoft alerts which reach 150 million users around the world, according to Microsoft. Hmmmm... now what about combining those OverStock ads with this broadcasting method? Hey... How About a Blog About Syndicating?Of course... you knew there had to be one, and I like it -- see SyndicatorBlog.com. Scanning the stories there, we find that Corporate Blogs are gaining power (CEO blogs, anyone?), Google -- like Microsoft -- is now into "Mobile Blogging,, and that the "Syndicate" conference is happening this week (May 17-18) in New York. If you're interested in that conference, have a look at SyndicateConference.com. The SyndicatorBlog is published with WordPress -- a popular blogger tool, voted "Web Application of the Year" by Arstechnica.com, a site dedicated to "the best coverage of multi-OS, PC hardware, and tech" news. Our parent site, WebFadds.com, offers a WordPress Blogger Package... take a look at why people love it.Are You Able to Get RSS News?Hey... are you able to grab the RSS feeds you want and organize them for reading? Here's a list of some free services that help you create a sort of personalized newspaper online by organizing the RSS feeds you want to read: * NewsIsFree.com * NewsGator * PluckEnjoy your RSS newspaper, and don't forget you can subscribe to Blogcritics.org articles -- just plug this link into your News Reader: http://blogcritics.org/index.xmlCan Somebody Please Help With a Simple RSS File Generator?It may be called Really Simple Syndication, but we get asked all the time about how you actually set it up. Well, here's an option for you -- The Simple RSS File Generator software takes all of the hard work out of creating your own (single-channel) RSS file. All you do is create your list of headlines and get the software to create the RSS file for you, which you can then upload to your website. So you never need to become an XML tech-head before you can create your own news feed. Above is a screen shot of the "Simple RSS File Generator" from Night Sky Observer (they're called that because a major software program they issue is related to astronomy). Jump on over to their site (click here) and learn more about the RSS Generator (see "Create RSS Files" link at left on their homepage). It was on special, last time we looked, for just $9.95.So go ahead and round up your own RSS News Feeds, and use the RSS File Generator to send out your own -- with Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, and all the big players riding herd... you're in good company.

RSS Round-Up: What's Happening with Simple Syndication?

Scott Frangos — Sat, 26 Mar 2005 12:39:03 EST

by Scott Frangos, Managing Partner - WebFadds.comHave you been following the explosion of RSS -- Really Simple Syndication -- activity online? Seems this new method of "getting the word out" is picking up steam. Why? Partly because of the Davids, and partly because of the Goliaths. The "Davids" -- the little guys -- are able to deploy the technology since it is easy to use and usually is a feature of Blogging software. You just click the option and send your RSS feed (broadcast your articles) out to subscribing sites. And the "Goliaths", the likes of Yahoo, Google, MSN and others, are all catering to it in various ways. Let's look at some of the latest ways this is playing out... Microsoft joins the battle with an RSS Service Information week reported this week, that Microsoft is now testing an RSS technology that will allow users to choose the RSS feeds they want to see. They are doing this to keep up with (Microsoft always seems reactive, rather than proactive as a company) Google, Yahoo, and Ask Jeeves who already offer similar services.You can review the test site at the super secret test site hereMicrosoft Enters the Game: Ho hum for Microsoft, as they lag once again, in leading the wave. But, this is an indication of how seriously this Goliath is taking RSS, and you know where that leads... direct into the next release of Windows software. Poddcasting, RSS, & Attachments... Oh My Now here's a high octane way of using a combination of syndication feeds, and "Podcasting" (think of Broadcasting, but doing it from your computer to other devices like Apple's iPod) to get your message out. Maybe that's why one entrepreneur using this method, Steve Wirrick, calls his stock insights, sent via an audio attachment to an RSS feed, "High Octane Trading." You can read more about it at Mr. Wirricks site, where he describes it as, "a dynamic audio learning tool that takes advantage of a grassroots media revolution called, podcasting."How to listen: To listen to a Podcast (and there are others -- check out iPodder.org), you need a free program called "iPodder -- Cross Platform podcast receiver". Then, go to sites like Wirricks, or iPodder, and use the software to add and schedule your feed. Want to create your own Podcast? You can with two components: software (and a microphone, of course) to record your audio into your computer in MP3 format (here's a good one- click here... get FOCUS MP3 Recorder), and another free program to convert it into an RSS/podcast feed, called "EasyPodCast" -- click here. Finally, take a trial download of "Feed For All", an excellent RSS Feed creation software -- Click Here (downloads trial software). RSS meets PodCasting: Power to the people! Most people are just waking up to RSS syndication as a means to distribute the written word. They forgot about attachments. Watch this technology... with a free method of creation, and distribution, Radio could be set to learn from PodCasters what Print & TV journalists already understood from Bloggers -- the power is shifting. What are you going to Podcast? BEEP... your RSS Feed is Calling... RSS feeds on your cell phone -- who'd have thunk it? Now there's a service called "Feed Beep" which allows you to sign up and receive your crucial feeds, from employment information to medical, to Auctions. Looks like a start-up, and it appears to be free (for now) -- see here. Can You Hear your RSS Feed Now?: Great. Now that noisy guy at the theater can also get calls about his eBay auctions. What next? The service also sends feeds to your Pager. Hmmmm. What could be so important? I'm not sure, but it looks like we're destined to find out. But wait a minute... what about PodCasting RSS feeds to phones -- your phone becomes a Radio receiver. Hmmmm. Let the Whole World Know your Schedule... There's a Beta site ("Beta" simply means they're still testing it, and it's not quite ready for us Alpha people) up now where you can create an RSS Calendar. You set up your event calendar, create an RSS channel, then family and friends can view your calendar. Take it for a spin at RSSCalendar. Calendar to the World: The site states you can share your Calendar with unlimited users. Hmmm. How is this different from calendars you can set up on Yahoo, MSN, etc.? Now, those who are too lazy to check a link you give them at those sites, can be force fed your calendar in their RSS Reader. OOPS... those same lazy people, will also have to go get and install an RSS reader. Fat chance if they are too lazy to simply link to a static calendar you might already have set up. But... if Microsoft builds this technology in... then... well! And, that takes us full circle on this edition of the RSS Round-up.Scott Frangos is a writer, designer, and eCommerce marketer with over 20 years experience in Advertising. He has taught eCommerce, HTML, and Business courses at the college level in Portland, Oregon, and currently is Managing Partner of WebFadds.com. He also enjoys canoeing in the Pacific NorthWest.

