OpenX is a free ad server for web publishers manage online advertising. It allows you to control your ad inventory, when and where ads appear, select ads based on page properties like keywords, meta and content, and select based on visitor attibutes like where they are from and other user data. Ads can come from every possible source including Google Adsense, Ad exchanges etc., and include all kinds of formats such as banners, Flash and rich media (Eyeblaster, TangoZebra etc.).
Google recently launched its own tool for managing ads called Google Ad Manager. What makes OpenX different is that you can install it on your own server, Google’s product is hosted. The PHP based OpenX is free and Open Source. You keep your user data for yourself.
Google will extend their Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising inventory to include the Moon. In early 2010 brand managers will be able to include the celestial satellite in their media plan along with mall displays, billboards, website banners and text ads.
Google is working on a deal with Virgin Galactic to install a massive projection framework that will consist of tethered satellite units with a tiny compulsion systems to maintain position. A banner, approximately the size of four football fields, stretched between the units made of polyhedron plasma foils will create a giant projection lenses. Electronic frequencies sent to millions of cells will adjust color and opacity to create the equivalent of a slide show projection on the Moon’s surface.
If you could change a headline, graphic, or promotional text on your website and increase click-through or conversion rates, would you do it? Of course you would. However, knowing what to change can be a challenge. Even more challenging is tracking which changes have the most effect. This was a daunting task, until now. Google’s Website Optimizer gives you the ability to make changes that create alternative layouts on your site. You are then able to track site visitor’s actions from one page to another based on the different scenarios you created. For instance, if you wanted to see if changing a certain graphic increased conversion rates, you could set the Optimizer to change from the original graphic to the new graphic and then track the different layouts to see which one has the better success. Continue reading »
I have been using Google Docs lately for writing and ideation. I’ve written a few executive summaries, some business concepts, have been working on a book all using Google’s browser-based authoring environment. I have also used Google Spreadsheets do conduct some financial projections, model scenarios and track expenses.
Recently I contemplated sending an executive summary to an acquaintance that is a well-known venture capitalist. Of course I think its an amazing idea worth billions so before I hit send I’m starting to worry that the firm will just steal my idea. I don’t have an NDA or any legal documentation around the idea. What happen’s if the VC steals my fantastic idea?
Google has launched a newly versionof Google Analytics (GA). Google Analytics is a free service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a website. Its main highlight is that a webmaster can optimize their AdWords advertisement and marketing campaigns through the use of GA’s analysis of where the visitors came from, how long they stayed on the website and their geographical position.
What Has Changed and What is New
An entirely new reporting interface
New date range selector
Custom dashboards
Emailed reports
Sticky URLs (you can now use use your Back button!)
PDF Report Export with Vector Graphics
About this blog
An early pioneer in interactive media, Dean Whitney is a Web 2.0 and Social media technology evangelist. Start-up veteran, President of Garfield Group Interactive a Boston-based digital agency.
