Agora Financial Network: Understanding the Seven Strategies that Drive the World’s Most Successful Special-Interest Website Network
The Mequoda Group estimates that the Agora Financial Network will post top-line revenues for 2006 of $55 million, with $41 million being generated online. This makes each of its 500,000 domestic subscribers worth about $82.
Following the Passion
When you’re passionate about something, you want to know everything there is to know about it, according to Carol Fitzgerald, president of The Book Report Network. She explains, for example, that she fell in love with Simon & Garfunkel when she was 13 years old. She learned a little about the duo’s background
Internet Movie Database: The screen’s big scene
By its own declaration, the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is a HUGE collection of movie information. Its database catalogs every pertinent detail about a movie — which actors were in it, who produced and directed it, filming locations for it, trivia about it, even where you can find reviews
Pepsi.com, a Very Successful Brand Site, Chose a Target Audience, Explored the Audience’s Needs, Determined Their Own Business Goals, and Designed a Smash Hit of a Site
The first question everyone asks: “Why would anyone go to Pepsi.com?” This is because we mostly think of the Web as a distribution vehicle. We think of ordering books
How They Created the World’s Number One Business Website
We’ve been taught that successful website publishing in 2005 means creating happy users and healthy profits. With 10.3 million worldwide unique visitors per month, I think it’s fair to say that Forbes.com has done just that.
The biggest flaws are the lack of a unique selling proposition in the headline and lead and failure to establish the qualifications and credentials of the course creator or publisher.
My advice to the Rocket French company… I also think there might be a missed opportunity in not starting with where the reader already might be
With Advertisers Footing the Bill, Forbes.com has Built a Website Offering a Superior—and Free—Online Content Experience for Users.
Forbes.com is part of (do I really need to say this?) the Forbes family publishing business. Including the familiar Forbes magazine, the websites Forbes.com and ForbesAutos.com, spin-off magazines such as ForbesLife, business and investing specialty newsletters, a business
The Site that Earned a Top Score in 2004 Hasn’t Lost Too Much Ground. The Lesson Here is Simply a Wake-Up Call—for Online Publishers, Continuous Improvement is a Requirement Just to Keep Up.
Readers familiar with Mequoda as Internet Media Review (IMR), might remember that Discover.com was given the number one Best Practice Ranking for Consumer
Creating the World’s Most Popular Website for Entrepreneurial Capitalists
With 2006 revenues estimated at more than $510 million, up from an estimated $460 million for 2005, the newly formed Forbes Media Network is on a roll.
Forbes Media currently includes print, online conferences, radio and TV properties. At this time, an estimated $330 million still comes from
Selling Goal-Setting and Motivational Information to a Niche Market of Nascent Planners and High Achievers: The Goals Guy Thrives with Laser-like Focus on Creating Quality Digital Products, Superior Search Engine Optimization and Smart Strategic Alliances
Gary Ryan Blair is a serious strategic planner. His personal philosophy can be summarized in two words: Everything Counts!™ Blair believes
With A’s in Strategic Intent, Relationship Building and Brand Preference, it’s Hardly Surprising that this Non-Profit is an Online Leader in the Paid Membership Website Category.
Consumer Reports’ successful membership website strategy has earned them over two million online subscribers (as of November, 2005). Averaging well over 20,000 new online subscribers per month, it’s obvious this
eBay: People, Places, and Lots of Things
Just as the Internet was blossoming in the mid-90s, software engineer Pierre Omidyar established the world’s first online auction site for mostly personal reasons. His fiancée (now wife) Pam—an avid collector of PEZ™ candy dispensers—was having difficulty finding other collectors with whom she could trade. Sitting in his living
CooksIllustrated.com has Earned High Marks in Relationship Building and Readability. Other Areas Such as Community Building Display a Good Infrastructure that Could Really be Impressive with a Little More Promotion.
Mequoda has previously covered the Boston Common Press’s media network in America’s Test Kitchen Media Network Case Study by Jane E. Zarem. The membership website (and
Landing Page Scorecard: Rose-Growing-Secrets.com
Internet Explorer, the pundits tell us, accounts for up to 95 percent of all Web browser traffic. So why should we care about that small minority of surfers who prefer alternative browsers such as Netscape Communicator, Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Safari?
And why waste time with those non-conformist non-Windows users who are stuck
Clayton Makepeace is a legend in the direct response advertising business. He has the respect of both his clients and peers—the hallmark of a real professional.
He has a huge portfolio of winning direct mail packages, commands top dollar for his work and in April of 2006 conducted a $5,000-per-seat, how-to seminar for aspiring copywriters. I
MarthaStewart.com Stands Out for Integration of TV and Magazine Content Online, but Otherwise the Site is Doing Poorly on Some Key Usability Guidelines.
You almost can’t have a dinner party without someone making a “Martha Stewart” comment at some point during the evening. Beyond being a mere household name, Martha Stewart has become synonymous with home
In our NicheADay.com Landing Page Review we examined an information product designed for opportunity-seekers. That’s a large and ever-changing market niche comprised of would-be business owners.
