5 Layers of Modern Internet Development and Marketing
Written by Mike Mann
1. Content & apps ............................................................................................................................. 1 2. Viral marketing, PR, affiliates, conversion tests, best practices ................................................... 3 3. Optimization, education, analytics (SEO/PPC), decision making ................................................. 5 4. Customer service experience and project management ............................................................. 6 5. Technology environments ............................................................................................................ 7
1. Content & apps
What are the key metrics (measurable success factors) you are following for your site? Mission, audience, and value proposition of site/organization? What do you want each to do when they get to your site? End goal of visit? IM/email contact import function (Outlook, Gmail+apps, AOL, Skype, Yahoo ) Interfaces for FaceBook, iPhone, RSS, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr, Linkedin, Digg, SalesForce.com, WordPress , SugarCRM, MySpace, Technorati, Delicious, Poddeck, SecondLife, Docstoc, rapleaf, KickApps, CrowdVine, tubemogul, iframes of other sites Case studies, called “Success Stories” Testimonials Blog postings up to date? Sources for more compelling content to drive traffic and conversions? Content uploaded to YouTube, Knol.Google, docstoc, edocs, other? Videoblogging? Web Street Journal content? What additional documents do you have in your document portfolio about your company/site? Updates in word for redline. Flash or PPT product presentation explaining your business to prospective clients? Updated PDF “One pager” explaining your business that we can distribute? Flash tour
storyboards, flash sites overall, flash presentations? Investor presentations? Photo/Video/Music/Audio/Radio/ -- upload/download/stream – what is multimedia strategy and applications? How can you dynamically deliver your site content for varying users, subscribers vs. not would see a different home page, and any components could be similarly customized for disparate audiences? GeoIP tagging to customize, localize, personalize. Using flash cookies/(Local) Shared Objects. How can you leverage webinars like Gotowebinar.com for example? Other online events? Communities and groups, profiles, games, Comments and messaging, Calendar of events, News Channel -News Ticker-Video News archive, Classifieds, Search box for site and related strategy, Polls/Surveys , Ecards, stories to tag and index, secret shopper, gift certificates What are you doing with Mturk and other crowdsources to generate new content? Speak to Mturk experts. Crowdspring, Sitebuilder, Sitepoint, Elance, 99designs.com ifreelance, Guru.com, Audio.com, what else? Have you reviewed Constant-Content, Commission Junction, Epic-marketing, shopping.com, Associated Content, Affiliatesummit.com, and competitors? Other affiliate marketing or content generating ideas with partners? Syndicated content? Social network user inputs? Uploads, votes, chat and video chat integration, other social networking apps, etc.
2. Viral marketing, PR, affiliates, conversion tests, best practices
Top prospects for partnerships? Cross linking and marketing partnerships with our other sites and companies, best SEO strategy accordingly. Integrating charity and investor logos/text Press plan – clear messaging globally, special messages for each service and notable timely items, Current press releasable stuff? List of reporters in your market who will spin your press releases or interview you? Celebs backing site, athlete sponsorships Widget strategy for us and outside providers and users? iFrames of other sites to converge content? Special offers, Contests, Sweepstakes Email newsletters and other email correspondence to customers Professional groups: Meetups, Boards of Trade, online associations, local tech events, MindShare, YEO YPO, AngelCap, Technet.org, Septemberthird , what else? List of bloggers in your market who will carry your rss? Chambers tedco mdhitech Gift/Wish list widget Bookmarking site/Favorites tagging – ask people to bookmark site when they leave Friend activities Print ads Conferences you’d like to associate with? Ad specialty trinkets Biz cards with special offers Demographic questionnaires with incentives to customize localize personalize user experience Are you familiar with the offerings of these sites and what if any plan to leverage each?: Linkshare and Tradedoubler. oddcast.com MarketingSherpa, MarketingExperiments Makeuseof.com – Mashable - marketingprofs.com - Digitalppoint - Webtalkforums -
Webmaster Forum - Webmaster Forums Online - Warrior Forums - The V7 -5Star Affiliate Forum - mediabistro.com Wikipedia listings
3. Optimization, education, analytics (SEO/PPC), decisions
What are the latest SEO recommendations from the experts managing your site? Which sites and email lists are you on for SEO, LPO, modern site development, etc? What is the latest situation with your PPC campaign? What more can be tried? Why shouldn’t you increase your PPC spending? A/B Multivariate testing of SEM and SEO strategies , landing page conversion, Check cross browser compatibility with IE6, IE7, Firefox, Chrome and Safari, iPhone, etc With varying speeds and technologies, and keep ping on network services. Document testing methodology. Functional, load, performance, stress, volume, security, usability, localization, data migration, automated tests. What analytics packages are you using and how do I login, Yield Software, Google Analytics, Quantcast Alexa, Compete.com, Woopra, AWstats, Comscore, Hitwise, Spyfu Google searchwiki? Reach local? Keyword tools -- wordtracker.com, websiteoutlook.com Adwords, Google insights, Google trends
4. Customer service experience and project management
Product fulfillment - one vendor, multivendor xml integration, or can you own and white label your own brand(s)? Site content for customers (as opposed to sales prospects) (dynamic site delivery), internal control panel offerings?(customize, localize, personalize) Prominent phone number and other responsive contact info linked to CRM VOIP integration Upsellit/liveagents LivePerson/LiveHelp – BoldChat Linktrust.com Blogtv operator11 – “our agent would like to speak with you, cancel, etc “ Email/Web Newsletter? Faq EZ-Ticket, PHP Ticket, Help Desk Pilot, Kayako, and Hdeskonclick, Revelation Help Desk What contact management system are you using? Is it integrated with your web site? Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, HighRise, Trumpia.com, other? How is email managed to site? Forms? Is it integrated with your CRM and are you using CRM proficiently? What are you doing to address spam? Do you have or want Basecamp setup, backpackit.com, activecollab.com, so we can share info on projects? Internal website to track key metrics and drivers. Other intranet options? Google docs? A wiki, MS Sharepoint?
5. Technology environments
Do you have control and backups of all your code and intellectual property, clear title? Ability to sublicense or reuse for other sites? CMS strategy? Wordpress, Joomla, Sitecore, Edirectory.com, Drupal, Elgg, Pligg, Ning ONEsite PeopleAggregator pluck? or other ? Wire frame of your site? Taxonomy /site maps - generated in CMS? Good UI, modern search and browse technology, parametric, other navigational elements Do you have an online store and what platform? What is your current and future plan to fulfill orders? OSCommerce, XCart, Zen Cart, Miva, Paypal, Authorize.net, Stormpay, Commodo, Magento, Xcart A third party fulfillment Vendor Integration Module provides ability to sell multiple vendors products, a system allowing for the expedited import of select product data and images –(Snowboards.com?) In what manner are you deploying Ajax, Flex, Ruby, RSS, XML, server side includes? What other modern technologies would you like to discuss. In what ways is software or hardware providing security to your site? Truste? Thawte? Level of encryption and parts of site where its required? What web server software? What hosting platform? Long term plan for hosting infrastructure? What are you doing to backup your site? Redundancy? Monitoring? Code repositories, version control? What level of indexing are you on Google, ie Pr5 is indexed fast Spam Assassin, filtering on the server through known SORBS lists. What does your whois record say? Is your domain registration and whois up to date? Are there ancillary domains your company should buy to grow or protect your business? What is the status of negotiations? Other IP development and protections?---------------------------------------(3D flash players?), (open video, JV FLV )