My eBay seller community site for sale

As some of you may know, I recently built an online community site for eBay sellers, helping them protect themselves against bad and unprofitable bidders (since that eBay doesn’t allow sellers to leave negative feedback on bidders anymore).

The site has been getting rave reviews from ebay sellers and industry bloggers. Even the Wall Street Journal called me to ask me about it!

I’m looking to sell it now as I need cash for my next project! (and I like building things more than I like managing them…;-) )

 

James Brown & Banner Advertising

James Brown, the Hardest Working Man in Show Biz, earned his titles with his splits, hard hitting grooves, riffs and stabs. Carrying the funk scene on his shoulders for years, even when funk was in the funk, was a tall order for a short man. But he did it.

The interactive advertising industry, like the music industry, has its own lineup of characters to make sure the beat goes on. For online advertising, the hardest working medium in the biz has to be the banner ad. Like Mr. Brown, it has survived new trends and new kids on the block, yet has found ways to get on up and get even.

Banner’s got a brand new bag

Recently, renewed interest in the banner ad has been fueled by new targeting technologies coupled with more visually engaging and interactive Flash and video formats. The hardest working ad format in the biz, is working even harder. But working for what?

It seems that the industry has chosen to take advantage of these technological improvements in two ways: Create more relevant advertising (via better targeting) and secondly, more engaging ads (via richer media experiences).

More relevant advertising generates more clicks. Can’t argue with that logic. However, I’m not sure advertisers have quite figured out what to do with the new rich(er) media ads. My gut feeling says that many advertisers are investing in this type of advertising purely for their branding effect. Maybe the thinking is “if we can’t make users click, let’s at least make the experience memorable, and score high on brand recall and awareness.” That’s a tall order for a small banner.

Take them to center stage

So, I have an issue with this thinking. If you want to do brand advertising, why resort to a 728×90 or 350 x 250 pixel canvas on a 3rd party site? Why wouldn’t brand advertisers’ primary goal be to get the user to click away from the publisher page and into a rich, interactive environment completely under the control of the advertiser? Why tap-dance in a closet when you can do splits center stage?

A different second act for the banner

At Linkstorm we have chosen to take a different approach to improving banner efficiency that stands in contrast to both how “other vendors” think about targeting as well as engagement.

Targeting: We believe that the best targeting technology can never truly know what the user really wants. Our format is designed to allow the user to quickly identify and navigate to content that is relevant to them.

User Engagement: We believe that the best place to convert a customer, whatever the campaign goal is, is on the advertiser’s site, not in the banner. Our banners are therefore designed to be a conduit rather than a destination, where we increase both the quantity and quality of the traffic the advertiser receives. Simply, more & better clicks.

- vidar

Adtech San Francisco

Just back from exhibiting at ad:tech SF. Lots of fun and interesting new companies. Can’t be easy to be a marketer with so many exciting, new ways to get in front of one’s customers…

Linkstorm, with only 8 other companies out of the hundreds of exhibitors, were selected by ad:tech for a special ‘hot new company’ press briefing, and it was very encouraging to see the interest among the attending press and bloggers.

Other companies that I though were interesting included:

Placecast / 1020 inc.

Lotame

AdShuffle

and ion interactive

The Brilliant Google App Engine Strategy

Google gets it and is ready to do to the web what Microsoft did for the Desktop.

Microsoft won the desktop wars not only because everybody was using their OS, but because they also ensured the continued success of their OS by having the best developer tools to ensure a steady stream of new applications.

Now, with the web is the new OS, Google is the only company who is seriously building an ecosystem of applications and developer tools and resources to develop, host and launch new applications. (Yahoo and Microsoft is dabbling with this too – but they are followers with no clear strategy or credibility. They are focused to catching up to Google as an ad machine, and are thus many steps behind).

What’s so smart about Google is that their approach is always a little more long term focused than their competitors. The App Engine, Google Gagdets, Gadget Ads, OpenSocial, Android, etc. will shortly be highly integrated web OS components that will ensure Google’s dominance. Like Microsoft, these Google initiatives may not be designed to play well with other technologies, but then again, that’s how you create lock in.

Facebook apps will be a footnote in the history of cross-platform apps. Amazon’s EC2 and S3 services are doomed for death by Google. 

Google to enter clean energy business

I’m extremely excited to see that Google has chosen to turn green by investing in companies that offer green energy technology, as well as invest in its own research for the development of renewable energy.

Granted, the real-world impact of Google’s involvement might be small at this stage, but it’s a significant step forward in the right direction, and it sends a strong message:

• Google is showing that it makes business sense for companies to turn green.
• Google is showing that protecting the environment is every business’ business. Companies can and must step outside their core business to solve environmental challenges, instead of expecting under-funded, renewable research initiatives to magically produce results.
• Google is betting on that being environmentally conscious will pay dividends with consumers who subscribe to a green philosophy. Strangely enough, this is how capitalism may be the best ideology to save the environment.

http://www.news.com/Google-to-enter-clean-energy-business/2100-13844_3-6220341.html?tag=st.num

What’s Steve Jobs Thinking? There’s a 75% chance this is it

So, the answer to my previous post has been attempted to get answered by Piper Jaffray:

http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=1719

WEB 2.0 Hype, Hope and Unbridled Enthusiasm

One of the most frustrating things about working in an interactive agency is all the hype you have to sort through and explain to clients and prospects. They tear out pages from Wired magazine or send us a link to some article about a new technology that will solve everything, including world hunger.

“Why don’t we have this – why aren’t we doing this. I want my Web 2.0!”

I did say frustrating, but don’t get me wrong; it’s not something I’d rather do without!

It’s the price to pay for progress. In fact, I’m thrilled about the Web 2.0 hype – first of all because it is not all hype – but most of all because people are energized. Marketers are looking to the web for solutions, looking to dotcom agencies for reach and ROI.

It has really taken us quite some time to recover from the burst of the dotcom bubble. Not until the last couple of years has the web started to get its edge back; financially, in terms high-profile innovation and investments, ad spend and the impact on our lives in general. Dotcom is no longer a swearword.

There will be another shakeout, like in any maturing market. I don’t necessarily think the industry as a whole got it ‘right’ this time either. But smart companies are making new mistakes, not old ones. That’s what’s cool and that’s why Web 2.0 is more than new technology – it’s also new hope and energy.

What’s Steve Jobs Thinking? Probably Nothing.

There has been quite a debate with dystrophic and optimistic projections equally divided on the future of the MacOS and the Apple’s hardware. Everybody is trying to decipher Steve Job’s playbook as it really mattered what he’s thinking anyway. Granted, he made a bold move with moving to Intel chips, and he might have a handful of scenarios on its effect on the market and how to respond over time. Or maybe not.

Take the iPod, for example. When copycats started to integrate video with their products, Jobs dismissed it as a feature without merit. He said that while music is something that can be enjoyed to it’s fullest through any device that plugs into your ears, a small screen will can never to the same justice to video. I agreed then, and I agree now. However, the market begged to differ. Now video iPods are what’s hot and the cell phone industry attempts to bring small-screen video to the masses.

Thus, I’d be surprised if Jobs has more than a 2 year plan at the best! Jobs strength lies in making bold moves that shake the market and then adjusting his course to maintain momentum. Right now, to paraphrase Seinfeld, I think Jobs is thinking about “nothing.”

If only many small startups could be this nimble….