Author Archive

Some new services are expected out of this acquisition. Google will absorb the work force of GrandCentral, the web-based phone service provider.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007: Google Inc. has acquired GrandCentral Communications, a provider of web-based phone service. Through this acquisition, Google will get access to GrandCentral’s service that lets users integrate all of their existing phone numbers and voice mailboxes into one account, which can be accessed from the web.

Commenting on the acquisition, Wesley Chan, product manager, Google, said, “We think GrandCentral’s technology fits well into Google’s efforts to provide services that enhance the collaborative exchange of information between our users.”

The name of the company will remain GrandCentral and Google will absorb its team within the company. Google is known as a acquisition shark and most of its services like Google Earth and Google Apps have been made possible through acquisition of smaller companies.

In his blog, Chan wrote, “While we’re moving their technology over to Google’s network, a limited number of invitations will be available to register for a GrandCentral beta account. If you have a US telephone number, you can sign up for an invitation at www.grandcentral.com. Current GrandCentral customers will continue to have uninterrupted access to the service.”

Google will reportedly expand the services offered by GrandCentral. Services provided by GrandCentral have many features that complement the phone services you already use. If you have multiple phone numbers (e.g., home, work, cell), you get one phone number that you can set to ring all, some or none of your phones, based on who’s calling. This way, your phone number is tied to you and not your location or job.

The service also gives you one central voice mailbox. You can listen to your voicemails online or from any phone, forward them to anybody, add the caller to your address book, block a caller as spam and a lot more. You can even listen to your voicemail messages from your phone while they are being recorded, or switch a call from your cell phone to your desk phone and back again. All in all, you’ll have a lot more control over your phones.

Source: EFY TImes

Nilesh

Post a Comment

The biggest well known secret in generating wealth in the internet based business or e-commerce is Traffic. Everybody knows it; every site wants it and every site needs it. The point of websites is to be visited and viewed. Many elaborate designs, money and countless hours of developing a site to make them beautiful and attractive are utilized. Without traffic, it is for naught.

With traffic comes a potential customer which basically means sales which in turn means profit. While many sites have collapsed in the past with the downturn of many internet based business, many smaller sites have generated good money by concentrating on a certain niche and some subniches.

This is a reason why e-commerce site laser target certain groups of people and drive them to their site to showcase their sites and products. Precision marketing is essential so that you could count on all the traffic on your site as potential customers.

Using Money to Make Money

It’s a common business notion that if you want to make money, you have to spend money. One good way of spending money for business gain is through advertising. Advertising brings in the people because through advertising, they know that there is such a company or product in existence. With the right type of advertising, you can see the spurt of traffic growth to your site. With a high volume of traffic, even if only a small portion or percentage turns out to be buying customers it is still a good average of profit generating income.

Right now, there is no other advertising scheme that would be worth every cent than using Google’s Adwords. The surge in popularity of Google’s Adwords is very evident as you can see so many sites sporting this ad scheme.

In using Google’s Adwords, you pay a certain fee depending on the number of keywords your ad is keyword sensitive to. Each time a person does a search in Google, the keyword or keywords use generate ads in the side of Google which are generated by the keywords they have assigned for their ads.

This method laser targets the traffic a site wants for their site. This also ensures that you are readily visible in the first page of a search result. Paying Google for this ad scheme ensures that your target group of people sees your ads. You drive your laser targeted traffic to your site which provides for their needs and wants. You can also be sure that you can meet their demands and needs.

Aside from Google, you can also be featured in their other search networks, these includes sites like, AskJeeves, AOL Search and Netscape. These sites also show Adwords ads that react to searches done by visitors. There are also content networks, non-search engine sites that feature Google Adwords, which will also carry your ads. But this is subjected to the niche the site features. Your chosen keywords will determine which content network shall feature your ad. The frequency of your ad shall also be determined by your allowed budget.

