Thursday, December 30, 2010

A Beginner's Guide to Google Website Optimizer

If you want to make real progress in increasing the conversion rates on your website, randomly trying different headlines, images, and other elements on your pages and crossing your fingers isn’t going to get you very far. You need something that can give you real data about what’s working and what’s not.
Even better is a free tool that can manage your conversion testing. Leave it to Google to provide just such a tool: Website Optimizer.


Read more: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/guide-google-website-optimizer/#ixzz19cfbCvww

A Beginner's Guide to Google Website Optimizer

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Will your big-screen Super Bowl party violate copyright law?

An offhand comment the other day by a friend caught my attention—"Did you know that you can't watch the Super Bowl on a TV screen larger than 55 inches? Yeah, it's right there in the law."

With the Colts and Saints set to do battle in Super Bowl XLIV, this seemed worth looking into as a public service. Could it be that some of those giant flat panel TV sets now finding their way into US living rooms are actually violating copyright law?

Will your big-screen Super Bowl party violate copyright law?

Monday, December 27, 2010

10 Predictions for Web Development in 2011

We’ve made headlines, grabbed the limelight, been vilified and glorified beyond all reason and gotten paid pretty nicely along the way. And the bubble of consumer web apps just continues to swell, so there are no signs (yet) that 2011 will bring anything short of grandeur for the web and mobile development communities.

Looking ahead to what the coming year might hold, there are a few sure bets and a few speculations we’d like to offer. Some are, as noted, almost certainly bound to come true. Others are more along the lines of hopes and prayers than hard-and-fast predictions we’d stake money on.

10 Predictions for Web Development in 2011

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Why Some Of The World’s Biggest Brands Still Don’t Get Facebook

Yep. You read that right. Just because a brand has big marketing prowess or is known globally doesn’t necessarily mean it’s active or even gets social media–namely Facebook, that is.

The findings are per a new report published by A.T. Kearney, in which the global management consulting firm looked at the Facebook presence of the world’s top 50 brands. Such brands include companies like Coca-Cola, IBM, Microsoft and McDonald’s and are taken from brand consultancy Interbrand’s annual ranking of the Best Global Brands. Interbrand released this year’s results on September 15, 2010.

Why Some Of The World’s Biggest Brands Still Don’t Get Facebook - Elaine Wong - Media Geek - Forbes

Monday, December 20, 2010

Does Google use data from social sites in ranking?

Online Marketing Challenge

This year, we are happy to announce a new award for the Online Marketing Challenge to support NGOs (otherwise known as “nonprofits” or “charities”). This is an excellent way for student teams to not only hone their online marketing skills, but also give back to their favorite NGO in a meaningful way. Student teams may select an NGO in their community instead of a business to set up an AdWords account following the same instructions for the Challenge. Student teams have the opportunity to win a donation made in their name to their nonprofit partner. Prizes for the winners include:

1st place - $15,000 donation to the nonprofit partner
2nd place - $10,000 donation to the nonprofit partner
3nd place - $5,000 donation to the nonprofit partner

Online Marketing Challenge

Thursday, December 16, 2010

5 Ways Cities Are Using Social Media to Reverse Economic Downturn

The economic downturn has forced cities and states across the country to be more creative as they compete to attract companies and stimulate local economies. In just the past year, local economic development agencies have turned to social media tools and tactics to enhance their efforts nationally and locally.

According to a 2009 survey conducted by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and marketing agency Development Counsellors International (DCI), 57% of IEDC members surveyed said they were using social media tools. Of that, 63% had used them for less than a year. At the time, developers primarily focused their social media efforts on internal or regional uses, such as disseminating news and providing links to resources that support local businesses. LinkedIn was the social network of choice.

5 Ways Cities Are Using Social Media to Reverse Economic Downturn

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

The Sin Of SEO

Create a website that meets user needs, and the search engines will help the business prosper. Fail to meet user needs and the business will suffer against its more relevant competitors. Sin against the search engines with SEO and watch the website be damned to hell.