Blogging, Portals, & CMS...

Scott Frangos — Tue, 22 Feb 2005 15:22:16 EST

by Scott Frangos, Managing Partner - WebFadds.com, a modern web development company focused on eCommerce, Content Management Systems, and Blogs.If you've read anything at all about portals, and you've hear about blogs, you'll probably know at least three things: Portals are the most exciting way to do business, Portals can be really, I mean really, complicated, and lastly Portals are absolutely, outrageously, often unaffordably expensive. Blogs, on the other hand, offer less functionality -- but are more affordable. Open Source "CMS" (Content Management Systems) are set to change all that ...Now there are a whole slew of choices for CMS and Blog software that have been developed for the masses. They're licensed under the GNU/GPL license. They're easy to install and administer and reliable. Cost? The programs are free to obtain. Yes... free. And, they don't even have to know HTML to operate your Blog/Portal once it's up and running (although, you can enhance pages if you do). Of course you'll log quite a few hours setting up your site (or have us do it for you), and you will need to customize it with professional graphics (a service we also provide). Also, bear in mind that content is king -- you need to provide professionally written stories that are of interest to your target market on a regular basis. Aside from keeping your site updated, there is one more very good reason to provide these stories: you can "syndicate" them easily and in so doing market yourself and your company using the simple tools that come built-in to your Content Management System. [See related article for more information about RSS]CMS programs like Mambo & e107 (two we use for our clients) feature:Completely database driven site engines News, products or services sections fully editable and manageable Topics sections can be easily added to by contributing authors/editors Fully customisable layoutsBrowser upload of images to your own library for use anywhere in the site Dynamic Forum/Poll/Voting booth for on-the-spot results Runs on Linux, FreeBSD, MacOSX server, Solaris and AIX There are a whole slew of choices for CMS and Blog software that have been developed and are licensed under the GNU/GPL license. They're easy to administer and reliable. Cost? Free.Extensive Administration:Change order of objects including news, FAQs, articles etc. Remote author submission module for News, Articles, FAQs and Links Object hierarchy - for sections, departments, divisions News feed manager. Accept RSS news feeds to serve related articlesEmail-a-friend and Print-format for every story and article In-line Text editor similar to Word Pad User editable look and feel Polls/Surveys - Now put a different one on each page Template Manager. Download templates and implement them in seconds Layout preview. See how it looks before going live Banner manager. Make money out of your siteNow that's quite a lot of automation, and functionality at your site. It represents the smart way to present your business online. Too many clients think of their websites as an online "brochure." Hello? Aren't brochures made with ink fixed fast on paper? That was called "printing technology," and why be limited, conceptually, to the boundaries of what a brochure printing press can do? Your investment in the time to learn the software is all that's required, since this CMS solutions are available to you free. Throw out the brochures. Bring in your dynamic website and watch your business grow.What's the Difference between a Blog, Portal, and a Content Management System?Well... that's a good question. Let's start with the easiest -- a Blog. A blog is short for "web log", and is a place to write, or "journal", about ideas, musings, and opinions. Some blogs are filled with more "newsy" posts (in a journalism style), while others are simply personal autobiographical thoughts sent up to the internet via easy to use blog software like WordPress (we'll look at its feature list in a moment). For "Portal", think Yahoo.com as a general example, though there are many sites in this category that focus on a particular