The Search Monitor (“TSM”), an online monitoring service that tracks competitive advertising activity on paid and organic search, blogs, forums, news, and web sites, announces its release of a new affiliate tracking software that identifies affiliate marketers who are sponsoring paid search results pages.

This powerful new tool is the first and only way for internet marketers to gain insight into the scope, strength, and breadth of their competitor’s affiliate programs. The Search Monitor is able to identify affiliates who deploy direct linking tactics and affiliates who manage and operate individual web sites.

Uses for this new tool include:

Measurement of the reach and strength of competitors’ affiliate programs on paid search.
Policing affiliates for compliance with affiliate program terms of use.
Identification of competitor’s affiliates for potential recruitment opportunities.
“Affiliate programs are a smart way to gain maximum exposure on paid search,” says Troy Lerner of The Booyah Agency. “By using affiliate programs as a tactic in our arsenal, our clients can own more page real estate on SERPs. We like the new reports from The Search Monitor because it gives us incredible insight as to where our affiliate efforts are strong and where we need to focus more time. Our clients love it because it enables them to build strength in numbers, while at the same time protecting their brands from misuse by affiliate marketers.”

“We are excited to bring this information about the affiliate channel to internet advertisers and their agencies,” says Lori Weiman, CEO of The Search Monitor. “We are a strong supporter of affiliate marketing as a powerful way to optimize online advertising in a controlled and deliberate way”

The Search Monitor offers important information that can only be gained by careful 24×7 automated monitoring, and surfaces the information in 3 easy to use reporting sections:

Competitor Monitor gives insights into competitive bidding strategies, competitor market share and visibility, ranking on sponsored search, ad copy strategies, and promotions like free shipping, trials, or sales.
Trademark Monitor eases the tasks associated with reputation management by auto-detecting advertisers sponsoring branded keywords, use of trademarks and slogans in ad copy and display urls, and negative, positive, and neutral brand buzz on blogs, news, and web sites.
Affiliate Monitor simplifies oversight of affiliate programs by auto-identification of affiliates using sponsored search to detect violations of rank requirements, keyword restrictions, ad copy requirements or restrictions, and landing page copy requirements or restrictions.
Search engine marketing has become a critical component for advertisers. According to the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), North American advertisers spent $12.2 billion on SEM in 2007 and that figure is estimated to more than double to reach $25.2 billion by 2011. The Search Monitor was developed to provide the tools necessary to optimize the sizable investments being made in this medium and to protect brands from competitive threats.

About The Search Monitor
The Search Monitor is comprised of a team of SEM enthusiasts who uncovered a need in the market for external automated monitoring of competitive activities on paid and organic search, shopping engines, web sites, blogs, social media, and press coverage. Automated monitoring is important for reputation management as it greatly reduces the number of hours and effort required to manage affiliates and competitors infringing on brands and misrepresenting products across the web. Further, automated monitoring reveals competitive marketing strategies that enable advertisers to benchmark their own performance, optimize ad budgets, detect successful ad copy combinations, and receive advance awareness of special offers like free shipping and sales dominating their verticals. The Search Monitor is offered as a web based subscription service. To learn more please visit www.thesearchmonitor.com.

About The Booyah Agency
Based in Colorado, The Booyah Agency is a full-service Online Marketing & Advertising team packaged in a boutique firm. Armed with a funny name, these former big-agency veterans drive strategy and deliver results more quickly and affordably than the big guys. We’re experts in fundamentals and best practices with a passion for discovering the newest techniques that keep our clients ahead. Clients include Mapquest, Vitamin Shoppe, Crispin Porter + Bogusky, Gaiam, Tower Records and Little Tikes.

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The Search Monitor, an online monitoring service that tracks competitive advertising activity on paid search, blogs, forums, news, and web sites, announces its release of geo-targeted monitoring. TSM now monitors 17 countries, 6 languages, and most major regions, states, and cities in each market.

