Elemental Know-How

Yep, it’s Donny Osmond’s birthday today.

How—and why—do I know this, you ask?

I’ve gotta come clean. Other than the fact that one of my colleagues informed me that she shares the same birthday with this ‘70s heartthrob and teen crooner who gave us the “memorable” tunes “Puppy Love” and “Go Away Little Girl”…this random piece of knowledge would surely have passed me by.

But, it did get me thinking…If Donny logged onto a website, what else could you learn about him? That depends on a couple of things—starting with whether or not the site was taking advantage of the latest in consumer insight technology.
If he was an unregistered site visitor who opted to remain anonymous, you could get zip code-level location information based on his IP address. Leveraging this information, you could get zip code-level demographic, lifestyle and financial information to help you deliver more relevant content and advertising information to him—while ensuring his privacy. 

On the other hand, if Donny was a registered site user who shared his name and address, you could get consumer and household-level data, financial insights, and propensity and event triggers. With this information, you could provide highly targeted content based on his actual interests and purchasing power (which, by the way, should be very strong).

Even though we recently learned from “Dancing with the Stars” that Donny’s more than “a little bit rock and roll,” keep in mind there’s a lot more we can find out with the right IP intelligence.
 

A recent survey by AAA predicts 38.4 million Americans will be traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday this year. Other research from Pew Internet suggests that as many as 56 percent of those travelers will at some point use a wireless means to access the Internet while on their way to “Grandma’s house”… or even while at Grandma’s house, to escape the millions of embarrassing “childhood” stories that unfailingly surface at every family gathering (and, if you’re wondering, wireless routers make a good holiday gift for Grandma—and, indirectly, you too).

Sorry to throw so many statistics at you, but just trying to set the Thanksgiving table, so to speak.
Of those 20 million or so wireless users, I feel pretty comfortable in saying that a large percentage of them will tune in to watch video on their mobile devices. Unfortunately, a significant number will also download their videos illegally. So, it’s fair to say that the ongoing fight against piracy simply can’t afford to take a holiday.

But, check this out: Digital Element recently partnered with QuickPlay Media, the premier provider of solutions that manage the business of mobile video, to leverage our geolocation technology to provide secure distribution of TV episodes over mobile Wi-Fi connections for its QuickPlay’s PrimeTime2Go™ service.

Our technology has long been used to manage digital rights based on a user’s desktop location. However, companies such as QuickPlay are leading the way for other providers of mobile content services to ensue that distribution restrictions are being met as well—whether it’s over the hill and through the woods or halfway around the world…or in some quiet room at Grandma’s house.

With creative agencies out the ying-yang and a growing broadband consumer society that revels in rich streaming media, it’s been easy for your company to get caught up in the hoopla of delivering the next kick-butt online ad to the masses.

But, when the dust settles and you evaluate the real effectiveness of the campaign (i.e. contributing revenues to your bottom line), you might find that you’ve missed the target.

Most everyone in the industry recognizes the importance of reach and relevance. As advertising moved online, somehow these concepts got lost in the shuffle. This happened, in large part, because many companies didn’t think they could successfully apply these concepts online—and for the ones who did, they simply didn’t know how to make it work.

But, with IP Intelligence, it’s easy to get back to the basics of: reach, relevance and results.

Reach – Get a better understanding of how big your online audience is by segmenting them based on where they come from. Then you can layer financial, demographic, lifestyle and purchase data on top of that.

Relevance – Apply the information you can non-invasively glean from a user’s IP address to deliver messages, creative and localized content that is the right kind of advertising for your audiences. Remember: Deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.   And, now, thanks to our break-through NetAcuity Edge™ data, “relevance” can been taken to a totally new level—-hyper-local/zip code targeting of content.  

Results – Reduced wasted impressions and increase click-through rates. Increase returns with geotargeted ads, for example. They are proven performers, commanding a 30-40 percent upsell over non-targeted ads. 