These are people who are dissatisfied with their jobs, or have recently become unemployed, and suddenly decide to go into business for themselves. They may suddenly embrace the “American Dream”
Knitters Review is a Great Web-product for the Target Audience of Knitters. It’s Easy to Use, Easy to Read, Easy to Interact With and the Brand has Integrity.
Knitter’s Review is a six-year-old site run by a small group of enthusiasts. Their story in the About pages tells of publishing veteran Clara Parkes, who left the
If You Want a Landing Page that Excites the Senses and Hits all the Hot Buttons with Ample Proof, Then This is the One to Mirror.
We are back now with another offer from her highness, Alexandria Brown, “The Ezine Queen.” After seeing this site I have decided that I might want to be a loyal
Tim Carter started as a building contractor and decided one day to tell homeowners about remodeling and residential construction by writing a newspaper column. The column started in 1993 and continues today. In 1998, he launched AskTheBuilder.com.
In addition to that column, Carter expanded Ask the Builder’s reach into radio, television and the Internet. He now
Reader’s Digest Online Version is a Great Example of an Old Brand Taking their Show Online Successfully
Reader’s Digest is so well known and widely read that almost everybody has picked up a copy at some point in their lives. Founded in 1922, the family friendly, feel-good favorite is also the flagship of a billion dollar
With a few judicious tweaks to this sales letter landing page, he might sell even more.
Perry Marshall is something of a Renaissance man—engineer, advertising copywriter, technical writer, marketer and philosopher.
Among Internet marketers, he has ascended to the rank of high priest of Google AdWords. As one of the world’s leading specialists on buying search engine
An Online-Only Membership Website is a Good Idea for Melcrum, and The Hub is Taking the Right Steps to Bring the Promised Value to Both the Company and to the Audience.
The Hub for Internal Communicators is a membership website with research, information and tools for communication professionals. The product and the audience are identified in
The Wall Street Journal’s website, WSJ.com, has achieved incredible success by selling print subscriptions online while simultaneously selling subscriptions to their online product. As a result, they are a great example of how to sell millions of dollars in subscriptions from one website. After perusing their site, we have identified seven marketing lessons to be
WoodcraftMagazine.com is a Sturdy Site That Will Serve the Purposes of the Master Brand, but Won’t Warm the Hearts of the Audience.
Woodcraft Supply Corp. is a leading seller of woodworking tools. The company has been around for 75 years and sells via retail, online and in over 3 million catalogues globally. Expanding the woodcrafting empire,
Week after week, our editorial staff gets together to forage through the Internet looking for ideas and examples that could help our readers make their subscription websites more effective. In the process we often find ourselves getting on one soapbox or another, proving, once again, that there’s a lot of room for improvement out there.
Ali K. Brown’s Landing Page Shows You How To Boost Business with Your Own Ezine—and More
In business it’s location, location, location. And of course online, it’s your list, list, list. Back in the covered-wagon days of marketing when there was no Internet, the only way to communicate with your prospects or loyal customers was to
The Incredible Website Usability of Craigslist.org is a Key Component in the Success of this Community Phenomenon.
Craigslist.org (CL) was a simple online community classified site started in 1995 by Craig Newmark (yes, Virginia, there is a Craig). The originally-non-profit site was incorporated in 1999. There are 190 versions of the website—localized by city—throughout the world,
The Publishers of the Wine Enthusiast Magazine Have Done it Right. They Have Created a Series of Websites that Complement Each Other and Effectively Lead Visitors to Make a Buying Decision.
WineEnthusiast.com is an online catalog that offers a comprehensive selection of all things wine related. The only thing the site doesn’t offer is wine. But
How copyright enforcement threats, simple site license pricing and credit card auto-renewals drive BeerNet’s online subscription revenue growth while maintaining an impressive 90 percent annual retention rate
Harry Schuhmacher is a former beer distributor, an accomplished online journalist and a savvy marketer of his information products. He founded BeerNet Communications, Inc., in 1997 and today is
Dan Kennedy’s Free Gift Landing Page is a Great Site to Model
Even before the Internet took over our lives (and I mean that in a good and bad way) there were marketers who made a great living offline promoting their products and consulting services.
One man, speaker/copywriter/bigtimemarketing consultant Dan Kennedy, was someone who took this “old
AOL’s New Entertainment Site, TMZ.com Has Everything Going For It. In Addition to Having a Great Background, the Excellent Website Design Scores for TMZ.com Make it Easy to Predict a Shining Future
On December 8, 2005, AOL’s expected press release announcing the launch of the new entertainment site, TMZ.com, hit the buzz-makers. The commentary? Only that
Our Campaign to Stamp Out Bad Website Design Turns Ugly with a Visit to ManagingYourHR.com, Which In No Way Resembles What This Reviewer Imagines it Should=
For me, the two most important of the 14 Mequoda System Website Design and Usability Guidelines address strategic intent and aesthetics.