Pittsburgh, PA September 9, 2008 – The Search Monitor (www.thesearchmonitor.com) (“TSM”), an online monitoring service that tracks competitive advertising activity on paid search, blogs, forums, news, and web sites, announces its release of geo-targeted monitoring. TSM now monitors 17 countries, 6 languages, and most major regions, states, and cities in each market.

Geo-targeted monitoring enables companies to watch their competition and affiliates, and to manage their reputation and brand use locally. With this launch, interactive agencies, marketers, affiliate managers, and compliance teams are able to monitor paid search, blogs, forums, news, and web sites around the world from a local point of view in countries including: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Argentina, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Mexico, Spain, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and many others. Monitoring can be conducted in English or in the language native to each country.

By gaining visibility into global search markets, companies will be able to overcome a key challenge in analyzing activity in their extended markets. Prior to the geo-targeting capabilities of TSM, an agency with clients worldwide could not effectively monitor locally targeted ads because its visibility was limited to its home base. TSM’s new capabilities provide the insights needed at the local level to protect brands and optimize search campaigns on locally.

The Search Monitor offers important information that can only be gained by careful 24×7 automated monitoring, and surfaces the information in 3 easy to use reporting sections:

1.    Competitor Monitor gives insights into competitive bidding strategies, competitor market share and visibility, ranking on sponsored search, ad copy strategies, and promotions like free shipping, trials, or sales.

2.    Trademark Monitor eases the tasks associated with reputation management by auto-detecting advertisers sponsoring branded keywords, use of trademarks and slogans in ad copy and display urls, and negative, positive, and neutral brand buzz on blogs, news, and web sites.

3.    Affiliate Monitor simplifies oversight of affiliate programs by auto-identification of affiliates using sponsored search to detect violations of rank requirements, keyword restrictions, ad copy requirements or restrictions, and landing page copy requirements or restrictions.

Search engine marketing has become a critical component for advertisers. According to the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), North American advertisers spent $12.2 billion on SEM in 2007 and that figure is estimated to more than double to reach $25.2 billion by 2011. The Search Monitor was developed to provide the tools necessary to optimize the sizable investments being made in this medium and to protect brands from competitive threats.

“Monitoring both globally and locally is critical in benchmarking competitor advertising strategies and for watching affiliate activities online,” says Shaun Martinec, a TSM founder. “Many affiliates will carefully craft their campaigns at the local level in order to take advantage of better priced keywords or to avoid merchant detection when they are not in compliance with affiliate program terms. We find that major brand marketers are often outbid by competitors and affiliates on top terms at the local level.”

About The Search Monitor

The Search Monitor is comprised of a team of SEM enthusiasts who uncovered a need in the market for external automated monitoring of competitive activities on paid search, web sites, blogs, social media, and press coverage. Automated monitoring greatly reduces the number of hours and effort required to manage affiliates and competitors infringing on brands and misrepresenting products across the web. Further, automated monitoring reveals competitive marketing strategies that enable advertisers to benchmark their own performance, optimize ad budgets, detect successful ad copy combinations, and receive advance awareness of special offers like free shipping and sales dominating their verticals. The Search Monitor is offered as a web based subscription service. To learn more please visit www.thesearchmonitor.com .

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Revolutionjobs.co.uk is the latest initiative from the market-leading digital marketing title Revolution, providing hundreds of online marketing career opportunities for digital marketers at the click of a button.

London, UK May 23, 2008 — Revolutionjobs.co.uk is the latest initiative from the market-leading digital marketing title Revolution, providing hundreds of online marketing career opportunities for digital marketers at the click of a button. Featured online digital jobs (www.revolutionjobs.co.uk) include digital marketing managers (www.revolutionjobs.co.uk/jobs/?keyword=digital+marketing+manager), e-commerce business development directors, SEO specialists (www.revolutionjobs.co.uk/jobs/seo) and many more.