Laser Targeting your Traffic

To get a good number or estimate of the traffic to buying customer ratio it is good to laser target your traffic. Knowing that your traffic are all potential customers and are interested in your products and company provides you with a more accurate statistics. This will show you how effective your utilizing of Google Adwords is.

Drive laser targeted traffic to your site by using keywords or keyword phrases for your Goggle Adwords that pertains to your company and to your products. There are many online internet tools that can help you in choosing keywords and keyword phrases that are currently in demand that could help drive laser targeted traffic to your site.

With your Google Adwords ad, you are ensured that every click to your ad is a potential customer that is precisely looking pr interested in what you have to offer. Make sure that your Google Adwords ad has the right keywords so that you can drive you’re laser targeted traffic to your site.

Using Google Adwords to help boost the drive to increase laser targeted traffic will prove to be very beneficial as many other companies can attest to. The benefits are high with the cost relatively justifiable.

Source:

Technorati Tags: Google, Adwords, Traffic

Nilesh

Comments (2)

On a day dominated by discussion of Google’s planned acquisition of Double Click and its big radio deal with Clear Channel, the marketing world has understandably overlooked upbeat developments at Yahoo that speak volumes about changes underway at both companies.

RBC Capital Markets and Search Ignite released a report today finding Yahoo’s share of paid search budgets has stabilized as brand marketers derive benefits from the Panama search marketing platform in the form of reduced per-click costs. Yahoo also expanded its relationships with newspaper publishers, allowing advertisers to place ads across a larger group of newspaper sites in local markets.

Steady optimism from Yahoo’s search advertisers, coupled with Google’s bombshell Double Click deal, suggest the rivals are making strides toward conquering one another’s core strengths. Panama has wowed the search marketing community, which in turn is rewarding the company with increased spending. And not a moment too soon, as Google’s latest move positions it for an influx of brand ad dollars it’s long been seeking, and that Yahoo has long enjoyed.

“I’ve been trying for five years to get Google to report to me how many people saw a paid search listing and didn’t click, but later took an action,” said Rick Corteville, executive director of media at interactive agency Organic, during a joint conference call with investment firm UBS yesterday. “That’s one of the ways we report branding. We know 80 percent of the impressions we served don’t result in an immediate action.”

He added, “If Google can provide that level of information, to not only have more data in one place, but also tell about the brand impact you’re having, that’s going to be a compelling story.”

Corteville also extolled Panama’s virtues, particularly in regard to customer service, an area in which many give Google low marks. “We’ve been really impressed with the amount of dedication to the agency community,” he said. “We’ve been increasing our spend, not exponentially, but in the 10 to 15 percent range since the launch, based on the increase…in performance.

David Smith, CEO of media agency Mediasmith, agrees Google and Yahoo are successfully laying siege to each other’s turf. Like Corteville, he says proof of Google’s dedication to brand advertisers will be in how evenly the company decides to report on the share of influence attributable to customer contact points in various channels. Smith cites providers such as Blackfoot and Theorem as innovators in such reporting methods, sometimes called “multiple attribution protocol.” He says Doubleclick has been developing such technology, but embracing it is a risky proposition for Google since it has the potential to cut into search revenues.

“Deploying DoubleClick technology may actually de-value the search click,” he said. “They very much are going to need to be involved in the ad sales on the graphical [side] to make this up.”

To boost ad sales, Google must reassure DoubleClick publishers it has their best interests at heart. DoubleClick’s largest customer, AOL, already uses Google to provide search results and monetization on its network. The impending acquisition of its ad serving partner by its search partner means the Time Warner unit’s entire ad sales and trafficking system will reside within a single company.

“It’s one thing for AOL to serve up Google ads. It’s another thing for Google to have access to what works on AOL and what doesn’t,” said Smith. “They would have the keys to the kingdom.”

While few advertisers appear to see direct conflicts for their own campaigns with Google owning DoubleClick, several expressed wariness about the amount of power the search giant will hold when the leading ad management firm is in its arsenal.