niche. Garden.com is one example of a niche focused portal that serves as a gathering point for people interested in gardening. Are CMS programs ideally conceived to help build a Portal? Yes. Do you have to use them for that purpose? No. You can take advantage of the automation and ease of use features inherent in CMS programs to build a corporate website, not intended as a niche portal. Why not allow your team to easily post articles to your site -- keeping it up to date -- and allow the CMS program to keep it formated properly, and ensure the news is rotated automatically? That's the great strength of using CMS for your website solution.Ok. Let's take a look at the list of features for a good blog, so you can compare them to the CMS features listed above. This list is taken from WordPress.org, and blog software will vary a bit -- see the resource list below for more information.Blog Software Features (included in WordPress)Instant publishing with no rebuildingComment spam protectionIntegrated blogrolling featuresPassword-protected postsCustom fieldsEasy to customize Workflow Management -- You can have types of users that can only post drafts, not publish to the front page.Multiple authors/editors - WordPress' highly advanced user system allows up to 10 levels of users, with different levels having different (and configurable) privileges Multiple categoriesSub-categoriesPost by emailFull web standards complianceUses PHP and MySQLSo, good blogging software, is really just a simpler CMS program without quite as many modules and functions. We recommend it for a simpler one person solution, or for smaller companies who are primarily news oriented in their web presence. Now... on to the resources, and Hey... these are free programs, so what are you waiting for?Resources: [ ] MAMBO CMS home site. This site is well designed, even for newcomers, and gives a direct and easy to understand overview of the features of Mambo. On Feb. 15th of this year, MAMBO won two awards at the Linux World Conference -- "Best of Show", and "Best Open Source Solution". It's interface is easy to use, and designed with pop-down windows, similar to "off the shelf" standard software programs. We like that feature and also the considerable high-end designs present in a number of templates written for the program. See websites designed in MAMBO: Click here[ ] e107 Home Site. This is the home of an application we really like, e107, because of its easy administration controls, and full feature set. The homesite is a bit daunting to newcomers, though. But once you install and start working with the program, you will find a lot of online support and tutorials. See websites designed in e107: Click here[ ] WordPress Home Site: This is our blogging software of choice at WebFadds.com. It's a leader in the blog world, and a look at the feature list will tell you why. You don't get quite as many development tools as you do with a full blown CMS program, but you can make a great blog with WordPress, and some clients use it for more than that.See websites designed in WordPress: Click here [ ] CMS Matrix.org - This great site does you the service of a thorough comparison of current free CMS programs -- close to 250 different programs! [ ] PostNuke Content Management Book: This book (available through Amazon.com at 28% Off), explains the ins and outs of another popular CMS program called "PostNuke" -- a practical, application-oriented guide to building content-driven websites and portals with the PostNuke package.[ ] PHP Nuke Garage Book (save 32% at Amazon): Hmmm... similar name to PostNuke? Well, PHP Nuke came first, then a group of programmers decided to branch out and make improvements -- this book will tell you how to work with the resulting CMS solution. We're sticking with MAMBO and e107 at our development company, but many professional sites have been produced using either PHP Nuke, or PostNuke.Scott Frangos is a writer, designer, and eCommerce marketer with over 20 years experience in Advertising. He has taught eCommerce, HTML, and Business courses at the college level in Portland, Oregon, and currently is Managing Partner of WebFadds.com.