“Revolution has been the leading title in the digital sector since its launch in 1997. Now people who want to get ahead in their digital careers can use a dedicated job site which builds on that heritage,” said Matthew Gerry, Online Publisher, Haymarket Brand Media.

With Revolutionjobs.co.uk candidates are able to remain constantly updated with the latest online marketing job vacancies with:

•    Jobs by email.

•    Browse for jobs across a variety of industry disciplines and sectors.

•    Instantly submit applications online.

•    Upload and save CV’s and track applications.

Recruiters can manage their vacancies online and take advantage of the featured recruiter sections, which display their logo on the Revolutionjobs homepage giving candidates the opportunity to gain instant access to the recruiter and their vacancies. 24-hour job posting by credit card also allows recruiters to add a new job at anytime.

Visit the website at www.revolutionjobs.co.uk.

*According to ABCe audit – October 2007

Notes to editors

About Revolution

Publishing since 1997, Revolution is the UK’s leading title for digital marketers, with an 88% larger circulation than the nearest competitor.

Published monthly, Revolution reaches 12,024* senior digital marketers with a combined annual budget of over £12.6 billion.

About Haymarket Media Group

Haymarket Media Group is the largest privately owned magazine publisher, and one of the fastest growing media companies, in the UK. The principal business is centred around its consumer, business, professional and customer publications. These are complemented by digital platforms and live events, including extensive exhibitions, conferences and awards. The Group’s global expansion comes from wholly owned subsidiaries, joint ventures and extensive licensing of key magazines to other publishers.

Haymarket website: www.haymarketgroup.co.uk

For further information about Revolution or Haymarket Media, please contact Paula Fox, Publishing Manager on 020 8267 8038.

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Market Directions, Inc., a brand performance consultancy, recently performed and analyzed a probing market study to establish a baseline of brand awareness and brand value for the Business Marketing Association (BMA).

Kansas City, MO – March 9, 2008, Market Directions, Inc., a brand performance consultancy, recently performed and analyzed a probing market study to establish a baseline of brand awareness and brand value for the Business Marketing Association (BMA). In doing so, the consultancy surveyed the B2B marketing community on numerous issues, including industry trends and future developments.

A theme that came out of the study is blending technology with an appreciation for the fundamentals of marketing and good business sense. The BMA study points to online marketing and ROI accountability as ongoing trends within the industry. Responding market leaders indicated that Web portals, webinars, blogs and other net-based media were the trade tools with the most impact today. Lead evaluation and other analysis tools, as well as Client Relationship Management (CRM) software programs, are other identified trends.

The call is for marketers to use this technology to move beyond tactical demand generation and align marketing activities with the customer buying cycle. Recent advances in software are helping make this happen. However, technology per se should not become the primary focus of the marketing industry. Maintaining an appreciation for the fundamental principles of marketing, and working toward the best interests of the customer, should remain top considerations.

About Market Directions
Market Directions is a Brand Performance consultancy that provides clear direction for brand growth through the voice of the customer. The company helps businesses through new brand acquisition, repositioning, brand extensions — no matter where the brand is in its lifecycle. Market Directions can help define a solution that will translate into business results. For more information visit www.marketdirections.com.

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Integration Adds Multichannel Order Management Features to Popular Shopping Cart Software

Mission Viejo, CA February 20, 2008 — Early Impact, developer of the ProductCart line of shopping cart software, and Stone Edge Technologies, developer of the Order Manager software for centralized order processing, today announced the integration of the two products, which will allow ProductCart users to license the Order Manager to streamline their order management, especially when handling multiple online storefronts and sales channels.

ProductCart e-commerce software is used by thousands of Internet stores to create and manage professional online storefronts. It combines hundreds of sophisticated features with remarkable ease of use and supports dozens of payment gateways, as well as shipping and marketing systems.

The integration between the two systems will allow Stone Edge customers to take advantage of ProductCart’s unique e-commerce features, such as its Build to Order system for selling complex, customizable products and services over the Internet.