And, just for good measure, you could throw a fourth “R” in there…because after all, effective online advertising is all about driving Revenue for you and your clients.

With fall right around the corner and the football season officially getting started —especially with a hometown win for the Atlanta Falcons—I thought it appropriate to talk about the opportunities that exist for companies to connect with fans this time of year. Fans are a passionate bunch who care about their teams but also want to ensure their sports-viewing experiences are good ones, whether in the “man-cave” or at the stadium.

By utilizing IP Intelligence, companies can feed into that passion by automatically delivering online information that is relevant to local fans. Let me draw a few Xs and Os for you:    

• Sporting Goods Store: Display ads for local teams’ fan gear. For example, show Falcons’ jerseys to those visitors from Georgia and Saints hats for those logged in from Louisiana.  Or, though I usually am not a big fan of ‘one-site-fits-all,’ forget about the pro teams and just default to UNC gear for everyone (Go Heels!)
• Travel Agency: Showcase fall travel specials. For example, advertise special air and hotel packages from visitors’ local cities to other NFL cities.
• Colleges and Universities: Highlight local alumni and booster groups on school web sites. For example, a recent University of Georgia graduate who now lives in Minnesota would be interested in connecting with other local Bulldog fans.
• Big-Box Retailer: Identify retail locations where fans can purchase products “in store.” For example, for visitors from Dallas, display a list of retail locations within a 20-mile radius where they can buy the latest flat-screen television or ultra-portable grill for Sunday’s Cowboys game.

The list is endless…fans could also get the top-10 tailgating recipes for their regions and then be presented with coupons from their local grocers…and so on.

Don’t underestimate the power of The 12th Man. Learn to deliver information online that captures the attention, support and spending power of the local football fan. 

During the course of the last several years, a variety of studies have shown large numbers of shoppers leave websites or abandon shopping carts within minutes if their online experience is lacking. With statistics that indicate as many as nine out of 10 of your website visitors may be leaving, this should be a major cause for concern. But, solving the problem shouldn’t be a major headache for you.

Before you start thinking “major redesign,” take a deep breath. With Labor Day right around the corner, I don’t want your website to be hard work.  By simply replacing the “one-site-fits-all” approach with a dynamic, personalized web experience, you can better serve your site visitors and increase profits along the way.  

Don’t believe me? Well, Harris Interactive and IMShopping released a recent survey that showed American consumers are looking for the same personalized customer experience they receive in the brick-and-mortar business when they shop online. And the lack of assistance can prevent them from making a purchase.  In the real world, one of the first things you do is analyze the location where you’re opening the store to insure that your products on your shelves will be targeted to the correct demographic—so why aren’t you doing that online???

With the right technology, you can create a dynamic, personalized web experience similar to what shoppers have come to expect in the real world. Well, in many cases, better than what they’re getting in the retail stores these days…which, of course, in many cases, is a pretty low bar to set. 

With IP Intelligence, for example, retailers can know where their customers are and stock shelves differently; present promotions and conduct transactions in native languages; and show prices in the right currency.  Presto—now your store is using the same tried and true concepts you’d use in the real world!   And, before you start thinking “major dinero,” know there are cost-effective solutions (some starting at $500) for companies of any size—from mom-and-pop retailers to globally recognized corporations.
[And, BTW, you don’t have to take my word for it, this (great looking) dude recently said pretty much the same thing:
http://www.practicalecommerce.com/podcasts/episode/985-Digital-Element-Co-founder-on-Geographic-Targeting ]

So, relax! You can enjoy the upcoming Labor Day knowing you can easily and affordably customize website content, language, currency, products and promotions to online audiences, creating an instant connection that will have visitors spending more time evaluating products and services, resulting in increased sales and revenue.

We often get asked about how Google deals with NetAcuity from a search standpoint.   Specifically, many of our ecommerce and content site customers are curious how IP intelligence might affect the way Google indexes their sites and how that would change search results. 