Effective eMarketing Tools

Scott Frangos — Mon, 21 Feb 2005 17:51:59 EST

What are the most effective eMarketing tools? by Scott Frangos, Managing Partner - WebFadds.com, a modern web development company focused on eCommerce, Content Management Systems, and Blogs.Even after a decade of eCommerce, people are still asking, "what's the best way to advertise on the web?" First, eMarketing is not afad. Second, after a number of years, you can now rest confident that some online tools work well, while others do not. Hmmmm. Which ones dowork best? Well, because we are all using computers online, your answeris -- the ones you can easily track and see how what you spend leadsdirectly to sales.The Most Effective eMarketing Tools Here are some important bottom line facts and trends: Online advertising spending is in the billions, & growing Banners have faded as effective ads The rise of Content Management Systems provides "syndicating" opportunities Spamming is now illegal -- with consequences It's tougher and tougher to get to the top of search engines using SEO (search engine optimization) Preliminary Conclusions:Focus on successful eMarketing methods -- Pay Per Click Search enginelistings, eNewsletters, and Affiliate programs. Add to this an emergingmethod of advertising/journalism that we think is also not a Fad --"RSS" feeds, which is a simple way to syndicate stories and ads online(RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication). One component of successful Content Management Systems (CMS -- see our packages),is... you guessed it, the ability to create your own RSS feeds. Now yousee why we're strong advocates of CMS based websites. So we currentlyoffer services to review your current website strentghts andweaknesses, and develop a strategic eMarketing plan based on themethods we know (and use ourselves) to be most effective. You will seethat we recommend solutions for you that are based on successfulprinciples: pay for results -- not just "placement", extend your reach"virally", when possible, and use smart systems to get the economicadvantage in your marketing. Now let's concentrate on some proven online marketing tools...[ ] Search Engine Marketing: If you only did used one advertising tool, my recommendation would be to bid on key search terms at Google, and also Overture.com (owned by Yahoo, and provides search ads on Yahoo, MSN, AOL, and others). It works like this: you get open an account and deposit a minimum budget of say, $50. Then you "bid" on keywords related to your website content (ie. "Gift Baskets", if that's what you're selling, etc.). The bid is for how much you are willing to pay per click -- when someone who is actively searching (meaning they want what you have!) for an item by entering those search words, then clicking on the listings that come up. You might pay anywhere from .15 cents to .99 cents a click, depending on how many other advertisers are bidding on the same terms. But, you know that people clicking on your terms want what you have and are motivated enough to be searching for it. And, you can easily track the sales that result and do a simple calculation of advertising cost to resulting sales. An emerging method of advertising/journalism that we think is also not a Fad -- "RSS" feeds, which is a simple way to syndicate stories and ads online.What about simply getting your site to rank high -- on the first page -- of search returns? This effort is called "SEO", standing for Search Engine Optimization, and I have seen a number of smart business people pay companies thousands of dollars to SEO services who (take note) cannot guarantee when your site will increase ranking (within 6 months, they say in the fine print), and how high (within the top 20 they "project", which puts you off the front page if you are not within the top 10), your site will attain. My opinion? It's a waste of time and money to only focus on this. DO make sure that your keywords and copy on at least your front page is optimized for search engines. DON'T spend countless hours and expense banking on that effort bringing you to the front page of search engines. Bottom Line: You will be money ahead and on the first page of search engines when you use a smart bid for keywords strategy.Resources: See our related article on "Winning On Google." Chris Carpenter's Google Cash eBook is an excellent resource to teach you the secrets of Google advertising.[ ] eNewsletter: You will find that all eMarketing experts agree the eNewsletters are not only an excellent way to obtain new customers and boost sales, but also to maintain and grow the relationship with your existing customer base. You will also find that while most astute web business people nod their heads at this conventional wisdom on eNewsletter, they do not discipline themselves to use them. Why? Newsletters take time and deserve a quality editing process. The better written they are, the better are your results. And, I think that business people, put off by the time to write and produce a newsletter, forget to calculate the reward of increased sales from this form of customer relationship marketing. A newsletter, well written, develops a sort of bond with your customers. This valuable bond leads to increased sales when they are informed of a product they either missed at your website, or just didn't have the time to go see -- and they buy it."Smart" AutoResponders: You can use a smart autoresponder to automatically