The Stone Edge Order Manager provides a single interface for effective order processing in a multichannel environment, where a company’s Web, mail order, and retail businesses are managed in one shared system. The Order Manager is an ideal solution for managing orders and inventory across multiple, ProductCart-powered e-commerce storefronts, while retaining the branding of each individual store.

“Many ProductCart users take orders over the phone, have a retail location, or run multiple online stores with our shopping cart software. They were looking for a robust solution to consolidate order processing in one place.” said Massimo Arrigoni, CEO of Early Impact. “The integration with the Stone Edge Order Manager addresses this need, helping store managers save time and money while becoming more efficient.”

“With just a few clicks, merchants using ProductCart can now import new orders into the Order Manager, where they have easy access to all the features they need to effectively process and fulfill orders,” said Barney Stone, president of Stone Edge Technologies. “And there is real-time inventory synchronization too: if you sell the last unit of a product in your retail store, or re-stock a sold-out product, those inventory adjustments can be reflected immediately in your ProductCart-powered store.”

ProductCart is available starting at $695 per storefront. The Stone Edge Order Manager is available starting at $1500, which includes one shopping cart license, five workstation licenses, and an extended support contract for the first year.

About Early Impact, Inc.
Early Impact develops e-commerce software for small businesses. Its ProductCart line of shopping cart software is used by thousands of Internet stores around the world. Hundreds of Web design companies have chosen it as their e-commerce system of choice for building online storefronts for their customers. Early Impact is a privately owned California corporation, headquartered in Mission Viejo, CA. For more information about the integration between Early Impact’s e-commerce software and the Stone Edge Order Manager, please visit www.earlyimpact.com/productcart/stoneEdge

About Stone Edge Technologies, Inc.
Stone Edge Technologies is a privately owned developer of affordable e-commerce software for small businesses. Barney Stone, a pioneer of database software for desktop computers, founded the company in 1983. Stone Edge began shipping its flagship Order Manager in 2000. Today more than 2,000 Web merchants use the Stone Edge Order Manager to help streamline their businesses. For more information about Stone Edge and its Order Manager software, please visit www.stoneedge.com

Sources: PRWEB/stoneedge.com

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MACWORLD SAN FRANCISCO—January 15, 2008—Apple® today unveiled MacBook® Air, the world’s thinnest notebook. MacBook Air measures an unprecedented 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, while its maximum height of 0.76-inches is less than the thinnest point on competing notebooks. MacBook Air has a stunning 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, a full-size and backlit keyboard, a built-in iSight® video camera for video conferencing, and a spacious trackpad with multi-touch gesture support so users can pinch, rotate and swipe. MacBook Air is powered by a 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache, and includes as standard features 2GB of memory, an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive, and the latest 802.11n Wi-Fi technology and Bluetooth 2.1.

“We’ve built the world’s thinnest notebook—without sacrificing a full-size keyboard or a full-size 13-inch display,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “When you first see MacBook Air, it’s hard to believe it’s a high-performance notebook with a full-size keyboard and display. But it is.”

MacBook Air has a vibrant 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display that is energy efficient, and its spacious trackpad offers multi-touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to browse and rotate photos or zoom into web pages in Safari™. MacBook Air features a full-size keyboard design in a sleek and durable aluminum enclosure. The backlit keyboard makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls, and a built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the display brightness for optimal visibility.

MacBook Air delivers up to five hours of battery life for wireless productivity and includes AirPort Extreme® 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, which delivers up to five times the performance and twice the range of 802.11g*. Apple’s Migration Assistant software now enables users to quickly transfer files, applications and preferences from your old Mac® to MacBook Air right over your wireless network.

