Search Around The World
The following article has been published by icrossing, the premier US search engine marketing company, and features input from First Rate’s Jon Ostler. The article is part two in a series looking at regional search engines around the world.
THIS WEEK’S PANEL IS FLUENT with both ‘so suo en gin xuan quan’ and search engine marketing. Last week, we heard what excites and frustrates search engine marketers in Europe. Now we turn to experts from the Asia-Pacific.
Collateral Damage: “Banners, a weapon that misses its target 99.75% of the time”
Written by Jon Ostler – founder of First Rate
Would you use a weapon that fails to hits its target 99.75% of the time? If you are using banner ads to generate traffic then this is exactly what you are doing. The average click trough rate for banners tracked by DoubleClick is now <0.25% so you will get only 2.5 clicks for every 1,000 banners displayed (CPM).
This article is not an attack on the use of banner ads, but rather a review of the good, the bad, and the ugly methods being used by online advertisers in an attempt to generate traffic from banners (or blood from a stone).
10 Ways Forward – Cover Story
Losing market share at the speed of light? Here’s Jon Ostler’s 10-step revival plan.
Your online traffic is climbing, your leads or sales have been increasing month by month but you’re still way off the number-one Hitwise position and your competitors are catching up fast.
E-Tools For Marketers
Jon Ostler, technical director for First Rate, an Auckland based search engine marketing specialist knows all about generating business through the web. His team works with clients to maximise the performance on online marketing campaigns – campaigns that can often be up and running and returning measurable sales in a matter of hours.
Angels Turn Firms Into Bright Sparks
Jon Ostler left his job with military intelligence to boost his commercial nous and, hopefully, to make a few more bucks.
Less than four years later his firm, web marketing consultancy First Rate, has a turnover of more than a $1 million, employs eight people and is about to appoint a chief executive to take the firm global.