follow up with your leads and send them a series of emails with prewritten sales and promotional messages. Use this same tool to preload your eNewsletter and then relax as your responder sends them out at preset intervals -- no more work to do. By the way, they are called "smart" because they allow customization including your clients name, birthday, the date, and more in the content of your message. You capture and store this information when your prospect signs up using a form at your website. All studies show that customer loyalty is developed with resulting sales from this type of personalization.Bottom line: Budget the time and expense (this might initially involve purchasing eMail "opt-in" lists -- so you don't SPAM -- at .15 cents a name) to use this valuable method of eMarketing.Resources: For an excellent company that helps with creation and management of eNewsletters, try the free demo at Topica's powerful Online Marketing and Sales Solution: try it for 15 days FREE! Next, compare two "smart" autoresponders -- one you purchase outright and install at your site: ArPLUS. This is the one we use ourselves. (take a free Demo), and another that you can "rent" (monthly fee, and the software resides on their server) at aWebber Systems, and take their free test-drive. I recommend that you compare all three of these options since they offer different approaches, costs, and the ability to learn recommended techniques from three established companies.[ ] Affiliate Programs: Amazon.com. Period. That's right, one of the major emarketing strategies that led to the growth of Amazon.com was a smart and innovative method known as the Affiliate Program. Simply put, an Affiliate Program involves installing software that allows another web marketer to sign-up to receive commissions from you for sales they drive to your site by advertising your products and services elsewhere on the internet. It's easy, because your computer program tracks traffic and resulting sales using a unique code you give to each of your "Affiliates." It's very cost effective marketing, because you don't pay a single penny for it until you have a sale. And, good shopping cart programs today are building in this function. But, like eNewsletters, there is some time involved in letting people know you have an Affiliate Program. You need to have a plan to reach out to other webmasters, and businesses, who offer allied products and services and would make a good Affiliate for you. Of course, having an eNewsletter is one way to get the word out about your new Affliate Program. Bottom Line: A well managed affiliate program (sometimes called "viral" marketing because it spreads so quickly), can pay off in a big way without any up front costs of advertising other than to install and announce it. Just ask Amazon.com -- they have several thousand Affiliates now.Resources: Take a look at these books on Affiliate Programs at Amazon.[ ] Syndication (RSS): You might have seen the orange "RSS" buttons appearning on a lot of websites lately including major players like Yahoo and MSN. RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication", and provides a way for other webmasters to insert updated news stories from your website... on theirs. Most CMS (Content Management Systems), provide this function built-in, or you can program it into websites that don't use CMS. Of course, content is still "king" so you need to make sure your stories are well written and perceived as valuable to others. Stories like the ones you write for a good eNewsletter (see how this all ties together?). You may think at first that this method of eMarketing is not as "front line" as flat out advertisements. True. It is somewhat more subtle. But that does not mean it is less effective. To the contrary, a well written article describing services or product uses, can serve you as "word on the street" marketing does, driving huge traffic to your site resulting in strong sales. Ask any business person who shrewdly uses Public Relations techniques to build their business. It works. Did you know that most people in Public Relations careers were former Journalists? They've mastered the art of writing about business ideas, products, and services in such a positive way that it makes people what to at least go see, and for many, want to buy.Bottom line: Make no mistake that Syndication is an emerging Web Fad that while new online, is a proven successful public relations marketing method to help your business grow.Resources: Free trial: We like the "Feed For All" program from NotePage, which helps you create, edit, and publish RSS feeds from your PC. Take a FREE trial now (click here).See our related article on Simple Syndication (RSS)************About WebFadds.com & Scott Frangos: Scott Frangos is a Managing Partner for WebFadds.com, a Portland, Oregon based company focused on modern web development and emarketing. He has also been a college level instructor for close to 20 years on the subjects of eCommerce, web graphics, and HTML. He began a career in advertising "before the web was born" and has also worked as a public relations professional. He likes to refer to his current postion as "Chief Juggling Officer - CJO" since managing the Fads of the Web involve wearing more than one hat. He wrote a textbook on the Macintosh computer, and is currently writing a book on Content Management Systems. Visit WebFadds.com for more information, and to reach Scott.

