Category: Internet

  • Internet Replaces TiVo

    From ABC’s video player to CBS’ Innertube, the major networks have done away with most people’s need for TiVo. Go to abc.com or any of the other television network websites and you will find a media player allowing you to watch this season’s episodes of your favorite shows. Miss an episode of Grey’s Anatomy? Catch up on back episodes online. Don’t mess with programming a digital recorder or VCR.

    Why worry about it when the network provides the shows for free? I never get to watch NCIS any more. NCIS comes on at the same time as Standoff on FOX. I watch Standoff because my wife prefers it. Now I don’t have to miss my shows again. I can catch up on NCIS on lazy weekends. I might even start watching back episodes of Jericho, though it doesn’t interest me enough to watch during the week. I like the convenience of it. There are times when the Library is closed and I want to watch a movie or show.

    The library has become a valuable Blockbuster-esque resource. You’d be amazed at how many recent DVDs I can get ahold of for free. Still, as I said, the library has business hours that don’t always fit my schedule. Now it doesn’t have to matter. I can go online and catch up on my shows or start watching a new show from the first episode of the season. Pathetic, I know, to care so much about television. It’s all rot in the end, I suppose. But it is entertaining.


  • MySpace Takes over Social Networking

    It’s official: MySpace is taking over the planet. Don’t look at me with that blank stare. You have to have known already it was true. The signs are all there. First off, I joined, and you know I don’t know about something until millions are already tired of it. Second, my mom joined (though she never uses it). Third, I am seeing almost as many parents of my friends on MySpace as I see friends my age. Fourth, pastors, pastors’ wives, elders, and other church leaders are joining up and taking advantage of MySpace’s networking power. It’s scary.

    MySpace is like the Google of networking. They have the information available to them to help companies market more effectively to millions of Americans. I don’t know if they use this information for marketing yet, but they have a unique collection of people’s preferences, likes, dislikes, ideas, photos, connections. If you want to do a sociological study, log in to MySpace. You have nearly 73 million people at your disposal to examine. There are some serious implications here. If everyone starts using MySpace, it will take over the need for personal email accounts.

    Naturally, business email would still be used, but why have a dozen email address when you can go to MySpace and see your friends while you write to them? Mark my words: you may not hear about it tomorrow or next week, but you will eventually hear about how MySpace has used your personal MySpace info to assist someone in their quest to sell you stuff. Does that mean I’m going to drop out of MySpace again? Heck no. At least, not for now.

    But if someone would PLEASE, PLEASE change the stupid advertising that I see everytime I log in, I would be extremely grateful! I’m married! I don’t need to see some stupid ad for dating services with provocative women. If they’re so good at targeted marketing, why don’t they realize that I am married and only post ads on my page that apply to me?


  • SEO Tips Part One

    Search Engine Optimization is a ballooning industry. There's no doubt about that. Every business needs to ensure that their website and other online marketing efforts function as effectively as possible. So many entrepreneurs have seen visions of the tidal wave of money to be made in the industry, and they jumped right in although they can barely dog-paddle. You can learn the same basic info that most SEO firms will tell you just by searching for "SEO tips" on Google.

    Many of them are afraid to let you know that because they want to be viewed as professionals with insider information that can only be gained through years of experience. The only time that seems to be actually true is when using PERL script or other back end programming and development. Obviously, a programmer has skills that not everyone has. But SEO principles are not specialized, and they do not require someone with five or more years of experience to understand. Having said that, you are more than likely better off hiring an SEO firm to do the work for you. No, I'm not sending mixed signals here. You need to be aware of the smooth talk and the BS some of them will use to impress you, but you probably still need someone's help to do the actual work. That is, unless you are willing to hire someone on full-time to do it for you.

    After many conversations with many "experts", I have noticed two vital tools missing from nearly everyone's approach. If I may be blunt, they are missing because the SEO firms aren't true marketing firms and are too young to understand how to truly win long-term repeat business. TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW TO SUCCEED WITH SEO There are two things you need to know to succeed: you must know the customer and you must know the search engines.

    You cannot complete a successful SEO campaign if you have not taken the time to know your target audience. It is sickening how many companies spout cliches like "find your target audience" without actually helping you find them. What might be even worse is that SEO experts have all read or spoken about the importance of inbound links for good rankings, yet so many of them never incorporate linking strategies for their clients.

    A successful marketing company researches the client's target audience until they know who they are, what they want, how they speak, and what they respond to. If your SEO service provider doesn't know that much detail about your customers, how do they know which keywords your customers will use to search with on Google or Yahoo? Exactly – they don't. Sure, keyword research tools exist to provide a list of related phrases which are extremely popular, but are they the phrases people will use when looking to buy? It's more involved than simply pressing a few buttons and letting a computer program shoot out some answers.

    Why are these crucial elements missing? Because SEO firms don't believe you will spend the money to do a search engine optimization campaign the right way. Because most of their clients know very little about SEO, the firms cut out necessary elements to lower the price and gain clients.

    THE COST OF NEGLECT
    The unfortunate side effect is a half-brained campaign. No matter what they have done, Google will continue to shun your website as an authority because you lack the appropriate inbound links. To add to your future frustration, you will eventually realize that even though your traffic has increased even significantly, your conversion rate has not increased at the same rate. This is, of course, due to the fact that although your SEO firm drew more people to your site, they were not the right people.

    The truth is that 98% of the time you get what you pay for. If you are large enough to pay for conventional marketing and advertising, you probably don't skimp on the details. SEO is still a relatively new industry and the experts are still relatively insecure about their status. They may be willing to compromise to land a client. You do not want this. Why spend any money at all for the wrong thing or a poor quality thing? You might as well save your money or spend it elsewhere.

    Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Somebody famous said that. They were right. Don't waste your time or money on a half-hearted service. Ask questions. Get involved. Insist on well-laid plans and ideas, just like you would for a commercial spot during the Super Bowl. Everyone wants results yesterday, and almost no one wants to wait. But quality comes from thorough research and planning. Don't compromise the quality of your business.Daniel Dessinger provides writing services including: SEO, interactive press releases, website copy, articles, creative ads, copy editing, and consulting. Visit him on the web at http://www.culturefeast.com.