“We all are looking for a single interface when it comes to data,” said Andreas Roell, president and CEO of Geary Interactive. “Are you willing to hand this over to an entity that is more than just a technology provider, an entity that is an ad network at the same time? It goes back to the question of trust, which has yet to be established.”

Source: http://clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3625602

Technorati Tags: Google, Clear Channel, AOL, Double Click

Nilesh

Post a Comment

Late Friday evening Google announced it had agreed to purchase graphic advertising supplier DoubleClick for $3.1Billion. The acquisition is Google’s largest purchase to date, giving it access to the lucrative display ad market. The move also gives Google the final piece in its quest to dominate every aspect of online marketing. Before the purchase, Yahoo! was the clear leader in the display advertising market place.

Google’s purchase of DoubleClick comes at the expense of rivals Microsoft and Yahoo!. Both were said to be in the running to pick up DoubleClick. As with the AOL advertising deal in early 2006 and the YouTube acquisition in the summer of 2007, Google entered negotiations late, pulling its acquisition target away from its competitors.

DoubleClick serves banner and display ads which tend to be favored by large corporate brands. Display advertising accounted for more than 50% of the online ad-spend in 2006. DoubleClick also possesses robust ad-targeting and analysis capacities that will strengthen Google’s abilities as it moves towards print, radio and television advertising.

According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, “The DoubleClick platform touches so many of the existing Google customers. It accelerates our entry into some of these markets by several years.”

DoubleClick was founded in 1996. It is the most successful of the old-time online ad agencies. It acts as the go-between for web publishers, marketers and ad agencies and boasts over 1500 corporate clients.

Google is paying over 20 times DoubleClick’s revenues from last year and triple the amount DoubleClick was last bought for by the private equity firm Hellman and Friedman in 2005. GOOG shares were down $0.55 in after hours trading, likely due to uncertainty surrounding the strength of DoubleClicks revenues.

“When we looked at DoubleClick, we felt after a very detailed financial analysis that we could afford the price,” Schmidt said. “And in fact it is a very good deal for our shareholders.”

The purchase gives Google a virtual monopoly in the online advertising market and makes the Mountain View company the largest online advertising concern. It also removes one of the final competitive threats to Google’s continued financial growth, while putting both Yahoo! and Microsoft in very difficult positions.

The $3.1billion purchase price is nearly three times what Google paid for YouTube in August 2006. If approved by the Federal Trade Commission, the deal will put Google far ahead of any online advertising competitor.

Source

Technorati Tags: Google, Click, YouTube

Nilesh

Post a Comment

We have all heard the term Trojan Horse, but what exactly is it? A Trojan Horse is a destructive program that masks itself as a harmless application. Unlike viruses, Trojan Horses do not replicate themselves, but they can be just as destructive. One of the most dangerous examples of a Trojan is a program that promises to rid your computer of viruses but instead introduces viruses into your computer.

The Trojan can be tricky. Who hasn’t been online and had an advertisement pop up claiming to be able to rid your computer of some nasty virus? Or, even more frightening, you receive an email that claims to be alerting you to a new virus that can threaten your computer. The sender promises to quickly eradicate, or protect, your computer from viruses if you simply download their “free”, attached software into your computer. You may be skeptical but the software looks legitimate and the company sounds reputable. You proceed to take them up on their offer and download the software. In doing so, you have just potentially exposed yourself to a massive headache and your computer to a laundry list of ailments.

When a Trojan is activated, numerous things can happen. Some Trojans are more annoying than malicious. Some of the less annoying Trojans may choose to change your desktop settings or add silly desktop icons. The more serious Trojans can erase or overwrite data on your computer, corrupt files, spread other malware such as viruses, spy on the user of a computer and secretly report data like browsing habits to other people, log keystrokes to steal information such as passwords and credit card numbers, phish for bank account details (which can be used for criminal activities), and even install a backdoor into your computer system so that they can come and go as they please.