The fundamental mistake made by many entrepreneurs is the classic chicken-and-egg scenario in which the inventor first creates a new product and then seeks a market for it.
Experienced product developers do the opposite. They anticipate the changes in society. They assess the evolving problems, requirements and desires of consumers, and look for opportunities that have
With gardening season upon us, it seemed like a good idea to check out the landing page forGardening Secrets and Tips.
There are few hobbies or avocations that rival gardening when it comes to the need for secret methods and helpful tips. And there are few activities that attract more avid practitioners. So, with that in
The Motley Fool Website Provides Relevant and Engaging Content in a Readily Accessible Fashion, Combining Effective Use of Content Webification, Relationship and Community Building and Proper Navigation
Tom and David Gardner have made a career of being foolish, and foolishly brilliant. They have created a brand that is well recognized within the investment community and without.
WritersMarket.com is a Pay-For-Access, Online Database of Incalculable Value to Freelance Writers that Cross-Sells Print Publications and other Products Owned by its Publisher as it Helps Build a Priceless Customer List
Online databases sold by subscription are big business for LexisNexis, R.R. Bowker, Thomson and other traditional publishers of directories.
The idea makes a lot of sense.
PC World Makes OFIEs Work by Giving Them Prominent Placement Near Editorial, Making an Email Address Optional and Offering Plenty of Premiums
OFIEs, “Order Forms in Editorial” are embedded subscription forms. They are placed in unused space at the bottom of webpages and, when used to generate subscriptions to a companion print magazine, churn thousands of
Boston Common Press, the Publishing Company that Produces PBS TV Show America’s Test Kitchen, Uses the Show’s Viewership to Drive Traffic to its Free Website, Building a Large Database in Which They Market Their Various Print and Online Products
America’s Test Kitchen is a weekly television show on local PBS stations, but it is more than
Online Revenues for Computerworld US Now Account for Over 35 Percent of their Total US Publishing Revenue
This Computerworld Mequoda Case Study is derived from one-on-one interviews with Pat McGovern, IDG’s founder and Robert Carrigan, the CEO of US Operations. It outlines Computerworld’s story from the beginning, and explores how they’re making such a successful shift
By refocusing on its core business, this special interest B-to-B publisher has increased revenues four fold since 2000, deriving 80 percent of its new business from online marketing.
FDAnews is the premier provider of domestic and international regulatory, legislative and business news and information for executives in industries regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
There
When the blowout of the U.S. economy a few years ago resulted in a decline in business travel, which was further affected by a general fear of travel triggered by 9/11, Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) sought a way to reach its audience with material that it would otherwise present in a traditional, in-person conference
Landing Page Conversions Gets Personal
For decades, direct marketers have been using personalization to increase direct mail response rates. When you send out a laser-printed sales letter with the prospect’s name in it, you gain his or her attention.
Personalization works equally well online, yet your name doesn’t appear within the copy of most of the landing
It wasn’t long ago that I was reviewing the landing page for the Internet Marketing Center, the very long and very well done Internet sales letter developed by late Web marketing guru Corey Rudl. When I heard of his tragic death in an automobile racing accident, I figured we’d probably seen the last of IMC.
The South Beach Diet Newsletter Could be the Best Thing Ever Printed… but we’d Never Know it from this Landing Page
Are there any subjects more mulled over and carefully considered than our health and appearance? If you can do something to make the population more slender and likely to live longer, you should be able
The Most Pressing Question About VanityFair.com is the Strategy of the Site. Is it a True Content Site or Just Marketing Print Subscriptions?
Vanity Fair is one of those cultural icons that doesn’t have to introduce itself. But, being a bit of a cultural dork myself, I’ll let them do it anyway:
Investors.com is an Excellent Example of a Publisher Taking Advantage of the Synergies Between Audience Information Needs and Technology’s Ability to Facilitate the Satisfaction of Those Needs
Investors.com, an online edition of Investor’s Business Daily, is the sort of site that the core audience loves with a fierce loyalty. With a focus on the signature stock
OK, folks. Bring your seat and tray to the upright position. We’re ready for take off with an incredibly convincing and compelling landing page that shows you the mesmerizing influence of “good old fashioned-take-no-prisoners-suck-out-the-money-from the wallet” copy and graphics.
The secret of creating streams of revenue in a niche business is to identify a problem that
EarlyToRise.com Pays Homage to Benjamin Franklin by Making its Owners Wealthy. Twenty-first Century Publishers Take Note: There is Wisdom in Adopting this Business Model
Financial independence has many rewards beyond the monetary. Or so I would like to believe. In the case of Michael Masterson, who prior to reaching age 40 sold a $135 million business
Mr. Levinson has been busy practicing, developing and evangelizing guerrilla marketing since 1984, with great success. Many startups and small companies use Mr. Levinson’s techniques to produce tangible results with minimal cost. However, established companies such as Smirnoff and Vodafone have also integrated guerrilla techniques into their marketing mix. The concept of guerrilla marketing has