I’ve gotten many questions from site owners wondering whether rerouting users to a country-specific landing page might cause Google to think the site is primarily located in a different country. For example, if a US-based site owner re-routes Japanese traffic to a Japanese-specific  landing page, folks wonder if Google might classify the overall website as being located in Japan due to a Japan-based Google search bot being redirected to the Japanese version of the site by NetAcuity.
This YouTube video does a very good job explaining how Google deals with IP targeting and gives some “do’s and don’ts” in site design.   It’s also great to see that Google sees IP targeting as a powerful technology for global businesses —something I’ve obviously been saying for 10+ years! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWfqyy7J34s

Marketers look at the back-to-school and holiday seasons with both anxiety and anticipation. The success of back-to-school sales is often a precursor for what’s coming right around the corner as we officially enter the almighty consumer holiday shopping season. Unfortunately, the 2009 back-to-school spend may fall short of marketers’ expectations as the National Retail Federation’s 2009 Back to School Survey predicts spending will decline by nearly 10 percent.
Without totally playing the Doom and Gloom Card…take solace…there are signs the recession is letting up and consumer confidence is starting to slowly return. But, economic conditions are and will continue to have a large impact on consumer purchasing.

By all accounts, the economy is not going to get substantially better in time for the holidays. Hey, I’m a realist! But, smart retailers—both large and small—can get ready to use the Internet to their advantage by incorporating IP Intelligence—the wealth of information gleaned from a customer’s IP address—into their e-commerce initiatives. This allows them to better, and instantly, connect with online shoppers where it matters the most—closer to home. The launch of our NetAcuity Edge product lets retailers do just that. For local retailers, it’s the difference between targeting everyone in Metro New York or specifically targeting residents in a local borough such as Queens.

It could also be the difference between a successful holiday season and one like last year. I’ll try and keep the Doom and Gloom card in my pocket, but I’m just saying…

When it comes to developing a good recipe, taste matters. When it comes to a creating a good online experience, relevance matters.

Bet you’re asking yourself by now just how you go about combining taste and relevance online?

Well, to paraphrase Emeril Lagasse: Mix in a little geo-targeting and…BAM!!—you’ve just kicked your site up a notch!!

Allrecipes.com, the world’s largest, fastest growing food site and premier destination for home cooks to discover and share everyday food experiences, has successfully combined both to deliver online content that resonates with food enthusiasts around the globe.

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OK, sorry for the Starland Vocal Band reference in the title, but it’s almost Independence Day, and we have some big news a brewin’ that makes me so excited that I just can’t hide it. [Crud, I guess huge developments in IP targeting makes me speak in ‘70s song lyrics…I think I’ll stop now.]  

We constantly hear this question from online marketers: How can I get more out of my online advertising and promotions?

Our answer: Start by delivering messages that resonate with your audiences.  In most instances that means targeting your messages as close to your visitor’s home as possible. As frequent readers of this blog realize, that geographic pinpoint on the map where we call home drives so many of our purchasing decisions.

So, their next logical question is usually: So how do we do that?

Our answer: Simple. IP Intelligence with geo-targeting capabilities

Their follow-up question: How accurate can you actually get?

Our answer up until now: 95 percent accurate down to a city-level worldwide…

But, the next generation of geo-targeting is on its way. The new-found ability to deliver ZIP code targeting is right around the corner, giving online marketers more bang for their buck. It’s the difference between delivering a targeted message to everyone in the Metro New York area or serving content to people just in the local suburb of Queens.

With Fourth of July coming up, we’re trying to create a few Fireworks of our own here at Digital Element as we move our IP Intelligence to that next level. Stay tuned for an exciting announcement in the next few weeks.   I promise…it’ll really be hot stuff.   :)

Never one to shy away from shamelessly promoting one of our customers, here’s a good read in Forbes on “How Smart Web Guys Win”. We’ve been saying all along that—online—you only one chance to make a good impression. Accordingly, we preach about how site usability plays a vital role in the ability to create a more personalized experience for online users. Forget about me…hear it straight from Omniture’s CEO Josh James