To increase your odds of not encountering a Trojan, follow these guidelines.

1.Remain diligent
Trojans can infect your computer through rogue websites, instant messaging, and emails with attachments. Do not download anything into your computer unless you are 100 percent sure of its sender or source.
2.Ensure that your operating system is always up-to-date. If you are running a Microsoft Windows operating system, this is essential.
3.Install reliable anti-virus software. It is also important that you download any updates frequently to catch all new Trojan Horses, viruses, and worms. Be sure that the anti-virus program that you choose can also scan e-mails and files downloaded through the internet.
4.Consider installing a firewall. A firewall is a system that prevents unauthorized use and access to your computer. A firewall is not going to eliminate your computer virus problems, but when used in conjunction with regular operating system updates and reliable anti-virus software, it can provide additional security and protection for your computer. A firewall warns when it finds any type of malicious activity done by any application.

Nothing can guarantee the security of your computer 100 percent. However, you can continue to improve your computer’s security and decrease the possibility of infection by consistently following these guidelines.

Nilesh

Post a Comment

Overture or now known as Yahoo because of Yahoo’s takeover, was the original inventor of the use of the P4P or Pay for Performance. Overture saw that the Internet was fast becoming the easiest and most convenient way to shop, and advertising was going to hit at an all time high because of the many businesses in the arena.

To get a person to go to a site than others, it needs to be very visible. Providing ads that could direct potential consumers and costumers to their site would allow them to have an increase in traffic as well as sales. Yahoo provides a service that can put a site or company’s ad in their sites that can be shown when certain keywords are inputted.

Yahoo offers a chance for any company to increase their traffic by using their services. With more people being aware of your site, there would be more traffic and visitors to your site given the chance to view your pages as well as your products. With even a small percentage of successful sales, with a high traffic volume this could still be a substantial figure for your company.

Getting a consistent substantial flow of website visitors is every company’s goal. Many methods are devised and utilized to ensure that there would be more people to boost the sales and to be aware of the existence of such a product or service. Website visitors are potentially the life blood of your Internet based business.

Yahoo/Overture utilizes the same principle as Google’s Ad words. In fact, they are very similar to each other that they use keyword and keyword phrase searches and to determine which ads to show per search. When a person types in a keyword or keyword phrase to search for anything, the search engines gives out the results in a page. Then at the right side of the page, you will see selected ads that have paid for their ads to be viewed with certain keywords and keyword phrases searched.

For example, Lets say you run a car parts retail/wholesale site. You choose keywords that can prompt or trigger your ads to be shown in the page when a keyword is searched. When a search engine user types in Honda Accord, your ad may come up if you have designated that as one of your keywords. You don’t need to fully optimize your site with Search Engine Optimization methods and techniques.

While some labor so hard to make their site one of the high ranking sites per keyword search, you get the chance to be on the top of the list or at least in the first page of a search result increasing your chance to be clicked on. With that, you drive traffic and website visitors to your site a lot faster.

You will have to pony up some cash when using this service though. There are different ways Yahoo/Overture will charge you. It may be in the number of Keywords or Keyword phrases your ad uses or in the many times your ad is clicked on. Others offer many other services like having your ad show up not only in the search engine pages but also with some third party sites.

Third party sites support ads that have the same theme or niche as them. With more areas your ad is shown, you increase the chances of people knowing about your site or product. With more website visitors you increase the sales of your site which makes your investment with your ads a wise one.

With so many competitions in the Internet based businesses, it is necessary to take a huge leap forward from the pack by advertising. Yahoo/Overture will be a great place to start. Many have utilized their services and have reaped the rewards of this decision. It’s a marketing strategy that will increase your website visitors as well as increase your sales resulting to profit.

It takes money to make money, while there are some methods that are basically low cost or free, using a marketing service such as what Yahoo/Overture offers will provide results faster and on a larger scale. Many businesses have learned this the hard way, don’t be counted with them.

Nilesh

Comments (1)