MacBook Air users can buy the companion MacBook Air SuperDrive, a compact external drive designed for MacBook Air, for just $99. The MacBook Air SuperDrive® is powered by MacBook Air’s USB port, eliminating the need to carry a separate power adapter. Many MacBook Air users will not find a need for an optical drive now that they can wirelessly rent movies from the iTunes® Store, wirelessly backup files with Time Capsule and access the optical drives on remote PCs or Macs to wirelessly install software applications on MacBook Air.

MacBook Air is powered by Intel Core 2 Duo processors running at 1.6 GHz or 1.8 GHz, and includes as standard 2GB of memory and an 80GB 1.8-inch hard drive. An optional 64GB solid state drive contains no moving parts for added durability. Every MacBook Air includes a micro-DVI port so users can connect to Apple’s gorgeous 20-inch or 23-inch Cinema Displays to extend their desktop or connect to projectors and other displays via DVI, VGA, Composite and S-video adapters. MacBook Air includes USB 2.0 for plugging in peripherals or charging an iPod® or iPhone™, a headphone jack and Apple’s acclaimed MagSafe® Power Adapter designed especially for mobile users.

Every MacBook Air comes with iLife® ‘08, the most significant update ever to Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto® and a completely reinvented iMovie®, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. The new MacBook Air also comes with Leopard™, the sixth major release of the world’s most advanced operating system. Leopard introduces Time Machine™, an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat®. .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a MacBook Air over the Internet while out on the road.

The new MacBook Air embodies Apple’s continuing environmental progress with its aluminum enclosure, a material highly desired by recyclers; Apple’s first mercury-free LCD display with arsenic-free glass; and brominated flame retardant-free material for the majority of circuit boards as well as PVC-free internal cables. In addition, MacBook Air consumes the least amount of power of any Mac, and its retail box, made primarily from 100 percent post-consumer recycled material, is 56 percent smaller by volume than the previously smallest MacBook packaging.

Pricing & Availability
The new MacBook Air will be shipping in two weeks through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), and includes:

* 13.3-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with 1280×800 resolution;
* 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB L2 cache;
* 800 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM;
* 80GB hard disk drive with Sudden Motion Sensor;
* Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100;
* Micro-DVI port (includes Micro-DVI to VGA and Micro-DVI to DVI Adapters);
* built-in iSight video camera;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* one USB 2.0 port;
* one headphone port;
* multi-touch TrackPad with support for advanced multi-touch gestures including tap, scroll, pinch, rotate and swipe; and
* 45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

Build-to-order options and accessories include the ability to upgrade to a 1.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor; 64GB solid state drive, MacBook Air SuperDrive, Apple USB Ethernet Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter, Apple Remote and the AppleCare Protection Plan. Additional build-to-order options also include pre-installed copies of iWork ‘08, Logic® Express 8, Final Cut® Express 4 and Aperture™ 1.5.

*Battery life depends on configuration and use. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. AirPort Extreme is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Sources: Apple

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Bloggers unite. Getting the word out to interested readers just got a lot easier. BlogReach is a new, innovative approach to help bloggers promote their blogs and boost their search engine ranking (SEO). This free widget collects current headlines from participating blogs and displays them on other blogs in related interest areas within the BlogReach network.

Brentwood, UK – January 14, 2008 — The blog community is ready and willing to bring together like-minded individuals who want to hear and be heard–the challenge is finding the right audience. Getting the word out to interested readers just got a lot easier. BlogReach is a new, innovative approach to help bloggers promote their blogs and boost their search engine ranking (SEO).

BlogReach is a free widget that collects current headlines from participating blogs and displays them on other blogs in related interest areas within the BlogReach network. This new service delivers double benefits. First, bloggers can reach a wider audience by tapping into the rapidly expanding network of blog participants. Blogs also improve their SEO ranking by increasing the number of topic-relevant links on their site.

For bloggers, BlogReach is simple to install and free to use. Installation involves pasting a few lines of code or deploying a simple plug-in. The blogger can then customize the appearance of the BlogReach widget to match their blog’s appearance.

