In a prepared statement
Monday, the New England 's largest newspaper said that
digital copies of the newspaper will be available for
purchase for 50 cents for the daily edition and $2 for
the Sunday edition. Subscriptions are listed at $3.75
a week for seven days and $1.50 for Sunday only.
From the internet June 10, 2002
The most
popular topic of the last few days is Tom Hespos' "Can
web GRPs be better than traditional GRPs?" Tom wrote,
"We've been looking to traditional concepts like reach,
frequency and GRPs to bring compatible metrics to the
web. Yet, it's possible to buy against audiences with
multiple qualifiers on the web. This begs the question:
Will we tilt the playing field in interactive's favor by
producing a more targeted rating point than our
traditional counterparts?"
In response, one
Spin Board member wrote, "I think this bodes well for the
Internet behemoths and the Network/s, who can slice down
their audiences according to demo & psychographic
info. Despite the downfall of many sites and networks,
the Internet remains too segmented to allow for real
reach metrics to apply on single site buys with multiple
selects for audience targeting. Imagine the nightmare of
buying or selling hundreds of $500 campaigns." Another
response read, "I believe that GRPs will eventually be
replaced by NRPs: From Gross rating points to NET rating
points. NET will stand for the Internet as well as for
the decrease of inaccuracy compared to the rather
theoretical formula of
GRPs."
On the Internet nobody knows you're a dog,
"Bark twice if you've been bitten."
by Jerry
W. Bird
One
of my favorite tapes is "Some Dogs I have Known," by Fred
Vogt, which compares the personalities of the speaker's
pet poodles and sundry other breeds with that of certain
people he has known. In every measure of loyalty,
courage, trust, patience and determination, the dogs
always came out on top.
Are you
not surprised? Most dogs I have known are proper ladies
and gentlemen in their own right; but then there are the
junkyard curs, scavengers and pit bulls - right?
Everybody and his proverbial dog these days claims to be
a Web Expert. So its so easy as 1-2-3 to be taken in.
(continued)
How to
incorporate "Automatic Response" on your e-mail
http://www.automaticresponse.com/content.asp?page=home
Hotel
and Restaurant Study puts the brakes
on E- Commerce Fast Train
The
following points from "THE GAPS IN E-COMMERCE," make a
lot of sense. They are based on an International Hotel
and Restaurant Association study on the impact of
automation and information technology on the hospitality
industry. The IHRA has identified the following "gaps"
the hospitality industry will have to close if it is to
succeed in the e-commerce environment.
•
The gulf between the promise of what technology can do
and what is actually being delivered.
• The
digital divide isolating senior management with no IT
background from their IT savvy juniors.
• The
technology skills vacuum in the
industry.
• The
time lag between the spiraling expectations of the
younger generation and the slow speed of adoption of
it in hospitality.
• The
void in the existing body of knowledge available on
technology applications and their
impacts.
• The
absence of methodology to evaluate both tangible and
intangible returns on technology
investments.
• The
polarization between state-of-the-art high-tech
infrastructure and the high-touch (personalized)
experience many guests want.
Flakes and
Flimflam
I love
that popular cartoon of two mutts, with one commenting, "
on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog." Welcome to
the kennel. A new book I am working on will expose this
plague of rampant hucksterism, as countless phonies,
featherheads and frauds invade this great new
communications vehicle. It's a reincarnation of the
medicine men, flimflams and fortune tellers from the
Barnum and Bailey era. A honky tonk parade, with a paper
moon and cotton candy promises. For the army of
hucksters, its a giant Halloween party and Mardis Gras
rolled into one, as their masquerade continues unabated.
Lots of tricks, but no treats for the
gullible.
Being Hounded?
These cheeky characters are wolves in sheep's
clothing, yet in a comical way they remind me of the
cartoon character Wile E. Coyote, with his numerous plots
and schemes. Remember how they all blow up in his face? A
friend of ours endured several hair raising experiences
over a two year period, having hired some of these self
appointed web experts. I managed to set them free, but it
took much patience.
What's
more, I've a bone to pick with those who mess up their
web pages with dead ends, traps, whiz bangs, snakes and
ladders. Confusing cross-promotional links put the
searcher in Never Never Land, which happens often and
makes me growl.
Quck Turn Offs
Research shows that the average user has almost zero
tolerance for such complexity. Don't these idiots realize
that most folks have small screens, minimal skills and
snail-like modems? Yet, a legion of web owners get
carried away by their own greed, a fondness for techno
toys, or the urge to be cute with pictures and words.
This makes it extremely frustrating for a person to buy,
search further, or even stay on line. The harder one has
to search for a product, the easier it is to leave a
site. And with each click of the mouse, or level of
depth, you lose 25 percent of your customers. In a study
of major online retailers, 39 percent of online customer
buying attempts and 56 percent of product searches
failed. In one test a researcher went four levels deep
into the site without finding a simple graphic or display
of the company's core product. Let's hear your
experiences.
Send
E-Mail to
Jerry W. Bird, Editor
Air Highways Magazine
or fax 604-681-6595
Apples
for Africa
At Aviation
and Travel Media, we've enjoyed the privilege of working
on some of the finest desktop publishing and general
computing equipment in the world. Now we're focused on
bringing the Internet and computer skills to thousands of
eager students across Africa, whom we visit every year
during our news gathering and educational
trips.
Africa Travel
Magazine, supported by Africa Travel Association's
Canadian and Northwest USA Chapter. are launching a
campaign to provide computers, software and on-site
training to village schools, churches and local groups in
Africa. Fax to 604.681.6595, e-mail
africa@dowco.com
Comparison