Simple Syndication (RSS) -- where's the payoff?

Scott Frangos — Mon, 21 Feb 2005 17:40:36 EST

How RSS really does pay off... by Scott Frangos, Managing Partner - WebFadds.com, a modern web development company focused on eCommerce, Content Management Systems, and Blogs.Have you heard of RSS (Really Simple Syndication)? Did you know you can syndicate your news stories from your website? You probably have seen some orange buttons around the web with the letters "RSS" on them. They allow other websites to link to your news stories with just a click. Simple. Syndicate. Ok. Now, you know about Really Simple Syndication... but where's the payoff? Let's look at the ways that RSS can pay off for you. And, pay off, it does -- when you use this emerging technology effectively.Now by "emerging technology," we mean it is relatively new, and people are still learning about it. But already many savvy webmasters are "aggregating" RSS feeds -- pulling common topic feeds together at their websites. And, big players like Yahoo, and Amazon are offering up RSS solutions. You can "subscribe" to a selection of news feeds on your personalized home page at Yahoo, for example. Feed me... feed me...There's even a search engine just for RSS feeds, called Feedster.com, that currently returns over 4,645,164 feeds indexed and fully searchable. Last August, there were only a quarter of a million feeds. Feedster reports that around 5,000 new feeds are being added... per day. Someone's hungry. And this hunger for feeds is being fed by millions of "blog" websites that use automated "Content Management Systems" to turn out their RSS news feeds. At Feedster.com, you can simply search through millions of them, or you may "subscribe" there to the feeds of your choice, creating a sort of customized electronic newspaper for yourself. Looks like RSS is here to stay, so what does a "pay off" from RSS mean? Will it mean increased traffic to your website? Yes. Could it mean an increase in sales of your services or products? Yes, but probably not as immediately as direct advertising would. What about P.R. value? Yes... most definitely.Traffic Boost: It's key to understand that when your stories are well-written and of interest (two major considerations -- write professionally for your best success), people will subscribe to your RSS "feeds." They will want to read them. Next, when they like your story, and its focus, they will naturally be curious to learn more. Include links to your site in your news. From this you can boost the traffic to your site. This is a sort of new generation of what was known as "reciprocal linking" where, in its simplest form, you got more traffic to your site by exchanging links with other websites covering similar material. Now instead of a link... you provide full articles which may reference your products, services, websites, and perhaps those of your clients.Public Relations Value -- the P.R. Factor: Does your firm have a Public Relations strategy? It should. Does it include RSS? It must. You see Public Relations professionals are already talking about RSS in glowing terms like how it is "providing additional channels to amplify supportive messaging." Hey... translated this means any word you can get out on the street makes your business and its market offerings stronger and much better known. What's that worth to you? Advertising execs are talking about how this can help boost "brand loyalty". Huh? Hey, if you're in business, your company identity gets branded (or not, unfortunately) into the minds of customers and prospects. A good brand wins loyal customers. RSS news feeds, done properly, do precisely this for your company. And one more thing... RSS installed on your site automates a process that can cost quite a lot done manually by a big P.R. Agency. Shhhhhss.So where are the sales? The formula is simple: the more your company and its offerings becomes known and favored by customers and prospects alike, they more sales will result. How many sales? To take a shot at a preliminary answer, I did searched for it using... you guessed it... a search of RSS feeds about advertising results. I'll end this article with an overview of articles reporting on those results, but please be clear about one thing -- people want NEWS in their RSS feeds -- news they can use. Advertising is secondary, and many sites are reporting the rejection of blatant and direct ads. Remember, banner ads are dead. "Product placement" (like when you see an Apple computer in a movie) -- mentioning of related products and services in news, blogs, and RSS feeds is not dead. It's working.Initial RSS Marketing Results... proceed with cautionHere are a couple of links to articles that have studied the results of RSS, and ads in RSS feeds:RSS Advertising Case Study. Overview. Pheedo reports that by integrating online advertising into an RSS feed, a new online advertising technique, it has achieved measurably better results than e-mail for its client.Read MoreBlocking of Ads in RSS feeds already envisioned. Of course. People want news to be news. They might put up with informative links, but not blatant, outright, defiant, in-your-face advertising. You can read a blog of comments on this issue at Kottke.orgWhat are you serving?The feed goes on. Advertising and no advertising. Straight news articles, and Public Relations pieces with positive spins on your company and its products. The bottom line? If you're going to have a website and write professional content, why not syndicate the news articles and greatly extend your reach and influence? It's really simple, and it doesn't cost that much.Resources (Free trial): We like the "Feed For All" program from NotePage, which helps you create, edit, and publish RSS feeds from your PC. Take a FREE trial now (click here).Books on RSS at AmazonScott Frangos is a writer, designer, and eCommerce marketer with over 20 years experience in Advertising. He has taught eCommerce, HTML, and Business courses at the college level in Portland, Oregon, and currently is Managing Partner of WebFadds.com.