The Sin Of SEO » aimClear® Search Marketing Blog

Friday, December 10, 2010

Facebook Announces First Hacker Cup

Facebook is known for its hackathons — all-night coding sessions designed to help create new products or improve others. Now the company has announced its first Hacker Cup.

Facebook says it’s “bring[ing] engineers from around the world together to compete in a multi-round programming competition.” The Hacker Cup is very similar to Google’s popular Google Code Jam.

Contestants will be challenged with solving algorithmic-based problem statements. Those that successfully solve the problems in the allotted period of time will advance the the next round.

Facebook Announces First Hacker Cup

Thursday, December 09, 2010

8 Tools for Easily Creating a Mobile Version of Your Website

As an entrepreneur, you're most likely always on the lookout for new developments. Perhaps your customers are reporting that your site needs a mobile version so that they can visit it while they're on the go, or maybe you recently saw a competitor's site through your mobile device; it looked slick, and now you're feeling outclassed.

8 Tools for Easily Creating a Mobile Version of Your Website : Technology :: American Express OPEN Forum

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Five Location-Based Services You Might Have Missed

By now most everyone is probably familiar with location-based services such as Foursquare, Gowalla and Facebook Places. With all the buzz surrounding these big players, it’s easy to miss some of the smaller services. To help you keep track, I've profiled five lesser known location-based apps and what they are doing to set themselves apart from the big boys.

Five Location-Based Services You Might Have Missed | nFusion

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords

Note: This isn't intended as a guide to hacking *other people's* weak passwords. Instead, the aim is to help you better understand the security of your own passwords and how to bolster that security.

If you invited me to try and crack your password, you know the one that you use over and over for like every web page you visit, how many guesses would it take before I got it?

Let's see… here is my top 10 list. I can obtain most of this information much easier than you think, then I might just be able to get into your e-mail, computer, or online banking. After all, if I get into one I'll probably get into all of them.

How I’d Hack Your Weak Passwords

Does the Rise in Social Media Marketing Equal a Rise in Holiday Sales?

There’s no doubt that this is the year of the social media holiday marketing blitz. More folks than ever are using Facebook, Twitter and other sites to encourage holiday shopping.

According to eMarketer, 27% of retailers said they’d spend most of their marketing budget on social media, up from 18%. And 75% said they had a social media strategy this year as opposed to only 51% last year. But does this rise in activity mean a rise in sales?


Does the Rise in Social Media Marketing Equal a Rise in Holiday Sales?

Consumer Trends to Watch in 2011

Eleven key consumer trends to watch in 2011 include acts of kindness from brands, the developed world launching products for emerging economies, and online status symbols, according to consumer insights firm trendwatching.com.

Following is a brief overview of each of the 11 consumer trends which trendwatching.com predicts will have a global impact on marketers in 2011.

Consumer Trends to Watch in 2011

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Being bad to your customers is bad for business

A recent article by the New York Times related a disturbing story. By treating your customers badly, one merchant told the paper, you can generate complaints and negative reviews that translate to more links to your site; which, in turn, make it more prominent in search engines. The main premise of the article was that being bad on the web can be good for business.

Official Google Blog: Being bad to your customers is bad for business

Best Practices for Moving to Google Apps, from Google

Business and IT decision makers already understand the benefits of Google Apps and must now turn their attention to more practical considerations such as when and how to actually plant their flags in this brave new world of cloud computing. Of course, at the very top of that list is the migration itself. In other words, they want to know exactly what it takes to make the switch from legacy email systems to the next generation of web-based business communication and collaboration. Makes sense, right? Well, how would you like to learn from perhaps the most qualified person on the planet?

Live Webcast: Best Practices for Moving to Google Apps, from Google - White Papers, Webcasts and Case Studies - ZDNet

Adding a Master Suite to Your House

A master suite addition is a place to call your own—no kiddie toys, no teens hogging the bathroom—a heavenly space where you can bathe, dress, or simply relax in peace. But paradise doesn’t come cheap.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/articles/evaluate-your-house-master-suite-addition/#ixzz16s4x1dRN