Once installed, the BlogReach widget automatically retrieves a blog’s current headline and then displays it on other blogs within the BlogReach network. Headlines are shared between related interest areas, ensuring content enhances the value of the blog to the reader. BlogReach displays direct links to the blog, not redirects, offering maximum impact for SEO optimization.

BlogReach also offers advertising opportunities that are customizable by geographic location, interest area, and more. As a result of the internet networking culture, consumers increasingly expect highly targeted content that is specifically relevant to their interests. BlogReach is an innovative means for companies to maximize their marketing investment, focusing their efforts on a market that will welcome their messages.

Measurement is essential to creating and maintaining an effective presence online. BlogReach delivers the online statistics and tracking that bloggers and advertisers need to evaluate their impact and to adjust their approach in real-time. BlogReach offers free sign up and more information for advertisers at www.blogreach.com.

About LogicNow:
LogicNow is an innovator of browser-based software solutions that streamline client tracking, billing, and customer communications. The company’s brands, Kambee, PerlDesk, LogicBill, and LogicReach, provide a range of solutions for web monitoring, internet surveying, help desk management, and ecommerce. LogicNow solutions are used globally by over 8,000 customers including governments, universities, large enterprises, and small businesses. www.logicnow.com

Provided by gh consulting – gordian hense

Invesp, a marketing consulting boutique that offers conversion optimization services, announced that its clients had an average conversion rate of 11.12 percent in 2007, which translates into an increase of up to 321 percent in online revenue.

Detroit, MI January 14, 2008 — Most large online companies have reported a soar in their sales. Companies with significant web presences such as Amazon, Bestbuy and Motorola were able to drive hundreds of thousands of visitors to their sites and as a result reported double digit growth in sales. Other e-commerce sites do not have such brand awareness and are not enjoying the same revenue growth. Most of these sites are turning to conversion optimization companies to help them boost sales. Invesp, a marketing consulting boutique, announced that its clients had an average conversion rate of 11.12 percent in 2007 reporting an increase of up to 321 percent in online revenue.

The fact is that at the heart of every ecommerce website is someone whose job is to increase revenue. As there is an increased pressure on online retailers to generate more sales, these sites are trying to figure out ways to convert more of their traffic into actual consumers, which is why it is crucial to focus on conversion rates. Data tracked by Invesp Consulting, a marketing optimization company, indicates that online conversion rates have been on a steady decline for the last 6 years. Fireclick index, which provides an objective comparison of key metrics across a variety of segments, reported that ecommerce website reported an average conversion rate of 6 percent in the year 2000, but by 2007, most ecommerce sites are reporting an average less than 2 percent.

Surprisingly, these rates have not always been this low. Ecommerce sites used to experience more sales because of limited competition. They were not required to be optimized nor designed with users in mind. But with the boom in e-retailing sites, competition is fierce. Sites are turning to conversion optimization methods with one goal in mind: trying to figure out the best way to increase online conversions.

And companies should be concerned with conversions since there are more users than ever online. Users are picky, if the site does not capture their attention because of the lack of optimization and focus, they will click out within seconds. That translates into hundreds of dollars in lost sales.

For an ecommerce site driving 50,000 visitors a day, a 2 percent conversion rate may suffice. But, conversion rate doesn’t have to stop at that low number. Ayat Shukairy, a managing partner at Invesp Consulting (www.invesp.com), says, “if you’ve already invested hundreds of thousands into your online platform, you are getting tens of thousands of visitors to your site every day. Increasing your website conversion rate can mean getting 1,000 orders instead of 500 orders. Our clients are reporting an average of 11 percent conversion rate. That translates into 321 percent increase in revenue. If companies do not fix the problem with their website, then they are simply leaving money on the table for competitors to take.”

But there is hope for ecommerce sites; an online presence has a lot to offer. Increasing online Conversion rate via conversion optimization consulting is the solution for sites ready to see improvements. Optimized sites report tremendous increases in their conversion rates.

