PixelMEDIA Inc.

The Google AdWords Content Network has come a long way in the last year.  Before some necessary enhancements were implemented I was wary of the Content Network and believed it to be a waste of money.  Though I still have concerns, the Content Network now has the ability to be much more targeted and provide conversions.

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As “Web Analytics” becomes an increasingly hot topic in our digital world, there seems to be more and more confusion about what it really means and why it is important.  Web Analytics is currently the most effective way you can measure whether your web properties are performing successfully.  Haven’t you always wanted a concrete answer to the question, “How is our website doing?”  Well, that is exactly what web analytics can tell you.

If you have already started down the web analytics path, it is important to note that there will be preconceived notions about Web Analytics that may take considerable effort to adjust.  Senior management may already be keeping an eye on website traffic, page views, or bounce rates, but those numbers are only important in light of your business goals and website objectives.

For example, a client of ours routinely provided website visit data to senior management, who relied on this information to measure the ROI of their corporate website.  If  traffic was going up, everyone was happy, but when traffic was trending down, the site was thought to be underperforming.  Yet, their business was not driven by site visits, but by sales, which are measured in submitted leads from the various forms.  A well-targeted search engine marketing campaign may actually bring fewer, but better qualified leads.  If site traffic goes down, but sales increase; management should be pleased – but they won’t see the gains if they are not paying attention to the right metrics. 

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The goal of any good web firm should be to provide clients with the best possible online face to the world.  Notice, however, that I use the term “best possible”.  The reality is that we as developers, designers, information architects, content strategists, account managers and project managers, are often limited by the budget, particularly in this difficult economy.  While a $100,000 website redesign might be off the table during tough times, “small victories” in key places can happen as part of the regular support and maintenance of your website, and often have a big impact.

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So I was asked to write a year in review of 2009.  I was challenged trying to remember all the “awful” things that happened due to the worst recession since the depression, chaos in the financial markets, and a stock market that was about 30-40% off its peak.  These things are usually a recipe for the three most common things we hear when we are having challenges closing new business – “The proposal is sitting on the CFO’s desk”, “I cannot approve that amount like a used to”, and “That person does not work here anymore.”   So, yes, we did have a few of those, but that did not deter us from pushing forward in spite of these challenges. (Read More…)

Staying productive while offering stellar customer service and support

Most web developers prefer to work behind the scenes, while an account manager handles day-to-day contact with clients.  Chances are, this is exactly why they have chosen to be a developer and not an account manager.  However, for small agencies and organizations, it’s not uncommon for developers to take on both roles.  Developer gets request; developer develops; developer stages; developer emails client; client sends approval; developer pushes live.  There’s a unique rhythm to the entire process and developers will quickly learn the rewards and challenges of wearing both hats.

Client-facing developers have the opportunity to interact on a personal level with their clients, and the challenge of juggling project management and development work simultaneously.  It’s truly a remarkable skill, especially if you provide your clients with on-demand support and handle a large volume of work everyday.

Here are some tips for the client-facing developer to maintain efficiency while delivering stellar customer service and support (these are also applicable to Account Managers and Project Managers): (Read More…)

Business Challenge
Logica is a global solutions company providing management and IT consulting, systems integration, and outsourcing services. They offer 29 localized country websites in 19 languages with staff at each location to manage their respective content. With numerous geographically distributed editors each maintaining their regional sites, the global IT staff was facing a growing challenge with consistency. Logica needed a custom content management system (CMS) that would meet a host of needs:

• Integrate easily with their global web presence
• Establish and maintain brand consistency
• Ensure each site’s compliance with corporate Web standards
• Eliminate publishing and timing barriers across global and localized sites
• Provide better accountability and auditing tools
• Improve the efficiency of deploying Web content

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Google AdWords has recently added three new features to the paid platform. Two of the features are still in beta and only available to select advertisers, but all three help to bring better targeted ads to users. John A. Lee of The Clix Marketing PPC Blog does a good job of explaining these new features.

The new feature I am going to discuss is Ad Sitelinks.  Similar to the sitelinks you see in an organic listing, the paid Sitelinks allow four additional links to show within your ad.  Take the example below:

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As new plugins become available to developers every day, jQuery is quickly becoming one of the most popular javascript libraries.  jQuery is an easy solution for interactive development and a remarkable alternative to traditional flash-based components.  In fact, the versatility of jQuery is truly astounding and in many ways, makes it a much better alternative to Flash. 

Although jQuery isn’t known to be the best solution for 3-D and vector-based graphics, there are several other areas in which jQuery out-performs Flash. (Read More…)

I am going back to the basics with this entry and discussing how to write text ads that will garner clicks. Too often I see ineffective ad copy that leads to low click-thru-rates (CTRs). I will share why it is necessary to include your targeted keywords in your ad copy and techniques to make your ads stand out.

First and foremost, when you write ads “one size fits all” does not apply. Why not? Let’s take a look at this example. When I search for “Panasonic televisions” I see these ads.

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In mid-July, two hockey sticks showed up on the desk of designer Onur Orhon. These weren’t the ordinary sticks you’d see at a sporting goods store: they were prototypes straight from the headquarters of Bauer Hockey, of the updated One95 stick and the brand-new Vapor X:60. All the hockey fans at PixelMEDIA crowded around and hefted the sticks, inspecting the technical innovations and admiring their lighter weight.

The sticks stayed in the office through the fall, as the PixelMEDIA team worked to bring them online. Bauer Hockey hired PixelMEDIA to tackle the MY BAUER project, a rich Flash application where players can purchase and personalize Bauer’s top-of-the-line sticks. From choosing a pattern, grip, and color to printing a player’s name right on the stick, MY BAUER walks users through their choices and gives a three-dimensional preview of their purchase. (Read More…)