Online marketing and selling has always been a challenge because of the anonymity of the customer. However, with great online marketing tools and analytics, this data is no longer inaccessible. Ayat Shukairy adds: “Understanding your online visitor/customer is the first hurdle ecommerce companies must overcome in order to see a jump in conversion rates in sales. Once the customer is tacit, the process to improving rates and getting more from your online ROI begins.”

An upcoming company in the conversion optimization space, Invesp has a unique and successful methodology in terms of increasing conversion rate. The approach has been developed as a result of years of experience within the industry and the collaboration of a unique team of experts. They have developed a framework that will assist ecommerce sites to see their customers from a different perspective. Once the consumer is understood and accounted for, the site is built upon that knowledge which will lead to higher conversion rates.

Khalid Hajsaleh, CEO at Invesp, concurs: “Many companies try to solve the problem of low conversion rates by testing thousands of variations of your pages and determining what works best. That is an expensive and in many times an ineffective way to solve the problem. Our approach involves starting from the ground up. We understand your market, develop personas, develop the page, and then test a few calculated variations. This method has proven to get better results.”

Invesp consulting is an online marketing and conversion optimization company that offers a variety of conversion services including landing page optimization (www.invesp.com/marketing-services/landing-page-creation-optimization.html) and full conversion services (www.invesp.com/marketing-services/conversion-services.html). For more information contact Mie El-Bohy at (248) 562-7583 or via e-mail at email protected from spam bots.

Strategic Marketing Agency Offers Expert Tips to Improve the Content of Corporate Web Sites

East Northport, NY January 14, 2008 — Does your web site content reflect your company’s brand story today? Or does it just use the same content as your old brochures? Are you greeting your site visitors with the tone you want to reflect your corporate personality? Communication Strategy Group, a strategic marketing agency, enables marketers and web designers to develop strong brand content for web sites and other collateral, so your content matches the design of your web and marketing materials, providing a more compelling brand experience for your customers.

The agency has also developed a set of Expert Tips for Marketers and Web Designers to Make Corporate Web Sites Tell a Better Sounding Story to help marketers and web designer build a better web site experience.

“Communication Strategy Group supports growing technology and professional services companies through strategic public relations, marketing collateral development, brand evaluations and executive media and presentation coaching. We help companies develop and deliver strong brand stories – We call it Brandtelling™,” says Arthur Germain, Communication Strategy Group principal. “In our work with marketers and web designers we have been able to develop content that creatively articulates brands to more strongly reflect their visual elements.”

Three Expert Tips for Marketers and Web Designers to Make Corporate Web Sites Tell a Better Sounding Story:

Tip #1: Sell it the way your customer wants to buy it.
You may like calling your product an “air and brush-driven consumer cleaning technology” but your customers call it a vacuum. Use terms your customers expect to see when they come to your web site.

Tip #2: Skip the jargon.
Take time to explain your TLAs (three letter acronyms), industry terms and jargon when describing products and services. Use terms that your customers understand and can remember.

Tip #3: Use your voice to show you care.
Make sure your site copy reflects the language that you would use in a corporate office setting. Use adjectives and other descriptive language that help creatively articulate and express your brand.

Companies interested in learning more ways to develop stronger web content and the powerful brand stories that can accelerate their marketing may visit Communication Strategy Group web site at www.GoCSG.com or email info @ gocsg.com.

About Communication Strategy Group
Communication Strategy Group (www.GoCSG.com) helps your brand story become remembered, repeated and rewarded. We focus on building and supporting a strategic plan for client communications in order to create strong, consistent messages and presentations that have the greatest impact. The Communication Strategy Group team comprises senior level communications professionals – writers, journalists, technology marketers, public relations executives, media trainers – who work directly on client accounts to achieve results. Our clients include growing companies in technology, media and professional services industries. For more information, please call 1-631-239-6335 or visit us at www.GoCSG.com

Search Marketing Expo – SMX West today announced that Jim Lanzone, Brad Goldberg and Peter Norvig will join moderators Chris Sherman and Gord Hotchkiss for the ‘Generation Next’ keynote discussion. Panel participants will discuss recent and current initiatives that are changing the search marketing landscape, as well as predict upcoming search trends. The keynote discussion will take place on Thursday, February 28 at 9AM.
Redding, CT January 7, 2008 — Search Marketing Expo – SMX West today announced that Jim Lanzone, Brad Goldberg and Peter Norvig will join moderators Chris Sherman and Gord Hotchkiss for the ‘Generation Next’ keynote discussion. Panel participants will discuss recent and current initiatives that are changing the search marketing landscape, as well as predict upcoming search trends. The keynote discussion will take place on Thursday, February 28 at 9AM.

SMX West takes place February 26-28, 2008 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in the heart of Silicon Valley, California. SMX West is programmed for search marketers of all skill levels; the event features more than 50 sessions conducted by search marketing community’s most well known experts and practitioners.

“To have visionaries from three of the world’s major search engines–Ask, Google and Microsoft–discussing the current state of search and looking into the future will be a great experience for our attendees,” said conference co-chair and keynote moderator Chris Sherman. “It will be a fascinating experience for those who’ve been involved in search for years, as well as those who are brand new to search marketing.”

About the Panelists
Jim Lanzone, CEO of Ask.com
As CEO of Ask.com, Jim Lanzone is responsible for overseeing world-wide business operations. Ask.com is one of the world’s leading search engines, with more than 20 million users per month, offering unique tools and technologies that make search better. Previous to his role as CEO, Lanzone served as senior vice president and general manager of Ask.com US, leading product management, marketing and engineering for the Company. Lanzone joined Ask.com as vice president of product management in 2001.

Brad Goldberg, General Manager, Search Business Group, Microsoft Corporation
As General Manager of the Search Business Group, Brad Goldberg is responsible for product management, product planning, and marketing for Search. This includes current and future versions, and spans all search verticals like Local and Image Search, as well as customer segments including consumer and enterprise. Prior to this role, Brad was the General Manager of the Windows Client Product Management Group where he led product management, launch and planning for the Windows Vista as well as Internet Explorer, Windows Media Player, and Windows Update Services.

Peter Norvig, Director of Research, Google Inc.
Peter Norvig is Director of Research at Google Inc. He is a Fellow of the American Association for Artificial Intelligence and the Association for Computing Machinery, and co-author of ‘Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach’, the leading textbook in the field. Previously he was head of Computational Sciences at NASA. He also served as an assistant professor at the University of Southern California and a research faculty member at the University of California at Berkeley Computer Science Department, from which he received a Ph.D. in 1986 and the distinguished alumni award in 2006.

Registration Information
Registration from now through January 11th will be $1195 and then until February 25th will be $1395. On-site registration will be $1595. Visit SMX West to register.

About Search Marketing Expo – SMX West and Third Door Media
Search Marketing Expo — SMX West is produced by Third Door Media, Inc. Third Door Media’s mission is to empower interactive and search marketing professionals by providing trusted content and community services they need to be successful. Other Search Marketing Expo events include SMX Advanced, SMX Local & Mobile, SMX Social Media, SMX Travel @ PhoCusWright, SMX London and SMX East.

Third Door Media also publishes the fast-growing search marketing news and analysis site Search Engine Land. The company also produces Search Marketing Now, a lead-generation marketing solution for suppliers of SEM-related products and services, and Sphinn.com, the place for web, online, search, interactive and internet marketers to share news stories, talk within subject-specific discussion forums, build a network and stay connected to hot topics in internet marketing.

For additional information Search Marketing Expo – SMX West, or to schedule interviews with Danny Sullivan and Chris Sherman, contact Amy Hooker, 910-362-8004 or amy at mavencom.com.

For Third Door Media, contact Claire Schoen, 203-664-1350 or claire at thirddoormedia.com